Synthetic winch line

[theoldwizard1]

I am NOT looking for a ****** line or for something with MASSIVE strength. Probably 3,000-5,000 lbs. I am guessing 3/16"-1/4" (4mm-6mm).

I would prefer low stretch (like Spectra vs Dyneema) as this will be used in a hand winch (come-a-long) and also "cost effective".

Amsteel Blue looks popular but I can not find anything about it elongation. Other suggestion ?

 

[Finky198]

I use a ton of amsteel in the tree care side of our business. From 1/4” up to 3/4” Excellent product... I use it with come alongs and as slings. Very low elongation. Its Less than .5% at 10% Wll. Any info you need is listed in the link below...


http://www.samsonrope.com/Pages/Product.aspx?ProductID=872

 

[Firebrick43]

It act like steel cable in the way it acts under load. Pretty amazing stuff. I have a lot of soft shackles that I have made for my sail boat. Load tested a 1/4" one at work with 5000 lbs and it held fine.

One note. Amsteel does not act like cable in abrasion resistance. No sharp edges, no burrs on the drum, and no letting it rub any thing while winching.

Second it does not Knot. Knots just slide out. You HAVE to splice it according to factory specs. You will need a Marlin spike/fid and some some needles. You will have to splice some dynema or something where the wire rope would bolt to the drum. Also instead of keeping at least three wraps of wire rope to maintain friction, with Amsteel you need to keep a whole layer as it has minimal friction.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Is Amsteel Blue hollow, plain core or double braided ?

For a "come-a-long" 1/4" is probably overkill. 3/16" or maybe even 1/8" ?

 

[IndyGarage]

My neighbor has a synthetic winch line on his RZR winch. I don't think I like it. It gets jammed in the take up reel very easily. Several times I've had to help him untangle it. Last time we had to put a strap around a tree and have him back the RZR up until it jerked the jam out of the reel.

I've had steel cables get jammed before, but not as often as the synthetic one.

 

[cgrutt]

Not sure if it would work for your application or not but check out a product called vectran (spelling could be off). Primarily used for sail rigging. Extremely high strength and low stretch good abrasion resistance. I think 1/4 is rated for 7500 lbs. Bought about 100' of it a while back to use for pull starter cord on snowmobiles. Nice stuff pretty sure it would be fine in a handwinch.

 

[Finky198]

Is Amsteel Blue hollow, plain core or double braided ?

For a "come-a-long" 1/4" is probably overkill. 3/16" or maybe even 1/8" ?

If you read the link I posted it list everything imaginable...

What type of come along we’re you planing to use?

It’s a hollow type, single braid, 12 strand. It can be spliced with a knitting needle, good scissors, some electrical tape, a measuring tape, and some small cordage for lock stitching. No special tools needed. Splicing info is also readily available from the Sampson site. Its great rope, super strong, easy to splice, and even more advanced splicing is not to difficult...

I use the amsteel as the line with spliced eyes between what I am pulling and a cable come along. The other use is as slings. I use some knots like a cows hitch which relys on friction, but for the most part. Firebrick is correct on not just that, but his whole post...

Most of the amsteel I use are slings used in choker fashion at the equipment and tie in point. I routinely drop thousands of pounds of wood on rigging lines with these slings. Most of my stuff is overkill, but it gives me peace of mind and higher WLLs... With 6 slings and 2 lines I have never had a splice or rope fail in 8 years.

 

[guy48065]

My neighbor has a synthetic winch line on his RZR winch. I don't think I like it. It gets jammed in the take up reel very easily. Several times I've had to help him untangle it. Last time we had to put a strap around a tree and have him back the RZR up until it jerked the jam out of the reel.

I've had steel cables get jammed before, but not as often as the synthetic one.

I've never had this issue with my 3 ATV's that have Amsteel but I use roller fairleads on all. Some sources will tell you not to use rollers but they are fine as long as there's overlap between the top/side rollers so there's no gap for the rope to wedge into. Also Amsteel (and Dyneema) tend to flatten when spooled under tension and left for long periods (like EVERYONE does). Once that happens it doesn't stack well on the spool and it's best to hand-guide it on after use.

 

[MattN03]

My neighbor has a synthetic winch line on his RZR winch. I don't think I like it. It gets jammed in the take up reel very easily. Several times I've had to help him untangle it. Last time we had to put a strap around a tree and have him back the RZR up until it jerked the jam out of the reel.

I've had steel cables get jammed before, but not as often as the synthetic one.

I've never had that happened with my Teryx4's Warn ProVantage 4500S synthetic line. Very strange...

 

[MarlynOC]

Second on the knots although a bimini twist will work with the proper number of twists. Use other line to wrap the winch spool before adding the spectra to the winch as a backing. I usually splice onto Dacron to start it.
BTW don't try to wrap around hand and pull it slice you like a razor.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Why not just get a strap comealong?

 

[rtz]

This is a good deal for what it is:

https://www.harborfreight.com/atvutv-synthetic-rope-fairlead-kit-63139.html

 

[MarlynOC]

Not sure how large Jerry Brown Spectra is but I have bought 600#for a dredge.

 

[Muckin_Slusher]

My neighbor has a synthetic winch line on his RZR winch. I don't think I like it. It gets jammed in the take up reel very easily. Several times I've had to help him untangle it. Last time we had to put a strap around a tree and have him back the RZR up until it jerked the jam out of the reel.

I've had steel cables get jammed before, but not as often as the synthetic one.

Well, your neighbor is a ******* and should learn how to properly use his winch.

You should let him know that it purpose is for pulling. It's NOT made to store a huge amount of rope all willy-nilly automatic.

Never winch in without a load, never yank or jerk with the winch, don't do a long pull from the side without stopping every ten feen and re-spooling the rope across the width of the drum.

Want to have less trouble with your winch line (syn or steel)? Only put 30 feet of line on your 50 foot winch. Keep a 50 foot extension stored separately (or a couple).

I've never once had to replace a rope on my winches, ever. I also very rarely have to fiddle with one because the rope is jammed, and when it is, it's never more than a firm hand pull to free it.

 

[mikegt4]

I use 1/8" Amsteel78 (Dyneema) for the adjustable backstay on my 24' sailboat. I could lift the whole boat with it and just meet the tensile strength rating. For a winch rope I think that I would use a Dyneema or Vectran corded blended or double braid for better abrasion resistance.

http://www.apsltd.com/line-resources#selection