I have a Sportsman 700 (2002), a 2500lb winch and a plow that I use to plow snow. Due to the location of the winch and how it was mounted on my machine (In the correct spot in front), I have snapped my cable because it was rubbing on the metal pole from the winch, vice the rollers that it is suppose to rub on. The use of the plow and winching it up and down has worn a hole through the metal....Has anyone else had this type of problem?

Thanks

 

ARE YOU USING A FAIRLEAD ON THE FRONT? IF NOT YOU SHOULD HAVE ONE AND THAT WILL GIVE THE CABLE A PLACE TO ROLL WITH OUT FRICTION

 

yes,
on ours the cable is frayed bad and the pole/bolt for the
winch is almost worn threw.and yes it does have a fairlead.
dealer installed also.i'm not sure what to do.

 

I'm going to have to go look at mine, I've plowed a lot this year and haven't noticed anything that severe. It definitely strains the hell out of the wire rope. I remember reading somewhere to expect shortened service life. Wire rope doesn't last forever, we replace it every year or so on our wreckers that get used a lot. I figure I'll cut off a couple feet to get rid of the weakened part, then replace the whole line next year. I wonder if I could fit a size bigger on the spool? I think my 2000# warn has only 3/16 on it, 1/4 would be nice. So would 75 feet! What it really needs is a sheave to turn in instead of riding on the roller fairlead. I should invent one...I think I saw some sort of a rig to fork the wire rope out further, might have been on Montana Jacks website. I'll get back to you on that.

 

Tideride and others,
I took my machine to the dealer and had them look at it. They think this may be another design flaw. I do have the fairlead in the front, but what is happening is that the cable is contacting the pole/bolt on the winch itself before it gets to the fairlead. Please, if there are others out there with the same problem, please write about it in here..Thanks..I will keep all posted!!!

 

now I know what you mean by pole bolt. It definitely shouldn't be touching that. It must have been assembled wrong.

 

I have had to cut about two feet off my rope this year. Yes plowing does strain the cable because you are flexing it over such a small roller. If you are stacking snow there is a huge strain. We have plowed about 120 inches of snow so far so it gets a lot of use not to mention the foolish wench outs.

 

i plowed quite a bit with my old Sportsman500. the cable would frey and snap also. i would lift it all the way up and then a little more. this put extra strain on the cable. the winch was a Warn2000lb.

on my new 700, i'm more careful. i lift it up just enough so the blade is high enough to get around. haven't snapped a cable yet this year. my winch is a Warn 2.5.

MAN can that 700 plow snow!

-MT[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

my 60 inch plow is not big enough. I'm going to have to add on to it. I should have looked at the great big ones they sell for the ranger, because the 700 will push some serious snow!
Now I've got another 6 inches to plow. I'm running out of places to put it.