ahh ok cool, thanks for the info.

 

Though true, heat build-up depends on what winch you're running. If you run a Warn 8274-50 (spur gear) or a Superwinch Husky (worm gear), there is no heat build up in the drum. (not to mention on an 8274-50, you can fit something like 125' of 3/8" rope ... and, I am old school and think it's the best winch ever made ).

The planetary geared winches (eg - XD9000, M8000, etc) are what cause the problems. But, you've got to be doing some serious out-spooling under load as someone already mentioned.

Speaking from firsthand experience with wire and rope, rope is the way to go. In addition to all the benefits that have been mentioned, if it was to ever break, you can just splice the recovery eye right back in and keep going. You can't do that with cable...

my $0.02-
T

 

I will never go back to steel. Unless it's that or a shovel.

 

what about the 9.5ti thermometric?

 

Same deal as any other planetary geared winch (I ran one on a TJ of mine for awhile)... heat build-up in the spool. The 9.5ti has an LED that will blink when the temp gets 'high'. But, you don't know what 'high' is ... i've never seen a number published by Warn.

Figure on ~100' of 3/8" if you spool it on tight.

T

 

What about it? The heat it is measuring and concerned with is in the motor not the spool. Not that some of the heat wont bleed over to the spool, but the heat is produced and stays mostly in the motor.

 

good point ... the LED doesn't measure any heat in the spool. So, you're still going to get heat build-up when powering out under load... that may or may not be indicated by the heat 'warning light'.

 

I asked winchline.com that a couple of days ago. They emailed me back and said they recommend 75% and replace the 125 feet of 5/16 wire with 90 feet of 3/8 synthetic.

 

What situation would require powering out under load?

New Guy

 

When you take a bathroom break while winching to a tree & return to find your Jeep in the canopy. Freespooling is not reccomended in this situation.:toung: