Received wrong winch (Should I return it or convert it?)

The loggers and ex loggers don't like synthetic because they say it won't stand up to dragging downed trees and other debris off the trail.* We get a lot of that around here.

I suspect you guys in Johnson Valley don't have much logging debris to deal with.


There's two cons.



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* Don't shoot the messenger. That is what they say. And they appear as adamant about steel as you are about synthetic.

I've dragged plenty of trees and debris with my synthetic rope. There is always a strap between the tree and the rope. I also take the time to make sure the rope won't get caught or drag during the pull and will reset as needed. I'm also not on the clock so I can take the extra time to care for the rope.
 
I've dragged plenty of trees and debris with my synthetic rope. There is always a strap between the tree and the rope. I also take the time to make sure the rope won't get caught or drag during the pull and will reset as needed. I'm also not on the clock so I can take the extra time to care for the rope.

Feel free to come out here to tell those guys that they are full of shit. I'm sure the Socratic method will work wonderfully.

:)
 
Feel free to come out here to tell those guys that they are full of shit. I'm sure the Socratic method will work wonderfully.

:)

First I would want to see what they are actually encountering on the trail and watch what they are doing to clear it. I know the things I have dealt with out in the woods and I don't see where steel cable would be an advantage beyond taking the extra time to care for a synthetic rope.

:)
 
In this part of the country you will see more jeeps with chain saws than hi-lifts if that gives you any indication.

These guys are professionals at what they do. They have valid reasons for their opinions and really don't care what we city boys think or whether we would agree with their equipment choices.
 
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In this part of the country you will see more jeeps with chain saws than hi-lifts if that gives you any indication.

These guys are professionals at what they do. They have valid reasons for their opinions and really don't care what we city boys think or whether we would agree with their equipment choices.
Got my ATV stuck on our property once and since it was getting logged at the time one of the log skidders pulled me out.

You are right there’s no way that guy would switch to synthetic.

Even bent my front bumper pulling me out.
 
In this part of the country you will see more jeeps with chain saws than hi-lifts if that gives you any indication.

These guys are professionals at what they do. They have valid reasons for their opinions and really don't care what we city boys think or whether we would agree with their equipment choices.

They can carry their day job logging tools on a Jeep run all they want to. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that they are solving real problems I don't have often enough to do the same.
 
Got my ATV stuck on our property once and since it was getting logged at the time one of the log skidders pulled me out.

You are right there’s no way that guy would switch to synthetic.
...

Did you ask about switching to synthetic on his Jeep or on the log skidder?
 
Did you ask about switching to synthetic on his Jeep or on the log skidder?
No, and had I he wouldn’t have given a shit. They take a cable wrap it around a tree, hook the hook to the cable and drag it through whatever is in the path. Usually not the best life for synthetics. Abrasion comes to mind.
 
No, and had I he wouldn’t have given a shit. They take a cable wrap it around a tree, hook the hook to the cable and drag it through whatever is in the path. Usually not the best life for synthetics. Abrasion comes to mind.

You are making my point.
 
The loggers and ex loggers don't like synthetic because they say it won't stand up to dragging downed trees and other debris off the trail.* We get a lot of that around here.
Loggers and ex loggers shouldn't own Jeeps then if they aren't smart enough to take care of their rigging.
I suspect you guys in Johnson Valley don't have much logging debris to deal with.
I'll trade you one sharp rock for a plethora of downed trees. How much would they care to wager that I can drag any downed tree that is capable of being moved with a Jeep winch off of the trail without so much as a whisker of damage to the line?

There's two cons.



______________________________________

* Don't shoot the messenger. That is what they say. And they appear as adamant about steel as you are about synthetic.
I'm not even throwing rocks at the messenger but neither of those scenarios is a con. The first rule of winching is to protect your rigging. Doesn't matter if it is steel, synthetic, or cat gut. If you place in where it can get damaged (and steel is not even remotely immune to that) then you are risking injury, and lots of personal property in the form of your rig. If you don't take care of your rigging, it can't take care of you.

I'm not adamant about synthetic, I'm just not fucking stupid.
 
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That context matters
I don’t know any loggers with jeeps just superduty’s and those come from the factory with synthetic now when you add the factory warn winch option.
 
Loggers and ex loggers shouldn't own Jeeps then if they aren't smart enough to take care of their rigging.

I'll trade you one sharp rock for a plethora of downed trees. How much would they care to wager that I can drag any downed tree that is capable of being moved with a Jeep winch off of the trail without so much as a whisker of damage to the line?


I'm not even throwing rocks at the messenger but neither of those scenarios is a con. The first rule of winching is to protect your rigging. Doesn't matter if it is steel, synthetic, or cat gut. If you place in where it can get damaged (and steel is not even remotely immune to that) then you are risking injury, and lots of personal property in the form of your rig. If you don't take care of your rigging, it can't take care of you.

I'm not adamant about synthetic, I'm just not fucking stupid.

At the moment, I feel like we aren't supposed to undermine the "always prepared, expedition fantasies" that often surrounds our hobby. I might have to dig out the HiLift and gas cans.
 
The reason why most in the logging industry still use steel cable is due to two main factors. Neither apply to jeeping. Cost is number one - where 3” or 4” cable 1000s of yards in length is already a huge expense dwarfed only by diesel costs. Synthetic line in that diameter and length would lead to the cost be astronomically higher, and profit margins are tight in logging as they always have been. Another reason why steel cable is used is the ability to push the cable. You can’t push synthetic line, and it doesn’t need to do the same job in any capacity. Forest operations and Jeep recovery should never been compared......
 
At the moment, I feel like we aren't supposed to undermine the "always prepared, expedition fantasies" that often surrounds our hobby. I might have to dig out the HiLift and gas cans.
Right over there in the corner next to the goddamn compressed air tank. Got another one of those fucktards this morning. I had two guys with the dual ARB compressors fill my tires, the guy with the tank was significantly faster so I'm getting a tank.
 
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I don’t know any loggers with jeeps just superduty’s and those come from the factory with synthetic now when you add the factory warn winch option.

I wonder how many swap out for steel cable.
 
I wonder how many swap out for steel cable.
They don’t. I would know. Every truck we work with that has a winch out here runs synthetic.....I’ve seen more rusted out steel cable from being in the woods than a broken synthetic line from a tree. Like @mrblaine said, I’d take a log over a rock any day.
 
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