Hand Winch worth it or no?

[dwh]

My 41 Willys had a 231 Buick aluminum V6 when I bought it. Also 35" tires and a busted front pinion. After replacing the front axle with a D30, and scaring the crap out of myself with inadvertent wheelies(!) and serious short wheelbase sway at speed, I downsized the tires to 31s.

One of my fondest memories is cruising through Joshua Tree, topless with the front window down, my 7 y.o. son riding shotgun, our German shepard mix sitting with his butt in the back and head and shoulders up between the seats...and all three of us grinning like idiots with the wind in our faces.

 

[67cj5]

I have winches and recovery boards. I guess I would use whichever one was the best and safest choice for the situation. It is good to have a choice (winch vs. recovery boards).

I think you are right with your poll post, The OP just needs to buy a cheaper electric Winch because the weight of all that recovery gear would far out weigh that of a good 12v Winch, In the US you can buy the Warrior Winches starting from about $400 +/- and they are extremely Tough, As used by British Special Forces,

All this talk is going around in circles and I think you hit the nail on the head, The Man needs a Winch because of his Priceless Cargo.

 

[Metcalf]

My 41 Willys had a 231 Buick aluminum V6 when I bought it. Also 35" tires and a busted front pinion. After replacing the front axle with a D30, and scaring the crap out of myself with inadvertent wheelies(!) and serious short wheelbase sway at speed, I downsized the tires to 31s.

One of my fondest memories is cruising through Joshua Tree, topless with the front window down, my 7 y.o. son riding shotgun, our German shepard mix sitting with his butt in the back and head and shoulders up between the seats...and all three of us grinning like idiots with the wind in our faces.

I like all this flat fender talk. Here is mine.

 

[67cj5]

I like all this flat fender talk. Here is mine.

Lovely little Truck, That's a credit to ya, thanks for posting it, Awesome.

 

[rnArmy]

We need a flatfender overlanding/expedition trip. Here's an option (straight from this forum's header):

Overland Routes | Pacific Crest: Oregon Segment - Expedition Portal

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal, Spring 2018. A cool wind whistled through the pines around us, and I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with crisp mountain air. We had only left the hustle and bustle of Portland’s streets that morning, but the city’s...

expeditionportal.com

I just need to wire in a brake controller in my flatty so I can tow (and stop!) my little trailer.

And why do I have a feeling everyone will have a winch on their little Jeep?

 

[67cj5]

And why do I have a feeling everyone will have a winch on their little Jeep?

Coz we want to be just like you, Now get over here, Group Hug, Lol.

 

[dwh]

Mine had a koenig pto winch but because they had moved the transfer case to accomodate the engine swap, both the driveshaft and shifter were laying in the back floorboards.

I finally got around to getting that all hooked up and working again...just before I sold it and bought a 74 Ramcharger with a factory 440 that I immediately swapped the full-time NP203 for a 205 and installed front locking hubs on.

 

[Metcalf]

You can also improve a hand winch a few different ways.

I got myself out of a pickle once in my pre-winch days by using a long 3-4" diameter long stick to twist my tow strap to create pull force. The jeep was nose down in a ditch and I was able to move the jeep back uphill using just two people to twist the strap to the point rocks could be stacked under the front tires to lift the bumper above the opposite bank.

You can get more elaborate like this....


For a flip-flop winch, you could use your winch extension or the even the line of the winch if the vehicle was on its side and unable to run.

This is one of the reasons I like to carry 'tools' vs specific use items in most cases. They have always solved more problems for the same amount of weight. Storage space and weight capacity is not unlimited, especially on smaller vehicles. A lighter vehicle is also a happier vehicle in most every case.

I am a firm believer that a permanent front mounted winch is hard to beat for vehicle recovery needs. YES, you can come up with certain situations where this or that could be a little better, but at some point you have to pick the tool that covers the widest amount possibilities. A front mounted winch is an incredibly useful piece of gear.

 

[rnArmy]

You can also improve a hand winch a few different ways.

I got myself out of a pickle once in my pre-winch days by using a long 3-4" diameter long stick to twist my tow strap to create pull force. The jeep was nose down in a ditch and I was able to move the jeep back uphill using just two people to twist the strap to the point rocks could be stacked under the front tires to lift the bumper above the opposite bank.

You can get more elaborate like this....


For a flip-flop winch, you could use your winch extension or the even the line of the winch if the vehicle was on its side and unable to run.

This is one of the reasons I like to carry 'tools' vs specific use items in most cases. They have always solved more problems for the same amount of weight. Storage space and weight capacity is not unlimited, especially on smaller vehicles. A lighter vehicle is also a happier vehicle in most every case.

I am a firm believer that a permanent front mounted winch is hard to beat for vehicle recovery needs. YES, you can come up with certain situations where this or that could be a little better, but at some point you have to pick the tool that covers the widest amount possibilities. A front mounted winch is an incredibly useful piece of gear.

Totally. And a front mounted winch takes up ZERO cargo space inside your Jeep's limited cargo area. And even a fully stocked winch accessory bag only takes up about as much space as a boat cushion or a small soft tool bag.

 

[rnArmy]

Coz we want to be just like you, Now get over here, Group Hug, Lol.

Thanks. I get my hugs from Mrs. rnArmy. Anyone remember this picture from the March 2017 issue of JP magazine? She would not have been a happy camper if we got stuck and it took hours to get back rolling because I didn't have a winch. Or we had to hike a couple hours to get help when our young son was with us.

You can also see in the rear fender well where the tire rubs the paint when flexing while four wheeling. I just touch it up with Rustoleum Smoke Gray gloss spray paint until the next time. I've also had this Willys on its side twice - it isn't a parade Jeep. I've done some crazy stuff with it. And the winch has helped get me out of some of them when all else failed (when literally between a rock and a hard spot).

 

[Metcalf]

Totally. And a front mounted winch takes up ZERO cargo space inside your Jeep's limited cargo area. And even a fully stocked winch accessory bag only takes up about as much space as a boat cushion or a small soft tool bag.

On most vehicles, especially shorter Jeeps, I would MUCH rather have as much weight forward on the vehicle as practical. Weight beyond the rear axle REALLY has a big effect on off-road capability.

 

[Snirp88]

I carry a hand winch latched on to my roof basket.
Takes up very little space so why not?

That being said, I also have a electric winch mounted on the front. Don't think i would ever try using the hand winch to pull myself out unless it was an absolute last resort.

The hand winch has came in handy for other reasons more than once though. One time i had a rzr side swipe me on the 1 lane mountain road (he was incredibly intoxicated and thought he could make it) he tried to on the higher canted side of the mountain and the top of his roll cage scratched the whole side of my blazer and shattered on of my quarter windows, effectively locking us together on the side of a mountain. Once I was done chewing him out and grabbed the hand winch and hooked the top of his roll cage to a tree up the hill, pulling him out of my window so i could sneak out. Not sure how else we could have done it without cause any more damage.

Short answer: get both

 

[Outdoorsben]

I appreciate all the feedback guys. I'm going to end up getting a lightweight winch bumper and grabbing a winch. I have been researching winch plate on stock bumper vs winch bumper. Both have their pro's cons, but since I'm looking to keep weight down a winch bumper it is.