Winch - really a necessity? Your comment welcome

[tact]

In a past life in which I owned a Toyota 4x4 I did all the usual stuff:
- fitted bars and winch
- changed tyres and cut guards etc
- tackled pretty hard core terrain, usually with other vehicles
- often went bush solo, so considered the winch a necessity

Now I have a MY2013 D110 DCPU.
- am older and wiser (read: lazy to tackle hard core stuff any more)
- am older and wiser (read: won't be doing solo trips anywhere I can't call for roadside assist)
- modified my vehicle for a little extra "oomph" (a tune, 33" tyres, ATBs from Ashcroft's in front & rear diffs.)
- notice, no mention of fitting a winch and no plans to do so given my use cases.

Am getting the expected flak from some quarters for not wanting to fit a winch. A decision taken based on the following:
- in all the years I had a winch (on the Toyota) I think it was used a total of 4 times and none of those occasions was it the only option available.
- don't be facetious and say "if not getting stuck, not trying hard enough" the Toyota years saw plenty good hard core trails and plenty of getting stuck, all dealt with pretty well by first resorting to towstrap and shackles.
- won't ever be going bush solo beyond phone signal and roadside assist any more
- not going to be doing particularly hard core trails often, and expect a towstrap and shackles and a couple of buddy vehicles will be sufficient.
- do carry my own straps and shackles, saws, axes, shovels etc

I don't particularly care about the criticism I have fielded so far. But will respect your opinions - is it really madness to go off-road without a winch? I really don't think so.

[DNB]

I'm not really sure about how to answer your question, but I would say that every time I've been stuck 4wding...... I wished I had a Winch on my car!!! The last time I got bogged, we had to walk Miles and Miles, just to get some help, as we didn't have mates out with us.(they couldn't have gotten us out, because the entire area had SOFTTT sand..... luckily, we got help from some guys with some powerful 4 wheel motorbikes

[Toxic_Avenger]

It's all calculated risk as you've alluded to. A winch is NOT a prerequisite to going offroad, IMO.

If it really hits the fan, then it's always going to be a matter of "I wish I had a (snatch strap/ buddy to help / hand winch / electric winch / John Deere) to pull me out"

I have a winch, and I've done all I can to ensure it's in a position to help me out to its full potential when I need it.
That day hasn't come, but if it does, I want to rely on it to do 100% of it's job.
The key is that you engage the brain before low range, and you should never need it- calculated risk vs return.

[roverrescue]

I think the answer to this question

is it really madness to go off-road without a winch?

is

I won't ever be going bush solo beyond phone signal and roadside assist any more

Clearly for you and your choices a winch is just something to go rusty and seize whilst weighing down the front of the vehicle.


For the paths that I choose to travel you would be better calling the Army for a helicopter airlift than roadside assist - on your satphone because the nearest mobile reception is a few days walk away.

I choose to have an electric winch up front, a Tirfor behind the rear seats and carry metric ****-tonne of Dyneema.

Hell I have even had to use the winch just taking the dogs for a walk to the beach not 10 minutes from home? Had a mate walk 20km in the pouring rain (had no winch) stuck on a bush track chasing pigs just out of town... horses for courses.

S

[weeds]

You don't have to do hardcore to get stuck.......the first time I used mine I was cruising across a creek bed, little pebbles, dead flat, in phone reception, traveling solo.

The next time I pulled a couple of mates up over a bump on a track, was with others, had phone reception, snatching would have been difficult so a 2:1 setup meant the day wasn't spoilt.

Third time was assisting the owner of MAXTRAX to build a log bridge to re-open a track that is listed in his Dirty Weekend Book. He doesn't run a winch as his motto is take the easy way out I.e. MAXTRAX at least one of the other cars had an electric winch but when he looked at the tree and the distance to winch he changed his mind as he didn't want to wreck his winch. Have quite a few hours winching the bridge was built........

Winch was fitted for 8 or so years. Kinda glad I dragged it around. Electric winches are pretty cheap these days.......although I prefer PTO.

[Tank]

In a past life in which I owned a Toyota 4x4 I did all the usual stuff:
- fitted bars and winch
- changed tyres and cut guards etc
- tackled pretty hard core terrain, usually with other vehicles
- often went bush solo, so considered the winch a necessity

Now I have a MY2013 D110 DCPU.
- am older and wiser (read: lazy to tackle hard core stuff any more)
- am older and wiser (read: won't be doing solo trips anywhere I can't call for roadside assist)
- modified my vehicle for a little extra "oomph" (a tune, 33" tyres, ATBs from Ashcroft's in front & rear diffs.)
- notice, no mention of fitting a winch and no plans to do so given my use cases.

Am getting the expected flak from some quarters for not wanting to fit a winch. A decision taken based on the following:
- in all the years I had a winch (on the Toyota) I think it was used a total of 4 times and none of those occasions was it the only option available.
- don't be facetious and say "if not getting stuck, not trying hard enough" the Toyota years saw plenty good hard core trails and plenty of getting stuck, all dealt with pretty well by first resorting to towstrap and shackles.
- won't ever be going bush solo beyond phone signal and roadside assist any more
- not going to be doing particularly hard core trails often, and expect a towstrap and shackles and a couple of buddy vehicles will be sufficient.
- do carry my own straps and shackles, saws, axes, shovels etc

I don't particularly care about the criticism I have fielded so far. But will respect your opinions - is it really madness to go off-road without a winch? I really don't think so.

Not being a smartarse, but where you are planning to go You really don't need a 4WD, IMO, Regards Frank.

[pop058]

I must be getting old because I think if you need a winch to get out of somewhere, you should not have gone in there in the first place.

I do have one on my Disco but in the last few years have only used it once to drag a DA lowlux driver off a mound hidden in the grass. If he had walk it first, he would have realised he could have gone to the side and been fine.

What makes it even funnier is that he was heading in to try and drag the nephews Cruiser out where he had been since dusk the night before.

[rar110]

It really depends on where you are going and if you think self recovery is necessary or off road ability is important.

There was only one occasion back in 2001 that I needed a winch to recover my 110. These days I'm not as dumb as that I don't think, as with experience I'm a bit more aware of risks. That's not a guarantee I won't get stuck but now less likely. Also I really don't drive in situations anymore that's likely to need a winch. These days my off road driving is likely to be a local beach or gravel possibly corrugated road.

The other occasion a winch was important for off road ability, but not really necessary for recovery, was with Weeds as described above. On that occasion it was definitely an advantage as we got stuck fairly early and without a winch we wouldn't have had so much fun. Thanks again Weeds. ddc4d.

[PhilipA]

A winch is like a Talisman. If you have one you never need it, If you don't then you do.

I have a compromise. An Old warn 6000lb winch in a nice box that sits on the rear floor when I am on rough trips, but in the garage other times. It can fit on either end of the car.

I have used it once to pull someone who had slipped off a causeway in the Watagans and it did well.

Only had one occasion when I had to be winched and there were plenty around with winches to pull me.
Regards Philip A

[Tank]

Part of earning a living means that I need a winch to help recover myself and usually attached vehicle or van.
But there have been occasions I have had to use my winch to prevent a roll over or careening off backwards down a steep hill.
In these cases it is safer to either lower oneself back down the hill with the control that a winch gives, also the same if you need to proceed further up the hill.
An example I foolishly took on Pork Chop Hill near Batemans Bay NSW, very steep and wide powerline track, no narrow track with built up embankments you can use to arrest an uncontrolled backwards slide downhill.
I had both front and rear diffs locked and because steering was impossible I drove into a hole which put the Disco on a very steep side slope, I had to use the winch to stabalise the Disco till I could disengage the front diff lock and drive a metre or two to get back on an even keel.
The winch is not just for unbogging, you can 99 times out of a hundred avoid a bog, use the winch as a tool, it is very versatile and can be used to save not only a 4WD but lives as well.
I would rather have a winch along with all its Cons, like weight, dual batteries, etc. and never use it, than NOT have one and regret the day I was born because I didn't have one, think outside the box, I have used mine to clear tracks and even tarred roads, I have lifted engines out of vehicles, have dragged cars up onto a car trailer, my winch has paid for itself many times over, Regards Frank.