I was recently talking with someone and they are pretty knowledgeable about 4x4 and offroading stuff. He stated that he would rather invest in a winch rather then lockers because lockers will get you into places but they won't necessarily get you out, but a winch can. Does anyone have any thoughts on this statement?

 

Depends where you drive and what type of winch. If I am driving through a field with snow up to my bumper and get stuck, I rather have lockers and a hi-lift jack then a winch. Crossing a stream, lockers will get you through and you will not need a winch to get up the other side.

What noone tells you about winches when spouting how great they are is an electric winch, even a small one, will greatly drain your battery after any extended use. After a minute or two of pulling your battery is dead, even with the truck running unless it is hydraulic.

Hooking up to every other tree to pull yourself up a hill is no pleasure either. Try driving a standard, going up a hill, while trying to work a winch control, I rather have at least one locker.

The best thing is to have at least a hi-lift jack, 30 feet of 5/16 grade 70 chain, some p.t. 2x12 boards, and then if you can afford it a locker. I would buy a locker before a winch. I like mounting my winch in my bed or rear bumper, even a little $70 6k winch in the bed can pull you back out of a stuck as long as you did not do something crazy.

 

Yep, i'm one of the locker first then winch, but if this is your first time to 4wheelin a winch first would be wise then you can go out and get some experience in a less capable vehicle and not have to worry if you're going to make it home.

 

I'd rather have the winch cause lockers wouldn't gotten me outta the mud I was in...then again, I don't know if the winch would of either without another vehicle to hook on to.

 

If your going to run an electric winch, make sure you do a multi-battery setup. one battery will not last long. Also get the largest alternator you can afford because your stock one will not keep up.
If I had the money, I'd get the winch. For me it would also serve be used to dragging logs from where the truck wont go...like across the creek. I wouldnt mind a locker either, but at least the winch can get you out of the mud at 3:00 in the morning when most you buddys are pasted out drunk


Stryder

 

Lockers build a more capable vehicle. Winches build a more capable recovery. Do you want to be able to get yourself un-stuck or just drive through the muck in the first place? I imagine you wheel the trails up at TSF and maybe hit some of the mud holes. I'd much rather have a set of lockers personally.

Another thing to consider, if you usually wheel with a buddy then you already have a way to get yourself extracted if you get stuck. If you don't wheel with a friend and you do buy a winch will you have anything to hook it to where you wheel? In the forest, sure but in the mud maybe not.

 

buy lockers first, and make sure you always wheel with at least one buddy, then get the winch when you can afford it

 

that's a good point, wheeling with a buddy. It just sucks when your buddies drive explorers and wranglers and the superduty gets stuck

 

Top 10 signs you need new friends . . .

 

I went with a winch first. But that's mostly because I need it for other uses than getting my truck unstuck. Strickly from a wheeling standpoind I would have gone with lockers first.

 

two of the funniest things i've read in a long time... the truth is always funnier than fiction!!! LMAO

 

This truck is my daily driver and I do most of my driving on the pavement, I do alot of trail driving though. Living in southern Oregon, I deal with alot of ice, will lockers help with icy cituations too? I figure they would. A winch would be nice because I do alot of log pulling, but I guess I could just use a chain like usual.

 

well here's what i was thinking.... you could just go ahead and get the winch and get that going but then just either weld or spool the front. you'd be amazed how much that will help.

now i read that you deal with a lot of ice so welding the front is prolly not an option b/c you prolly use 4x4 when it is icey.

lemme ask this, what truck exactly do you drive?

i hate to say this but since I am a winch owner AND have lockers I would have to lean towards the winch first. YES you could get through with lockers but lockers wont get you through everything you think you can! some obstacles end up being WAAAY harder than expected and once your stuck.... you're stuck, meaning lockers aint gonna do squat for you at that point, you just spin! however you can use a winch time and time again. however the biggest drawback i have found in winches is that you may not find a suitable winch anchor to pull from or it may not be in the direction you wanna go.

also, i have to admit i think i used my winch more for doing work around the farm than anything. it came in real handy when dad hit the garage door with our motorhome and i used the winch to straighten it back out. winches are more of a tool than anything

where you see that? i need one for the trailer

-cutts-

 

I am driving a 86 F150 with the 300. I do use the 4 wheel drive in the snow. What is the difference between a spool and a locker?

 

lol about $100

they are essentially the same thing except with a spool you can reuse your spider gears and carrier whereas if you welded it, it's welded and you have to get another carrier if you want it open again. however with a welded front you dont have to setup any gears or anything. thats only if you swap in an open carrier later on

-cutts-