When I get a new winch it's going to have synthetic cable. Everyone I talk to seems to like it. I use a winch for more than just recover though and I'm not sure how it will hold up. I use them for stretching fence, moving logs, hauling debris out of creeks and ditches. I'm not sure how it will wear in those sorts of applications but I'm going to try it anyway. I made the decision the last time I ran a piece of wire through my palm. I gotta give synthetic line a try.

 

For the moving logs part, I think you might need to use a chain, or tree saver around the log. If you hooked to the log by clipping the synthetic line to its self, I would think it would get torn up when you drag.

Of course, hooking the hook to a steel line will kink it up, too, so I suppose it would be 6 of one and a half-dozen of the other.

 

Yeah I always use a choker chain even with cable. The more you twist and kink steel cable the weaker it gets. Looping it around an object using the hook to secure the cable to itself is really hard on cable and will wreck it in short order.

 

Yeah, steel will tolerate that once or twice in a pinch, but I'd bet synthetic would not, especially when you are talking about dragging out a log...

 

ive had my steel cable snap atleast 3 or 4 times and i got a lil like 6 foot synthentic cable for winter to plow never broke the whole season

 

I used to break cables when I used the bike for plowing, the repeated stress of the cable over a short distance is hard on it. Some people install a removeable large bottom pulley to replace the lower roller on the failead for plowing. I no longer plow with the bike (new house has nowhere to push snow so I bought a honda snowblower) and the steel cable I replaced the original one with is still holding up fine, but when it gives out i'm going synthetic too!!!

 

Well, I just ordered an Amsteel Blue Synthetic Rope. I got the 3/16" by 50 ft rope with teh 5 ft guard on it. I got it on ebay for $39, cheapest I could find around. That a good price?!?!

Also, how hard is it to install this thing? I had the dealer put the winch on when I got it, so I dont know what I will be getting into with this. I imagine it cant be anything too hard.

 

sounds like a good deal to me as long as it holds its weight. warn i think asks 100.00, ive seen it for 60.00 though.

 

You might also have to replace the rollers. I think the Warn kit comes with them. I presume once they are roughed up by the steel cable, the rollers are less than optimal for synthetic?

 

i had steel on my old 640 V2 w/ a venom 3000x winch and it got all crappy and freyed and i got cut when working with it so i bought some amsteel synthetic w/ a hawse fairlead. i would never switch back to steel. it floats, has a higher breaking point, doesnt fray (when you use the rock shield that is). great thing to have.