Come along recommendation

[PROFILER]

Looking for a come along recommendation if anyone has had prior use with success. I do a bunch of back country roads for kayak fishing, mtn biking, and xc skiing and don't expect to get stuck but would like to be prepared just in case. Figured a come along would be a valuable tool w/chains just in case. Not sure I'd get enough use out of a winch.

 

[Jeff614]

Usually can get them at Tractor Supply. No offense meant but have you tried one to recover a vehicle? I had one years ago and tried to unstick my Jeep with it. It did move it some but the wire rope isn't long and by the time I got it re-rigged I sank back to where I was.

Even a Hi-Lift might be better than a come-along as a last ditch recovery effort.

There's lots of cheap winches out there and while it doesn't seem our hitches our super strong, a cheap easy setup would be one of the better Chinese winches on a receiver mount.

- Jeff

 

[junkyardbiker]

Get a Hilift jack, or the smittybuilt one. Serves well as a winch in a pinch hahaha as well as a great jack for getting your truck unstuck. I have one and love it, had it less than a month and it has already gotten me out of a bad hole in a river bottom. Just read around online, don't be afraid of the bad rap these farm jacks get. If you are careful and pay attention to what you are doing with planning and preparation a farm jack will be the most useful and versatile tool you can carry. Sadly most come-a-longs do not have the power to actually pull a vehicle out. Just about any one you find will have a stamped frame and will crumple or buckle under load and do real damage or leave you stranded. If you do go for one, get one with a cast frame by either Lug-all or Power puller. And you will still want a Hi-lift after you see all they can do.....

 

[Fern]

I just picked up a 4 ton Haulmaster from HF for $30.

 

[Fern]

...and a snatchblock for $25.00.

 

[Titanpat57]

I would only reccomend a nonwinch recovery with a Hi Lift.....ive never seen a come along used, especially an imported one. Look up the right way on youtube.

 

[csp]

If you're going that route get a good one with a length that doesn't make you re-set up every 5-6 feet. Yes, they are quite a bit more expensive than the cheapo 2 ton units that you can find anywhere.

American Power Pull 15002 Cable Puller, 3-Ton: Pulley Hoists: Amazon.com: Home Improvement

 

[UnderFire]

If you're going to use a comealong, make sure its one that uses a chain instead of a wire rope, they last forever, the wire style ones don't work right after a couple uses in my experience.

 

[PROFILER]

Thanks for the info. I'll look into some cheap winches and or the HI-lift. I've never personally used a come along myself and hope to not have too in the future. I'm not planning on doing serious off roading that will push the limits but when out in the woods you never know until its too late.

 

[wfo9]

This is what you want. Not the Chinese knock off linked to above.

https://www.wyeth-scott.com/models.asp

Get the one with the synthetic rope. It is the real deal.
Model:3-35-A-SLT

I have one, and really like it. You will need more recovery gear to go along with it. Some straps, an Extension, tree saver, D-Shackles, extra snatch block, shovel. Then some practice before you actually need it. Recovery is serious business and you really need to be careful and have a good plan and working knowledge of your equipment. I'm usually too concerned with wheeling and don't test my equipment enough. Then I'm rusty when I need it. You just motivated me to go do a mock recovery before I go out again LOL Actually, I usually never wheel alone, so the tow strap is the go to device.

BTW, winching with a hi-lift is a total PITA. Horrible solution IMHO. Would only use it as a last resort.

 

[lovhanyou]

It did move it some but the wire rope isn't long and by the time I got it re-rigged I sank back to where I was.

 

[gm350reratliff]

I have a light duty come along that I use around the house/shop (doubt it could do anything for a stuck vehicle) and a very heavy duty one that I got from my dad (it's probably older than me and weighs almost as much). I've used the heavy duty one to free one of my Z71's once. It did the job, took forever though, and I was so friggin' tired from cranking and re-rigging that I literally passed out when I got home (I actually got stuck a number of times trying to get through a remote area). At the time I had no choice but to use it as it was just me and my wife. No cel phone service for miles and just above zero temps. If you plan on needing to use one, take some extra water and food (my mistake, I go prepared now).

Shortly after that trip, I finally installed a winch in that truck.

 

[KidVermicious]

Looking for a come along recommendation if anyone has had prior use with success. I do a bunch of back country roads for kayak fishing, mtn biking, and xc skiing and don't expect to get stuck but would like to be prepared just in case. Figured a come along would be a valuable tool w/chains just in case. Not sure I'd get enough use out of a winch.

For the size and weight of a comealong strong enough to winch a properly stuck vehicle, just get a Hilift and learn how to winch with it. It's only a little bigger and heavier than a comealong, and a thousand times more versatile.

The hilift is big, and heavy, and can be a PITA to use, and I don't go anywhere without mine.

 

[wfo9]

For the size and weight of a comealong strong enough to winch a properly stuck vehicle, just get a Hilift and learn how to winch with it. It's only a little bigger and heavier than a comealong, and a thousand times more versatile.

The hilift is big, and heavy, and can be a PITA to use, and I don't go anywhere without mine.

I disagree, a hi-lift is not a PITA to use, it is near impossible to use in a real world winching situation and requires a crap load of bulky chain to move anything more than a few feet. A good come along like the power puller can move you up to 30' without re-rigging. It will last for a lifetime... I find it extremely useful and versatile for all kinds of stuff. It can do things a mounted winch just can't do in tight situations. I still carry a hi-lift, but don't use it for winching. I have tried a few times and finally said never again.

 

[KidVermicious]

It's not impossible at all. I've done it, it works, you don't need chain.

Obviously it's not easy, and any truck that risks needing to winch on a regular basis needs to invest in a proper winch. But the OP isn't going to be winching on a regular basis. He wants to carry something just in case, and the Hilift's versatility across multiple situations beats out a hand winch every day of the week.

 

[junkyardbiker]

A shovel and a farm jack will get you very far. I use mine more often for lifting a tire that has lost traction and filling the hole or putting stuff UNDER it to get going again. I carry scrap 1' long lumber pieces just for this as well as 2x4 and 4x4 longer pieces. Build a good larger base for it out of metal or whatever that will have a larger footprint and will not slide in whatever terrain you are in most. I used an old disk brake rotor for mine. Has lugs on the bottom for grip. Don't buy the overpriced accessories for them. For lifting a tire of the ground a strong ratchet strap looped back on itself( one without hooks) will work very well letting you make adjustments for whatever situation you are in. Just loop it through the openings in your wheel and through a shackle hanging in the opening under the lift jaw of the jack. Use something like a floorboard mat to put against your truck because sometimes the jack will want to lean towards the body and can do some minor damage. If changing a tire do this same thing and then use the stock jack as a "jackstand" and remove the farm jack. better than trying to play in the mud operating a scissor jack. Just set the height in the open and lower the axle back down onto it. As far as using a farm jack as a winch, there is a method for reseting the jack for another length of pull by using a choker chain setup. Research this and practice in your driveway BEFORE you get into a situation. Always practice recover techniques and setups before you go off the pavement. Hope this wasn't too much. I really get into making sure people are self capable so folks like me don't have to get up at 3am to come help!

 

[wfo9]

It's not impossible at all. I've done it, it works, you don't need chain.

You need chain if you want to pull more than one length of the jack.

The main issue with the hilift as a winch is just how awkward it is to setup in a real world recovery scenario. You have to have the ability to setup a very specific length of strap/rope/chain.. (there is very little ability to take up slack between the vehicle and the anchor point. That is where a chain or some other adjustable length mechanism is needed. Most people are going to have a few straps and shackles (not a bunch of heavy chain). If there are anchor points everywhere it is not a problem.

The hilift has many great uses (and is clearly not a waste of money), but I think winching is something it can do, but its usefulness for that purposes is very over stated. I would use it as a last resort only. I have used one for this purpose and realized all the limitations quickly. I don't think I was just missing technique because I carefully practiced all of them and have observed others using one to winch. It just sucks for that purpose and is super awkward. Try a power puller and you will never go to the highlilft for manual winching again. Just one mans opinion on the internet.

 

[KidVermicious]

You need chain if you want to pull more than one length of the jack.

The main issue with the hilift as a winch is just how awkward it is to setup in a real world recovery scenario. You have to have the ability to setup a very specific length of strap/rope/chain.. (there is very little ability to take up slack between the vehicle and the anchor point. That is where a chain or some other adjustable length mechanism is needed. Most people are going to have a few straps and shackles (not a bunch of heavy chain). If there are anchor points everywhere it is not a problem.

I'm going to stop this digression in this thread, but I'd love to continue the discussion in another thread if you want to start it, or we can just drop it if you'd rather.

But you don't need a choker chain if you can chock your wheels or set up a secondary strap, and you don't need a specific length of strap or an anchor at a specific distance away if you know how to rig your straps (specifically, use a chain sinnet).

 

[wfo9]

I'm going to stop this digression in this thread, but I'd love to continue the discussion in another thread if you want to start it, or we can just drop it if you'd rather.

But you don't need a choker chain if you can chock your wheels or set up a secondary strap, and you don't need a specific length of strap or an anchor at a specific distance away if you know how to rig your straps (specifically, use a chain sinnet).

Ok, I'll stop. I see your point. It can be done.

I just feel it is not the best tool for the job of manual winching. Especially for someone who does not spend a lot of time practicing recovery and rigging. I think there is another tool that is much easier to use (if it happens to be the really high quality on I mentioned) I guess if you were limited to bringing along a single recovery tool (for some odd reason). Then a hilift would be the most versatile choice. It seems like a mandatory thing to me, but I also carry other tools.