Synthetic vs. Steel Winch Line Cable

wayoflife said:
That's a tough one. I used to be a big fan of Viking lines but have been hearing a lot of things regarding their quality as had been mentioned on this thread. Amsteel has always been a good brand too and I might give them a try the next time around.
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Can't speak to Powerplants, but I've seen an M8000 fail. Uncle gave me his recently, which I've rebuilt and put on my bumper now (see pics from my Wave intro).

Autopsy revealed the main bearing in the motor failed and the armature came in contact with the wiring. Lotsa molten copper inside. (Incidentally, insert shameless plug for a battery cutoff switch here). Further investigation showed solenoids were pretty rusted and very close to end of life. Gears were in great shape, but looks like my uncle had taken them apart recently and regreased. Unfortunately, he used gasket sealant instead of ordering new gaskets. This was a fairly old winch, mid-80's serial number.

I've rebuilt it with new gaskets (took the blasted gearbox apart THREE TIMES before I had it back together correctly), sanded and repainted the drum (brake was in great shape) and replaced the motor with a 6hp one from that shop up in TN. Now it's a little closer to a 10k winch in power. I also replaced the solenoid pack with a Chinese contactor in the Albright style and a new cover. Also put a dyneema 3/8" rope on it from OK offroad.

It's a machine and can fail, like any machine. But I'll grant the M8000 is a tank. Having poked around in the motor, I would still be real hesitant to dunk it underwater.

Cheers,
 
That's a tough one. I used to be a big fan of Viking lines but have been hearing a lot of things regarding their quality as had been mentioned on this thread. Amsteel has always been a good brand too and I might give them a try the next time around.[/QUOTE]

Thanks Eddie, ill give Amsteel a look and see
 
Rope vs Wire

DWiggles said:
I would like to throw it out there that I was pretty disappointed with my Viking Line purchase. I do have the line installed on my jeep and am happy with its performance thus far, however, I would not it buy again.

(1) the thimble was NOT a viking thimble, as they no longer make the safety thimble II, and it is now supplied by a 3rd party.
(2) the sleeve was NOT a viking sleeve, no one addressed this issue at all w/ no comments from Viking
(3) the "knock off" sleeve does not fit over the milked spliced tail, so the first 18" or so of my line can not be covered by the sleeve.

:doh: all three of these issues, in my opinion, No one should have to deal with for that kind of money. Especially when you pay the premium for "Quality"

see details in thread here:
http://wayalife.com/showthread.php?...ic-replacement&p=693224&viewfull=1#post693224
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benatc1 said:
So if one owned a Warn with a Steel line and want to "upgrade" to synthetic what brand would everyone recommend? Just get a Warn Synthetic Line or is there a great aftermarket company that would be a better bet?
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wayoflife said:
That's a tough one. I used to be a big fan of Viking lines but have been hearing a lot of things regarding their quality as had been mentioned on this thread. Amsteel has always been a good brand too and I might give them a try the next time around.
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benatc1 said:
That's a tough one. I used to be a big fan of Viking lines but have been hearing a lot of things regarding their quality as had been mentioned on this thread. Amsteel has always been a good brand too and I might give them a try the next time around.
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Had same issue as dwiggles. Think I've mentioned in this thread before? Or maybe the ENVY thread?

Ended up returning the Viking and went with a MasterPull Superline. MasterPull was great to work with over the phone and made line recommendations based on my winch and vehicle.

And because I called and talked to them personally, I was also able to negotiate a killer deal on my line.
 
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Good to hear the issues with viking. Sounds like they are another company relying on reputation to carry them, but cutting corners on quality.

Good to hear good things about Amsteel.

Any thoughts on the Warn line or Masterpull line?

I dont remember any prices for any of these lines. Basically I don't want to overspend, however I absolutely don't want to underspend. I want a quality synthetic line that is going to be safe to use when needed.
 
Synthetic or wire

Hey guys I'm finally getting a winch, and yes it's going to be a warn. I've decided on the zeon 10 platinum, but I was woundering what's the benefit of either types of lines?

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Miles4k said:
Hey guys I'm finally getting a winch, and yes it's going to be a warn. I've decided on the zeon 10 platinum, but I was woundering what's the benefit of either types of lines?

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I've just merged your thread with 2 others. Look through this thread and you should have your answer. :thumb:
 
Well, I do not believe that they rope snap back for a synthetic line is a factor of weight but the construction and material that it is made from........

This comes from my experience in the US Navy... On ship we would use the 3 twist nylon line in 5" and 8" dimensions. This line had a stretch factor of 50% and would then snap carrying with it the full energy it took to stretch it (well over 60,000 pounds of pull). This could result in serious damage to equipment, injury to sailors, and even loss of life. As I was finishing my 6 years with the Navy they were starting to swap out the 3 twist nylon line with double braid. Double braid was not any lighter than the original line but more costly. The big difference is that by having the double braided construction allowed the line to part (break) without the bungee cord like parting from the previous line.

So the safety factor is superior construction and not that it is lighter.... On another note my understanding from talking with other sailors (some commercial ships use steel cable) that the steel cable would have less snapback than the 3 twist nylon.



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Rope vs Wire

I've only had my XRC winch for 2 years, but it has never given me any issues. I've used it countless times, and it's gotten me out of mud up to my bumper (3 1/2 inch lift) on more than one occasion. I've heard nothing but good stuff about Warn, but don't count the XRC out. I would caution against using harbor freight brands or random ones you could find on eBay or Amazon though.

I've got wire on mine right now, but I'm about to get synthetic line. The wire has held up fine, but as far as ease of use (running cable and winding it back up neatly) the synthetic lines I've run on friends' rigs has been easier to manage. I've never heard of any real excuses to not choose synthetic over wire.


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Nice 6 month bump...

Synthetic is always better. Why do you think they tow ships with amsteel line?
 
zimm said:
Nice 6 month bump...

Synthetic is always better. Why do you think they tow ships with amsteel line?
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Closer to 8 haha. Cranes and bridges use cable...your point? Each are strong and can last a long a time. I'm just sharing my $0.02. If you're worried about weight or snapping cable, get synthetic. That's all it comes down to.


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Not in all cases. Synthetic lines do not do very well on jagged rocks. Unless you have mad splicing skills to be fixing the rope all the time, steel beats synth on rocks. Keep in mind the ease of rolling the wire can also be fawked on synthetic, and synth wear is not always as apparent. Also synth does not have a great use life compared to steel long run wise.

That said, I have been running synth on my rigs but at least for the type of terrain I wheel in I need to be extra careful.
 
Rope vs Wire

geberhard said:
Not in all cases. Synthetic lines do not do very well on jagged rocks. Unless you have mad splicing skills to be fixing the rope all the time, steel beats synth on rocks. Keep in mind the ease of rolling the wire can also be fawked on synthetic, and synth wear is not always as apparent. Also synth does not have a great use life compared to steel long run wise.

That said, I have been running synth on my rigs but at least for the type of terrain I wheel in I need to be extra careful.
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Agreed for the most most. Terrain always dictates. Depending on environment, they have relatively similar lifespans. I just dislike a lot of the blind bashing I see everywhere these days. "Synth is always better"

There's pros and cons to everything, and everyone has a reason to back their beliefs. That's the point of this site, to hear other people's opinions, learn from their experiences, and do with it what you want. Like I said, I was giving my $0.02. [emoji1360]


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I'd rather lose a Syth line than a limb with a sheared Steel line. Oh and the kinks and burrs suck too.
 
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I think everyone would agree with that statement[emoji1376][emoji1360][emoji1360] Like I said, if you're worried about snapping cable, go synth. I'm not saying you're wrong at all. I've got cable on mine, and ran cable for years...but I'm buying a synthetic line for that same reason haha. Never had one snap, nor have I seen one snap in person, but maybe I'm lucky.


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Rope vs Wire

I've only seen a steel cable snap once and it was terrifying the way it whipped around ... it was on a buddy's tow truck as we pulled a van out of a muddy field with to wheels hindsight we could've gone about it a different way


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I'm sorry to resurrect this thread but I need clarification on the water & ice issue. Since I'm in AK, the winch line is guaranteed to spend a lot of time wet... whether it's in water crossings, melting snow in the garage, or whatever. It's also likely to go through a LOT of freeze/thaw cycles. Basically every time I go out on a snowy day then park in the warm garage... which is about 3 days per week for 6 months of the year. The other 6 months it's simply wet & gross.

Under these types of conditions, is synthetic line still advisable?

Edit: Forgot to add that my experience with covers is that they provide some protection but water still gets in there pretty easily. If there is a cover solution that would resolve my issues then that would be fantastic. Thanks!
 
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sm31 said:
I'm sorry to resurrect this thread but I need clarification on the water & ice issue. Since I'm in AK, the winch line is guaranteed to spend a lot of time wet... whether it's in water crossings, melting snow in the garage, or whatever. It's also likely to go through a LOT of freeze/thaw cycles. Basically every time I go out on a snowy day then park in the warm garage... which is about 3 days per week for 6 months of the year. The other 6 months it's simply wet & gross.

Under these types of conditions, is synthetic line still advisable?

Edit: Forgot to add that my experience with covers is that they provide some protection but water still gets in there pretty easily. If there is a cover solution that would resolve my issues then that would be fantastic. Thanks!
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I've run Warn's Sypdura synthetic line for four years now and keep a cover on in the Winter. Winch has worked fine after lots of snow and ice.

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