mudmauler winch - useful or not?
Submitted: Thursday, Jul 07, 2005 at 20:31
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ev700
I searched and did not find any comment on Mudmauler hand
winches.
Does anyone have practical experience with them with heavy vehicles such as Cruisers and Nissans?
I am not into mud bashing or extreme stuff but would like to have a winch on board for assurance.
Thanks
EV700
Reply By: Member - John (QLD) - Thursday, Jul 07, 2005 at 20:45
Thursday, Jul 07, 2005 at 20:45
have used it once and was compact and easy - did the job.
no winding up of wire strand etc and easy to store with the chain - less space
just as tough on the muscles to use though - slow but you get there.
the rating is for lift not pull so plenty of buffer - I thought it should be equal to the task then like the big haul etc.
mainly bought it due to being compact and easy to store. paid $490
AnswerID:
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Reply By: ev700 - Thursday, Jul 07, 2005 at 21:50
Thursday, Jul 07, 2005 at 21:50
Thanks
John, my first impression is that it would work
well.
EV700
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Member - Bradley- Thursday, Jul 07, 2005 at 22:22
Thursday, Jul 07, 2005 at 22:22
please search again, as a few of us did look into these units extensively, and spoke with the manufacturers. They are not as advertised, the rating of 4 tonnes or so is for a straight line pull on a static loaded unit, not under winching, when used as a winch the handle will shear at around 1 tonne, so that is all its good for.
They are made by a truck load restraint mob, and are probably best suited for that purpose.
Buyer beware on this one champ.
Brad
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Follow Up By: ev700 - Friday, Jul 08, 2005 at 09:43
Friday, Jul 08, 2005 at 09:43
Brad
Thanks for
the tip off. 1 tonne is not much pulling power in mud.
Can't find the thread with the testing though.
EV700
FollowupID:
374476
Reply By: Bitsumishin - Mike (WA) - Friday, Jul 08, 2005 at 10:40
Friday, Jul 08, 2005 at 10:40
Here's one of the posts but you might find more by separating Mud and mauler
PostID:968 - 15 Apr 2002 - Mud Mauler winch
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Follow Up By: BenSpoon - Friday, Jul 08, 2005 at 11:10
Friday, Jul 08, 2005 at 11:10
Previous Mud Mauler winch posts
If you are pulling a very short distance (say 2m) in flat terrain- ie: all your wheels just spinning ontop of a hard mud surface, Then they are great. Any other situation I have found leaves you wishing you got an electric, or at least spent a little more to get a real hand winch.
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Follow Up By: BenSpoon - Friday, Jul 08, 2005 at 11:16
Friday, Jul 08, 2005 at 11:16
meant to say- click the link then search mud mauler
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Follow Up By: Scubaroo - Friday, Jul 08, 2005 at 12:13
Friday, Jul 08, 2005 at 12:13
Is it just a matter of not enough leverage, or are they just not strong enough mechanically? At face value, chain would seem to be stronger (and safer) than cable. I really can't justify the expense and weight of an electric winch for the realistic use it would recieve (little or none), and am poking around at hand winch options.
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Follow Up By: BenSpoon - Friday, Jul 08, 2005 at 19:07
Friday, Jul 08, 2005 at 19:07
The biggest problem is their design- they use a drum, so as you take up the slack in the system it increases the effort required, and due to the small drum size they typically have they are only good for 5m or so of wire rope. By the time you have taken up the slack and pulled your car 2m you have to reset the whole system for another 2m pull.
Doing this trying to get over a 3m diameter
rock..... you work it out.
A typical hand winch feeds cable through it, so the pull length is as short as the roll of wire rope you possess- generally 8m or more, so there is less hassles, but a slightly higher upfront cost.
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Follow Up By: Shaker - Friday, Jul 08, 2005 at 19:23
Friday, Jul 08, 2005 at 19:23
Thay don't use a drum at all ... they use a chain gypsy that just feeds the chain through!
I spoke to the manufacturer & thye say it will pull 4.4t static weight
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Follow Up By: Scubaroo - Friday, Jul 08, 2005 at 20:49
Friday, Jul 08, 2005 at 20:49
BenSpoon,
Are we talking about the same thing here? I though the Mud Mauler was a chain winch, like in this link:
http://www.4wdmegastores.com.au/products_lz2/winches/mud_mauler
There's no drum or wire rope involved... are your comments about them being crap in reference to this product or another?
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Follow Up By: Member - John (QLD) - Friday, Jul 08, 2005 at 21:57
Friday, Jul 08, 2005 at 21:57
Shaker is correct - no drum - doesn't build up tension and manufacturer will back up claims. - called them prior to buying
defintely no wire - maintained and oiled etc, no rust
up against std hand winch they would be sligtly slower due to shorter handle which tends to limit each pull reach.
as far as i'm concerned space is king (espec with added bonus of being a drag chain) especially for something that usually collects dust but is a must have.
couldn't justify $$ on electric winch (and weight) - locker instead is a better investment so you don't get stuck in the 1st place ;-))
it also helps if you've got a LR...
come on bite.
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Follow Up By: BenSpoon - Saturday, Jul 09, 2005 at 14:18
Saturday, Jul 09, 2005 at 14:18
Apologies- That one is different to the one I was talking about- I had seen the names come along, mud mauler, wire rope puller and emergency winch all used to describe the one product - the standard linesman's wire rope winch. I have come across chain
winches before, but none that small.
I reckon I may go pick one up- Its a hell of a lot smaller and lighter than my 40kg unit- a 4t lifting PWB Anchor hand winch, and that 40kg doesnt include the 20m coil of 16mm wire rope.
Its the first time I have seen that kind of winch so small. The thing that put me off getting a similar model previously was the cost of the calibrated chain it needed. Got a price for one of those?
Also, do you know if it can indeed run on a standard drag chain?
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Reply By: ev700 - Sunday, Jul 10, 2005 at 15:49
Sunday, Jul 10, 2005 at 15:49
It is the chain Mudmauler I was thinking about however there is the option to have a nylon strap and this is recovered on a drum I would think.
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Reply By: Truckster (Vic) - Sunday, Jul 10, 2005 at 17:16
Sunday, Jul 10, 2005 at 17:16
if its only for assurance, buy a Turfor. Dont buy cheap crap you may regret it
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Reply By: Member - Bradley- Monday, Jul 11, 2005 at 16:28
Monday, Jul 11, 2005 at 16:28
"Thay don't use a drum at all ... they use a chain gypsy that just feeds the chain through!
I spoke to the manufacturer & thye say it will pull 4.4t static weight "
EXACTLY - static weight, if you want to tow another vehicle using it as a tow chain at a static length it will fail at 4.4t . As a WINCH it is only good for one tonne.
Its an interesting item, because it doesn't have a reversing function, it is not classed as a load winch and is not rated for lifting as per a tirfor etc. So it then comes under the
grey area that all 4x4 recovery gear is under - it has no regulated testing or rating system. So marketing terms and values can be 'creative'..
Stick with a good cable winch that has both lifting and pulling ratings.
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