Peter Posted December 30, 2007 Share Posted December 30, 2007 Ground anchors are a very personal thing, i have many ground anchors and currently own 6 for my own use.Most ground anchors are capable of recovery in most sitiations, however what is key to success with these items is more the driver and co driver. I can teach the basics of winching in probably a day Teach use, skill and deployment of ground anchors and there types ? probably more like a week Pick the unit that suits your particular need and then practice with it as much as possible. I carry two anchors on my car, a plough type (blades and type are choice dependant on where i am going) but always take a small plate and 5 pins (Pin type again is personal preference and determined by conditions) If Green laning i always carry a PRT which is the best light/medium use ground anchor available, but again that is personal choice. I have not used the new X eng unit but it looks very capable and i hope to try one soon. Hope that helps a little Good luck and happy hunting Jim Jim, Yeah, nice plough Jim - the farmer wanted him to come back and do the whole field : (From JBS 'slip slop fun punch challenge' Sept 2004) Took the plunge a month b4 X-mas by getting an X-anchor direct from Exact. My Xmas present to myself... Like your advice above, Jim and agree with it. Pick one that suits, and go practice However on our 3rd use of it at Broxhead Common, AWDC event on 27th Dec, it bent / broke !!! Did not notice until 2 days later, either. Chris is aware, and looking into it with Si. Think this might herald a re-design. Below is a picture of a prototype Peter Failed to mention this so a kindly moderator has obilidged Hope your having an excellent family holiday in Exmoor - see ya soon. Cheers, Peter TwinAxle.com Kent LRC SlsLRC AWDC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jj_110 Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 I have absolutely cursed my prt in the big bog in Cowm/Rochdale and similar circumstances... I tried all sorts with so far but half the time I cant get it to dig in properly. any one got any ideas or a manual for it? @Jim do you see much of Steff these days? JJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JST Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 that will make their day, a pic of some broken kit on the forum! i didnt think we even did that to Scorpion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Posted December 31, 2007 Author Share Posted December 31, 2007 that will make their day, a pic of some broken kit on the forum! i didnt think we even did that to Scorpion! Hey sorry for breathing, but thought it was still a Free country and a Free forum. A forum is for people with a common interest to discuss all manner of things that they are commonly interested in, please don't oppress me. So what if I buy something and it breaks, and its of interest to fellow user, I'll post it on here - least I have not posted the pics of my now removed xbrake or those crappy broken Chinese made T=max winches. Ebays been killed by sellers not letting you buy as it didn't make their undisclosed reserve, and forums are being killed as your not allowed to have freedom of speech anymore. Rub the bottle and release the Genie - These guys aren't Gods, they are engineers and designers - things break - and are re-developed. Si has already asked me for my advice from using it. I feel we should be allowed to express our opinion in products we use, if you disagree - what are you doing on here ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roguevogue Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 that will make their day, a pic of some broken kit on the forum! i didnt think we even did that to Scorpion! Ooooh James, your sooo opressive, now take that back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JST Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 Hey sorry for breathing, but thought it was still a Free country and a Free forum. the latter is true and i posted my thoughts. I feel we should be allowed to express our opinion in products we use, if you disagree - what are you doing on here ? I didnt know expressing opinions on products was the only purpose of the forum and thats what you had to be here for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JST Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 Ooooh James, your sooo opressive, now take that back! i noticed that too, oppressed by that! first time i have been accused of using force on here!# Besides i just said i thought it would make their day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve 90 Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 I have absolutely cursed my prt in the big bog in Cowm/Rochdale and similar circumstances...I tried all sorts with so far but half the time I cant get it to dig in properly. any one got any ideas or a manual for it? @Jim do you see much of Steff these days? JJ The main thing I have found when using a ground anchor is to get as much rope out as possible and get it as far away from the truck as you can. Seems to lessen the angle that the truck pulls the nose of the anchor up and they dig far better. If you use it only a few yards in front of you they usually pull out! I use a D44, Its heavy and usually works but not always first time. The plate and pins are the best but take so long to set up and pull out its painful. Think that before long I'll probably be on the phone to Si for one of the X anchors and see how that goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daan Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 Peter, you think you can tell us a bit more about the circumstances the anchor broke? You can break anything if you try hard enough. Not interested about politics, just facts. cheers, Daan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jj_110 Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 The main thing I have found when using a ground anchor is to get as much rope out as possible and get it as far away from the truck as you can. Seems to lessen the angle that the truck pulls the nose of the anchor up and they dig far better. If you use it only a few yards in front of you they usually pull out! I use a D44, Its heavy and usually works but not always first time. The plate and pins are the best but take so long to set up and pull out its painful. Think that before long I'll probably be on the phone to Si for one of the X anchors and see how that goes. oh trust me i was stuck halfway and by the time we found a halfway promising spot the 8274 drum was on its**** anyway hehehe. i had a look at it again before and you can fix the bar in a few positions. i lost my bolt at some point so is it of any importance if the bar is fixed in a certain position? JJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 That X-anchor spade is pretty tough steel, I see it is bent at the tip! I guess that it was hooked into an unseen tree root or something similar? Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roverdrive Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 Been following this thread with interest as I will be looking in to some sort of ground anchor in the future - probably home made, and whehn I have finished breaking it, will be after an X-Eng one! Are ground anchors based on the principles of boat / ship anchors? There seems to be such a wide variety in the marine industry, I was wondering if there is any cross pollination of ideas? Have seen a couple of interesting designs, so I guess the only way to see is to get the gas axe and mig out and have a go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 Kittygripper with a thicker blade, quite nice and useful so far. Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honitonhobbit Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 PRT but would buy an Xeng jobbie if I went back to competition. To be honest anything can be broken - it's the way that it's not broken. For example, two X brakes on two vehicles over a combined mileage on and off road of about 70k and nary a problem bar a faulty handbrake cable from Brookwells (replaced under warrantee). Okay so no roughty toughty, hard core, drive like I stole it driving... But what would I know anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJ101 Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 Are ground anchors based on the principles of boat / ship anchors?There seems to be such a wide variety in the marine industry, I was wondering if there is any cross pollination of ideas? You could say so, similar ,, yes,, But, a marine anchor is used to hold a length of chain, to the sea bed, this in turn then hold the boat, with 3 to 5 times the depth let out, so most of the chain is lying along the seabed,, A ground anchor, has a direct pull on it A 10/15 tonne ,, 40 foot boat, will only have about a 15kg anchor, to hold say 30 meters of chain,, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roverdrive Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 Tim Yes that is the theory, but not all boats / ships have chain. I have worked on a vessel with Delta Flipper type anchors on wire not chain, so there isn't the weight on the bottom, just the holding power of the anchor and the angle the wire is pulling at. Now I can make a copy of these as I have drawings somewhere, but is this the best design for maximum holding power etc? All variables depending on the soil conditions. A lot easier just to buy one I suppose, but I did see a design which had a small stock, and supposedly good self setting properties. Will have to dig the link out and post it on here for the experts to disect! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 I support Peter's right to free speech and would not want him censored. Peter contacted Chris & I a day or so before and in reply, we had said that although this was the first to fail and despite them being extensively tested, we would revise the design by removing the lettering in the gusett - and either refund or supply him a free replacement, whichever he preferred. I would have understood the reason for posting if we had refused (or said it is not guaranteed for off road use ) But waiting until we had offered a replacement - then give us a load of negative publicity before we have a chance to do either, saddens and puzzles me. Nothing is indestructable - but we hoped these would survive most of what we throw at them off road - and the testing + stress analysis backed that up. Use in the real world sometimes shows up problems that you just cannot account for in development. We'll turn this experience to a positive by tweaking the design and re-testing. Hopefully we'll have something that even Peter cannot break! Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Posted January 1, 2008 Author Share Posted January 1, 2008 Peter, you think you can tell us a bit more about the circumstances the anchor broke? You can break anything if you try hard enough.Not interested about politics, just facts. cheers, Daan Daan, Blimey you would not believe the grief that post has just caused me and it would appear X-eng. It had been mentioned to me - which I failed to make clear in my original post that I might have been supplied with a prototype that should not have been sold in the first place, as had a design fault !! I'm not sure if its now appropriate to discuss this any further or how it happened. This would then explain why no one else has reported any problems with theirs. In fact after the 'grief' I've just had, think I might just sell my Land Rover and take up Mountain Biking instead. I seem to be a bit of a disaster zone at the moment. ......................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JST Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 This would then explain why no one else has reported any problems with theirs. In fact after the 'grief' I've just had, think I might just sell my Land Rover and take up Mountain Biking instead. I seem to be a bit of a disaster zone at the moment. ......................... i report problems but also tell the whole story and also wait until the issue has been resolved regardless of who the supplier/designer/manufacturer is, i just thought the initial post didn't tell the whole story, similar to a post about me that came about earlier in the year and i know how i felt then. i'll keep an eye out on MTB forums as well then.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roverdrive Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 The type of anchor ( boat type ) i was looking at can be seen on the following site http://www.navstore.com http://www.navstore.com/spade_anchor.aspx It is the SPADE type. Any thoughts on the claims made? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Train Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 What happened to burying your spare wheel and attaching a strop to your wheel brace through the centre hole? You're not carrying anymore weight then. Can't say that I have needed to do this myself as my rig tended to be the anchor for others to winch from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white90 Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 Daan,Blimey you would not believe the grief that post has just caused me and it would appear X-eng. It had been mentioned to me - which I failed to make clear in my original post that I might have been supplied with a prototype that should not have been sold in the first place, as had a design fault !! I'm not sure if its now appropriate to discuss this any further or how it happened. This would then explain why no one else has reported any problems with theirs. In fact after the 'grief' I've just had, think I might just sell my Land Rover and take up Mountain Biking instead. I seem to be a bit of a disaster zone at the moment. ......................... Maybe next time have a think before leaping on the internet with your pictures. if you were told to go away when you broke it may be you'd have some support, but exactly the opposite you get offered a replacement if you so wish or your money back, what more could you want? as for the line "don't opress me" that my friend is a joke! maybe just maybe L/Ring isn't for you and MTB may be more suited then you can winge if you fall off and scratch it I wonder how you'll get on with warranty claims in the environment. the saying goes "better be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt" Sometimes I can see myself there but this time it is you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 Kittygripper with a thicker blade, quite nice and useful so far.Mo Thicker blade definitely required Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 Good Grief Peter, So you bought a Anchor and it broke, fair enough these things happen - and then as Si R of X-Eng says he offered a more than fair response to sort you out financially, which is prob far more than many other companies would do, ? THEN you still post up and moan, (not exactly pointing out how reasonable / fair / helpful Si R at X_Eng was being ??) FFS Man what do you want ? I have dealt with many companies and X-Eng is just one of them. However, they have fantastic Customer service, are renowned for being 'reasonable' to the extreme, and a a reputation as have only a few companies of being honest and quality in both products and professionalism. You also moan about the X Brake, yet I have to met a single user of one who doesn't just love it Are you sure that the real fault lies more with you being a professional moaner where nothing is ever enough ? UNBELIEVABLE Nige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 Stop dithering Nige and just say what you think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.