What Kind Of Winch Cable To Use

KCTractors

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Location
Central Wi
I have a 12,000lb Harbor-Freight winch (BadLands) on my trailer. I like the winch, but the winch cable is too stiff. It likes to unwind when free-wheeling. I think it's a 3/8" cable. I want to replace it with something else. I don't use the winch often and I do cover it when not in use. I was thinking of a fiber-core steel cable. I do have a silo unloader winch that has that cable on it. I was maybe going to try that cable. Looking forward to suggestions.
 
How do you use your winch and is it hard on the battery? I too have the HF 12k winch mounted to the front of my deckover. Our truck is wired from the front (battery) to the rear bumper then onto the trailer. I have not had a reason to use it yet.
 
I don't use it very hard at all. Maybe 6 times a year. I use a 12 Volt RV battery with mine. I take the battery with me and hook it up when I need the winch. It doesn't seem to be to hard on the battery, but battery does have to be charged up good.
 
I'll throw another vote in for synthetic rope. I haven't done many pulls with it yet, but I find it way more flexible and easier to work with. Plus, no more getting stabbed by frayed strands!
 
the problem i have found with synthetic rope is that it stretches a lot, and the potential energy it stores causes it to act like a catapult after the winch is stopped
 

Amsteel rope will not stretch and spring back. If the line (rope) breaks it just falls to the ground, no whipping back. We use it to tie up ships.



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(quoted from post at 08:56:12 04/04/18) the problem i have found with synthetic rope is that it stretches a lot, and the potential energy it stores causes it to act like a catapult after the winch is stopped

You can't use just any type of synthetic rope.
Synthetic winch rope has less stretch than steel winch rope.
 
I looked up the specs on about a dozen synthetic winch ropes and none of them gave the modulus of elasticity--so what specs did you use to determine that?
 
I have four of the Harbor Freight winches, all different sizes. All of them very dependable and get the job done when needed. Funny story here, I bought a 10,000 lb winch from HF one time and lady asks me at the counter would I like a 3 year extended warranty, this was the 1st one I bought from HF so I said yes, forget what the extra 3 year warranty cost me but I put the winch in my shed and forgot about it for 7 years, lot of good that warranty done for me, haha....
Put it on a 97 Jeep Wrangler and all is good, you can pull the Jeep up the tree with it
 

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