Winch purchase'Wire cable or Nylon line

[bearheart]

Any problem with Synthetic line in cold weather? Buying a winch for my truck. Always have had wire lines in past. Have used synthetic line on my ATV winch and no problem. But I don't drive my ATV 100's of kms in November on the highway in snowy/sleety wet weather.
I'd appreciate advice from some of you experienced vehicle winch users.

End use of winch: pull me out of mess I shouldn't have driven into. vehicle: Tacoma with canopy.

Thanks!

[f350ps]

I was going to put synthetic line on my winch but the cost was ridiculous! K

[Shermanator]

Call me old school but I don't think you could ever beat wire. Had them on truck and ATV winches and never had a problem.
The only nylon stuff I've ever used are those tug straps to yank someone else outta the ditch. Reliability and longevity, wires
got my vote.. ��*♂️��

[KBC]

Synthetic is much lighter but you should keep a cover on your winch to keep it clean. It's also much safer, if it snaps it won't rip body parts off and you can just tie it back together. Easy and safe choice is synthetic line.

[moosecaller]

Synthetic is much lighter but you should keep a cover on your winch to keep it clean. It's also much safer, if it snaps it won't rip body parts off and you can just tie it back together. Easy and safe choice is synthetic line.

The wire cable is cheaper and when you pull with it throw a blanket over the line this will help with whipping if it breaks.

[MOOSE MILK]

Synthetic not nylon, may be more expensive but once you use it you'll never go back. Synthetic actually has a higher load rating than wire.
MM

[tyler-brown]

I bought a front hitch receiver for my hunting truck (first gen tundra) and a hitch cradle for my winch so i can keep it in the dry box in the box of the truck. Out of the weather, out of the eyes of thrives and I can move it to the front and back of my truck. Because sometimes when you get stuck...you don't want to go forward anymore, haha. I know this doesn't answer your nylon vs cable debate. But it would free up the driving the highways in November with snowy/sleety wet weather and deteriorating the winch line/clutch & electronics etc.

[MRP]

A friend of mine has a wood lot, lots of winching. Says he’ll never go back the cable. And DO NOT get the rope with the protective sheet covering, my friend had to cut it off after just a couple of uses.

[islandhunter]

In my experience, when you actually need to winch it's hairy situations. Usually dragging over steep inclines and rocks etc. The last thing I would want to worry about is my fancy synthetic line getting cut up on every obstacle. Looks good in magazines though.....

[Bigdoggdon]

Google the video "Synthetic Line Snapback" and tell me if you want that on your winch. I'll stick with wire cable thanks.

[jac]

synthetic is the best choose for jobs like running a snow blade on a atv. When you run steel
Cable over the same spot it will cut into the material synthetic slides better. That being said I have spent like 5k on the last few winches on my sxs and used 1 of the winches. So unless you plan on using it a lot steel will be fine. If you snap the synthetic you can just tie it back up which is nice, steel is a bit of messing around if you break it. If you get a steel cable sliver in your hand you will know it.

[Steeleco]

I've got a winch with synthetic cable, it BITES, sure it's light and all but I can never free spool it off the drum especially after a pull. It gets so locked together I have to reverse the spool to get it out. Real PITA NEVER again!

[Slinky Pickle]

I've had both and I'll never go back to steel. I've abused my synthetic lines and they have taken it like champs. The energy stored in a synthetic line under tension is a fraction of what is in a steel one simply due to the mass. I still throw my coat over it just like a steel line.

For any line material, always unspool after a pull and wrap it back on evenly under no load.

[Redthies]

I bought a front hitch receiver for my hunting truck (first gen tundra) and a hitch cradle for my winch so i can keep it in the dry box in the box of the truck. Out of the weather, out of the eyes of thrives and I can move it to the front and back of my truck. Because sometimes when you get stuck...you don't want to go forward anymore, haha. I know this doesn't answer your nylon vs cable debate. But it would free up the driving the highways in November with snowy/sleety wet weather and deteriorating the winch line/clutch & electronics etc.

This is how I play it. Synthetic line on a receiver mounted winch. It stores out of sight, out of the weather and off the weight of the front end. On a gas 3/4 or 1 ton, it’s fine to have the big bumper and winch on the front axle, but on a Tacoma or diesel that is already front end heavy, storing it in the bed is a great way to go.

On the steel vs synthetic debate, I’ve run both and like both for different reasons. My current small winch (for the Tacoma and car trailer loading) is synthetic, but when I rebuild my Warn 8274 it will get wire rope.

[nedarb2]

Cheaper to order steel on the winch but swap it out yourself. There’s lots of synthetic winch cable online you can get and spool it on yourself.

[wallz]

If you go synthetic do not make the mistake and get the cheap stuff off amazon. Not all ropes are rated or made equally.
I went direct to the manufacture and ordered from Maple Leaf Ropes. Amazing break strength on the dyneema/HMPE rope.

[bearheart]

Plan to put an ARB bumper on truck and upgrade suspension, so weight is not an issue. On my last truck I found I rarely used winch as I am pretty cautious where I take my truck, as I am almost always alone and I like my truck , so I avoid "hairy" situations on the tail (I get out and walk if the road looks sketchy) so winch is more for getting unstuck and pulled back on the road if
i slip off. Not up cliffs or across boulder fields, too old for such frolics!

Seems to be a Coke vs Pepsi issue so far from comments. I appreciate your thoughts though. Going to keep asking and reading. Afraid I don't trust vendors much. They want to get my money and spend their days in a salesroom not 20km from pavement ,out of cell service, in November when the snow is starting to pile up.So they will push what they have in stock or has the best profit margin.

At this point I'm leaning toward synthetic ( hate wire slivers and the idea you could repair a broken line in the field appeals to me, if the wire rope were to break, I'd be hooped, but then I think would be rare indeed to break a wire line with my conservative rare use of my winch).

Good, safe, hunting to all you folks!8-)

[Downwindtracker2]

Those broken wire ends are called jaggers in coast logging. You are allowed a certain number per foot by the regs. Not all wire rope is quality, either.

[Bustercluck]

I’m a fan of wire rope. There’s a few simple knots for repairing broken wire and You can usually cut wire with a hard axe and soft hammer if it breaks and splice it back together. We used to use a wire knot called a grapple knot that could easily hook back to your hook no matter what kind of shape the end is in. I could try and explain it, but it would probably be easier to find something on Google. I don’t trust too many knots in flat synthetic rope and there’s always the issue if your knot will fit through the fairlead on your truck.

The SnapBack of a broken tow line seems to be worse with synthetic than wire. I couldn’t say for sure if synthetic is worse for this than wire, but they made us watch a bunch of broken sling videos in my last rigging course where shackles and things went through windshields and killed the driver from coupling two slings together. They stretch like a rubber band and go flying when things let go, especially if there’s a weight on the end.

[Darksith]

couple thoughts...you drive a tacoma...maybe you should stick to the city...:wink:

Wire wont break
Nylon you can break but you can tie it back together
I have broken nylon on an atv
I have nylon on my suzuki vitara
Nylon won't rust or jam

[Redthies]

couple thoughts...you drive a tacoma...maybe you should stick to the city...:wink:

I have nylon on my suzuki vitara

Absolutley ****ing classic!!!!!

[ACE]

A friend of mine has a wood lot, lots of winching. Says he’ll never go back the cable.

Wire works rain or shine.
Ever see a grapple yarder running plastic line?
How about a high-lead?
Cheap and available.
No surprises.

[Norwestalta]

Not trying to derail but has anyone ever seen wire rope spring back when it breaks? I've broke 1" winch lines on a dozer and never seen it spring back. Not saying it doesn't or couldn't happen I've just never seen it. Seen rope and chain spring though.

[Squamch]

I have been a volunteer at every island cup since 2011. These days, 99% of the rigs we have out run synthetic line. I've never seen it whip when it breaks....but I've never seen wire rope break at all, and we put winch lines through some heavy abuse.
My rigs, I run steel. Synthetic gets dirt in it, and it chews away at the fibers of the line. You need a protective sleeve if it's dragging over a rock. It needs to be protected from UV. Synthetic is the right choice for a buggy where weight distribution is a big factor, and it will be parked in the shop or trailer when not in use.

I've also seen just as much struggles freespooling a steel line after an ugly pull as I have with Synthetic lines. Harder to kink a Synthetic line too.

[Rieber]

The 12K # winch on my Dodge wears braided line - I appreciate the light weight when pulling the line out. I used the winch a fair bit because its a Dodge so I'm happy with the synthetic winch line.

[Redthies]

The 12K # winch on my Dodge wears braided line - I appreciate the light weight when pulling the line out. I used the winch a fair bit because its a Dodge so I'm happy with the synthetic winch line.

Thats weird... my Dodge has never needed a winch?

[REMINGTON JIM]

Thats weird... my Dodge has never needed a winch?

Because your FARGO is a PAVEMENT Queen ! :grin: lol RJ

[bearheart]

:confused:
couple thoughts...you drive a tacoma...maybe you should stick to the city...:wink:

Wire wont break
Nylon you can break but you can tie it back together
I have broken nylon on an atv
I have nylon on my suzuki vitara
Nylon won't rust or jam


I drive a Tacoma ,maybe I should "stick to the city"????

You don't know me. I live in a small town, much smaller than Kamloops.I spend my hunting season hunting from my hunting cabin, 20km from pavement and 40km from the nearest town, which has a population of <4,000. I hunt by myself, my Tacoma gets me there and back, good enough for me.

Maybe you should read Mathew7:1-3.

Thanks for all the information,

vaya con dios

[Keta1969]

Having worked my whole life on the water both commercial fishing and towing I've seen a lot of line break under extreme tension. I don't know what synthetic line you are using that snaps back. Spectra is one brand we used and I can attest that it does not store energy. It made fishing a much safer occupation. It's expensive and stronger than wire and sun is hard on it. It'll get roughed up and look like crap but always seemed to last a long time.

[Fallkniven]

synthetic is very good, but using on my snow plough set up last year the winch kept binding as the syn rope doesn't have the rigidity of steel cable, so was frequently knotting up.

[The Hermit]

I ran that blue synthetic line that the military uses on the dockyard (nicknamed blue steel) and it worked great for over a decade. Pulled a few trucks and cars out of the ditch and a few bears up to the road. On small trucks I'd highly recommend it as it is SO MUCH LIGHTER than steel and therefore easier on the front end. If I went for another winch on the Ram I'd probably go for it again.