Winch rope versus steel cable
Why should I use rope instead of steel cable you ask? It's a very common question we hear on a weekly basis. Read on and all will be revealed...
Dyneema is one of the strongest fibres in the world. The rope has excellent properties with regard to strength, weight, UV-stability (daylight), safety, abrasion, tension and bending fatigue.
The number one reason is safety. A steel cable can be deadly when it breaks, where as synthetic is far less dangerous – it has around 2% elongation and therefore recoils far less - often it just falls to the ground.
Rope is stronger than cable of the same diameter and is one tenth of the weight. You don’t want so much weight hanging out over the front of your vehicle and of course it is easier to drag the rope up that slippery hill!
Rope will not fray and splinter in your hands.
Rope is easier to spool onto your winch drum and does not birds-nest or kink.
You do have to take a little more care when using rope, making sure that the line itself is protected by the protective sheath or something else (like an old sack) over sharp edges, rocks, etc.
You need to care for the rope a little more and wash it, especially after dragging it through the mud.
Some earlier ropes didn’t have good UV characteristics and there are many inferior brands on the market – so it pays to buy good quality – beware of cheaper imitations...
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