Anybody using synthetic winch rope? Fairlead ?

[Satamax]

Hello everybody. 

Is there many people using synthetic winch rope on their logging winch ? 

What kind of fairlead do you have ? 

Thanks a lot guys. 

[barbender]

Satamax, from what I've read on here, it seems that the synthetic rope is plenty strong for direct line pulling, but it has no abrasion resistance. It sounded like it was too fragile for mainline service.

[tuacgth]

We have an electric winch mounted to a 16foot flat trailer that  we use to pull logs onto for transporting from the field to home where mill is set up. We wrap a logging chain around the log then attach the synthetic rope to the chain. No issues with the rope but the winch has since given out and we are looking for a replacement now

tuacgth

[sprucebunny]

They make nylon tubes you can put over the rope and the chain extension will help them last.

The fairlead is made of aluminum about 1/2" thick with an oval cut out in the center that's very well rounded where the rope will run thru it.

Tugboats use this rope

[Satamax]

Thanks a lot guys. Well, nobody using it on a skidder ? 

[BargeMonkey]

For strictly recovery I could see using it on a winch, not every day. I've got a 2.5" piece of 8 strand spectra about 75' long we have used for tree jobs, 2x D9s back to back couldn't part a decent piece of spectra. It will not hold up to any abrasion, or heat, it will literally fuse itself together, we had it happen last week on a 4600hp boat, deckhand didn't get enough turns and it slipped and bound up, it's beyond expensive, I know the synthetic push gear on my regular boat is 6k bucks each piece, we partially lost one over the side going to Maine this winter in rough weather and the office was not happy. I can routinely lay my hands on a piece 50-75' long of larger stuff if you wanted something for recovery. 

[240b]

I used 1 1/4" amsteel blue for a year. 
on 240tj 
never broke and was surprised at how durable it was.  you could pull about 500k feet before it got ratty from slides.
  only reason im not still using it is finding a place thatll sell it locally. 
  i would use 3/4 or 7/8" now after using it. 

[Satamax]

Ok, thanks a lot for the reply. 

I have a good offer from Tech trade systems in Germany. Closer to me than to you, mind you. 

For some Kunststoffseil in 12mm. 700 dollars approximately, for 120 meters. I read a bit more on German sites, with google translate. They say, to be very careful about all metal barbs etc on the machine, rollers etc. 

[Joe Hillmann]

I use synthetic cable on my 3 point tractor winch.  It is a hobby set up and way smaller than anything used by people logging for a living.

I like it, it is very light weight and easy to drag through the brush.

But as others said, it doesn't handle abrasion or slipping well.  If it slips on the winch at all, it will start to melt itself together.

My fairlead is a a pulley mounted to a vertical hinge that so the pulley can swing side to side and point in the direction of the pull.  The pulley is about 2 1/2 feet directly above the center of the winch drum.