Tip from a Pacific Northwest logger. Those burrs on the wire cable we call Jaggers. They are painful and if you get them in say a finger they can really freeze your fingers up and they don’t want to work. How we got around that was to use our chainsaw gas to clean the wound. It works I promise.
If your not Slathering the grease to your wire rope.. It will fray.. As a long shore man we use ship winch lines all the time. WIRE is the way to go. Not sure why people are going with Fabric rope.
For an experienced wincher who knows how to inspect & maintain the steel cable (no powdery dry corroded ones) they're perfectly fine. For the rest, ie. most offroaders, synthetic is far more manageable. Just unspool & wash the accumulated dirt out every now & then, respool under tension & you'll get a few years of safe use out of a synthetic line 👍
Really good to hear and honest review with true pros and cons, not just someone gushing about the greatness of synthetic and how steel cable is junk. Im a cable guy for durability, but i certanly see the pros and cons to both as you have stated. Also, I appreciate you talking about the fact that synthetic is not magical and good safety practices should still be used. Others talk synthetic up so much that many people get laxed with safety due to a false sense of security from over hyped synthetic claims. 👍 👍
the syn line does grt burrs, just they are “soft” so no danger like wire rope. i find it is easier to fix wire rope. just need a couple wrenches and a hack saw, as needed. the syn should be used on a roller fereleed. as dragging oner the smooth one does damage it . just look on the inside of it after a couple hard pulls. i do not use my winch much. so it sits outside sll year, wire rope survives. syn will need to be replaced each year. at three to four times the cost of wire rope. and as to weight it is so little it is a so what. yes my jeep is front heavy. but with a cast iron inline six., and a cast iron 4 speed. it would be hard to lose much usable weight. i could save more by not having a ice box in the jeep.
If I lived in a different climate and wheeled in different terrain I might consider synthetic, but I really couldn’t be bothered to worry about the maintenance and care of my winch cable. The only thing I do to care for the cable is make sure it’s properly spooled after each use and spray it with a spray car wax to coat it after washing.
After watching this my opinion is, it's a no-brainer, stick with steel. When they start anchoring tv & radio towers with synthetic line then I might change over.
I have too many different places my money is going, so for now going to synthetic is pretty darn low on the "To-Do" list, so the steel cable will stay in service for the foreseeable future. If it ain't broke.....
I drove wrecker for almost 13 years. I’ll stick to steal cable. It’s all in how you use it. To me a steal cable will out perform a rope … yes a steal cable can snap with stored energy and potentially hurt someone, but I feel safer with cable over rope
Touch a rock with that rope and its done....sand and mud and its done... UV exposure and its done... then you have the cost. Be honest how many people have ever seen steel cable break.
Thanks for a great fair unbiased comparison that allows for the user to take the good information to make up their own decision based on their needs and wants!
After being out on the trail I'm going to stick with steel - the big one is the fact that you don't have to worry as much about winching line across the face of a rock or the ground (down a steep face). Plus it lasts much longer. With safe winching practices I'd argue it's superior in most applications than synthetic line (although for some the safety aspect comes first, which I can definitely respect)
If your not using your winch all the time synthetic is better. Most people might only use their winch for moving a log once a year. Steel can be a pain as it gets old and it kinks, fish hooks blah blah.. Syn is also impervious to salt. I say if your not using your winch all the time over rocks go SYN. Weight and ease of use. I use both depending on what I'm going to do. You only need to change the fairlead, big deal as both my fairleads use the same mounting points.. I say about 90% of the time as a daily I have Syn on the reel.
@@Tsalinger I'm not so sure syn is impervious to salt. Sure the syn rope woulnt rust but salt can be very abrasive and I'm no expert but if dirt can harm a syn line over time then I'm guessing that salt could do the same. But again im no expert on syn line.
@@Tsalinger I'd say the opposite. For the user who is using their winch only a few times a year, steel cable is easier to live with. It is impervious to UV ray damage that weakens synthetic rope. The weight difference is negligible because it's not being carried in a competition where time matters. And for moving a log or retrieving a game animal, steel cable is much more abrasion resistant than synthetic rope is. The timber industry uses steel cables for a reason, i.e. all of the obstacles a log will encounter. There is also no way to gauge how much a rope has weakened from UV damage and damage from sand/dirt, etc. Kinks in steel cable occur from improper spooling and incorrect winch use. I readily admit that rope is safer, but it is not safe to the point that bad winching techniques can be used. The theory that rope simply drops when it breaks is bogus; rope still flies back, albeit with less kinetic energy. It will still cause injury, and I don't want to get hit with it. Using a proper winch weight reduces the chance for serious injury in case of a cable snapping. Properly taken care of, steel cable lasts for a very long time and is simply more durable than rope, making it a great choice for the average user and professional alike.
If the snow slows down I plan the drive to pick up a bumper and winch Monday. Four hour drive so we will see. Anyway I did notice the wire is less money than the winch and truth is I will not be winching all that often. I do live in a rainforest here in Wa state so I am wondering about rust
Ok, here’s a real off the wall question. I use modified warn winches to lift marina anchors. I would like to switch from steel cables to synthetic. Warn says no, but of course it’s beyond their scope. Any disadvantages that you can see?
Go watch 4WD Action and look what they put their synthetic winch lines through. Its incredible how tough it really is. Repairable with ease....It just makes sense to get with the times
Watch Ronny Dahl's video on synthetic and steel winch line breaking. A winch line blanket does next to nothing when a winch line breaks. Synthetic is safer.
After thousands of winch pulls in all sorts of weather conditions, Ive only had one cable snap on me. It wasnt catastrophic and no one or property was damaged. If the winch operator knows how to winch and how to not winch, any winch line is perfectly serviceable. If you add to that the durability of steel cable winch line, as well as versatility, for my purposes a steel cable is what is required.
Great discussion of the pros and cons. Very timely, as I was just posting on OB about whether I should go for a come-along as a low cost alternative to a winch, or save up my pennies and put in the extra work involved in a winch install. Thanks Michael! :D
Short answer, it depends. I own more steel cable winches than synthetic for a reason. Replacing the synthetic line every year is a PITA because they all melt and/or fray
The fairkead doesn't look centered on the bumper. It looked like the bumper was visible in the fairlead hole. So wouldn't that rub on the synthetic winch line and abrade it?
Damn good video. Eventually I want to tour the states and Canada. So I’m thinking steel will be the way to go since I will be hitting snow during my travels. I do like to factor 55 options though. So I will need to buy some of their products when I buy my winch. Decided to go with the warm 12k winch steel line.
Synthetic is so much lighter and it won’t cut you in half if it breaks. Some folks use the portable winches you mount on your receiver hitch. The lighter synthetic line makes them so much more manageable. One of the problems with steel cables is rust. I’ve seen it happen to a bunch of people. When they rust they tend to break.
There are TH-cam videos showing recovery straps breaking with serious safety repercussions. So I would think synthetic ropes wouldn't be much safer. Not an expert...just saying.
Great video! Love my synthetic line! Got to use it this last weekend in a dual line recovery on the Naches Trail. You are gonna like your new setup for sure! ❤️🐞
How has this line held up for you? I'm thinking of getting the 1/4" 7000 lb rope for the come-along I use with my Subaru. A bit heavier-duty than needed, but I'd rather that if I'm standing beside a come-along!
Great video thank you. How was your winch drum after the cable, did you have to polish it remove any wear from the steel cable, before winding on the synthetic line?
Seth purvis it’s pretty smooth and going pretty slow and only touching each point once, so I think it would be fine and I’m sure they considered that when designing it, but at the same time I’m pretty sure you can use synthetic line through a normal pulley
Hey Mikey! I liked it, I liked it a lot. So much I, have a WARN 10S Synthetic line on my rig. A very versatile piece of kit. Also, an excellent video. Member 15880. On my way to Vancouver Island, B.C. for a backwoods holiday. Cheers, Mate.
Nothing worst than steel line in small and medium 4x4s . Those new synthetic lines are better in each way in small and medium 4x4s. This is a old way of thinking that steel line is better in any aspect in small or medium 4x4s. New synthetic lines are made from different materials than years ago.
No, you should not switch. Period. That rope is garbage. Switch to cable that is steel on the out side and synthetic on the inside. You gain some weight advantage, but mostly I like the flexibility of the synthetic core over the steel core. Also, sorry but the synthetic core is the safer choice when it comes to snap back, it will snap back but is less prone to it than steel core. Like you said though, nothing replaces common sense and safe procedures. Any wrecker supply company is a good place to order a good 75 to 100 foot 3/8 fiber core steel cable from, you can also get really nice self locking hooks that swivel already made on to one end of your cable. There is also more traditional type hooks that swivel, whatever hook you use on any cable or syn line , make sure it is one that has a swivel on it. I’m not sure about those fancy looking snatch blocks either, never used one, same place you get the cable will have quality no fail snatch blocks that will never let you down. Stick with what you know will not fail.
Tip from a Pacific Northwest logger. Those burrs on the wire cable we call Jaggers. They are painful and if you get them in say a finger they can really freeze your fingers up and they don’t want to work. How we got around that was to use our chainsaw gas to clean the wound. It works I promise.
One of the best pro and con videos I’ve seen on synthetic vs steel. Thank you very much for the information.
Awesome! Thank you!
Can't belive you cleaned and repainted bumper then put the old rusty headed bolts back in.
If your not Slathering the grease to your wire rope.. It will fray.. As a long shore man we use ship winch lines all the time. WIRE is the way to go. Not sure why people are going with Fabric rope.
For an experienced wincher who knows how to inspect & maintain the steel cable (no powdery dry corroded ones) they're perfectly fine. For the rest, ie. most offroaders, synthetic is far more manageable. Just unspool & wash the accumulated dirt out every now & then, respool under tension & you'll get a few years of safe use out of a synthetic line 👍
You can spray a little water on your Synthetic rope before you use it to make it more stronger.
Really good to hear and honest review with true pros and cons, not just someone gushing about the greatness of synthetic and how steel cable is junk. Im a cable guy for durability, but i certanly see the pros and cons to both as you have stated. Also, I appreciate you talking about the fact that synthetic is not magical and good safety practices should still be used. Others talk synthetic up so much that many people get laxed with safety due to a false sense of security from over hyped synthetic claims. 👍 👍
the syn line does grt burrs, just they are “soft” so no danger like wire rope.
i find it is easier to fix wire rope. just need a couple wrenches and a hack saw, as needed.
the syn should be used on a roller fereleed. as dragging oner the smooth one does damage it . just look on the inside of it after a couple hard pulls.
i do not use my winch much. so it sits outside sll year, wire rope survives. syn will need to be replaced each year. at three to four times the cost of wire rope.
and as to weight it is so little it is a so what. yes my jeep is front heavy. but with a cast iron inline six., and a cast iron 4 speed. it would be hard to lose much usable weight.
i could save more by not having a ice box in the jeep.
If I lived in a different climate and wheeled in different terrain I might consider synthetic, but I really couldn’t be bothered to worry about the maintenance and care of my winch cable. The only thing I do to care for the cable is make sure it’s properly spooled after each use and spray it with a spray car wax to coat it after washing.
Yup - that does make a lot of sense. Steel is very durable.
If the military is not switching to synthetic then I am not
After watching this my opinion is, it's a no-brainer, stick with steel. When they start anchoring tv & radio towers with synthetic line then I might change over.
I have too many different places my money is going, so for now going to synthetic is pretty darn low on the "To-Do" list, so the steel cable will stay in service for the foreseeable future. If it ain't broke.....
Best video I've seen yet on this topic!!! Thank u
I drove wrecker for almost 13 years. I’ll stick to steal cable. It’s all in how you use it. To me a steal cable will out perform a rope … yes a steal cable can snap with stored energy and potentially hurt someone, but I feel safer with cable over rope
😆
They sell a cover for that new winch end to prevent the exposed rope from being damaged by UV.
zamboni68 I have synthetic on a hidden mount behind the bumper and grill, and still put the neoprene bag over it
G,oggg
Touch a rock with that rope and its done....sand and mud and its done... UV exposure and its done... then you have the cost. Be honest how many people have ever seen steel cable break.
Ryan L only once and it was a basic wrecker trying to pull a loaded semi truck out of a ditch
Yeah. I do towing truck.. alot of what you say is right!!
Bro I use synthetic rope on all 3 of my ATVs and they’re not treated nicely. Never had a rope break yet and they’re covered in mud.
Thanks for a great fair unbiased comparison that allows for the user to take the good information to make up their own decision based on their needs and wants!
What’s the point of having the factor 55 thingy and not just put the shackle straight on the rope?
Michael great video my man. You might want to rewind that line with the vehicle weight on a slight incline though, I hear that's best. 🙂
After being out on the trail I'm going to stick with steel - the big one is the fact that you don't have to worry as much about winching line across the face of a rock or the ground (down a steep face). Plus it lasts much longer. With safe winching practices I'd argue it's superior in most applications than synthetic line (although for some the safety aspect comes first, which I can definitely respect)
If your not using your winch all the time synthetic is better. Most people might only use their winch for moving a log once a year. Steel can be a pain as it gets old and it kinks, fish hooks blah blah.. Syn is also impervious to salt. I say if your not using your winch all the time over rocks go SYN. Weight and ease of use. I use both depending on what I'm going to do. You only need to change the fairlead, big deal as both my fairleads use the same mounting points.. I say about 90% of the time as a daily I have Syn on the reel.
@@Tsalinger I'm not so sure syn is impervious to salt. Sure the syn rope woulnt rust but salt can be very abrasive and I'm no expert but if dirt can harm a syn line over time then I'm guessing that salt could do the same. But again im no expert on syn line.
@@Tsalinger I'd say the opposite. For the user who is using their winch only a few times a year, steel cable is easier to live with. It is impervious to UV ray damage that weakens synthetic rope. The weight difference is negligible because it's not being carried in a competition where time matters. And for moving a log or retrieving a game animal, steel cable is much more abrasion resistant than synthetic rope is. The timber industry uses steel cables for a reason, i.e. all of the obstacles a log will encounter. There is also no way to gauge how much a rope has weakened from UV damage and damage from sand/dirt, etc. Kinks in steel cable occur from improper spooling and incorrect winch use. I readily admit that rope is safer, but it is not safe to the point that bad winching techniques can be used. The theory that rope simply drops when it breaks is bogus; rope still flies back, albeit with less kinetic energy. It will still cause injury, and I don't want to get hit with it. Using a proper winch weight reduces the chance for serious injury in case of a cable snapping. Properly taken care of, steel cable lasts for a very long time and is simply more durable than rope, making it a great choice for the average user and professional alike.
If the snow slows down I plan the drive to pick up a bumper and winch Monday. Four hour drive so we will see. Anyway I did notice the wire is less money than the winch and truth is I will not be winching all that often. I do live in a rainforest here in Wa state so I am wondering about rust
Thanks this is the fist video telling the truth about rope and cable
I just switched back to steel cable.
Ok, here’s a real off the wall question. I use modified warn winches to lift marina anchors. I would like to switch from steel cables to synthetic. Warn says no, but of course it’s beyond their scope. Any disadvantages that you can see?
Great video going over the pro's and con's of each.
Go watch 4WD Action and look what they put their synthetic winch lines through. Its incredible how tough it really is. Repairable with ease....It just makes sense to get with the times
By west coast, you must mean California. North of CA, it's snow, rain , heat, etc.
And coastal. Move interior from either coast and things will change significantly.
Watch Ronny Dahl's video on synthetic and steel winch line breaking. A winch line blanket does next to nothing when a winch line breaks. Synthetic is safer.
After thousands of winch pulls in all sorts of weather conditions, Ive only had one cable snap on me. It wasnt catastrophic and no one or property was damaged. If the winch operator knows how to winch and how to not winch, any winch line is perfectly serviceable. If you add to that the durability of steel cable winch line, as well as versatility, for my purposes a steel cable is what is required.
Great discussion of the pros and cons. Very timely, as I was just posting on OB about whether I should go for a come-along as a low cost alternative to a winch, or save up my pennies and put in the extra work involved in a winch install. Thanks Michael! :D
Short answer, Yes
Longer answer - not necessarily.
Short answer, it depends. I own more steel cable winches than synthetic for a reason. Replacing the synthetic line every year is a PITA because they all melt and/or fray
The fairkead doesn't look centered on the bumper. It looked like the bumper was visible in the fairlead hole. So wouldn't that rub on the synthetic winch line and abrade it?
That’s as centered as it gets on that bumper. The way it comes off the drum, it comes straight out.
Humm, that little flat strap left over laying on the floor, is a necessary part that should have been installed at first.
Awesome video with great info !!!!!
Damn good video. Eventually I want to tour the states and Canada. So I’m thinking steel will be the way to go since I will be hitting snow during my travels. I do like to factor 55 options though. So I will need to buy some of their products when I buy my winch. Decided to go with the warm 12k winch steel line.
Thanks , Very informative
Synthetic is so much lighter and it won’t cut you in half if it breaks. Some folks use the portable winches you mount on your receiver hitch. The lighter synthetic line makes them so much more manageable. One of the problems with steel cables is rust. I’ve seen it happen to a bunch of people. When they rust they tend to break.
How exactly does the hawse lead work better for synthetic line?
Another pro for synthetic is it floats
There are TH-cam videos showing recovery straps breaking with serious safety repercussions. So I would think synthetic ropes wouldn't be much safer. Not an expert...just saying.
I've seen them break. They fall straight down.
Great video! Love my synthetic line! Got to use it this last weekend in a dual line recovery on the Naches Trail. You are gonna like your new setup for sure! ❤️🐞
we use ranger gear it is the best bang for your buck 20500lbs breaking for 129dollars
What is that red drill brush you had on your drill called?
So basically what I got from this video is the only benefit is the weight and then it won’t cut your hands. I’m gonna go with you steel
Great video! Can you link the winch line?!
Thank u bud
How has this line held up for you? I'm thinking of getting the 1/4" 7000 lb rope for the come-along I use with my Subaru. A bit heavier-duty than needed, but I'd rather that if I'm standing beside a come-along!
Yes
The steel is in zero case better than synthetic. After only a handful of uses the steel is damaged in most cases ive seen
yes
What brand is that synthetic line you have in the video? I don’t see it listed.
Thank you excelent explanation
Great video thank you. How was your winch drum after the cable, did you have to polish it remove any wear from the steel cable, before winding on the synthetic line?
@Overland Bound How is that Ranger Synthetic rope is holding up winching? have you tried it yet?
By west coast he means the actual coast. LOTS of the PNW gets freezing cold. But useful insight besides the Cali biased terminology.
Looks like iam staying with steel
Can steel winch line be used with that snatch block
So go steel
you didnt link the items
Wouldn’t that “pulley block” cause heat to build and possibly damage the rope ?
Seth purvis it’s pretty smooth and going pretty slow and only touching each point once, so I think it would be fine and I’m sure they considered that when designing it, but at the same time I’m pretty sure you can use synthetic line through a normal pulley
Another great vid! Are there product links for these items? Apologies if I’m missing them. Thanks
Forgot! I’ll get them up ASAP!
Do you know the Wilson Brothers!
Hey Mikey! I liked it, I liked it a lot. So much I, have a WARN 10S Synthetic line on my rig.
A very versatile piece of kit. Also, an excellent video. Member 15880. On my way to Vancouver
Island, B.C. for a backwoods holiday. Cheers, Mate.
Synthetic is the best IF you do basic maintenance. Rope and soft shackles have eliminated much of the dangers of steel cable.
It just takes 1 time.
The wire going through your hand.
Then pulling it out.
You will never want to use wire again.
Nothing worst than steel line in small and medium 4x4s . Those new synthetic lines are better in each way in small and medium 4x4s. This is a old way of thinking that steel line is better in any aspect in small or medium 4x4s. New synthetic lines are made from different materials than years ago.
I'm confused. Why is a syn line better in small or medium 4x4s but not larger heavy duty applications? Are you talking just the weight factor?
No, you should not switch. Period. That rope is garbage. Switch to cable that is steel on the out side and synthetic on the inside. You gain some weight advantage, but mostly I like the flexibility of the synthetic core over the steel core. Also, sorry but the synthetic core is the safer choice when it comes to snap back, it will snap back but is less prone to it than steel core. Like you said though, nothing replaces common sense and safe procedures. Any wrecker supply company is a good place to order a good 75 to 100 foot
3/8 fiber core steel cable from, you can also get really nice self locking hooks that swivel already made on to one end of your cable. There is also more traditional type hooks that swivel, whatever hook you use on any cable or syn line , make sure it is one that has a swivel on it. I’m not sure about those fancy looking snatch blocks either, never used one, same place you get the cable will have quality no fail snatch blocks that will never let you down. Stick with what you know will not fail.
Wow. First
ELRORRITO1 you were so close 😂😂😂
Looks like iam staying with steel
Synthetic is the best IF you do basic maintenance. Rope and soft shackles have eliminated much of the dangers of steel cable.
Looks like iam staying with steel
Looks like iam staying with steel
Looks like iam staying with steel
Looks like iam staying with steel