ATV winch - synthetic rope vs. wire rope/cable, other winch questions

1. Tell me why everyone is buying the synthetic rope these days instead of the wire rope/cable? The only thing I can think of is the rope is lighter, might not splinter and cut your hand. Anything else?

2. What size winch to buy... 2k, 2.5k, 3k, 3.5k lb. rated winch? To answer y'alls question up front (what are you going to do with the winch?) - I plan to only use this winch to pull either my stuck 4-wheeler or someone else's stuck 4-wheeler out until they (or me) are unstuck and moving on their own again. Might also use it to pull a deer out of a ditch or something similar. What I'm NOT going to do is drag logs with it, drag stuck trucks with it, etc. Seems to me that a 2000 lb. winch would suffice, but having never owned one I'm looking for advice from those of y'all who have them, used them, etc.

One last thing - I'll be putting the winch on a Yamaha Kodiak 700 that I intend to keep for (hopefully) 12-15 years, if not longer. I don't mind stepping up and getting the bigger winch if it's a justifiable need.

Thanks.

I like a little overkill on things like that. You stick a 4wheeler good enough and you'll wish you had bought the bigger winch.

As to rope vs cable.. I know you can't snatch on the rope or it will break

I'll be putting one on my '06 Rancher this Fall and gonna go with a 2500lb and keep a snatch block in my storage compartment. If I had a bigger/heavier machine like your 700 I'd get the 3K winch. Stuck + weight of machine = need plenty of winch. And don't forget the snatch block.

I've got a 700 with a 2K winch on it. with me onboard and standing on both brakes, it'll drag me without choking down.

Looking to replace the cable with synthetic to eliminate burrs and spurs in my hands, and rusted weak spots breaking. I'll go with a rope rated heavier than the winch is, and like Wiley says, don't forget a snatch block.

Rope all the way. After you try to drag out a wire cable and get a piece of cable jab in your hand you will see why to get the rope. I have a rope winch on my ranger. I have used it to pull some big logs and the shrubs out of my flower beds and never had a problem.

I have a 2500 on my honda 500. It has plenty of power to pull what I need pulled with it. I have a cable. I thought about a rope, but didn't go with it because of durability.

One thing to think about is exposure. Is it gonna stay in a covered area? Rope breaks down with the sun but cable rusts. Just something to think about.

I have a 3500 on my Polaris sportsman 500ho and my dad has a 2500 on his Honda foreman 450es. We use them to pull up stands, move logs/trees and pull atv/utv's out. Both seem strong enough for each machine but I would be cautious with the wireless-dad has that and it runs his battery down if he parks the honda for awhile without a trickle charger

I've had a 2,500 winch on my Kawi with cable for over 10 years and not had one single issue.

Get the biggest Viper winch you can afford

Cable is fine if it comes on the winch already but when it needs replaced with a proper winch synthetic rope. Be sure to get one that is specifically got a winch.

Modern synthetic ropes are amazing. I use a 5/16" rope with a 17,600 lb rating. Its awesome.

Synthetic rope is great but it does hold moisture more than cable but it is easier to abrade and cut. What your winch will pull is dependent on the amps you give it - I seriously doubt an ATV battery/electrical system will support 3500 lb of true pulling power. The more cable/rope you can spool off the stronger the winch is (smaller diameter spool) so get a block. Never winch in gear (or park) when pulling someone out - always put it in neutral and put your foot on the brake to take the strain off your drivetrain. Rule of thumb is get one rated at least twice the weight of the vehicle.

I appreciate all the comments/suggestions. I ended up going with a SuperWinch Terra 3500. Too good of a deal on Amazon ($195) to pass it up. See link below.

https://www.amazon.com/Superwinch-1135220-fairlead-handlebar-handheld/dp/B003COTFS4

Now you gonna need a week off to mount it

Well I could get you to help me install it... but then I reckon instead of one week it'd take two!!!

I've had zero issues with my smittybilt XRC 3.0 with a synthetic rope that I have used for 2 years now. Chose it because of the price and warranty.

I ran into a couple of fellers that had flipped a razor on a steep hill. One was brand new that morning and had no winch. He tried going up something I would not attempt period, much less when it was slick as snot like it was that day. Long story short the new unit started spinning within 10-15 ft of the top. They tried explaining to me what happened but I got lost at some point. Long story short they turned the old unit on its side while winching. When they turned it right side up there was slack in the warn "rope" and they left the razor in neutral. I saw all I needed to that day. I think my boot lase would have held better. It broke trees the size of my calf while flipping down the hill. I drug the razor about 4 miles back with the front right A arm and wheel in the bed. The rope may have its place but it will not handle a snatch.

I have the synthetic Terra 35 on my Grizzly 550. I also bought the cover that stays on it.