I am thinking of replacing my ATV's old kinked/frayed steel winch cable. Should I go steel cable again or upgrade to the synthetic winch rope? Looking for pros/cons, opinions and real world experience.
Lot of stretch in any kind of rope and it snaps a lot easier than steel cable, both are dangerous when that happens. Rope is good on a capstan type winch but not on a self contained one, additionally the dang synthetics when under pressure will glue themselves together on the drum. Just my experience yours could be different.
I've used both. I don't use my winch a lot, but the synthetic stuff seems to be holding up just fine. I like it because you don't get splinters, it is lighter, and a lot more flexible. Just have to be more careful because it more prone to getting abrasion damage. It will have some stretch at first, but I don't notice too much now.
He's talking about this kind of rope: AmsteelBlue.com - Best price on genuine Amsteel™ Blue Synthetic Winch Lines and Rope
I was just thinking about the synthetic rope and our current weather conditions. I suspect that if the rope were to get wet and then the weather gets cold, more so than a steel cable, the rope could freeze together on the drum.
