I was just looking and the Rough Country winches and i noticed that the 9500 lb with the rope was the same as the 12000 lb with the cable. So what are the advantages to the rope over the cable? It just doenst seem like itd be $100 better

 

It's light, it floats, doesn't kink, won't slice your finger, easy to clean. Wraps nicer, very strong

Well worth the price imo

 

So its kinda like the straps vs chains argument, not counting the jerk pull of course.

 

Also its easyer to repair if u do manage to snap the rope lol my dads got a sweet one on his 79 chief and it works great only used it twice tho we pulled my jeep acros the yard haha and pulled a ford bronco out at shasta

 

Doesnt build up kinetic energy like the metal line so if it breaks under load it will not become a dangerous projectile. Basically from what I understand if you are winching yourself out and the line breaks a metal line will slingshot back at you while the synthetic will just fall to the ground.

 

If the synthetic rope breaks during a pull it will just fall! It doesn't snap back like cable and break stuff or hurt people! Pulling 100ft of 5/16s cable up a steep hill or water fall is hard, the synthetic rope is much lighter and easier to handle.

 

that can be solved with line weights (big leather jacket or true line weights). but it is still a good reason to get rope


most arguments are like stated above
weight
energy
wont cut hands
wont kink
easier to wrap
safety.

you cannot use a standard roller flairhead with a synthetic rope tho. so you have to get a billet or machined flairhead

 

Also one of the reasons I like synthetic is that they are so much lighter than steel cable. I don't want the extra 45-60 lbs of the steel cable on my winch bumper adding to the weight on the front of my Cherokee.

Yes, you should have some sort of weight on the steel cable to keep it from snapping back when using the winch, but you also have to carry that extra weight when pulling cable to use your winch. Some times that can be a PITA.

PS. If you buy a winch that comes with synthetic rope it also comes with the correct fairlead.

 

what they said