Winch use.

How many times you all got stuck, having no other choice using your winch?

Not helping other people out of the pickle. The question is about getting stuck, no other choices left, and in what circumstances, and which trail or place.

What winch setup do you have?

All input welcome.

 

a few
smitty bilt x20
Nevada and Utah...mud and sand(luckily there was a substantial enough tree nearby, made me consider buying a dead man)

 

Currently have a warn evo 10s. Mine gets the most use on winter trail rides; even the most boring of forest roads can suddenly become interesting in deep snow. Occasionally used to get out of a mud hole, but these days I do my best to avoid it if I can. Usually not alone in those circumstances though; and more often than not I'm using it to rescue others.... but I have been in my share of situations over the years when I was solo and winch was truly needed (else would have been a really, really, long wait to get help; and/or in some cases a really long walk to get cell signal to even try to find help).

My typical need a winch scenarios:
Winter... 1) sometimes you'll hit a patch of snow that's way deeper than expected; especially an issue if beneath that snow is soft sand. Because of the snow drift, you didn't see the dip/valley/ditch or whatever until you were already sunk. 2) Or a frozen over mud hole that you break through... sometimes it's not even that deep, just get caught up on the ice shelf of it. 3) if breaking fresh trail, sometimes the snow drift patterns mess with your perception of where the trail is and you run off a bit 4) winding hills, up or down, sometimes it's possible to slide off the trail.

Spring... 1) little puddles that look like nothing sometimes aren't that little. Once had two small little wet tracks that looked like nothing, then next thing I know I'm high centered with all 4 locked wheels (on 37's!) spinning freely... those two tracks had been dug up/rutted out to hell. 2) soft ground/natural springs, same trail you hit in the summer might now be a mud hole in the making after snow melt and tons of rain.

Misc... Always possible to misjudge a dirt mount, stump, or your line through a rock crawl and end up beached too... or steep winding downhill decent, might catch some off camber soft soil and slide towards or into a tree/side of the hill (might need to winch as support to maneuver out of the situation).

On that note, since it feels like winter is right around the corner again:
For general winter on-road driving; if another off road style vehicle with proper recovery points is stuck, I have no problem helping them out. For anyone else, I'll stop to make sure they're okay, would help shovel or push, or help them call for a tow, but I won't break out my winch or tow rope... too big of risk of unintentional damage amidst an increasingly litigious society. Will save those pulls for the ones who are licensed and bonded for just such occasions.

 

Very well explained. I did help people out more, than I had the need.

 

1978 - Land Cruiser ('73 model I think, remember it was Chevy powered). Location: Florence, Oregon (sand dunes). Weather: diminishing rapidly - family (all) advised "Don't go there!" - I went there. Got buried about a mile in. Vehicle equipped with working winch, shovel, and a hi-lift jack (I still have that jack!). Sand dunes = no trees! Buried the jack 30' up from front bumper & winched forward. Thunder, lightening, lots of rain and rhetoric from family within - but they're dry! Repeat bury jack & winch 3 more times before hitting hard pack. Got back out on pavement, got some hot chocolate and endured 2 hours of "we told you not to..."
Okay, so now I listen a little mo betta..

 

Used it on myself the 1st time Saturday. Have used it previously twice (in 3 years) to help friends with pulling a huge Aircon unit out of a pickup bed and pulling a small pickup back onto a driveway.

Saturday, couldn't get over a rock ledge.


3 minute vid from inside the vehicle. Quoting Rusty "You ain't winching if you ain't wheeling."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBBWiB734K8

 

All my off-roading is in the desert with no trees so a winch wouldn't be of any use.

It seldom rains where I'm located, but when it does, I avoid off-roading because I don't like playing in the mud. I wish the Jeep guys did the same but I believe they enjoy seeing how deep they can cut the ruts.

 

I don't have a winch but hope / pray I can use my 4ton hand puller / use the highlift jack as a puller like this Youtuber.

https://youtu.be/EKAVf3i_X2Q

 

Never....but if traction boards dont work in the North Maine woods and no cone comes along I am in trouble.

 

What a crazy video. That would totally freak me out if I got into that situation.

 

Erin Rose is a very good off-road driver, rarely he makes a mistake; this time he was distracted, because Hells Revenge you can do with a stock TRD Pro, his rig has a 3" lift and 285's. This can happen to the best of us, winch saved the day.

 

I told another guy not to take this line and bring a good spotter! The same thing happened, I was there. Winch saved the day.

(97) 4Runner almost flips on Hells Gate, Moab Utah - YouTube

 

My wife could have killed me if I was in this situation.

 

I’ve used a bunch of sticks up there to get me out of some mud once. Could tell the ground was getting soft, as I turned around, the back just started sinking.

 

Warn Zeon 10s, used it a couple of times to help people get unstuck.

 

I needed the winch. I thought Poughkeepsie Pass trail was impossible to do with a 4R, all kinds of rigs have been stuck there (including me with another vehicle, needed the winch to get out), Hummers, highly modified jeeps etc. Wow, to the driver for pulling this off.

(97) 4wd Action @ Poughkeepsie Pass including "The Wall" 4Runner TRD Off-Road - YouTube

 

I have a cradle mounted Warn 8500 that I've had for 7 years originally used on my 2003 Sequoia 4x4 and my 2016 XP. Both vehicles were wired for the hitch mounted Warn. I don't look for challenges; my "off roading" is mostly limited to hunting seasons on heavily rutted and muddy roads in the lowcountry of Georgia and SC. One location is a large military base where MRAPs with 48" tires dig deep into muddy roads and when dry can easily high center a vehicle. The times I've been stuck, I used the Warn on the rear to get me out and go back the way I came in. I carry a variety of snatch ropes for pulling out other vehicles and extend the reach of my Warn.
On the front, I've used DrawTite hitches, but don't like that the approach angle is decreased. On my 2022 OR I'm looking for a better solution but have yet to find one.

 

I know the feeling, I also hunt in southern Ga, on a logging farm, and with all the big cutter equipment and logging trucks a winch is an absolute must.

 

That's a good tip!