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Best snatch block with 8000lb winch?

6K views 60 replies 18 participants last post by  Jerry Bransford 
#1 ·
I bought a jeep and I plan to eventually take it off road. I have a warn 8000 lb winch with steel cable. I want to buy one snatch block for now and maybe a couple more down the road. What is a the best one I can get for around $100 to $150? It will see occasion use at least for now. Cheaper options would be acceptable too as long as the quality is there.
 
#2 ·
You can buy a 20,000 one from HF for $25. You only need one.

You need a tree strap (don't waste money on one made specifically for that purpose, just get a 30' x 3" yellow poly strap), two 3/4" D shackles, and an extension cable. Match whatever your winch cable is, wire or synthetic, loop at both ends x 100'.
 
#4 ·
I already have a tow strap and a tree saver. I've read that the hf snatch block isnt too great. I bought my tow strap from there and used their winch remote on my winch. Im just looking for a really good snatch block.
 
#10 ·
Its a low tech device. Unless you use it in your work, don't waste money on an expensive one. I've probably done as much recovery as anyone on here and I might have used my snatch block all of 10 times in the last 10 years.

And, if you need more than one snatch block you are just goofing off. :nono:
 
#21 ·
I think you are missing a bit in your mechanical advantage. The first example is a 1:1, the second example is also a 1:1 with a simple change of direction. No mechanical advantage has been applied.
In the third example I believe you still only have at best a 2:1 advantage (with another change of direction) with that second snatch block being attached to the load.
You are gaining a very slight advantage because more of your rope/cable is out and you have fewer layers on your winch drum.
Also realize that if you have a 2:1 mechanical advantage you will only get half the distance on your pull with the same amount of rope/cable. For 3:1 you will only get 1/3 the pull distance with the same amount of rope/cable etc....
 
#14 ·
#15 ·
A 4.5 ton yarding block is a good choice for single block for use with your 4 ton winch. A yarding block typically has a 4:1 design factor and your winch line will put significantly more tension on the block and its' anchor hardware (shackle, tree saver, etc.) than pull on the actual load. Here is a link to a load tension calculator: http://www.thecrosbygroup.com/html/en-US/calc/snatchblockrigcalc.htm By trying both an 8000 lb load and a 16,000 lb load you can see the tensions on the line and the block or blocks involved in a pull that has stalled your winch. The two examples with the arrow pointing to the I-beam are when you are recovering another vehicle and your jeep is the fixed object. The other two, with the arrows pointed towards the load, are self recovery examples.

Happy Trails,
Bob
 
#16 ·
There is a "stuck factor". How stuck are you?
Mud is about the only thing that will multiply the stuck factor up to snatchblock status.
I use- for every foot of mud, add the weight of the jeep to the stuck. 1 foot is the jeeps weight, 2 feet of mud is an 8,000 pound pull on a 4,000 pound jeep. Up to the frame can be 12,000 pounds of stuck.
So I really need to be in it for a snatchblock to be needed. But I do carry one(the Warn one) and have used it.

I also use a syn rope rated for like 21,000 pounds or something. Wire cable, not as rated per size.


I hate mud...
 
#17 ·
I personally would not want to be in position where I really needed a snatch block and only had a HF product. If I was where I needed one I would want something I knew would not let me down. I look at HF stuff as cheap China junk and a one time use produce. JMO buy stuff you can count on when you really need it. Buy it once and buy it for life
 
#18 ·
Like I said above, the snatch block is a simple device. As a recovery device multiplying winch pulling power, for an occasional off roader, it is nearly useless. However, a good recovery can be benefited by redirecting the angle of a pull with a snatch block attached to a tree or other unmovable object. For that use, a 3/4" D Shackle can also be used and you would not notice the difference. Spend as much as you want on one and be sure to polish it up every now and then. Try Maguires Ultimate. For my part, since I actually use this item, I don't need another $100 shiny target in my tool kit.
 
#39 ·
Like I said above, the snatch block is a simple device. As a recovery device multiplying winch pulling power, for an occasional off roader, it is nearly useless. However, a good recovery can be benefited by redirecting the angle of a pull with a snatch block attached to a tree or other unmovable object. For that use, a 3/4" D Shackle can also be used and you would not notice the difference. . . .
I see the benefit to using a snatch block to change the pull angle but I never got the doubling of power from the winch either. My winch can already drag my TJ to hell and back on a tough pull, it can pull harder than my TJ can stay put for.
This does not occur to many of our boys. Changing the pull angle can avoid a lot of unnecessary damage to rims and axles, especially when a straight pull cannot be done without redirecting the cable.
 
#24 ·
It's simple.

Winch line straight to load is 1:1.

Winch line through pulley to load when winch and load are separate is 1:1.

Winch line through pulley to load when winch is on load is 2:1.

Adding more pulleys to scenario #3 increases pulling power even more.
 
#27 ·
There is an easier way to sort this out in your head when you see diagrams like the one above. Try this next time:

The jeep is 10 feet away from the tree but there is 20 feet of winch line out. 10 feet out, 10 feet back. When the winch reels it in it will wind 20 feet to move the Jeep 10 feet, hence a 2:1 mechanical advantage.
 
#29 ·
we use the Warn premium heavy duty. if a small SB is good, a large one is better. And it gets used a lot. Not necessarily for straight pulls, but to anchor the SB to a tree or other vehicle for curved/angled/sideways pulls, like moving a tree out of the way or pulling a rig back onto the trail sideways.

i once used it to turn back onto its wheels my pack mule trailer. left it hitched (pintle). Run winch line sideways to a tree thru the SB and back to trailer. The jeep winch righted the trailer. there are other uses than a simple straight pull.
 
#36 ·
wilson1010 said:
You can buy a 20,000 one from HF for $25. You only need one. You need a tree strap (don't waste money on one made specifically for that purpose, just get a 30' x 3" yellow poly strap), two 3/4" D shackles, and an extension cable. Match whatever your winch cable is, wire or synthetic, loop at both ends x 100'.
Agreed. I've always used a tow strap as well. No need to spend a lot on a snatch block. Most farm stores sell them for cheap and quality made.
 
#44 ·
dwilliams35 said:
If nothing else, I'll put it on there just to cut down the stress on everything: It's probably a pull that I could do straight-line, but by pulling out double the line, I'll get to the bottom wraps on the drum, plus the 2:1 you get from the snatch block anyway, and all of a sudden I'm using 25-30% of the battery, the motor, etc. etc. etc. that I would be doing with a straight line pull. Add that to the possibility of being able to put half the load on a hard connection point on the frame rather than just the winch bolts. Whether I need the extra juice or not, I've always been a pretty big believer that the fewer times something is being forced to it's limits, the longer it's probably going to last.
That's the theory I love by. I always use my snatch block to save on the alternator draw and hard pull on the rest of my parts. Slow and steady wins the race
 
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