Hand Winches - how useful?

I use a hand winch to pull my Prado out of trouble (yes the Prado is slightly lighter than the Patrol), and I havent had a problem, I wouldn't go off road without it. I have a 1.6t rated hand winch, and use a block to double the pulling power. I use a winch extension strap to get extra distance as the block also halves your winch cable.

I have also used the winch to pull down trees when clearing my block before building. On a big tree I found that a shear pin on the winch handle snapped. These are deisgned to break before the winch or cable break. To repair the winch I just had to replace the pin, I found spares in the handle, and all was fine.

Flute - they work OK at getting you out but gee it's hard work. Had one for years - used once in semi anger then sold it. Too heavy and bulky to cart around unless you have a trailer (or no family in the vehicle - once everyone and their gear is in there isn't a lot of room for tirfor type gear).
Regards the danger issue you don't have much choice as to where you stand. But you should definitely put some sort of brake over the cable eg old blanket etc - needs to be as heavy as possible for maximum effect. Make sure it is securely attached so cable doesn't just slip through. Depending upon length of cable being used you may need more than one braking device.

Bought one for my last big trip and apart from one Saturday morning before I left, it aint been out of the box. Took me a couple of hours to work out how best to use it on the test. I too have a snathch block and a winch extenstion strap as well as a drag chain and the standard snatch strap etc.
Guess it's just insurance but must admit I'm thinking of selling it.

IMV , they are without doubt the BEST anti bogging device EVER made.

You get bogged once , and have to use it , you will NEVER want to get bogged again.

They work absolutely , and absolutely better then nothing . . . but geez , they are hard work.

Used one once (10 years ago) and hard work it was (already said by others). It always goes with me when I travel because it is the simplest form of rescue I can think of. It doesn't need a battery system supplying 200 amps and yes it can work under water but most importantly you don't need another car. Works out cheaper on the initial outlay and is less prone to failure pluss you can pull side ways and backwards.

In the end it is merely a question of time. If yiou happen to get stuck on your own and we have all had that happen I'm sure it is a lot better than nothing or a dead battery.

Kind regards

Good as a backup, great for hooking on when worried about angle of vehicle when using electric winch.

Apart from that, I wouldn't say they are a great item to have as a primary recovery tool. I thought they would set you back around 600 bucks? If so, you can get a winch for twice that, maybe save for a month or two longer and get the lazy mans winch!

agree with everything said above. even if i had an elec winch i'd still carry a hand winch purely for the ability to winch me backwards out of the trouble i might be in. i've had mine for over 20yrs and a couple of times i didn't want to go any further into the muck i was bogged in, or the road got worse etc etc

Yep they're dangerous! Like anything though you need to take precautions like putting something over the cable to dampen cable recoil in case something breaks! Doing a course with a 4wd club is a good start if not familiar. I have used my tirfor in anger a couple of times and despite the hard work you are always glad you had one (i'd be still stuck otherwise). I now have a lecky winch but still have kept the tirfor and only now throw it in depending on what sort of trip i'm going on.
Also I'd suggest getting a snatch block plus you will need shackles, drag chain, extesion stap, tree protector etc.

Leroy

'HOW USEFUL'

Imagine yourself in the S H I T somewhere all by yourself and all you need to extract yourself is a hand winch, if you had one that is.

Thats how USEFUL they are.

You wouldn't think twice at the extra bit of effort and time that they use.

Also good for camp fire stories later.

Hello, I have one of the aluminium bodied ones. I forgot the brand but its very popular. Its 1.6t lift and 2.5t pull, and yes I do have a PTO winch on front of my 80 cruiser, front and rear ARB lockers, and i carry 4 diamond snow chains everywhere I go. This maybe overkill, but I am yet to have to walk out of anywhere and I do travel a lot on my own.
I have been stuck badly a few times, and even with all this gear I cary (hi lift jack, snatch block, extension and snatch straps) the only thing that got me out was the hand winch. Ie. I had to go backwards! And other times it has been used to prevent side slope slide whilst PTO lowered or pulled car up.
Without doubt a great device. PTO works great ie if you want to go slow put the gearbox in 1st gear, if you wanna pull really fast you can put gearbox in 5th. But hand winch stops the car sliding off cross slope and can also hook up to tow bar or recovery points and get you out backwards. Quite often you do not want to go any further forwards once you have gotten bogged up to the floorpan!
Great investment, and can be bought cheap from don khyatts in melbourne. I paid $360 inc cable about 2 years ago at 4wd show.
Workwise, if i remember correctly it moves the car about about 4 cm per pump of the shaft, and it aint all that hard. certainly easier then digging the car out, or walking for 30 km for help.
The only bitch is when your cable (20m comes with it) gets all muddy and then you gotta wind it into its carrier or just throw the whole lot in the back of 4wd when you need it again in five minutes. Then things get dirty! And the cable is 11mm thick, so thicker then elextric winche's cable and not very flexible. But undoubtedly strong.
I say get one as soon as possible, and it will be repayed the first time you get yourself out of major crap.
Hope this helps
Damian

Regarding cost, ARB have the Magnum unit for $395 RRP. Looks pretty good.
1.6 lift, 2.4T pull.

I saw it setup in a demo at the Melbourne show a couple of weeks ago. They had 1 snatch block on it, and were pulling a jeep cherokee up some metal ramps, probably 25%. Thing is they had an 8 yr old kid doing the winching. Didn't look too hard, but then it was a 'show'.

Here's a couple of links

1: ARB
2: ARB Dealer

If you have a Hi-Lift jack it is possible to use it as a hand winch. However it is not exactly designed for it and you can only winch the length of the bar before you have to rejig things. However if you aren't expecting to need it very often if at all then it could be a much cheaper and lighter option.

I have never used mine to winch yet and I also have an Ox hydraulic 10 000lb. Good to know I can if need be though.

That settles it then. I'm off to get the hand winch. thanks for the replies.