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View Full Version : Open letter to winch manufacturers. New INNOVATION!



John Coloccia
12-20-2009, 2:56 PM
So I'm plowing along on my ATV, and my winch suddenly jams up. Motor freewheeling, nothing moving. Hmmmm. Out come the tools. Now, it's not as bad as it seems, after all I get to take this thing apart, in FREEZING cold weather, in 1 foot of snow. Ideal conditions!

Once it's all apart, I found that the cable had gotten wedged in a space between the drum and the frame of the winch, a space which is just SLIGHTLY smaller than the cable, so that once the cable touches that space, it jams up and gets sucked in tightly, damaging the cable and forcing disassembly of the winch. It's the winch equivalent of getting fabric caught in a zipper.

Winch manufacturers have been struggling with this problem for many years to no avail, but I, a mere consumer, a simple home owner, a regular Joe, have discovered an innovation so fantastic, so spectacular, that I just had to share it with the world and help rid humanity of this horrible winch affliction.

I call it, "a bit of metal". I know, you're all saying "What's a bit of metal? I've never heard of such a thing". This is a very advanced and difficult to grasp concept, so please give me a moment to explain. You see, if you put a bit of metal around the drum so that the cable no longer has anywhere to jam up, I am theorizing that the cable may not jam up anymore. This innovation has the potential to revolutionize the winch industry! Think of all the hours currently spent on winch repair that can now be put to more useful endeavors, such as figuring out how to set the clock on our ovens (if only it were possible for there to be an "hour" button and a "minute" button. Oh well!).

Please use my middle name when awarding my Nobel prize. John Joseph Coloccia. One L, two C's.

Paul Ryan
12-20-2009, 3:57 PM
John,

Sorry to rain on your invention, but I solved that problem along with the problem of kinked cable a few years ago. For under $50 I installed, am steel blue synthetic rope on my winch. It is stronger than cable but doesnt kink or get jammed in the winch. Works like a charm I haven't had to take the winch out since.

John Coloccia
12-20-2009, 7:07 PM
John,

Sorry to rain on your invention, but I solved that problem along with the problem of kinked cable a few years ago. For under $50 I installed, am steel blue synthetic rope on my winch. It is stronger than cable but doesnt kink or get jammed in the winch. Works like a charm I haven't had to take the winch out since.

If it's not too much trouble, could you post a link to what you're using? I tell you, when I took the winch apart and saw how it was designed, I really just had to scratch my head and wonder how anyone could have possibly thought that gap was a good idea. :confused:

Michael Wetzel
12-20-2009, 7:36 PM
John,

Sorry to rain on your invention, but I solved that problem along with the problem of kinked cable a few years ago. For under $50 I installed, am steel blue synthetic rope on my winch. It is stronger than cable but doesnt kink or get jammed in the winch. Works like a charm I haven't had to take the winch out since.

I found that wonderful product about 4 years ago. My winch isn't a PITA with my plow anymore.


http://www.amsteelblue.com

John Coloccia
12-20-2009, 7:48 PM
Nice!

Just let's keep this between us until after I'm awarded my prize next year, 'kay?

Dave Johnson29
12-21-2009, 10:08 AM
Winch manufacturers have been struggling with this problem for many years to no avail,

Er, John, I hate to burst the bubble, but that is called a "winch cable shroud" and has been on good quality and industrial winches for a looong time.

It is a semi-cylindrical piece of metal a little less than the width of the cable drum. It is hinged and runs on the top of the cable on the drum. It is spring loaded to maintain contact with the cable as the drum grows and shrinks with the cable windings.

Sorry, but you will have to put the Champagne back in the fridge. :)

John Coloccia
12-21-2009, 12:44 PM
That's the frustrating part, Dave. It's such an easy fix yet so many winches simply don't have anything to guard against this.

So not only do you tell me I have a cheap winch, but now your saying I don't even get a prize? Gee, thanks. :mad:

Paul Ryan
12-21-2009, 1:26 PM
If you buy a warn winch now some of them come with synthetic rope instead of cable. Here is the exact stuff I bought.


http://www.amsteelblue.com/item.cfm?itemid=44753

Kurt Strandberg
12-21-2009, 3:31 PM
John,

Sorry to rain on your invention, but I solved that problem along with the problem of kinked cable a few years ago. For under $50 I installed, am steel blue synthetic rope on my winch. It is stronger than cable but doesnt kink or get jammed in the winch. Works like a charm I haven't had to take the winch out since.


I have been plowing my driveway for 5 years no and have never broke my steel cable (knocking on wood) so I have never tried the rope, but a friend tried the rope a couple years ago and it broke 5 times that winter on him,he went back to steel cable

Paul Ryan
12-21-2009, 4:13 PM
I pulled 500lb tree trunks about 15-20 of them out of my ravine with it this summer. I would drive down the ravin hook up to the trunk with the winch and pull it up backwards. It beat cutting the log up in to smaller chunks and having to haul them out one by one. And the rope never missed a beat. It is plenty strong I have pulled cars off trailers, deer out of the ravin. If warn winches come with it now instead of cable I wouldn't worry about the strength.

It is not the strenth of the cable it is the fact that it can kink, get struck and fray. All which are a pain in the but when it happens.

Dave Johnson29
12-21-2009, 5:06 PM
That's the frustrating part, Dave. It's such an easy fix yet so many winches simply don't have anything to guard against this.

I think that might be what is referred to as "progress" when accountants run the business, John. :) The bean-counters probably decided that it was required so infrequently they could do away with it.

As a small consolation I could offer you a big sloppy kiss on the mouth though.






Just tell me where to ship my dog for the event. :eek: :D