Basic recovery gear is a minimum when going off-pavement. We all know that. A shovel, some cable or straps, a hi-lift, etc. My dilemma is that realistically, I can count on one hand the number of times a year I do this. Hopefully more in the future, but not currently worth investing in. Winches are great, but by the time you've invested in a good one, plus a bumper rated to hold it, you're in a for a good four figures. I happen to like the stock look of my rig as well, so the question was, what are my options?
Whether you call them pullers or comealongs, there are a large number of cheap ones available. Harbor Fright will sell you one for $30. The basic idea is that you trade hand labor and patience for mechanical advantage. My threshold was something for worst case: middle of the night, in the rain, by myself. In other words, American made and heavy-duty.
That narrows the field quickly. Two options at the 3 and 4 ton capacity*, respectively, are the Wyeth-Scott More Power Puller:
and the Maasdam 8000:
The Wyeth Scott company was kind enough to send me a unit to evaluate. It is their top of the line model, fitted with 35' of 13k# Amsteel synthetic rope. The Maasdam belongs to a neighbor and I have used it a few times. It's higher capacity by a ton* and has about 15' of steel cable.
I won't go into all the details here, but you can watch videos here and here. I'm awaiting a good day to head out on some forest service roads with friends to film an actual recovery, which will be the real test. I'll post that video for you guys. However, so far, the Wyeth-Scott More Power Puller has a great combination of power, size, and build quality. At ~$360 for the model I tested, the cost is about twice the Maasdam I tested and significantly more than you could pay for a cheap Chinese-made puller, but still a great value compared to a winch. Plus, what's getting unstuck worth?
* about rated capacity: LIFT rating is typically half of DRAG rating. In other words, a 3-ton model will be capable of dragging about 12,000 lbs., which is why the More Power Puller has 13,000 lb. test rope. I'd bet this assumes a fairly smooth, snag-free surface. However, when shopping for comealongs, it's important to take the 2x factor for the line into account. An advertised tonnage with a cable break strength around that tonnage is one sign that you're buying junk.
About synthetic rope: it's lightweight, compact, coils nicely, but has to be cared for. No kinks, knots or pulling over sharp edges, and you need a 5-wrap minimum on the drum before starting your pull.
Whether you call them pullers or comealongs, there are a large number of cheap ones available. Harbor Fright will sell you one for $30. The basic idea is that you trade hand labor and patience for mechanical advantage. My threshold was something for worst case: middle of the night, in the rain, by myself. In other words, American made and heavy-duty.
That narrows the field quickly. Two options at the 3 and 4 ton capacity*, respectively, are the Wyeth-Scott More Power Puller:
and the Maasdam 8000:
The Wyeth Scott company was kind enough to send me a unit to evaluate. It is their top of the line model, fitted with 35' of 13k# Amsteel synthetic rope. The Maasdam belongs to a neighbor and I have used it a few times. It's higher capacity by a ton* and has about 15' of steel cable.
I won't go into all the details here, but you can watch videos here and here. I'm awaiting a good day to head out on some forest service roads with friends to film an actual recovery, which will be the real test. I'll post that video for you guys. However, so far, the Wyeth-Scott More Power Puller has a great combination of power, size, and build quality. At ~$360 for the model I tested, the cost is about twice the Maasdam I tested and significantly more than you could pay for a cheap Chinese-made puller, but still a great value compared to a winch. Plus, what's getting unstuck worth?
* about rated capacity: LIFT rating is typically half of DRAG rating. In other words, a 3-ton model will be capable of dragging about 12,000 lbs., which is why the More Power Puller has 13,000 lb. test rope. I'd bet this assumes a fairly smooth, snag-free surface. However, when shopping for comealongs, it's important to take the 2x factor for the line into account. An advertised tonnage with a cable break strength around that tonnage is one sign that you're buying junk.
About synthetic rope: it's lightweight, compact, coils nicely, but has to be cared for. No kinks, knots or pulling over sharp edges, and you need a 5-wrap minimum on the drum before starting your pull.
explain-why/what!-again! stuff 
