Barlow Adventures
“Why we keep hands away from fairleads during winching. Even a fairlead and FlatLink as sweet as @factor55llc can grab a finger in an instant. We recommend staying more than an arm’s length away to avoid a momentary slip-up. By the way, this is the first hawse fairlead EVER that I find acceptable. And not just acceptable-outstanding. It has NOT chewed up my winch rope on less-than-straight pulls due to a large radius and the quality and industry-leading Type III anodized surface on 6000 series aluminum. And it looks great after over a year and 17,000 Nena miles.”
#safewinching
#safewinching
Well said Nena Barlow. Nena is an I4WDTA – The International 4-Wheel Drive Trainers Association LLC – certified offroad trainer and understands well the potential hazards of winching. Many people forget the winch “run on” that occurs. Winches do not stop immediately after releasing the “in” button, especially when running the winch at full speed when reeling in your slack winchline. In fact, your winch can continue to reel in up to 12-18 inches of line even after being shut off. So, when getting close to the winch, stop early and then slowly bump the line in being careful not to get your fingers too close or they will end up like the glove.
We still believe the very best finish for Hawse fairleads is a Type III hardcoat anodizing process. It is far superior to any other finish for aluminum. Hardcoat produces an extremely hard, dense, thicker and more abrasion resistant finish than other aluminum surface treatments. Take a look at the image showing the thickness measurement we take when receiving parts. For longevity, we prefer at least a 2 mils thick coating. One of the unique properties of hardcoat is the build of the finish into the aluminum as well as on top of the aluminum. 1 mil in and 1 mil on top is the superior finish. 17,000 Nena miles, now that’s an accomplishment!