We test out two Aussie-made products

WHICH WINCH TO WINCH WITH?

Struggling to purposely bog the Ranger for the test.

By Chris Morton WHICH WINCH TO WINCH WITH?

Hands up who has a winch fitted to their fourby? Great. Now, keep your hands up if you've used your winch in the last 12 months?

Over the last couple of years, I have spoken to as many winch-sporting 4WD owners that I could and have come across the same response. The consensus is that very few use their winch on a regular basis, and for many, when they do use it, it is to assist someone else. Our own Western 4W Driver Wildtrak is fitted with a very reliable Bushranger 4x4 10,000lb winch, snuggly tucked away inside our ARB Summit Bull Bar. It has never let me down and worked perfectly well when I had to pull a 4WD and trailer out of a creek a year or so back. What options are out there if you don’t want to fit a bull bar or don’t have a winchcompatible bar to begin with? We tested a couple of Australian-made products to see what works aside the traditional vehicle-mounted winch. Both solutions work on the premise that your vehicle is already equipped with a reliable power plant and winch mechanism and both take advantage of that.

THE BUSH WINCH

This is a Western Australian owned and run business, and like many inventions, was born out of adversity. The best way I can describe the Bush Winch is that it looks like an oversized hand fishing reel that clips onto your wheels. The operation is quite simple but does require you to replace your wheel nuts on all four wheels, with a specially made substitute. These new nuts facilitate the easy connection of the winch to your rim. Connecting the winch is a quick process that only involves lining up the mounting plate with the wheel nuts and twisting into place. Once attached, 30 metres of rope provides plenty of line to connect to a suitable anchor point and the use of soft shackles removes the potential for lethal projectiles. Once you have extracted your vehicle, removing each winch is as simple as twisting the reel and removing from the rim. Wind the excess rope up and then stow it away.

Pros: • Two winches weigh 10kg, with 60m of total winch rope. • Very quick to fit and remove. • Has a very low point of pull, compared with a traditional winch placement.

• Can be used either forward or reverse. • Is transferrable to other vehicles (they only require the replacement wheel nuts). • Can be used on both 2WD and 4WD vehicles. • No installation required (except for wheel nuts). • No bull bar required. • No significant impact on vehicle GVM (bull bar + winch). • No need to change suspension to cater for additional weight at the front of the vehicle. • Cheaper than a traditional winch system (winch + bull bar + install). • No maintenance required (except for changing the winch rope if it becomes damaged). Cons: • You need somewhere to store the winches in your vehicle due to their bulk. • More expensive than Bog Outs.

Bush Winch in action.

For more information, check out:

www.bushwinch.com

BOG OUTS

We tried a set of Bog Outs a few years ago and even though we connected them incorrectly, we were still able to extract a Ranger that we purposely bogged on the beach. We were lucky enough to spend some time with their inventor, Paul, while he paid a visit to WA a few weeks back. Desperation is the mother of invention, and Paul described himself needing to extricate his vehicle after six hours stuck in a rapidly filling creek bed. He was able to do so using rope and his years of nautical knot tieing (say that fast five times). What eventuated was his Queensland invention, Bog Outs. Bog Outs resemble a simple rope ladder that attach to one or both front or rear wheels using a tie that threads through the wheel. Laying out the 'ladder', you connect an extension rope using a soft shackle and then tie off to an anchor point. Paul was even able to demonstrate connecting extension rope to the Bog Outs without using a soft shackle or a knot.

When ready, the spinning action of your connected wheels winches the vehicle out. To disconnect, simply undo your extension rope, release the tie attached to the wheel rim and pull the Bog Out 90 degrees to the vehicle. Slowly drive off.

We were lucky enough to have Paul, inventor of Bog Outs, show us the ropes (pardon the pun).

Pros: • Two Bog Outs weigh less than 5kg. • Relatively quick to fit and remove (with practice). • Winch pull point is at the level of the base of the connected tyre. • Can be used either forward or reverse. • Can be used on anything with a wheel. • Can be used on both 2WD and 4WD vehicles. • No installation required. • No bull bar required. • No impact on vehicle GVM (bull bar + winch). • No need to change suspension to cater for additional weight at the front of the vehicle. • Cheaper than a traditional winch system (winch + bull bar + install). • No maintenance required (except for changing the winch rope if it becomes damaged). • Packs away into a soft bag and can be stowed anywhere. • Half the cost of a Bush Winch. Cons: • Takes a little more setting up than the Bush Winch. • Requires a little more time to pack up than Bush Winch. • Potential for rope to wrap around wheel hub/axle if not fitted correctly.

Bog Out in action.

For more information, check out:

www.bogout.com

WHAT WE RECKON

We conducted some trials with both winches at the 4WD park located at White Gum Farm and at a beach location north of Perth. Both winches performed as advertised and were able to extract both our 200 series and Ranger from situations that we placed them in without too many issues. I am a little torn between what is the better winch. The Bog Out’s price and ability to pack down to almost nothing is very appealing, and I am sure with enough practice would be quick to install and break down. On our 200 series, where there is substantially more room between the inside side wall and suspension gear they are almost the perfect solution. On the Ranger, if you attach them wrong there is the risk of entanglement and damage. The simplicity to fit and disconnect the Bush Winch is a plus and having the winch line nowhere near the suspension or drive line is comforting. Your wheels do tend to look like some Roman Gladiator’s chariot but that becomes a talking point. We intend to use both solutions further and it really comes down to price. Both are great Aussie inventions and both will extricate you from your tractionally challenged predicament. The most common issue we did come across was finding a suitable anchor point when travelling alone, which is a subject we will address next edition. If you're looking for somewhere to try out your 4W driving skills, or want to spend some time in the Avon Valley region, check out White Gum Farm Caravan & Adventure Park: www.whitegumfarm.com.au