winch cable (recommendation needed)
- Thread starter mesupra
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I mis-interpeted your intentions. As a ideal, make up a few short chokers using the sliding hook, unless you already have some other type of choker.
In the aircraft industry we checked cable tension. We didn't check wire rope tension.
I know some winch companies call it a winch cable and some call it a wire rope. (I searched google). Its been called cable in my area forever and I have never heard it called a wire rope. I know searchs just for cable pulled up more electrical, electronic wire, than it did winch cables.
Wire rope is a bunch of short fat steel rods drawn down skinny and longer. The long skinny wires are laid together in strands and then rope, shorter and fatter. The results are high strength with flexibility.
Usually there is cheap cable/winch line on craigslist. All the Web wheelers and posers put a warn winch on their Jeeps, take off perfectly good steel cable and replace it with synthetic rope, and sell the new take off cable for $30-40 bucks.
There are several advantages synthetic has over steel.
First and foremost is safety.
Second, and one I push hard, is synthetic can be repaired, safely and without degrading the line, in the field. A new eye, broken line put back together etc while retaining the full strength of the line.
The main downside to synthetic is it is not as durable. Dragging it on the ground, through mud, around trees and rocks will have more impact on the longevity of synthetic over steel.
sent from a field
First and foremost is safety.
Second, and one I push hard, is synthetic can be repaired, safely and without degrading the line, in the field. A new eye, broken line put back together etc while retaining the full strength of the line.
The main downside to synthetic is it is not as durable. Dragging it on the ground, through mud, around trees and rocks will have more impact on the longevity of synthetic over steel.
sent from a field
When I needed a rope to help redirect trees to fall I bought 150' of 1/2" amsteel. I had a loop with thimbles added at each end, and a 5' sleeve chafe protector added at one end. I use a clevis and chain to attach it to the tractor, and a clevis at the other and loop it over the branch. The sleevechafe protector helps keep the rope itself from rubbing on the tree when there's a lot of pressure on it. Maybe 150' was overkill, but there's been a few times where it was barely enough so while I didn't like the price at first, it's paid for itself already. I bought mine from e-bay and it was red in color and discounted heavily because it bleaches pink in the sun and it wasn't selling very well. Color doesn't mean squat to me.
TKeller
ArboristSite Member
Hey esshup, x2 on who you bought it from?? I am shopping to get some 1/2" amsteel and rigging it up just like you did. 150ft. would break me though......
I've made a couple of these lines for folks that wanted to skid logs up a hill or as retrieval lines for equipment should the equipment get stuck working on steep inclines.
That's why I asked. It sounds like a past customer.
sent from a field
It was a few years ago, but it was someone on e-bay. It was advertised as straight, but they rigged it up that way for no cost or minimal cost. IIRC it was about 50% of the price from an on-line store that was selling it in blue. They had a LOT because of the color.
I do some TSI and some property management in the winter months when I'm slow so the $$ was recouped by some of the work I did. Even so, it was expensive compared to regular rope, (which wouldn't have worked) and there's no way that I could use the metal wire rope - it would be too difficult to work with. I can carry this along with a throw rope, weight, 1" bull rope and pulley in a 5 gal bucket.
This is what would the winch would come with .
http://www.labonville.com/Norse-Winch-Cable-W-End-Hook-516_p_88.html
Since I'm a hack I know that even though I'd love to have amsteel I'd have it frayed and chaffed to the point of unreliability over a 2 weekend stretch working in the woods because of the rocky and uneven terrain we have here .
I'd be a bit concerned with plastic that fades in sunlight and strength .
http://www.labonville.com/Norse-Winch-Cable-W-End-Hook-516_p_88.html
Since I'm a hack I know that even though I'd love to have amsteel I'd have it frayed and chaffed to the point of unreliability over a 2 weekend stretch working in the woods because of the rocky and uneven terrain we have here .
I'd be a bit concerned with plastic that fades in sunlight and strength .
Alot (not all) of the "blue" synthetic on Ebay is Chinese made knock off. It got so bad that Samson started putting tracers in their Amsteel Blue line. And they varied when and what size/color they put it in.
Dyneema is very UV stable. The fading that happens with Amsteel Blue is just the coating fading. It in no way affects the strength.
Heat is the leading contributor, next to strand reduction, of strength loss. It starts losing strength at 150 degrees.
ChoppyChoppy
Tree Freak
Cable is a correct term according to the dictionary.
"A thick rope of wire or nonmetallic fiber, typically used for construction, mooring ships, and towing vehicles"
Cable car, cable skidder, cable dozer, winch cable, etc.
Don't believe everything you read.
no, wrong stuff...working load of only 3600# for a 3/8" cable?? something ain't right there. 5/16" wire rope (standard winch line) break limit is 9800. (same diameter Amsteel is 13,700). I know, different from "working load". might have lost something in the translation.
check several of the off-road forums like Pirate 4x4, Marlin Crawler, TTORA, etc. guys buy winches and swap out the OE steel before even installing the things and unload brand new cables for dirt.
The better winch companies are switching to synthetics more an more for their 'standard' included line.
also, check locally for 'wire rope' as you can usually get custom lengths made up for a lot cheaper than ordering it. I got a 200' line for pulling logs out of canyons for well under $150 with two looped ends.
always use shackles to join lines, chokers, tongs...do NOT hook back over the cable!
