Harold 4x4 said:

Paul, next time I'm off to the forest to fell trees I'll invite you along and you may change your mind about winch abuse - oooeeer missus.

However, you do have a point. If you have to have an expensive winch on the front of your Landy, that sits there doing bugger all, but is well sealed against all the mud, its worth the expense....

That youtube clip - really?

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er yeah, really. Not sure what you mean? .. None of the other vehicles got through that without winching, some more than others, and some of them had lockers all round and big tyres. I used the winch maybe 10 or more times that day .. we don't video often ...

I don't just green-lane, we go on private land and 'play' .. often in muddy, wet, situations and often get stuck 'just trying'. A winch is a necessity for what we do with our vehicles, it doesn't just sit there doing bugger all.

OK, mine's a bit of an exception 'cos I have no money so it's a bastardised Warn, pretty slow but powerful and I have to strip it regularly, but it does work well!

If I were using one commercially and making money or a livelihood from it, it'd be a different winch, but I'd still apply same principles .. keep it sealed, keep it as clean as possible and regularly service it .. whether a cheap one or expensive!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhEYC6du-gU

At the moment Bearmach have a very light duty winch on offer in their trade counter bit. I think it will do 900kg. On offer at 65 quid plus VAT.

Yes Paul. The key is to clean and maintain any winch!

Personally I don't greenlane for fun, but that's due to my location, and I have often no option but to 'off-road'. Always makes me laugh when I take a trip back to London and see the 4x4 crew with their shiny playthings...

Pontslapper. That winch would be near to useless on a Land Rover- probably made for a quad.

Ps. Paul - guy with the hat in that winch clip is a fool...

Harold 4x4 said:

Personally I don't greenlane for fun, but that's due to my location, and I have often no option but to 'off-road'. Always makes me laugh when I take a trip back to London and see the 4x4 crew with their shiny playthings...

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I do go green laning sometimes, but 90%+ of my off road mileage is to do with work, and always has been, I was a forestry contractor for years before I had the farm.

The "urban trucks" make me laugh when I am in town! What a bunch of muppets, almost (but not quite) as bad as the Porsche Cayennes

Another vote for the good old Tirfor. Bought mine at a car boot sale years ago for £25. Gave it a try hauling a mates Disco up some banking - it worked OK. Used it a few times, usually rescuing someone else; pulled some conifers out a few weeks back - excellent bit of kit. Only drawback is uncoiling and recoiling the wire rope, it's always either wet and muddy or wet and icy. I use the handle off my HI-Lift jack to get a bit extra leverage.
Bridge Supply in Keighley sell ex MOD ones cheap.

Harold 4x4 said:

Yes Paul. The key is to clean and maintain any winch!

Personally I don't greenlane for fun, but that's due to my location, and I have often no option but to 'off-road'. Always makes me laugh when I take a trip back to London and see the 4x4 crew with their shiny playthings...

Oh yes ..

Pontslapper. That winch would be near to useless on a Land Rover- probably made for a quad.

Agreed, but better than nothing and will apply some pressure, but it depends how stuck you are.

Ps. Paul - guy with the hat in that winch clip is a fool...

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LOL, it's been said before ..

In his defence, that's 12mm synthetic rope, very well kept with a well known history of use. All our attachment points are way over-engineered and we do know what we're doing, despite how it looks.