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Oz34
United Kingdom
2542 Posts |
 Posted - 02/12/2020 : 09:29:38
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I'm thinking of buying a hand winch for my trailer and I have heard somewhere that a webbing strap is better than a steel cable. I wonder, not only if members have strong views on the relative merits, but also their reasons for these views.
Many thanks in advance,
Dave |
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Simon Johnston
United Kingdom
6137 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2020 : 09:48:59
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Dave,
Can you get hand winches with synthetic rope instead of wire cable? Much kinder to the hands and you can just wrap it round each side of the axle where it mounts to the spring and then clip it back on itself without scratching or damaging anything as a wire cable might do. I know that all the winch specialists say not to clip the cable back on itself and that may be true if you’re rescuing a two-ton four-wheel-drive machine from the mud but for our little cars I can’t imagine that there’s any problem with this just towing it onto a trailer.
An electric winch would be even handier!
Simon J
J3437 |
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leafrancis14
United Kingdom
323 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2020 : 11:23:01
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My trailer has a winch with a webbing strap. I usually drive the car onto and off the trailer but when I use the winch I put it round where the axle is located to the spring. I think a steel cable would be likely to rub badly.
The winch is mostly useful for manoeuvring the trailer back into the tight corner where it is stored!
Barny Creaser
(Wellingborough) |
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Oz34
United Kingdom
2542 Posts |
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Roger Cadogan
United Kingdom
493 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2020 : 11:49:49
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My preference is for webbing, and this view has been arrived at not only by many years of launching and recovering steam boats but also many cars including MMM. Cables are much less flexible and possibly more abrasive depending on the attachment system not to mention septic scratches from odd ends that will stick out eventually. Webbing obviates these problems there is a little elasticity in webbing which I find more compliant when trailing. Also I find that it is easier to "ping" it to establish how taught the web is, and fast to do when checking the lashings during fuel/ comfort stops. Cable has the other disadvantage of not laying properly when wound and can sometimes become jammed and I guess that using rope would be the same although I have no experience of using it.
I would be interested to hear if anyone has a good reason to prefer a steel cable.
Roger |
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Tim Sharp
United Kingdom
303 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2020 : 12:37:26
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Guys
I was advised not to use cable by a neighbour who goes "green laneing" with his various Land Rovers all of which have winches with webbing straps. The reason for this advice was that when a cable lets go it can whip around and cause injury, wheras apparently a webbing will just collapse to the ground. So my winch has webbing!
Just what I was told.
Regards
Tim
Tim Sharp
PB0685-TR6- Nuneaton |
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Oz34
United Kingdom
2542 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2020 : 13:09:09
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Thank you Roger and Tim, it seems as if the webbers have it.
Tim, that ties in with, on a larger scale, something my Dad told me. He was in the Merchant Navy, most of his life in freighters. He told of snapping cables cutting men in half, hopefully our little ones wouldn't quite manage that, but food for thought.
Dave |
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Simon
United Kingdom
450 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2020 : 15:18:31
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| And as a little postscript, my winch and steel cable nightmare was the occasion when, as a young REME mechanic going out on a test drive with a Humber 1 Tonner 4wd without checking that the winch drive was disengaged. By the time I realised this I was trailing 100 feet or so of cable. What a difficult, dirty and tedious job that was to untangle it all and rewind and I didn't have gloves either. That steel cable was nasty stuff to handle. Simon C. |
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Simon Johnston
United Kingdom
6137 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2020 : 16:05:07
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Dave,
That’s a fine looking winch! I have a 3500 lb electric one with synthetic rope and I think it’s more than adequate for our cars, even the six cylinder ones. The synthetic rope doesn’t mark the axle and it’s an easy job to loop it round both sides and then clip it back on itself. While Emily can drive into the covered trailer and wriggle out through the limited opening of the door, it’s quite beyond me. But I can easily hook up the car and load it onto the trailer on my own. Highly recommended.
Simon J
J3437 |
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PreWarMG
Australia
427 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2020 : 23:48:53
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All synthetic straps or ropes suffer most from exposure to the sun & other weather. Cover & protect when & where you can.
Straps give you plenty of visual clues of impending failure - wire ropes can be less predictable.
Tony (user of straps not wire since they became available)
We are here for a good time, not a long time !. |
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Oz34
United Kingdom
2542 Posts |
Posted - 04/12/2020 : 10:00:14
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Thanks Tony! Yes, I'd already decided cover against UV was a good idea.
Cheers,
Dave |
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Robin Macmillan
United Kingdom
415 Posts |
Posted - 04/12/2020 : 11:55:26
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Especially in Australia !
PB 0527 |
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