A locker will definately get used more but, a winch can be a life saver. Yesterday my buddy got his jeep into launch position. He couldn't go foward and he couldn't back up because of his gas tank holding him up. Luckily one of the guys that wheels where we do has a winch on his Unlimited. Up and over no problem, just a little tummy rubbing.

 

Recovery is not number 1. This is some of the worst advice I have seen here.

I have been in only one situation where I had to have a winch, the strap would not do. This was hardcore rock crawling in a canyon where space prevented pulling and required a stationary rig. My two lockers got me and the rest of the trucks there.

Again, you can fake a winch with a strap and should never wheel alone. You can't fake a locker.

The irony of this is, if you wheel, you know what stops the truck.

Bumpers and winches are easy to see, trail trucks need lockers.

 

Amen. I've been wheeling for 10+ years and still don't have a winch. I had a Lock Right for over 2 years. Then got rid of that pile of trash and I've had a spool for the past 3+ years.

A locker is the best off-road-bang-for-your-buck and it will get you into, and out of, plenty of places. And you don't have to pull cable to do it.



And if you have any common sense at all snow and ice are no big deal.

 

Word.

 

not to start anything or get off topic, but i would like to know what you think is number 1 (besides obvious stuff like dont be drunk and be safe...) and how is that bad advice? ive always been told and believe that recovery is always number 1. how many clubs have mandatory rules like "front and rear recovery points" tow straps, and general recovery gear? i personally dont go out without atleast 2 towstraps, tree saver, 2 d-rings, snatch block and other crap. if i cant get my truck back i cant go out the next time. again, im not trying to argue with you or tell you that your wrong, i just want to know what you think should be number 1

 

i would assume that number one would be...4wheeling. nobody likes to winch, and everyone here likes to wheel. why spend a lot to be pulled up by a winch when you can spend less and go farther. yeah true you can get in worse situations with a locker but if you use your noodle and always wheel with another vehicle there arnt many tricky situations you can't fix. in a perfect world i would do a bumper, winch, and lockers all at once but for some of us that is not an option.

 

Holy Crap....I better double check my 4wheeling club's website - the part where they require "front and rear recovery points". I also better see why they put the winched vehicles in between the non-winched vehicles (funny, I don't recall seeing anything about lockers being mandatory) LOL...

Recovery may not be number 1 for you but for me it is - I want to be sure to be driving the same vehicle home that I headed to the trail with. But hey, to each his own...not slamming your opinion just wondering why "it's the worst advice" you've seen here........I can think of a lot of worse things than getting a winch over lockers

 

Ha, when someone starts making clear diff housings, then lockers will attain some bling status.


Anyway, like I said before...it's nice to have both, but I'm glad I went with the lockers first.

 

I don't think flygenstein was talking about recovery points. In our club winches hardly ever get used, usually a strap is easy and fast. Everyone uses their lockers all the time, except for me, I don't have them. Most the guys who have winches in our club have never used them on themselves, just on someone else.

 

Winches are different than recovery points.

Winches are a lot like tow straps.

Number 1 for me on the trail? It's wheeling.

Most trips I tug on a strap myself to keep a truck loaded, rarely do I recover. I constantly flip my ARB switches on and off though.

Chuck, you may be on to something.

 

Locker.

I don't have a winch.

I've never needed a winch.

I will have a rear locker, and a second transfer case, and a rear bumper, and cargo drawers and new tires, and.... before i get a winch.

A strap will always get you out. If not, likely you are with someone who has a winch. They will get you out.

Recovery points are a must. I reitterate, not the same as a winch.

 

Okay...cool....we'll agree to disagree (although I must admit I have a hard time seeing how a cargo box is better than a winch)...

For me, I still feel better knowing that when I'm wheeling to set my camera traps (a geeky hobby of mine I do admit), that I have the winch to get me out of trouble.

Hey, the key point is that we are out using our vehicles for the purpose that they were intended....wheel on!

 

FWIW, I DO wheel trails that REQUIRE lockers. Usually on trail ratings, 4's require one locker, 4.5's require two and advise a winch while 5's require two hard lockers and a winch.

This topic comes up every 6 or so months. Open diff people talk about the peace of mind they get from having a winch, people with trail trucks think the decision is self-explanatory, and I come in to take pot shots at people who want a truck that LOOKS cool.

Respectful disagreement is a paradox. Either, you think I am a fool, or you think your idea is better. If neither of those things are true, you could agree.

 

[QUOTE=Respectful disagreement is a paradox. Either, you think I am a fool, or you think your idea is better. [/QUOTE]

Or both.... j/k...

Hey...your setup works best for you; mine works best for me....see ya out on the trail....

 

The philosopher has a point, but hypothetically speaking, what if both of those are true? That might even be sig worthy.

My winch came in handy a month ago. I used it to pull out shrubs from the front yard. Lets see your locker do that!

 

It is a paradox, professionally speaking. When I hold a contradictory opinion in the face of an apparent or alledgedly equally informed arguer such that the only difference between us is our opinions, there is some reason making me keep my opinion. If the oponents were better, I would take it. I keep it because mine is perceived to be better, so we are not disagreeing respectfully, both are quietly saying the other is a boob.

Don't make me go farther. I am sitting in my kilt, listening to the Pipes and Drums and channelling Hume tonight.

I have tied on to small trees that needed removal at home, locked it up and given it hell.

 

To the guys with both... if one were to disappear which would it be???

I would much rather see my winch go by by than my locker... One of the reasons I have the winch is because where we hunt there are often trees down in the road, and we use it to fall trees for wood the propper way. I have only used my winch on my self maybe 3 times in 3 years. I will go whole trips without using it. But my locker... I probally will need a new switch soon

 

I've wheeled (completed) trails in CO rated 4-5 with street tires, street pressure, no armor, and no lockers. Gone a couple places that people with a locker couldn't or i kept up. Not saying i'm above anyone but the trail rating numbers/requirements are kinda far-fetched.

I bought a 9.5ti winch for a rig that i don't even own yet.

Some of us are forced to roll solo... and SELF recovery is #1 in my book. A locker isn't gonna do anything when your stuck with no way out. Not having one does suck but you can imagine any number of bad scenarios when nobody, including yourself has a winch.

AH64ID, 3 times in 3 years makes my winch purchase sound gravey.

I do think the best answer can go both ways. Driver skill? how far are you going to be from civilization? how long? got cell phone service? Are you prepared to stay awhile?

 

A lot of you guys are missing the point Homer, Rocket, etc. Recovery is #1 in my book. However, there are other means of recovery than a winch. I carry a couple tow straps, a come-along, and a hi-lift with me, I have been stuck in some pretty nasty areas, but those things always got me through and I have wheeled alone.
Think about this though, recovery is #1 for you guys becuase you wheel alone so you want a winch, ok, I get it, BUT, I have wheeled open/open, harder obstacles require you to hammer it, you are bouncing, spinning, and sliding, so now, while you have your trusty winch to get you out, you are risking breakage...oh yeah, and CV's aren't the only thing to break when you start applying lots of torque to the axles and bouncing and spinning. So unless you have a whole parts truck with you, perhaps this is not a good idea. If you start blowing u-joints, ripping tires off the bead, snapping CV's, blowing hubs, twisting up your d-shafts, snapping leaf springs, tweaking shackles, blowing ring and pinions, etc, you are stuck on the trail and your precious winch won't get you out. Had you had lockers, you would have been able to just crawl the obstacle and you would still be safe and if you happened to get stuck in the mud after that, well, bust out the come-along and hi-lift.
I challenge ANY of you to find me a situation that you have been in where I could not get you out with a couple straps, a hi-lift, a shovel and a come-along. It may take longer, but I would put money on it that I could get you out. However, I also would put money on it that I could find places that I can drive straight through that you cannot due to being open/open.
Myself and a couple other members wheeled down into a steep-sided valley and it had rained the previous day, we turned around and hadn't gone 10 ft before we all got stuck, we got ourselves out, but we could not get 10 ft up the trail we came down on, it was like the hillside was 6" of loose mud. A winch would have been really nice, however, using a come-along, we got all four rigs out, admittedly, it took a while, but we did it.
Similar to what Flyg said earlier, there are ways to imitate a winch that work just as well as a winch, if slower, but there is no way that I am aware of to imitate a locker.

 

You're all wrong. Just use the money to hire a super-bodyuilder who can cimply lift your truck out of a sticky situation, duh.