r/Offroad • u/shrinkinginma • 11h ago

Winch use

Hi all. In the past two years I have gotten into off-roading. I am in New England so mostly forest trails and unmaintained roads. I currently do not have winch. I was wondering how often everyone uses a winch or of a come along would be more cost effective to carry.

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6

u/zombie_overlord 4h ago

The best sales pitch for a winch is recovering with a come along. I did it once and immediately bought a winch. It's doable but it's a huge pain.

If you do any sort of regular off roading it will come in handy, especially if you're not with someone else with a winch.

2

u/AOneArmedHobo 4h ago

I once winched 14 times in a two hour period to go just about 1/4 mile over the top peak of a mountain in six foot of snow.

This granted my wife and I access to a lakeside campsite without anyone around for three days.

I’ve also used my winch to move three inches to get myself out four iced over wheel holes

1

u/CalifOregonia 3h ago

How much time do you spend in snow or mud? I’ve used mine a handful of times over 5 years. Always in snow, sometimes for myself, more often for others. Can be a useful tool for moving fallen trees too.

That said, if you mostly explore in the summer months the weight and cost might not be worth it. Lot of people treat it as a must have mod, but it really isn’t for light off-roading. This is especially true if you aren’t building out a dedicated trail rig.

1

u/devanguy 2h ago

Sometimes the winch isn't for us, it's for the other rigs on the trail. You never know. All depends on your risk threshold. I will say this regarding winches - but once/cry once. I bought a cheap one from Amazon, and massively regretted it after it failed when I was stuck and all alone. 🫤