Synthetic Rope vs. Wire rope

I haven't bought my winch yet, just installed my front hitch. 2020 Tacoma Sport. My head is spinning from looking at all the winch options.

I'm reading about synthetic rope and cable.

Seems to me if I were pulling/dragging something across ground there had sharp rocks etc, the rope may start to get cuts and fray where cable wouldn't. I know synthetic rope is lighter, so the winch is lighter but I'm just not sure on the overall toughness of the rope.

Looking for advice.

Thanks!

 

You just need to weigh your preferences/budget against the advantages/disadvantages of either style.

These are most of the advantages/disadvantages, although I'm sure there are some I've missed.

Steel Cable
Advantages: longer lasting, more durable, cheaper, easy to clean
Disadvantages: heavier, stores energy

Synthetic Rope:
Advantages: lighter, doesn't store energy, easier to handle
Disadvantages: more expensive, needs cleaning/maintenance, and breaks down with UV light (needs to be replaced)


I went with a steel cable because it's cheaper, and I don't plan to use it a ton (which make some of it's disadvantages less important), and the safety factor can be mitigated using proper safety protocols (same things people have been doing for generations).

IMO, don't get caught up in the "synth ropes are safer" nonsense. It's similar to the people who think hi-lift jacks are inherently unsafe. ANYTHING is unsafe when you don't know how to properly use it. So... know how to use your equipment, and you'll be safe. I would argue that even if you have a syth rope, you're dumb if you stand next to it during a pull.

If I find later on that I use the winch in such a way as to justify a synthetic rope, I'll change spools and upgrade.

 

Steel always gets my vote. I've seen synth ropes get in all kinds of trouble on the trails. And if you live out west, the synth ropes pick up cactus needles like crazy. Synth seems ok for light occasional use, but steel is what the pros use on power trucks, lineman gear, fire trucks, etc, etc. I like to know I can pull anything with steel, or hook up in an emergency car crash and drag through a fire if I had to, or drag trees out of the trail, or move huge rocks, or drag wreckage off the side of the road, or raise a circus tent. Steel > plastic.

 

I’ve had both.

If you want a sweet factor 55 and the winch is mostly for looks/mall crawling get synthetic.

If you actually wheel, hard, you’ll fuck up your steel cable soon enough, your synthetic line will be useless in no time.

 

I run a synthetic rope on my winch and I’ve used it more times than I’d care to admit.

As long as the risks are understood and care is taken when using it, synthetic lines perform phenomenally. Owning the proper rigging equipment with your winch is a big thing lots of people forget (tree savers, hard/soft shackles, snatch blocks, tow straps, chain, winch line blankets, etc.)

Having a winch with a steel line in the past and now owning synthetic, I would be hard pressed to go back. Handling the synthetic winch line is effortless in comparison.

I maintain mine every now and then, cleaning and drying the rope after muddy trips.

I’ve only had a single issue in the past, when the synthetic rope slid between the pulley and support of a snatch block, causing it to fray slightly. That would not have happened with a steel cable. The line is still holding up several pulls later, however I keep a spare synthetic line with me as well just in case. There are also synthetic repair kits as well if a trail repair needed to be carried out.

My two cents!

 

The irony is that while I'm also a fan of steel over synth, comparing a lineman or firefighter "pro" to an off-roader "pro" is not exactly a fair comparison. I can appreciate the durability of steel cable, partly why I have steel, but they are completely different uses. I'd never use my truck winch (even with a steel cable) to raise a circus tent, and have NEVER had concerns about dragging a vehicle through burning wreckage, lol.

I'm willing to bet that a firefighter or 35 ton wrecker driver wouldn't even think about attempting that kind of stuff in their personal vehicle.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rWN9CECdXc

And it's Rough Country, so definitely get a huge RC sticker for the back window.

 

Thanks for all the advice. Given that I don't think I'll use it frequently, steel is probably the best choice for me. Now I just need to figure out how I'm going to store the winch in my garage until I mount it on my hitch...seems like a rolling box of the right height should do the trick.

Thanks again!

 

Speechless, hahaha

 

I dont want to replace line every few years, so i went steel. Synthetic is nice, but the fact that it degrades over time im not a fan of.

 

Yeh, I agree with you. I was just kidding. But it is nice to know I could sacrifice my truck if I had to in a true life or death emergency situation. I would total my truck in a heartbeat to save a life if I had to, but probably not worth a circus tent. lol
Just sayin....

 

All jokes aside, I would also sacrifice my vehicle IF I felt that would actually lead to saving someone's life, while not endangering mine or other peoples' lives.

It's a little off topic, but since you brought up safety and emergency situations, I think this is important to discuss.

With the relative little first-aid and wilderness guide training I've had over the last 20 or so years, maybe that gives me a little better perspective than some on when it's appropriate to help, when it's not, and what actually denotes "helping".

The #1 rule in rendering first aid is to not create more victims, either by hurting yourself or further injuring the primary victim. I've seen all too often in my personal experience and hearing from other professionals about people without proper training trying to help, and end up hurting themselves or just generally making the problem worse. Holy shit the number of times I've seen someone take a big fall, and a "helpful" person's FIRST response is to help that person stand up.

There's another thread here where I've basically been chastised because I suggested that I'm not willing to help right a turned over vehicle (in an urban, no injury situation) or not necessarily risk my vehicle when in the wilderness. Basically, I'm a jerk if I don't want to use my off-road winch to pull an over-turned vehicle back on 4 wheels. There seems to be this air of "you must do do all the things" machismo, and I think it's misplaced. I think it's unfortunate that people chastise others who are either not confident in their abilities, or maybe even know enough about their own limitations they know they CAN'T help, or it would be pointless to help.

There are good sacrifices, and pointless sacrifices.

Anyhoo, sorry for the rant. Back to work...

 

After loaning my winch to the neighbor to load a lathe on a trailer the steel cable was kinked so bad I no longer trusted it.

I went with the synthetic the winch lives inside I am not sure the last time it was out to work.

 

Also consider rusting steel cable, depending on where in the country you live. Sounds like you are going for a cradle mount that isnt on the truck all the time? So that may not be an issue for you. But living in New England Ive seen plenty of old equipment with steel line that looked like a tetanus shot waiting to happen.

 

I live in AZ, rock crawl very hard, and love my synthetic line. Had it on the taco too before I got rid of it. The weight savings are totally worth it, especially on a Taco without adjustable front suspension. Installing a winch, with steel cable, and a winch mount/bumper is going to cause sag or at a minimum load up the front springs and cause a stiffer ride.

 

This will be a winch, on a bracket that goes in to my front hitch. The weight of the steel cable winch I'm looking at is 84lbs, add the bracket, 15lbs that about 100lbs. I don't that 100lbs is going to cause my front end to sag.

Early on I had a 3" front/2" back lift put in, then I put a camper shell on, so now the front end does look a bit high. Worst case, it should even it out

Thanks!

 

Sounds good! As long as you are going to be using it rarely it shouldn’t matter. Steel cable is also cumbersome and not as “flexible” as synthetic. I winch almost every outing (myself or someone else) so the synth is just way more convenient.

 

Synthetic rope = high maintenance
It works and does what it's supposed to if used properly, if it didn't it wouldn't be an option.
Cable = I don't give a shit what happens to it.
Again works otherwise it wouldn't be an option.
Both are easy to use if you know how to use them.
No one wants to do more work than they have to do so use your brain!

It's easy to drag a cable 80' away long as you have another vehicle to drag it there.
If your alone it sucks ass especially if you're going up hill threw pricker bushes in shorts and sandals, but it's possible.
I use synthetic rope now and it reminds me of my ex...
1 is not safer than the other, both will kill you or others or trash your rig or others rigs.

 

One of those things whatever works for you .

I got a good deal on the Synthetic line which i had long before needing to use it.

If I had the steel cable I would just as easy used that .

I needed the winch changed things out with what I had on hand that was the deciding factor.