Tirfor Hand Winch

They're slow, but do exactly what they should do. A few 101 owners swear by, and at them. The benefits are that you can winch from whatever angle is best / safest, such as from behind, side etc. They _are_ slow (to emphasise the point!) - but then what's the hurry? :-)

In many senses - not least cost, they are a far better option than a vehicle mounted winch - certainly more portable!

Plently. A scan through the small ads in the usual Land Rover comics should throw a few suppliers up. Alternatively, due to the size and weight, to save yourself the postage, have a look around any of the Land Rover shows - there are some good deals to be had (like 130 quid, with a few extras like gloves thrown in).

The only downside is that they use cable. I've 'gone off' cable in a very big way over the last couple of years and would only ever use Plasma rope these days. Having said that, given the usual safety precautions and cable care, you shouldn't really have too many problems.

Martyn

Tirfor's are very popular in industrial applications. Your local rope /cable/strop supplier will most likely sell them.

HTH

Steve G

remove the nospam to email me

I have them for sale,

Mark

Yes - safe, reliable. Not as strong as a winch (unless you get a mammoth one), and a lot slower, but more dependable and certainly safer.

I bought mine for £50 off this NG and I know a chap who has about 3, each of which cost him no more than £20. Mostly the s/h ones include various cables, etc.

Cheers, David

Heavy, slow, hard work, but very good

I have an old T35, the biggest model in the old range. It weights a lot, the cable is massive, but it would pull our SIII up the side of a house.

Our tirfor was 50quid second hand. It looked like a mess when I bought it, but a few hours in degreaser and then a fresh greasing got it working perfectly.

David

Ah, yes - that's one of the other benefits of a Tirfor, very easy maintenance. Similar to a Hi-Lift really, just a simple cleaning and lube job every now and then.

As an aside, it's worth getting into a little ritual for such maintenance. I do both of my Hi-Lift jacks one a year - full going-over (especially cleaning around the pin), then a quick spray with grease every other month and also spray some clear waxoyl on the foot assembly locator.

Martyn

But they can be a sod to fit back together again, or so the two GCSE students who overhauled mine in the Shetlands tell me.

Yes, you're right. Every 6 months, on the full moon, I get out my bottle jack and dance in an anticlockwise circle round it seven times on the stroke of midnight. I then sacrifice a chicken. And the ritual clearly works - the bottle jack has never failed. Although the local poultry farmer is getting a bit annoyed.

David.

That restores my faith in the National Curriculum somewhat.

So - almost getting back to something near 'topic', how was the evaluation of the Iceland trip?

Are you planning any more of this ilk - or going the way of many skoolz and not bothering due to unrealistic insurance and the threat of legal action if anything goes wrong?

That's fowl. Why should farmers always be so high in the pecking order? Oh well, feather your nest while you can - best not to shell out too much, though...

Martyn

I've got one for sale minus the handle and rope

As soon as I get time I'll post the whole thing! Might even be this week... Sorry for being a bit crap in this department. But in brief, it was absolutely excellent.

Funny you should mention that. Rog (who put the whole thing together) has decided he is going again in 2005. I'm trying to persuade Abby that both of us could go out for 3 weeks (ie, miss the outward & return journeys, but get all the Iceland bit), so watch this space.

I was seriously thinking of trying to set up an expedition to Spitzbergen (Svalbard), but (a) there are no regular boats, only the occasional supply vessel; (b) they only have 46km of road; but most importantly, (c) you have to take rifles to fend off the polar bears, and this would make it impossible to take a school group. A combination of teenagers, huge man-eating bears and rifles would not make for a great risk assessment.

David

Yeah, but what an adventure. I reckon I didn't really 'grow-up' until I went off to france on my own. Fended for myself, got a job and travelled up and down the south coast/etc. When I came back it was very funny and abit sad listening to others of my own age group who thought they were 'the bee's knees' for having gone to the usual package places...with their parents. Couldn't you find a way, involving local guides who looked out for the bears/etc?

Beth