What is the difference between a Hawse Fairlead and a roller Fairlead?
 

I can see the difference in the two but What is the difference between a Hawse Fairlead and a roller Fairlead, funcitionally?

Is one better than the other?

I will be using the wire rope for now.

Having run both, I prefer the roller.

The Hawse is designed to let the cable slide across. Nothing really wrong with that, other than if you are pulling at an angle there is a bit of friction between the cable and the fairlead. The roller eliminates that, especially at high angle pulls.

The Hawse gives a bit better approach angle, and has less to break if you bump it.

Some say that you can't run synthetic line with a roller fairlead - not true. There are Delrin rollers specifically made for synthetic lines. Viking makes one recommended for their line. Daystar also offers a polyurethane one.

You need to run an aluminum Hawse if you go synthetic. The steel would be too hard on the rope.

If you start out with wire cable, you'll probably want to replace the fairlead - especially if you have used the winch much at all. There will probably be little burrs on the farilead that would chew up synthetic rope.

If your winch came with a fairlead, I would just use it. You can always change it to an aluminum Hawse or add Delrin rollers later.

2 cents. : 2cents :

Pictures of the two?

I'd just like to add that there's a notable weight savings with the Hawse fairlead, and it allows you to be close to an obstruction while winching (small gains, both).

Hawse ...

http://images.photo1.walgreens.com/2...3A342326nu0mrj

Roller ...

http://images.photo1.walgreens.com/2...3A335326nu0mrj

Lol, strap a 90lb bumper on and a 90 lb winch and worry abour 3 lbs worth of fairlead...

I know the physical difference between the two but I thought the Hawse fairlead was for synthetic lines and the Roller fairlead was for metal.

Aluminum hawse for synthetic, steel hawse for steel cable, steel roller fairlead for steel cable, poly/softer material fairlead for synthetic.

I just switch from roller to hawse. I think the roller works a little better with the steel cable however i would not switch back just because I got so sick of listening to my roller rattle around on every bump. I have only used my winch 5 or 6 times since febuary so i guess if i used it more i might go back to the roller. not to mention the hawse looks soooo much cleaner!!!!! hope this helps

I ran the roller that came with my winch even after I put synthetic on. I found the roller to be narrower the the hawse and was a PITA to get the rope to wind all the way across the drum.