What's the advantage of synthetic winch line vs steel cable?

Come to think of it, I don't know a single woman that prefers an underwire...thus - by way of the Transitive-ish Property - it is clear that wire rope is not only unfeminine and mostly-inferior to synthetic rope, but also unfashionable and unpopular.
 
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Maybe we oughta park our rigs side x side some day at the top of the hill on Jackhammer and see which one looks the manliest? I mean since that shit matters and all. I'll even bring my skirt.

Sorry pal, didn't mean to 'trigger' you . . . so easily.
My sad attempt at humour fell flat.
Yes, some of us live in the snow . . . . but, a snowflake can be just about anywhere.
You like string, others like cable . . . . ;)
 
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While I don't live or wheel in snow and ice much, I have used my winch at subfreezing temps many times and have never noticed any additional wear or any wear at all.

I’ve used synthetic rope plenty of times in sub freezing temps and never even gave it a second thought about whether or not it could damage it. Heck, plenty of times I had to struggle to get the rope unspooled off the drum due to it being a frozen mess after a previous water crossing or two.
 
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You like string, others like cable . . . . ;)
It isn't that I like string over cable. I prefer safety, convenience, much higher strength, and ease of use. I get that with synthetic rope. I don't get it with steel cable.

What I do find odd about these discussions is very few Jeepers stray far from the mantra that bigger is better. Stronger is better. Overkill is great. If one pays attention, you can see that in just about every discussion related to what parts to use, except winch line. Odd.
 
When a flat bed tow truck breaks a steel line and it nearly (or worse) takes the head off of a stranded motorist as they watch...
And said stranded motorist will have a 5 or 7 series BMW. Or Mercedes. Or Porsche. Or yada yada.
Steel cable will be illegal. At least in the left and east coast.

I do love synthetic, and prefer it. But steel is more resistant to abbrasion if its tensioned across rocks.
 
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Synthetic vs Steel. A passionate debate for you sure. Depending on yer use I'd go either way. Me, I use it to drag logs onto the road way more than to pull my Jeep out of shit. So yes, I lean to steel because I am always dragging the cable in. Rarely dragging the Jeep in.

I have no doubt if I was pulling my TJ out of mud or over rocks I'd be a synthetic zealot too. Each has its own strengths.

I'd say in commercial use, same thing, the winch is always stationary and the cable gets dragged over all the obstacles.... hence steel is the practical choice.

A good conversation, it forced me to actually look at why I prefer steel.
 
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I switched to rope 12 years ago. Boy that felt good to get that off my chest. :D😁

I had ran cable for many years before that on my rigs and in the Army. Now pulling cable off a 2 1/2 ton or 5 ton truck in full MOPP gear isn't any fun. And picking the steel slivers out of your hands is worse.

Dragging cable up some of the hills we have here in the PNW is not any fun.

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Two full winch pulls to get him to the top of the hill becaue he broke a rear axle shaft.
I worried about how well my rope would handle the types of abuse we put it thru. We have the rocks and stuff but also the mud and twigs and tree bark that I wasn't sure what it would do to rope over cable.

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I'll take rope over cable any day.
 
My rope is still going strong after all these years. About every 4 years I take it off the winch and put it in a laundry bag and wash it in my washing machine. I was told this was better for it that trying to was it with a hose since with a hose you are pushing the dirt into the strands.

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I saw logging mentioned here as a argument for steel and thought I’d give my input. I’ve been logging for many years - and unless you plan on using 3” OD and replacing it every 5 years on your winch then you can’t really compare them. Logging operations have a different application than us and they can’t be compared. Synthetic is the way to go on jeeps.