Recovery Gear Suggestions

I am looking to get outfitted with some basic recovery gear and want to make sure that I am getting quality gear that will last and is properly rated for the forces that would be expected. That being said I have a few questions on differences between a few different products.

First, looking on Factor 55 there are the Hitchlink 2.0 and the Hitchlink Pro, I was curious what the difference between the two were to justify the price increase for the Pro?

Next, I am looking for soft shackles and a kinetic recovery rope, it looks like the rating on the Yankum and Bubba ropes are the same then the Voodoo ropes have about a 10k higher rating for the kinetic straps (7/8") is there one that stands out better then the rest on the kinetic rope side? On the soft shackle side it seems that bubba ropes is the way to go for soft shackles to have the highest rating with the lower cost.

Are there any other suggestions for other manufacturers for these products or if any of these products stand out above the rest in terms of durability and quality? Thank you all for your help!

 

https://factor55.com/product/hitchlink/ https://factor55.com/product/hitchlink-pro-2-0-2-5/
The HitchLink 2.0 doesn't have a cross-drilled hitch pin hole, so you won't be able to run the shackle pin vertically (useful for side pulls).

With both products being aluminum, they'll get severely gouged being dragged over rocks off road. You'll have to keep it in your tool bag off road and only insert it in your hitch for pulls, then remove it from the hitch after the pull. So be sure to use a quick-release hitch pin that isn't too fussy to use. Of course this is only true if your region has rocks.

 

Those seem awful expensive to me. I picked up this Rigid Hitch shackle mount and a Columbus Mckinnon 3/4" pin shackle from reese-hitches.com. Looks like you can also order them on Amazon now. I don't remember what the wll is on the hitch mount, but it is a solid piece of U.S. steel so I am comfortable using it for anything I would try to pull with my truck.

 

Don't select kinetic ropes based on the highest rating. With a kinetic rope, you want it sized for the vehicle being recovered. The rope stretches under the load, providing a nice gentle tug. Too high of a rating with too light of a vehicle, and it will be violent and potentially damaging.

Also, pay attention to the recommened number of uses. For example, ARB only recommends using their snatch strap 10 times, before replacing it.

I just picked up a kinetic rope from Yankum. It's made very well and I'm excited to put it to use.





Use my discount code for 5% off anything at Yankum.com

"YankumSafely"

https://yankum.com/collections/kine...rope?variant=41155710124238&afmc=YankumSafely

Also, I've ditched my steel shackles, in favor of soft shackles.

https://yankum.com/collections/shac...ckle?variant=40230604079310&afmc=YankumSafely

Lastly, to use soft shackles with a hitch, I picked up this OVS soft shackle hitch.



https://www.google.com/amp/s/overlandvehiclesystems.com/amp/19109902-aluminum-receiver-mount/

There's other variants out there, but they were too expensive for me to justify.

https://yankum.com/collections/tow-points/products/2-inch-hitch-receiver-recovery-point

https://maxtraxus.com/products/maxtrax-hitch-50?variant=39747755049121&currency=USD

 

Are the 7/8" kinetic ropes the correct ones for Tacomas or would I be better off with a 3/4"?

 

7/8" is definitely the appropriate size. 3/4" is too light for our trucks.

 

Get a real shovel with a minimum of a 4 foot handle.

 

I have the Voodoo rope and love it. I bought a second one for my son whos stationed in Alaska, hes in Africa at the moment and hes used his way more than I have with no problems whatsoever. The one thing Yankum ropes have that I really like that Voodoo doesnt is they dip their eyes to make them tougher.
As far as shackles go im slowly going over to soft shackles over steel. I recently bought one off of Amazon named FieryRed which came with a recovery snatch ring. I was very surprised at how well made it was for the price all though I havnt used it in a recovery yet. I had really bought it for the ring but was pleasantly surprised with the shackle.
Heres a link to the FieryRed shackle if your interested

$33 FieryRed Soft Shackle Kit with Snatch Ring, 1/2" x 22" (33000 LBS Breaking Strength) 4x4 Recovery Kit for Towing Truck, SUV, ATV, UTV

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B091FTVJPF?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

 

The ring is to be used as a pulley for winch line with the soft shackle? Am I understanding that right?


Also for what it's worth; soft shackles need to be kept clean as dirt and work into and abrade the fibers and out of sunlight as UV can degrade the material much like synthetic winch line.

 

Yeah the ring takes the place of the pulleys but only for synthetic winch lines. If you have a steel cable winch line you have to use a pulley.

 

This! Those little fold up shovels will definitely come in handy if you have nothing else, but let's face it, a full size shovel is the way to go.