Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Was in Opposite Lock today buying a snatchem-strap and noticed a new Mean Green hand winch with 8 ton lifting/ 4 ton pulling rating for $480. Seems quite a bit cheaper than a tirfor, and even cheaper than a 2nd hand tirfor I was looking at. Why would one buy the tirfor?

Then, and here's where my newbieness shines through even more, I noticed this "power pull" style winch *dramatically* cheaper. There's one of these on eBay, even cheaper. Whatsamissin?

Ah! I think this page might have a bit of an explanation.

Finally, I'd ideally like a bullbar mounted winch. Very much more convenient, and looks great too! Unfortunately, I don't have a winch bar yet, let alone the winch, so that's some pretty big dollars. I want to know if a front mounted winch is restrictive, compared to a hand operated one. In particular, can you winch backwards with one?

small hand winches will work but you'll need to use a block to reduce the effort

they are slow as

i just use a hi lift jack as an emergency hand winch

NAM l had an image of you in mid air resting on the Hi Lift handle trying to push it down.

i have a hi mount and a tirfor, i use the tirfor in desperate times, but if i need to winch forwards its the himount,

Heathx4 wrote:Was in Opposite Lock today buying a snatchem-strap and noticed a new Mean Green hand winch with 8 ton lifting/ 4 ton pulling rating for $480. Seems quite a bit cheaper than a tirfor, and even cheaper than a 2nd hand tirfor I was looking at. Why would one buy the tirfor?

Then, and here's where my newbieness shines through even more, I noticed this "power pull" style winch *dramatically* cheaper. There's one of these on eBay, even cheaper. Whatsamissin?

Ah! I think this page might have a bit of an explanation.

Finally, I'd ideally like a bullbar mounted winch. Very much more convenient, and looks great too! Unfortunately, I don't have a winch bar yet, let alone the winch, so that's some pretty big dollars. I want to know if a front mounted winch is restrictive, compared to a hand operated one. In particular, can you winch backwards with one?

Heath you are young right. Stick with the hand winch mate you'll luv it.

Nah seriously I have both. I don't take the hand out every time but when I do extended trips I like the insurance.

Do you need both NO you don't. Because if you wheel and intend to go out and try some hard stuff (and this gents is all relevant to driver experience what is hard for me and my truck is totally gay for say Antunac's rig) then go out in at least pairs or more.

Two things if you fawk it up you have a ride home. Also you have another rig from which to recover from. Snatch/winch

If using a front mounted winch and you find you can't use it what the fawk where you thinkin when you put your truck there.

Seriously you have to consider this when just wheeling for fun because if it is your daily driver and not a toy then you have to keep it a bit sensible. There are dudes here with wicked rides (heavily modified) that use them for driving the hardest shit they can find, most (alot, pretty sure) of them arn't there daily driver so caution to the wind doesn't worry em cause thats what they built it for.

If you have no winch or your buddies don't, look for a second hand one until you can afford the electric. I have a big haul which is like $380 new but I got it with a lockable Tuff case, drag chain, recovery bag, 4x shackels, winch rope extension, snatch strap, snatch block, gloves, tree trunk protector, axe and shovel all of it still in the bloody wrapper (even the handle for the hand winch was still in the cardboard tube) for $600.

So the bargains are out there. Target sellers look at ad which have inner burbs addy's some can be Grey Nomads done the big trip had a gutty of driving round in circles never cracked the recovery gear because the black top never gets boggy and flog all their shiz when they resettle. This was the case with mine and I also got a GME 3400 $250 (antenna's X2) off another guy who had 6 months of his round the block trip. So they are out there just gotta keep yer eyes on the ads.

Last point on hand winch I used mine once to drag my sorry ass Hilux up a hill backwards (me being stupid and didn't recce the track by myself) took me 4 hrs of hauling on the handle and resetting the winch about 5 times needles to say I was fawked.

Suprisingly I have been much more cautious since then when by myself

Those Mud Mauler things that megastores sell are lethal. stay well clear.

Drafty wrote:NAM l had an image of you in mid air resting on the Hi Lift handle trying to push it down.

NAM would you outwiegh a tifor

I've gone visual

This is what will happen. You will buy a hand winch, go out and get your rig good and bogged to so you can try your new hand winch out. Spend 5 hours winching your ass off to get your rig out. You will be so sore that someone else will have to feed you for a week. You then save up for an electric winch to bolt on the front of your rig and when you get it all set up, you throw the stinkn hand winch in the bin!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just kiddin. They are a good for a back up. Lots of fun to use too!!!

I don't know about the Mean Green hand winch but as I understand the patent for Tirfor expired an a couple of copies are available now which are pretty much identical but for less $$$ such as
http://www.4wdmegastores.com.au/products_lz/winches/tuff_pull

cheers
MattC

BUNDERA wrote:Those Mud Mauler things that megastores sell are lethal. stay well clear.

\



heard the same about black rat

isn't the black rat identical to the mean green excep for paintwork and stickers?

genuine tirfor is unbeatable, they never give up.

Time for my 2¢?

1. There are hand winches & there are "hand Winches". The one in the inital link could only loosely be discribed as a handwinch. Infact generally they are called come-alongs. They have a VERY short cable length, they are a major PITA to operate without jamming etc, and unless your danged near superman there's NO Fing way you'll get the leverage required to get near the claimed "rating". As far as I am aware they are NOT truely rated - just stamped with a claim.....
Yes I have one and yes I've used it on occassion - but generally in my garage...I tried one on the trail and it was completely useless.

2. As said above now the the Tirfor patent has expired there are a few decent "copies" available. Most of these are reasonably capable and versatile....but remember the battery power is YOU so I hoepe yer felling fit ....

3. mudhauler etc (chain pullers) - me not like these in concept - but I haven't used them so I'll leave comment to those that have....

4. There's a different rating to lift compared to pull. Lifting ratings are generally much lower because of the extra danger pay heed to these and IMHO if you are looking for something to use in the garage, get a proper chain block & tackle instead (they aren't that expensive)....right tool for the job....

5. Although electric winchs are more expensive - if you look in places like ebay & the trading post you'll often find ones that aren't much more than a new hand wench....sometimes less....

6. Regarles of which sort of which ya get, invest in the extra bits like gloves, snatch blocks & shackles.......of yeah & use a dampner when winching.....

OK...I'll shutup & crawl back into my hole now

hand winches are great in assisting a recovery. Ie when you have slid off a track, you use the electric winch to pull you forward and the hand winch to keep the car from sliding sideways into a tree. For short pulls or side ways pulls they are great but for any sort of long pull forget about it.

Save for a decent electric winch for recoveries and maybe get a tirfor if you tend to slide sideways off tracks alot

haha stfu joe

come alongs are no good
tirfors are much better

hi-lift winches are for po' boyz like me

you could get a portable winch cradle from brawn and winch multi-directionally with an electric winch

http://www.brawn4x4.com.au/port_a_winch.htm

5. Although electric winchs are more expensive - if you look in places like ebay & the trading post you'll often find ones that aren't much more than a new hand wench....sometimes less....


MMMMMMMMMMM I want me one of them there hand wenches.

Seriously, I have a Tirfor. It can be a bit of a pain to set up, and use, requires a heap of effort but, It can be used in any direction, even to right a rolled vehicle. They are also a lot cheaper than a front mounted winch. It depends, I suppose, on how much you intend to use it, and the size of your wallet/ relationship with your bank manager.

New T-Max 9500 $1150 to Forum members.

PM Me