Recovery Gear - Hand Winch. please help...

[urbancowboy Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close urbancowboy]

hi guys, i'm looking to buy myself a handwinch, as i don't have a bull bar fitted, and i don't really want one, i have a pretty good nudge bar.

now i know black rat make one, and i believe Tirfor? make one, but apart from that i know nothing, so i'm looking for some advice on it, i'm not talking about the cheap 'come togethers', i mean the creeper style type...anyone got one, anyone got any advice cheers.

Cheers
-Dean

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

I had a Tirfor, I used it once, now I have a Warn XP

[Kevin Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Kevin]

Urbancowboy,
I have a BigHaul 2.5t. While I haven't needed to use it yet with the Prado, I have used it around the yard to straighten up fence posts. I also have an old Bruno hand winch and the BigHaul is lighter and easier to use.

I can't remember if it was 4wdmonthlt (action) or 4x4australia tested about a dozen different hand winches a few months back and the BigHaul came out on top, which is why I bought it.

Cheers,
Kevin

[Simmo67 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Simmo67]

I've got the Terrain Tamer handwinch. It was about $350 bucks from memory. Have not used it much but it seems well built and comes in handy carry bags.....

I have seen similar in Repco magazines and no doubt Supercheap Auto......

[urbancowboy Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close urbancowboy]

well trogan i'm a referation mech. so tools like that ALWAYS comes in handy.

i have pretty much all the rest of the gear, excluding snatch, and cable dampner, i do have a cheap winch, rated to 2t but it ain't rated to 2 tone if you know what i mean.


thanks for the 2nd hand adivce, i will keep my eye out.

[dirttracker Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dirttracker]

I suggest that you have a look at a purchase directly from Terror Tamer.
I have one and am very happy.
regards

[plucker Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close plucker]

i have pretty much all the rest of the gear, excluding snatch, and cable dampner, i do have a cheap winch, rated to 2t but it ain't rated to 2 tone if you know what i mean.

I seem to remember getting told years ago that electric winches are rated for straight line pull and hand winches are rated verticle.
So a warn 9500 will pull 9500 punds/4310 KG horizontally, on wheels, where as a hand winch like a black rat are rated at 1600KG but will lift something 1600kg.
Perhaps someone might be able to correct me if I am wrong as my memory is slighlty fuzzy.
Hand winches are very labour consuming so you will probably have to be strong and fit.

[Kevin Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Kevin]

Your memory isn't that fuzzy plucker. My BigHaul is rated for a 2.5t pull or a 1.6t lift.

Cheers,
Kevin

[Guest Close Guest]

Hand winches are good for doing everything else you can think of other than recovering a vehicle. They make a great flying fox with a snatch block, fence strainer, stump puller, tightrope, shed straightner......... !!

However, if you aren't that adventurous off road, they are more than enough for basic recovery. I would look at an aluminium cased version for reduction in weight and rust prevention as most of its life will more than likely be in its box.

If you are going to winch for any extended period of time you will soon learn hand winching is very arduous, PTO's don't work under water and the variety of electric models is pretty much the best answer.

The only practical use of hand winches in prolonged 4wd recovery is for secondary stabilizer to prevent vehicle roll over. I.E. What the pajero guy in the alps coulda-woulda-shoulda done. As a hand winch can be used at any angle for recovery/stabilization.

For drum winches, many people are not aware that the maximum pull or the 'claimed' maximum pull rate is ONLY on the first layer of wire on the winch drum and reduces significantly with each additional layer. Basically - the more wire or cable you have out the better for heavier pulls and the faster the cable speed (as the drum fills) the less the pull strength.

Unless you have a specific task a ~9000lbs winch is more than enough for the prado. The 10, 12, 15 and 16 (K-lbs) are way to big and heavy for the prado, they are meant for use in big heavy off road trucks greater than 4t in weight.

[plucker Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close plucker]

Thanks for the info Neiool, it all sounds about right.
Like you said the hand winch can pull from any direction where as a winch just pulls you forward.

[urbancowboy Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close urbancowboy]

thanks for the advice boys, i bought a big haul 2.5 / 1.6 tonne one



it's new, and i got it off ebay for $250, so i saved what at leased $150. so that was sweet.


thanks all.

[Guest Close Guest]

An important Point - All hand winches have sheer pins, spare ones are often keep in the handle or engaging lever, or in a zip lock bag. I use to keep my spare one in the tirfor hand by pulling off the end cap in the handle.

These pins sheer off if everything is working properly and you overload the winch. If they do not work properly the winch will distort the cable and make it almost impossible to use.

Be careful not to loose these pins as the winch will not work without them. Depending on the make/model is how easy they are to replace. Some models need to be completely taken apart (normally the cheaper ones), where as are others can be accessed from the side.

The only routine ~2yrs maintansnce (or if the winch gets wet) is to lube up the working sheer pin to prevent rust and seizing.

I think Supercheap (don't know what brand) have them on sale this week for $299. You will probably find there are two or three manuf. who just stick different names on them at the end of the manufacturing line in china. I have a pretty good assumption that if the units are identical btn makes they are probably the same manuf.