Say hello to the latest addition to our line-up:
For many years, steel wire cables have been the top choice for industrial winching and lifting – and they’ve done a great job. But due to advancements in technology, synthetic winch ropes now match steel wire on many of its beneficial properties – and supersede it in a number of key areas.
Whether you’re purchasing winch ropes for the first time, or have always previously used traditional steel cables, our HMPE ropes are certainly worth considering.
Here we take a closer look at their glowing credentials.
You may just find they’re perfect for your requirements. Even better – starting from just £55.20, they’re significantly cheaper than their steel counterparts!
5 benefits of our winch ropes
1. Strength
HMPE (High Modulus Polyethylene) has an incredible strength-to-weight ratio. In fact, it’s one of the strongest rope materials currently available – at least eight times stronger than hardened steel. And importantly, around fifteen times stronger than the steel wire used to make steel winch cables.
The benefit of that sheer strength? You can either handle much heavier loads or use a thinner gauge of rope for the same job.
The HMPE winch ropes available in our collection range from 6mm-12mm in diameter – so they’re fairly thin. Yet they have an impressive MBL (minimum breaking load) of 3,000 to 12,100 kilograms.
| DIAMETER | MBL KGs |
| 6mm | 3,000 |
| 8mm | 5,800 |
| 10mm | 9,300 |
| 11mm | 10,600 |
| 12mm | 12,100 |
2. Weight
Despite their tremendous strength, synthetic winch cables are surprisingly lightweight.
Typically, they’re around 80% lighter than steel wire varieties – and much more flexible. As a result, they’re significantly easier to handle and manoeuvre, and less likely to cause injury to the user.
3. Durability
HMPE winch ropes are extremely hard-wearing.
Their synthetic fibres don’t absorb water and won’t rust, weaken or shrink if frequently exposed to wet conditions – which makes them suitable for prolonged outdoor use.
What’s more, they’re chemically inert and resistant to UV light and photo degradation.
4. Safety
As HMPE is low stretch (3-4% at breaking load), it doesn’t store anywhere near as much as energy as steel wire whilst under load. This means, if the rope did break during use, it would harmlessly fall to the ground – rather than dangerously snapping back and potentially injuring the user.
In addition, synthetic winch ropes don’t contain metal filings and won’t develop sharp burrs or splinters over time. As such, they’re a lot safer to handle than steel wire and less likely to cause hand injuries.
5. Long-lasting
Steel wire winch ropes are prone to kinking – and once kinks start to appear, their breaking strength is seriously compromised, and they may need to be replaced for health and safety reasons.
This isn’t a concern with synthetic varieties, though. HMPE winch ropes are flexible and malleable, making them easier to manipulate and wind for storage without causing any damage. Since they don’t kink, they hold up well over time and are likely to provide many years of service.
Are synthetic winch ropes suitable for my needs?
HMPE winch ropes are now a popular option across a variety of different sectors, including arboriculture, agriculture and industrial settings, and they’re suitable for a wide range of uses.
Some of the most common include:
- Boat winching and vessel mooring
- 4×4 winching
- Industrial winching
- Heavy-duty lifting
- Sailing
- Kitesurfing and windsurfing
Essentially, any application that requires a high-strength rope with low stretch.
Here at RopesDirect, our recently launched collection features a diverse range of sizes – including 6mm, 8mm, 10mm, 11mm and 12mm. All of which are 12-strand, constructed from the highest quality HMPE and come fitted with a thimble eye and hook.
If you think our winch ropes are the right option for you, why not browse the range today and place your order? Our products are very competitively priced and available for immediate dispatch.
Or, if you’re still unsure, further detailed information on HMPE ropes in general can be found throughout our site, including in our previous blogs – ‘HMPE – in focus’ and ‘HMPE rope – how strong is it?’.
It’s also worth checking out our online tool, RopeFinder. This can help you to narrow down your search and select the ideal type of rope for your application – whether that be synthetic winch ropes, steel wire or something else entirely.