Am I the only one crazy enough to not buy a $150 pro link and just winch like this it's pulled plenty fine and is very secure? Was just getting inputs because I'm sure some deep pocket hardcore ppl out there think this is wrong lol and I can assure anyone it's not.

Sent from my dogs cell phone

 

I've been wondering about and planning to do the same thing whenever I get my first winch.

 

I just have hook that came with the winch but if something ever happened to it I probably just use a D-ring. I don't see the point of a pro link.

 

Yea I just took the hook off put the d ring on and have a strap of course. All seems safer than the hook to me

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I did that for a while before noticing notches cut into the fairlead rollers. I was worried the a metal burr would compromise my synthetic cable.....

 

I just hooked to a D-ring like this.

 

I guess it's all a matter of personal preference. Where you don't feel a prolink is necessary I don't feel that fancy white painted d rings are.

 

^^^ This.

I was running just the hook and then noticed gouges in my aluminum fairlead. Didn't want a burr to cut into my synthetic winch line. I tried attaching the hook to my front d-ring shackle, but I run the PSC BFH front bumper and the shackle mount is still too close to the fairlead to where the base of the hook hits and gouges the fairlead once I ran the line in.

 

Nobody that I wheel with has a pro link on their winch. You'll be fine.

 

Another potential issue is that the thimble on the end of the cable may distort under a hard pull, making it difficult to remove the shackle pin.