How many years on cables? I'm curious.

[Hawg]

I think HSO readers are probably a little more responsible than some owners but I see people changing cable every 2 years, some every year, and some hardly ever. How often do you change cables and are you 1/4, 5/16, or 3/8 cable people. I usually do every 3 years on 5/16 galvanized cable and do the pivots at the same time. I had an old 6x8 skid house I built a trailer for, it was a heavy old pig and never changed them in the 9 years I had it. I will say that if I had both break the same day like someone on here did I would probably do them every other trip! I just have to believe something else was going on there too. I can't even justify the 4-5 times extra price for stainless. I'd like to hear you guys thoughts. I keep the pressure off them at all time except for going up and down. 

[rl_sd]

Going on the 3rd year and haven't change mine yet.... that being said it is always rinsed off after being used and sits inside a heated shop

[aczr2k]

I put stainless on my house before I even took it home last year.  It was less than $100 and they installed them.  I also see them advertised on Craigs place for $50.

[1lessdog]

I run  5/16 on my new house. My old house had 1/8 form Miltona and lasted  just over a yr. I was out the sec time of the yr and seen one was fraying a little when setting it down on the ice. After I had it on the ice I told my son  we have to change cables when we get home. Fast forward 6 hrs and crank one side up about half ways and go over to the other side and start cranking it up and the cable broke. If my head would have been in the way it would have been bad news. I had enough cable to restring it. And get it up and locked in. I went to the other side and started to crank and that one popped to. I went and got the floor jack out of the back of the pickup and jacked it up and locked it in place. I put 1/4 on when I got home that night.

 

I take my house in the car wash everytime I come home when its wet it. If you have bad cables change them. For me it every two yrs and thats with 5/16 inch

[rl_sd]

Since we are on the subject.... Has anyone every used the synthetic winch rope on their houses? I have it on my UTV winch for raising and lower the plow and love it.

 

http://www.amsteelblue.com/1-4-diameter/

[Hawg]

Milton’s put 1/8 on your house? Was that the new owner? Mines Miltona, 4 years old and came with either 1/4 or 5/16, not 100% sure but it wasn’t 1/8. 

[grasshopper]

Mine lasted 5 years, then broke on the lake, but I got two new ones the week before. Lucked out I guess.

[aczr2k]

Idk if I would use the winch rope, once that gets full of salt/chloride and sand I think it will get rotten.  I've been using winch rope on atv's since it first came out so I am fairly familiar and have broken a few of them.  I want to say I've seen a house with wide straps like seat belt material but I don't remember where.  The stainless steel cables are the best option besides going full hydraulic.  If I decide to build another one it will be hydraulic.

[Grainbelt]

I'm going on year 12 with 3/8" cable, frame built by Miltona blacksmith. I have always sprayed mine with LPS 2 lubricant several times a year along with all moving or pivoting points on the winches. I also lube the pivot often. 

[elkrivermn]

Has anyone had experience with the web strap for winches instead of cables? I believe Yetti used them in 2018 models.

 

 

[rl_sd]

18 hours ago, aczr2k said:

Idk if I would use the winch rope, once that gets full of salt/chloride and sand I think it will get rotten.  I've been using winch rope on atv's since it first came out so I am fairly familiar and have broken a few of them.  I want to say I've seen a house with wide straps like seat belt material but I don't remember where.  The stainless steel cables are the best option besides going full hydraulic.  If I decide to build another one it will be hydraulic.

I thought the same thing on the salt and stuff... so I did some poking around on the web. The off-road 4wd sites talk alot about using them with the same concerns, but everyone says it has held up.

[aczr2k]

I guess the one thing about rope is you can always re-tie it.  That's not the best way but I've never had any luck re-braiding it.  Rope doesn't like abrasion so everything needs to turn nice and free and if there is any rollers not to have sharp edges. 

[rl_sd]

On 12/19/2017 at 10:09 AM, aczr2k said:

I guess the one thing about rope is you can always re-tie it.  That's not the best way but I've never had any luck re-braiding it.

Really? I have always had really good luck. If you wrap the end in electrician tape into a point and then bunch the rope up you can usually thread it right through and reuse the thimble

[Mike89]

with rope, depending on what kind it is, wrap it in tape about 1 inch wide..   then get a super hot sharp blade and cut it.  no fraying...

[aczr2k]

After the rope has been thru the mud grime and stretched too far I'm sure.. I've had no luck!  lol.   

[Sea Hage]

Don't most of the cable systems have pulleys involved ? I know the 3 houses I've had did. You won't get a strap or rope to go thru pulleys very well.

[Hawg]

They make wider ones just for straps but it does take some cutting and fabricating.

[Hawg]

I thought there would’ve more opinions than this

[PurpleFloyd]

Like some said above, I would think stainless cable would be the way to go vs galvanized.

[Wanderer]

2 hours ago, Hawg said:

I thought there would’ve more opinions than this

The only opinion I have is I’ve never felt completely confident in the cable systems, so I’ve stayed away from them.  Just for the breaking reasons called out in this thread.  There has been some good info though.

But that’s very productive for this conversation, so... I’ll go back to my spectating here.   

P.S.  I know everything breaks eventually.

Edited December 28, 2017 by Wanderer