wicked winch of the north

From: Cougarjack@aol.com
Date: Thu May 31 2001 - 20:17:44 PDT


 Well, Mr AP Bloom,
 I can think of twenty ways to overpower the rope on ANY winch with the motor.
 As for the rest, solenoids do stick, and switches fail. There is NO SUCH
 THING as a safe winch, or safe winching, as any logger or farmer will tell
 you. Winches can and do kill and maim even when not winching! Winching is an
 operation fraught with dangers, not to be taken lightly by anyone. You have
 not had an excellent bowel movement until you have seen a 1 inch wire rope
 part suddenly during a winching operation. Trust me. I didn't read your
 report, so I can't take issue with it directly, but from your description, I
 assume it's an attack on one brand of winch? Let me just say that,
 commercial profit-making interests aside, not that there is anything wrong
 with that concept, you stand in danger of lulling someone to sleep falsely by
 claiming one winch to be "safer" than another. It just ain't so. I fear that
 some young MV owner will be injured or worse by thinking that he or she has
 bought a "safe winch". Winching is probably t
 he most hazardous thing you can do with a vehicle, except perhaps for trying
 to fly it. It is to be avoided at all cost, until other recovery methods have
 failed. Only then, with extreme precautions, should it be attempted, by
 people who have been trained for it. If you dispute these guidelines, you are
 either immortal or stupid. A winch, any winch, is an energy bomb lying in
 wait for a careless person. Attach one to a vehicle and the danger multiplies
 exponentially. Please don't come on this list and crow about "safe winches"
 in my presence. Enough people have been maimed and killed by winches to
 support my claims. Your favorite winch is no exception. I have no quarrel
 with anyone who sells winches, but it should not be the same as hawking
 hotdogs, and may the best salesman win. You take on a huge obligation when
 you present your schpiel, and you should keep that obligation in mind.
 Winches belong in that rare air along with open belts, pto shafts, sawblades,
 and firearms, as far as hazards. I have never se
 en a firearm maker claim that his competition's guns were "less safe" than
 his own. I don't think winch makers ought to do it either. My opinion!

 Now, what about an answer to that question about how the mil-spec unit is
 different from the civilian model? I'm more than a little curious.
 Regards,
 jack
 In a message dated Thu, 31 May 2001 8:24:17 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
 M35products@aol.com writes:

 << In the interest of safety to all of our friends (and enemies) on the list
 and
 elsewhere, please let us send you through the postal mail a report outlining
 the EXTREMELY dangerous electric winches being marketed by an American
 company. Contact us off-list for the info. In a nutshell, the motors burn
 out after blah blah blah....

                                                                                                                            

                                                                                     
                                                                                                                               
                                                                               



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