Paul64 Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Hi, I had an interesting dilemma the other day. I was out on my own driving up a hill. There was a tractor in front of me pulling a log very slowly. I noted there were two tracks side by side reconnecting further up the hill, so I branched off in the hope of reaching the intersection first. I soon realised why there were two routes. The forester had obviously bypassed the mapped track as it was impassible and bogged with serious mud. However, visually it was deceiving as a dry crust had formed on the surface on a bend I was negotiating. So, I was soon up to the chassis in mud and going nowhere. Not even the ARB's could get me out. So I prepared the winch but soon realised there was no tree in reach (very unusual here!). I only had the option of a large tree stump. I felt very nervous about doing this as the stump looked quite old and I had no idea of the integrity of the roots. I did it in short slow movements watching for any movement in the stump. Luckily I got out without any drama, but it got me thinking. How safe is using a ground anchor? What if the ground you are using gives under strain when pulling? Cheers, Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white90 Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Paul I use a fold up ground anchor made by Tonk, I has proved invaluable as long as the ground isn't super soft, it digs in and holds very well. In my experience if it is going to come out due to the ground conditions it does that straight away and I just stop. Not the easiest things to set in the ground on your own though. Will Warne was selling a beefed up version of the same as mine(although mine has been perfect in use) in the classifieds recently. SimonR does a lightweight version (although not a fold up) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul64 Posted June 1, 2008 Author Share Posted June 1, 2008 Paul I use a fold up ground anchor made by Tonk, I has proved invaluable as long as the ground isn't super soft, it digs in and holds very well. In my experience if it is going to come out due to the ground conditions it does that straight away and I just stop. Not the easiest things to set in the ground on your own though. Will Warne was selling a beefed up version of the same as mine(although mine has been perfect in use) in the classifieds recently. SimonR does a lightweight version (although not a fold up) Thanks Tony. What sort of price am I looking at? I have never seen one being used, so trying to get my head around how it takes hold if you are setting it up on your own. Would you normally need a second person to guide it or apply some weight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reads90 Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Paul I use a fold up ground anchor made by Tonk, I has proved invaluable as long as the ground isn't super soft, it digs in and holds very well. In my experience if it is going to come out due to the ground conditions it does that straight away and I just stop. Oh i don't know, tony, i have used mine a couple of times in soft sand and it works fine, and mine was the one Tonk copied to make yours . Thank god or i would have been stuck on a sand dune 500ks north of Perth in the middle of no where Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul64 Posted June 1, 2008 Author Share Posted June 1, 2008 Oh i don't know, tony, i have used mine a couple of times in soft sand and it works fine, and mine was the one Tonk copied to make yours . Thank god or i would have been stuck on a sand dune 500ks north of Perth in the middle of no where I am trying to envisage how an anchor would hold in soft sand unless it had a head like a JCB bucket? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white90 Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Ali , your opinion on thisis beeter than mine for soft sand as I'm yet to venture onto that stuff. Paul I paid £70 which was v cheap/superb value. min is a copy of Alis Pull Pal I think. they aide recovery as the winch can assist the driving wheels. I've used mine to lower off v steep slopes and pull it back up again. the variant I have is easy to set as a boot into the ground of the head normally gets it digging old pic of it folded: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white90 Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=26180 Wills with lots of pis mine is the same setup/layout Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reads90 Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 I am trying to envisage how an anchor would hold in soft sand unless it had a head like a JCB bucket? me too but while i was setting it up with the wife i told her that i was told when i was buying it that it works in sand and snow. It did bury down deep but did pull the 90 and trailer up a very steep sand dune Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Paul In order to set the anchor when out alone you will find a wireless remote to be invaluable - see SteveG's post last week. Essentially you lean on the anchor to apply weight and wind the winch in. The anchor will get a bite and then dig in until it finds enough resistance to overcome the resistance of your truck, at which point the vehicle moves forward. If the anchor were to 'fail' during winching than it will usually just pull through the ground and leave the vehicle stationary - unless it fails mechanically, in which case the winch is very powerful, the car very stuck and you are very unlucky! A ground anchor is MOST unlikely to fail in such a manner as to be dangerous in any way, unless you are hanging the vehicle on it. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim Horsevad Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 To set the anchor while being alone, usually you have to dig a hole for the anchor to rest in, while you winch in. If going out without a ground anchor remember that the spare wheel works really well as a ground anchor. Dig a hole about a metre deep, connect some strong rope, chain. strops, etc to the spare wheel and burry it in the hole. Even in soft sand such an arrangment easily holds several tonnes of pulling force. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oddballrovers Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Hi Paul. I have broken a few anchors, sometimes on purpose (trying to design one) other times by accident and it newer happened fast, always very slow not at all like when a wire breaks. So from my point off view there is no danger when a ground anchors breaks............. Erhm.... now I not totally honest last year on a night stage we had to winch up a non drivable incline, it was so step that you could not even stay on it on the brakes on you did just slide down wards, we lost grip twice, meaning the anchor came out off the ground and the truck slided 5-6 meters dawn wards without control except from steering, so yes it can be dangerous and one has to take the precautions that can be taken in order not to harm one self or annybody else. Regards Ole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul64 Posted June 1, 2008 Author Share Posted June 1, 2008 Thanks guys for all your remarks. Much better understanding of it now. Cheers, Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
streaky Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 I am trying to envisage how an anchor would hold in soft sand unless it had a head like a JCB bucket? It's surprising how well the Pul-Pals work in soft sand. The depth of this bowl doesn't show up so well in this shot but the bowl I,m stuck in here had side slopes so steep that I couldn't drive out with less than 5psi in each tire. The bottom of the bowl is around 5-6 meters deep with powdered sand in the bottom...getting any momentum going to drive out was impossible. Try burying a Pul Pal upto the shackle point and you'll understand that the ammount of force generated against teh spade is quite substantial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JST Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 We use one of the X-Eng ones in the HW series - very easy to use, super light as well and works very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 When I have pulled mine out (ooer) it lets go quite gently as said but the Kitty just pulls along under the ground gradually, the military anchor pulls out gradually with a cubic metre or so of peat attached! I did have to extend the winch cable once using a 24mm nylon rope (yes I know shouldn't do it blah blah but it was that or walk 5 miles to the nearest road and I knew the risks so needs must!) and it pulled out and bounced along the ground for a bit (probably about 6 feet) due to the stretch in the rope, but as it was on the end of 90ft of winch rope and 30ft of nylon rope it was miles away from me and didn't do much anyway, that is about as bad as it could get really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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