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Kinetic Recovery Rope Reviews

Discussion in 'The Tool Shed' started by FinoCJ, Oct 1, 2022.

  1. Oct 1, 2022
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2013
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    5,650
    Looking at a kinetic recovery rope to add to my kit...there is a range of price and quality for these, and I am trying to strike the right balance of quality and price. Some of the top names like Yankum, Bubba and Factor 55 come in around $200, whereas there are middle price range ($100 or so) from companies like Rhino and VooDoo, and then more budget pricing like Grip and Ditch Pig etc. I recognize quality is often associated with price, but that is not always true, and sometimes name brand stuff goes for an unnecessary premium. In some cases, like the budget offering listed above, the application is targeted for agricultural and farm usage, which may suggest decent quality, but at a more reasonable price than is associated with the premium priced off-road/overlanding market. I also recognize when it comes to recovery gear, I'd rather err on the side of ensuring good quality even at unnecessary additional cost. So, as I continue my research in this topic, I am looking for specific reviews from users that have a rope - not looking for info on recovery/elastic 'straps', just ropes. Please give your rope brand, model and specs if possible as I am truly looking for user reviews as opposed to generic commentary.
    thanks!
     
    FinoCJ, Oct 1, 2022
    #1
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  2. Oct 1, 2022
    Jw60

    Jw60 Cool school 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Sedalia MO.
    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2008
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    4,814
    I won a rough country rope two or three years ago... it's still in the bag.
    I was on the end of Jpet's rope the other week and have no complaints. My open front needed a little help in the rocks and he was able to give me just a wee bit of help.

    "ASR that makes this rope in tan.

    [​IMG]

    This one is 7/8” diameter by 30’ long. It is actually about 1-1/8” diameter and shrinks to 7/8” diameter under load. The rope is kinetic so it is much easier on you and the person you are tugging."
     
    Jw60, Oct 1, 2022
    #2
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  3. Oct 1, 2022
    Stakebed

    Stakebed Member

    Lake Co....
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    Aug 2, 2022
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    678
    I too am interested in buying a kinetic recovery rope and wonder about quality vs price.
     
    Stakebed, Oct 1, 2022
    #3
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  4. Oct 3, 2022
    dnb71R2

    dnb71R2 SuperDave 2023 Sponsor

    Grand Mesa, CO
    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2006
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    I bought a 7/8" DIA x 20' Yankum Rope for my 2500 truck. I have a 3/8" DIA dipped soft shackle paired with it. I'll give it high marks on quality. However, it's bulky and takes up about one third of the across the bed storage box. I haven't used it yet.
    I'll keep my opinion short. A 2" wide snatch strap is fine for CJ recovery, emergency towing & winch line extension. It stows efficiently. It's what I've used successfully for 30+ years.
     
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2022
    dnb71R2, Oct 3, 2022
    #4
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  5. Dec 12, 2022
    BadGoat

    BadGoat How High Can You Climb?

    Northern Virginia
    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2017
    Messages:
    326
    I sell a line of custom kinetic recovery and winch ropes and can give some input.
    Kinetic ropes and straps are generally made from nylon. Polyester ropes and straps do not stretch. The ropes will be braided, not 3 strand. Some use a tighter braid than others, which can change how much they will stretch, but can also impact longevity. Most of the made in the USA stuff is produced in a couple of rigging factories. There's nothing magical about one brand vs another aside from who their supplier is. The manufacturers are selling the same product to many and putting whatever logo you want on it. Here's a hint, if the certification tags look the same from one company to the other, it's a good bet they are using the same manufacturing facility. The Chinese manufacturers will do the same thing.

    The cost of a good rope is real, and goes beyond the bare rope to include an ISO-9000 certified testing program, rope coatings, custom colors, etc.

    It's also important to properly size the rope for the vehicle it's being used on. A 1 1/2" or 2" diameter kinetic rope that is designed for heavy trucks, won't stretch much when hooked to your stock CJ3B. For standard CJs I recommend a 3/4" or 7/8" rope. Nylon ropes generally provide a 20-30% stretch factor when used within their weight rating. Keep in mind that if you double run the rope, in order to shorten it, you have effectively doubled the working load capacity and it won't stretch as much as you expect.

    Personally I prefer a coated rope, with dipped eyes for longevity, in a bright color that won't get left in the mud after an extraction event. I prefer a 20 foot rope for trail use, as it's often hard to get enough space to use a 30 foot rope on tight trails. I prefer a 30 foot rope in my pickup as I'll have the space, and may need to pull someone back onto the road and appreciate the extra reach.

    Let me know if you have more questions.
    Mike
     
    BadGoat, Dec 12, 2022
    #5
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  6. Dec 12, 2022
    Stakebed

    Stakebed Member

    Lake Co....
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    ME ME ME CHOOSE ME!

    First, thank you for the information. I've been thinking about a kinetic rope but do not know what is hype and what is truth other than from watching Matt's Off Road Recovery channel I see they work.

    I've seen in videos that Yankum twists, braids, whatever their ropes. Does that make them one of the few factories or were you referring to.a factory that produces the nylon thread?

    Which company is yours?

    The most amazing thing I've seen done with a kinetic rope was Heavy D Sparks pulling a houseboat (which was on land) with his PBR (on water).
     
    Stakebed, Dec 12, 2022
    #6
  7. Dec 13, 2022
    BadGoat

    BadGoat How High Can You Climb?

    Northern Virginia
    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2017
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    326
    My company is called Bad Goat Off Road. Add a .com and you'll find the website. I sold a bunch of ropes when I was up in Alaska, but haven't pushed to sell them since moving out of the great white north and don't currently have my web-store active.

    Yankum is a company like mine, with better marketing skills. From the certification tags in their photos, they use the same rigging company (manufacturer) to assemble and coat the ropes that I was using.

    I will also say that I know the guys at ASR and they are good people. Their product is as good quality as anything on the market.

    Below are some of the products I offered. I'm debating on getting back into it.

    Mike


     
    Last edited: Dec 15, 2022
    BadGoat, Dec 13, 2022
    #7
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  8. Dec 13, 2022
    Norcal69

    Norcal69 Out of the box thinker 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Northern California
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    Have you looked at Custom Splice?
    I got myself a 3/4"x 30' long kinetic rope from CS for Christmas.
     
    Norcal69, Dec 13, 2022
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  9. Dec 13, 2022
    Norcal69

    Norcal69 Out of the box thinker 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Northern California
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    Here is the 3/4"x30' kinetic rope that I purchased from Custom Splice.
    Like Bad Goat said above, you need to size your kinetic rope to match the weight of the vehicles your using it on.


    [​IMG]
     
    Norcal69, Dec 13, 2022
    #9
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  10. Dec 14, 2022
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2013
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    I am still doing some investigating on these....I did buy a cheap one from our local ranch and home supply store (Murdochs) on an additional sale that I threw into the F150 for snowbank/ditch extraction. Its the Grip 7/8"x20' rope:
    https://www.google.com/search?q=gri...0l4j0i390l3.5855j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

    For under $40, initial inspection is that it will be fine for limited/rare use in this application. The 7/8" diameter is appropriate for the full-size truck - but would be on the large end of the spectrum for a small CJ. The abrasion cloth that protects the end loops is a bit useless, and I'd love it to be longer (30'), but since its not so much an offroad recovery type usage in the F150, it should be fine for roadside ditch extraction. Also, the truck has one of my old flat tow straps from the CJ which can be used to extend the reach if needed. One challenge with these ropes is the size of volume of space they consume. Compared to an equivalent flat tow strap (or even a flat elastic tow strap), the bulkiness is quickly apparent. We have a small mounted tool/storage box in the truck bed, and the size of the 20 footer was pretty much the maximum that I could fit in the box along with the other typical stuff that we keep in the box (tow hitches, ratchet straps, jumper cables, shovel etc). Also, when checking various version of these ropes out, the 'dipped' or coated end loop protection seems like a good way to go, but it also makes the end loop much harder to work in and around various anchor points (soft shackle would be the best solution). As Jen drives the truck for her DD, I want it to be easy for her to deal with - the Fx4 package comes with nice factory tow hooks, but they just barely fit the rope endloop as is (and its somewhat useless thin little fabric cover), but if the rope has the thick protective coating, its quite a bit of futzing to get it to fit without looping it back through itself. Again, the F150 is a bit different in usage and needs than the cj5. I am even thinking for the price, this rope may be a good option for the 58, but we'll see what else I can find for a comfortable price.

    So as I continue towards getting exactly what I want for the cj, some things that came to the front of my thoughts:
    1) the 20' length is really short for recovery in true off-road situations, but....
    2) 30' length is very bulky and in a small CJ with limited storage, overall packability (including pliability to pack tightly) will be part of the decision
    3) For a small CJ, going smaller diameter (3/4", and in some rope brands maybe even 5/8") is both critical to get the right amount of stretch and kinetic assistance, but also helps reduce overall size
    4) In the CJ, I currently carry a short (8' I think) tree saver strap, a 25' flat tow strap, and a 30' section of chain (along with other, more winch focused recovery gear like clevis/shackles and snatchblock pulley etc). I may have to create some 'space' in my recovery storage and do a little re-selection of what gear is best to bring. All of the winch kit has to stay, and think there is good use for a traditional tow strap, such as for disabled vehicle towing, winch cable extension, more leeway with setting up a pulley for off-direction winch pull, side strap anchor when needed in a tippy situation etc, so thinking the kinetic recovery strap may replace the chain in terms of space. If I can figure out how to get a 30 footer to fit in the kit, i will, but even if its a 20' (which often come a nice price discount), I guess it can always be used in combination with the tow strap to create a bit more length.
     
    Last edited: Dec 14, 2022
    FinoCJ, Dec 14, 2022
    #10
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