Synthetic Winch Line

If you don't winch often, a steel line is fine. I have never had one break or even come close to breaking. Use recommended precautions.
All 3 of my winch equipped vehicles have steel line.

 

I see positives and negatives for both. Synthetic would be great for short pulls, with no dragging over rocks. Or when you're 3 feet deep in snow hiking a heavy line out, or in water, it floats. Also, I'm tired of loose strands of steel, smashed sections, and the weight. Last few times I've winched though, it was logs out of the Rubicon swimming hole, (dragging over the bank would not have been great on synthetic). And last summer a rolled rig on Cadillac, 2 synthetic lines snapped under load, not mine, but it wasn't great, and pretty much solidified me staying with steel. When the **** hits the fan, it still works.

 

If you pull cable every weekend, go synthetic.
If your cable has been spooled since Carter was president, stick with steel cable.

 

Maybe if you are talking just about self-rescue on the trail.

IMHO, not so much if you "pull cable every week" for work with rocks, logs, stumps, manure wagons, etc.

 

pole trucks

 

This, every digger derrick I have ever operated always had 7/8 synthetic braided line on the winch. Also our underground cable puller used the same synthetic but it was trailer mounted. Some of our cable pulling trucks used 9/16 steel cable, but we tended to stick to the synthetic as it is a bit easier on the plastic and clay conduits.

 

I think the original application of synthetic rope was for marine use where it very clearly has a BIG advantage over steel. Back in the 60's, when I got started down this road, synthetic was obviously not an option and I used steel for decades but it is no longer my first choice. For the reasons Fireball expressed above, I have zero plans to buy any more steel cable. Yes, synthetic is more vulnerable to abrasion but you can take measures to avoid that. And whether or not it breaks on a pull depends entirely on where/what you purchased. I will not buy the stuff from Amazon or any similar site and all of mine is Amsteel. A case of you get what you paid for. Like a winch, cable or rope has to work each and every time I need it in the "woods" or it is worthless.

The greatest short coming of synthetic is you need to have a spool cover, both to limit UV exposure and, more importantly if using it in winter, to keep it dry. It doesn't unspool well when frozen in a solid mass.