Hand winches - Best one to get on a budget

[eltax91]

Hi all

I have an electric winch on the front of my 90. It's broken. My father in law (mechanical engineer) is going to rebuild it for me, but he is working away for a month or so.

So, in the meantime I want to remain confident I can still recover myself when off roading, plus I feel a manly effort on a hand winch will help develop some muscles.

What I really want is a decent reliable hand winch that I can keep in the landy for pulling me backwards once the electric winch is back on the front. What I don't want is a giant hole in the bank account for something which will get little use.

So, any recommendations?

Cheers

[Hooli]

Tirfor always seemed to be the answer when I was more into offroading a few years ago.

[mcjimny]

If you're 90 is suitably prepared with jackable sills etc... then get a hi lift jack, these can be used as a hand winch as well.

My only concern is that you refer to recovering yourself. Are you laning alone? If not then a pull back on a strap by another truck would be a far cheaper and easier route than fannying around with a hand winch they are cumbersome and hard to store! If you've go the winch then you should already have some strops and shackles.

[bigblock]

mcjimny said:

If you're 90 is suitably prepared with jackable sills etc... then get a hi lift jack, these can be used as a hand winch as well.........

A hi-lift jack will work as a winch, however this is the slowest method of winching known to man. A Tirfor might be slow but a glacier moves faster than using a Hi-lift.

[mcjimny]

bigblock said:

A hi-lift jack will work as a winch, however this is the slowest method of winching known to man. A Tirfor might be slow but a glacier moves faster than using a Hi-lift.

Indeed, but cheaper than a tirfor, easier to store/carry and can still be used for its primary function. A far more versatile option than carrying a tirfor.

I would still look at using a manual winch as an absolute last resort of course. It would be the last thing i'd want to clog my truck up with. The most important thing to me would be another truck to pull me back as i said far easier than all the bother of a manual winch.

[bigblock]

mcjimny said:

bigblock said:

A hi-lift jack will work as a winch, however this is the slowest method of winching known to man. A Tirfor might be slow but a glacier moves faster than using a Hi-lift.

Indeed, but cheaper than a tirfor, easier to store/carry and can still be used for its primary function. A far more versatile option than carrying a tirfor.

I would still look at using a manual winch as an absolute last resort of course. It would be the last thing i'd want to clog my truck up with. The most important thing to me would be another truck to pull me back as i said far easier than all the bother of a manual winch.

Yes, but the OP specificaly stated he wanted to self recover, he can hardly carry another truck around with him can he.

[drgoatboy]

these
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/range/guid/9CD9F...

are a lot cheaper than a real Tirfor. I've not used one but they are quite sturdy bits of kit.

[Caulkhead]

I'd still go with a hi-lift jack myself. Slow, but multi-use and unbreakable. Chain to the vehicle, strop to the tree/ground anchor, two hefty blankets to drop over the strop and chain. I used to carry a couple of big wooden chocks with wire sticking out of the top and attach the wire to the chassis just behind the front wheels so the chocks dragged along just behind the wheel and if anything let go or you needed to reposition the jack, the chocks stopped the vehicle rolling back automatically.