Posted by john eickhof [172.71.150.21] on Monday, January 02, 2023 at 18:47:53 :
In Reply to: Re: MU-2 Winch posted by Jerry Henry [108.162.246.146] on Monday, January 02, 2023 at 12:58:58 :
I learned about winching at 17, I was trained in towing and recovery at north Lake Tahoe, we had 69-71 Dodge W300s with various Holes wreckers, all old school mechanical winches, pre slide beds and hydraulics! They were amazing machines that would do things you couldn"t imagine! I was trained by my brother in law, there was a lot of simple and complex physics involved and plenty of danger! I could hook up to a fully loaded tractor w/doubles on Donner summit and tow em with a 1 ton Dodge! It would amaze the truckers when the front axle would raise off the ground 1-2 feet then I would catch a gear and do it again! Never broke a truck! The Dodges were tough! I have winched cars off of treetops, up cliffs, and have recovered crawlers and ready mix trucks that were 4-5 times heavier than the wrecker was rated! It was a great profession and I miss it, but not miss the 200 to 300+ inches of "Sierra cement" snow we had to chain up and slog through just to do our job! I have parted a few cables through the years The hydraulic winches are far stronger than mechanical types ad will pass the breaking point faster with less warning to the operator, yet the winch lines still sing and try to warn you! I still use my winches on rare occasions and always profess careful thought and rigging. Like any other fine tool, a winch can be a help or a hinderance! I urge people to enjoy their trucks yet remember the winch is not a toy, it's a tool, so learn how to use it properly and SAFELY!