Manual Winches

[Jo6pak]

Does anyone have any advise or experience with manual winches?

Since some of my off-road excursions are solo affairs, I'm looking for a way to extract myself should I misjudge the terrain and get stuck.
I'm looking for something I can throw in the back and attach front or rear as the situation sees fit.
I've seen everything from glorified come-alongs to industrial hoists. Maybe I'm using the wrong wording in my searches, but I can't seem to find any off-road specific models.p:

Any help is appreciated, thanks

 

[tjkj2002]

They will make you strong.The $$$ to invest in a good winch,winch mounting,and say a pull-pal will be worth there weight in gold after 3-4 hours of manual winching.

 

[Dave]

I have manually winched boats out of the water and onto trailers and you can really feel the difference cranking the winch once the boat is on the trailer and you are pulling it into position. (and it is not stuck) It would probably take a couple of gorillas to hand winch a stuck and sucked into the mud pit jeep out. We fubarred a battery winching a jeep out of a mud hole wednesday.

Dave

 

[ridenby]

Have used come-along, several times, electric winch is way better. If you do go come-along get two,couple of chains/straps,possibility a section of cable to reach your anchor point. Hard to winch out when you are 30ft.shy of a tree,rock.

 

[LibertyFever]

I've been following posts about Hi-Lift winching. Though it may be somewhat safer than using a come along it will still take a lot of time & muscle.

 

[LibertyTC]

The best solution is to have a receiver /front and rear.
Like this is good:
http://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Draw-Tite/6495.html
and then have a decent winch mounted.

 

[guitarzan]

The best solution is to have a receiver /front and rear.
Like this is good:
http://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Draw-Tite/6495.html
and then have a decent winch mounted.

EDIT: Never mind. Looks like they're making them again.

http://www.etrailer.com/fmr-2007_Jeep_Liberty.htm

That's really cool. But is there someplace to still get the front hitch? Last time I looked around nobody was selling the ones to fit the ones for the KJ.

 

[Jo6pak]

Thanks for the replies. I figured I'd get advised towards a electric winch.

I did find these hand winches.
https://www.wyeth-scott.com/orders.asp

http://www.roughgear.com/arb/handwinch.html

I don't do much challenging stuff when I'm solo, but it would be nice to have some piece of mind should I get too ambitious while alone.

I also need to minimize costs, and still be capable of getting home.
$150 for the front hitch, $120 for the winch plate, plus another ~$500 for an electric winch= ~$800. Which is more than I can afford:disgust:

Guess I'll keep looking for options and start saving my pennies.

 

[J-Thompson]

The best solution is to have a receiver /front and rear.
Like this is good:
http://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Draw-Tite/6495.html
and then have a decent winch mounted.

Really not a good idea at all
problem 1 is that EVERY time I have been stuck getting out 100# of winch and "mounting it" would not happen no where near flat ground
problem 2 is that a hitch pin is only good for 5K # so if you bend it you will have 1 heck of a job removing the winch which brings up problem 3
they will get destroyed if you wheel with them "mounted" so you end up back at problem 1

 

[guitarzan]

My greatest fear of those hand winches is it seems like you'd be REALLY close to everything if something comes loose on the cable or something else.

 

[ridenby]

We used Harbor Freight come-alongs for years,thus getting two. The big trick is not going too far past limits." Man's gotta know his limitations."
Dirty Harry

 

[Dave]

We used Harbor Freight come-alongs for years,thus getting two. The big trick is not going too far past limits." Man's gotta know his limitations."
Dirty Harry

The best advice.

But what about that one time you eyeball something and say......"should be no problem"......and then you get in there and need a winch out...ooooooopps.:killit:...........:badger_1:......:smokin:

Dave

 

[ridenby]

That's the fun,interesting,motivating part. Having a sorta Plan"B" is way better than being clue less.

 

[Jo6pak]

My greatest fear of those hand winches is it seems like you'd be REALLY close to everything if something comes loose on the cable or something else.

I've considered that too. Which is one of the reasons I asked for opinions.

J also brings up an issue with trying to mount a winch after you're stuck. I've been pulled out of a few holes in the past, and in those instances it would have been difficult or even impossible to mount a winch.

ridenby and Dave are thinking along the same lines as me. Better to have something that works OK, than to have nothing at all.

I'm in need of a poor man's solution. Maybe there are no good options, but I'm trying to stay away form the bad ones.:shrug:

 

[Dave]

I'm in need of a poor man's solution. Maybe there are no good options, but I'm trying to stay away form the bad ones.:shrug:

I rarely go out alone (unless it is a place I will not get into trouble) so usually there is always another jeeper & jeep and we have pleanty of recovery stuff and it gets used too.. So a buddy and another Jeep on the trail with you could be a "poor man's winch" so to speak.

Dave

 

[LibertyFever]

A Class III hitch receiver is rated for 5,000 lbs and to pull a Liberty out of a stuck will take a 8,000 to 12,000 lb winch. So how do you mount a winch in a hitch receiver? Add a second retaining pin?

 

[Dave]

A Class III hitch receiver is rated for 5,000 lbs and to pull a Liberty out of a stuck will take a 8,000 to 12,000 lb winch. So how do you mount a winch in a hitch receiver? Add a second retaining pin?

Bar & shackle in the receiver hitch. Hook the winch cable to that. I have done it many times with no problems.

Dave

 

[ridenby]

Here is a good come-along,one is 5ton rated. Two of these,some chain or straps,couple clevis be a good starter kit.
http://www.toolprice.com/category/tiedownaccessories.comealongcablepuller/

Could get a piece of syn.winch line as an extension.
http://www.amsteelblue.com/results.cfm?catid=1804 Light easy to store,won't whoop your head like a chain

Pricey for the rating,very good quality.
http://www.wyeth-scott.com/models.asp

 

[J-Thompson]

A Class III hitch receiver is rated for 5,000 lbs and to pull a Liberty out of a stuck will take a 8,000 to 12,000 lb winch. So how do you mount a winch in a hitch receiver? Add a second retaining pin?

you dont pull from the center of the hitch but from the side or mounting point
easily done with a loop strap and a good stick ,to keep it from getting stuck

 

[Jo6pak]

Bar & shackle in the receiver hitch. Hook the winch cable to that. I have done it many times with no problems.
Dave

x2. I've been pulled out a few situations using a reciever mounted hook on my XJ. Never had an issue with anything bending or breaking.

I rarely go out alone (unless it is a place I will not get into trouble) so usually there is always another jeeper & jeep and we have pleanty of recovery stuff and it gets used too.. So a buddy and another Jeep on the trail with you could be a "poor man's winch" so to speak.

Agreed, that is the best option. But not always possible.

Thanks for the links, ridenby:waytogo: