How many of us use a winch, and is it a necessity? I have always subscribed to the thought that if I ever got myself in a situation where I needed to winch it out, I shouldn't be there in the first place. Although I must say I have run into plenty of times when I come upon someone in the ditch and would love to be able to winch them instead of pulling them out with the truck. What size do you recommend? My truck is in excess of 8000 empty, so I figure a 12000 is about right? Any opinions?

 

I have used my winch to pull out several people on trail rides where it was tough to get traction on wet surfaces for a ****** pull with a strap. Used the winch several times to pull large logs off the trails after cutting the fallen tree at the edges of the trail. I also use my winch to take my pickup cap when I'm going to get firewood. We have it down to about 10 minutes. I also winched myself out of the middle of my front yard when I was messing around in too deep snow. Last use was when I was towing a very overloaded trailer full of fresh cut oak firewood. I didn't have quite enough speed and momentum and ended up digging four holes in the hill. I tried backing down but the trailer was pretty much going where it wanted to go. I winched myself up to the point where I had enough traction. Uggh. I just now saw where you posted this Dragginbutt. No, I don't have one on my truck. I try to stay away from areas that would get me stuck. I usually use a tow strap to pull people out of snow banks and such.

 

They just seem to be an expensive toy. Although I wouldn't have an ATV without one... but there again, I go places with my quad that I would never take my truck. (Yes I am a wuss. After spending 45K on my truck, you tend to get real protective of your investment.) I really wonder what the extra weight hanging off the front end will do long term. If I do put one one, I am looking at a road armor front bumper to go with it.

 

I haven't really seen the need for one on my truck.

 

I tend to use my winch more for other than myself tho I would not want to be stuck without it! LOL

 

I just went through a winter where one would have been real handy. I had 7 trees fall accross the road, and snapped a power pole off. I had to muscle the trees, and pull them out of the way with a strap. After breaking two of them, I called the power company had them come and do it. A winch would have handled it nicely, and I would not have had to wait 7 days for the power company to get there. They could have replaced the pole the first day, but had to wait to get a tree cutting crew in from out of state to clear the road so they could get in to the pole. Being without power for over a week, in the middle of winter is not exactly fun. Thank God for my generator. Otherwise I would have been stuck.

 

Living in New England a chainsaw is another "must have" item. I do use mine for firewood mostly but it's come in handy getting downed trees off roads and off quad trails. Did a big pine recently that required me to cut both sides even with a 16" bar. Killed my back but the tree isn't in the trail anymore.

 

anything that i own with wheels, needs to have a winch or at the minimum a come a long some place in or on it... cause i have the need to get anything i own or rent, stuck, in the deepest sloppiest messiest mud hole i can find... although nothing i own has a winch on it... glad to have friends with bigger trucks then me, with some good ol' chains..

 

I realize this thread is a couple of months old, but had to include this thought...

"Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it"....applies to guns, tools, winches, helmets, etc.

You never know what is going to be thrown at you out in the wilderness, and if I was out somewhere by myself or with my kids in a potentially dangerous area and all I needed was the $500 winch on the front of my truck to make sure I got home, it was money well spent for that one time I needed it.

 

I wouldn't mind having one on my truck. If you go out in rough places, you can unexpectedly hang yourself up, and one tow bill from a place like that would more than pay for a winch.

Also, if you go elk hunting or camping in high elevations, weather can be unpredictable. You could wake up to 3+ feet of heavy snow.

In a situation like that, no tow company is going to come get you, and having a good winch could make the difference between getting home or having to hike out and leave the truck till spring.

A full set of tire chains, recovery straps, chain saw, and stuff like that are also must-haves.

Around here I am always amazed at how many people search and rescue has to retrieve out on the forest service roads in the winter... most with no chains, no food, no appropriate clothing, no fire starting stuff...