Has anyone used one of these as a manual winch and had any success? Or is a hi-lift the better way to go?
http://www.maasdam.com/catalog/powr-pulls/

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01 SE 4x4
Silver Ice

I thought about getting one of these. However, there was some discussion here awhile ago about how small the cable is and how you have to stand right in it's "kill" zone to operate it. It kinda made me shy away from it.

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I was going to get one as well, but decided to get a hi-lift instead. Why? Versatility. The hi-lift will work as a winch, albeit with a short distance it can pull, but that can be adjusted through wise use of wheel chocks. And a come-along won't jack you up so you can break the suction of the mud or build up the ground under your tires if needed. And when I get a real winch, the hi-lift will still be a valuable tool to have.

So, there's my $.02. Hope it helps.



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Rob
"not all those who wander are lost" -J.R.R. Tolkien

I've broke a come-along's cable before and it just fell limp to the ground. It was connected directly to the truck; had it been connected to a tow strap in between, it probably it would be a different story. Still, they work good, just inspect the cable often.

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'01 Yellow SE 4X4 w/leather, stock so far.
"I have searched!"
Home Page

This is a HEFTY piece of machinery. 5/16" cable.

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Yikes, a maximum capacity of 4000 pounds? Not enough.

mikeT


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2001 SE 4X4
Rain+Dirt!

Not enough?
I have the 6000 pound version...
How much more do you want?
Your tow hooks are only rated for 10000...

PLus the crank is designed to "BEND" to prevent you from applying to much tension.

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kennedyusmc@earthlink.net
"Bring me the donut Mojo"

Not enough?

How much more do you want?
Your tow hooks are only rated for 10000...

PLus the crank is designed to "BEND" to prevent you from applying to much tension.


At least as much as the vehicle weighs. Just common sense.

Winches go by the metric GVW x 1.5 minimum.

mikeT

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2001 SE 4X4
Rain+Dirt!

[This message has been edited by miket (edited 08-01-2001).]

I've seen higher cap ones than are shown in the link, but as for the general "ease of use" factor, I was just wondering if anyone recommended one as viable alternative (i.e. when all else fails) option for extraction.

Also, I thik a 48' hi-lift is rated at about 2 1/2 tons.

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01 SE 4x4
Silver Ice

[This message has been edited by Cygnus-X1 (edited 08-02-2001).]

Just a simple question. Has any of you ever tried to manually retrieve a vehicle buried in a mud pit? If you have, I will lay odds that a winch starts to look pretty good when you found out how much work it really is and that is if you can even get it out manually. Something to think about. Manual is pretty unreliable unless you're Arnold Scwarznegger.

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Gordon "The Warmonger" White

Prices on those larger come-a-longs can get pretty hefty too.
Just save for a bit longer and you can get a Winch and help others out of mud.
I don't think I'd spend more than $100 dollars on something I want "just in case".

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-Dustin
"Instead of trying to build newer and bigger weapons of destruction, we should be thinking about getting more use out of the ones we already have."

Thanks for the tip!

Obviously a real winch is preferable. My question was: has anyone used one and had any success with it? I.e. how well do they actually work... better, same , or worse then a hi-lift?


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01 SE 4x4
Silver Ice

[This message has been edited by Cygnus-X1 (edited 08-03-2001).]

Paid $125 delivcered from these guys for the 6K pound model http://shop.store.yahoo.com/cspoutdoors/morpowpul.html

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kennedyusmc@earthlink.net
"Bring me the donut Mojo"

[This message has been edited by SEXterra (edited 08-05-2001).]

You're stupid!!!

Why yes I have, numerous times used the Power Puller to get myself unstuck. And a Hi Lift jack was not the tool for the job. Don’t get me wrong, I have a Hi Lift and carry both a Hi Lift and Power Puller when off road. But first I should point out a few points no one ever mentions

First, where do you attach a Hi Lift jack on a stock Xterra? I am not aware of a place? Unless you have an ARB or have an attachment to a frame point or the trailer hitch where do you attach it with out trashing the bodywork for lifting purposes?

Second you drive into trouble? So why does everyone place his or her winch on the front of the rig? To pull yourself further in to the mess you drove into? I would guess that most self-rescue’s are from the rear of the truck not the front? So far all of my self-rescue’s have been recovery from the rear of the truck. Most of my self-rescue’s has been from mud.

Third using a Hi Lift in mud is just plan silly. Wheel chocks will not do squat in a mud hole or a nasty incline/decline. The adjusting of the length of rope/chain/strap while the rig is in an off balance positions is not wise. I would say that a recovery would require more than 48" of travel that a Hi Lift can provide. Straps stretch and if you where using 30+ foot straps you could have 2-3 feet of stretch. Give you only few inches of actual pull.

Fourth do not confuse a Power Puller with the cheap homeowner junk found in the home improvement stores. The 5/16 cable is as heavy as the line on a standard bumper mounted winch, such as the Warn 9000 series. I would guess Warn may now a thing or two about winches.

Here is a suggestion on how to make up your own mind. Go to a place to test both tools. Sink the rear tires, and apply the parking brake. Drag the rig 10 feet with both tools see for your self. Be careful, use gloves and use common sense. I found that both tools are good for their design tasks and do them well… Self-recovery with manual tools is a long sweaty task but will give the freedom to explore more trails.

I hope the sheds so light on the subject

That's what snatch blocks are for. Except for strapping a 2WD through an obstacle, every rescue I've seen or assisted in here in AZ required off-angle winching. So, front or back mounting of the winch really didn't make a difference - either way, the angles had to be adjusted through tree savers and snatch blocks.

Why are they usually on the front? Simple. Because mounting and wiring is a dozen times easier in the front. For mounting, you don't have to worry about getting in the way of tail gates or back hatches. Fewer companies make a rear bumper that can accomodate a winch like the many, many front ones. And the wiring is easier, unless you've already added a yellow or red top for accessories and decided to mount it inside the truck somewhere as several people have done. Then, you possibly have less distance to go through the body with wiring.

I'm not trying to be contrary - just my .02.