Hook vs Prolink?

doubletapdaddy

Caught the Bug
You know, the more I think about using my Factor 55 Prolink, I realize how clumsy it felt. It just seemed to feel "unnatural" somehow. It always wanted to tilt. I don't know... like I said I purposefully left it on my Jeep when I traded it in and I don't feel compelled to buy a new one. Although it is fun to have a few laughs, I certainly don't want to bash the company or the product. I'm just providing my educated opinion.
 

JTCO

Meme King
I don't know how some of you are having trouble getting a D-ring through these. I've got the standard Factor 55 Prolink and it works easily with the variety of D-rings I have from several different makers. I haven't found one that didn't fit. Besides, if you get in too big a hurry setting up a winch pull, you are more likely to make a mistake that could be costly. Be careful how you hook on to something, no matter what you are using.

Well it happened to me. We were in a safe spot luckily and I offered to assist a friend mainly because I had a tree strap and d-ring right there on my floorboard. I walked to the tree first and set it up. But when he pulled his winch rope over to me, my d-ring wouldn't fit in his prolink. He is a very experienced jeeper and knew right away what the issue was as if he had seen this before. He went back to his Jeep and dug his own d-ring out.

It's not a day-killer, but if he had a hook, it would have saved some time. That's all.
 

You know, the more I think about using my Factor 55 Prolink, I realize how clumsy it felt. It just seemed to feel "unnatural" somehow. It always wanted to tilt. I don't know... like I said I purposefully left it on my Jeep when I traded it in and I don't feel compelled to buy a new one. Although it is fun to have a few laughs, I certainly don't want to bash the company or the product. I'm just providing my educated opinion.

Interesting. Mine hasn't tilted. I do think it looks funny, but it works just fine. Back to speed, one thing it does more quickly than the hook is to set when retracted. With my JK's hook, if I retract it too far, it still rattles around and damages the fairlead, so I have to hook it to a shackle on the bumper and then tighten it carefully. With the Prolink, I just wind it in and stop when it hits the fairlead. It tightens just right and causes no damage or gouges. I'm in more of a hurry when the pull is over and it is time to move on, rather than when hooking up, so maybe it is a wash if stowing is part of the race. (I still think a winch race is a VERY stupid idea.)
 

JTCO

Meme King
Of course, I'm not in a race. I'm really not sure what a race does, other than to be potentially dangerous. I think having a winch race is a really dumbass idea that could get somebody hurt, and it doesn't really prove anything.

(I still think a winch race is a VERY stupid idea.)

The winch race was just one thing done as part of an event. I'm pretty sure it was done in a safe manner and just to have some fun.
 

This guy didn't have any trouble. Go to 12:20.


Btw, I didn't pay anywhere near 150 bucks for my Prolink. I got it on sale for just over 50. Well worth it, to me. I might not have bought it if it was 150, so I don't disagree there.
 

Btw, I was mistaken. Mine isn't a Prolink, it is a Splicer. The hole is made to accept a wider variety of sizes of D-links, so that may explain why that's not been an issue for me. The Splicer is also 1/2 the price of the Prolink, at regular price. I also think the way the rope attaches to it is why it doesn't tilt like the Prolink.

Maybe the Splicer is the better option. I just know it has worked very well for me, with no issues.
 

Mud Bug

New member
When I bought my first Jeep.. I had a winch installed and was very happy to have the hook it came with. A fellow Jeep enthusiast (16-years old, but more experienced Jeeper) suggested I get the Prolink Shackle. He said it was safer somehow, that the clip in the hook can bend or break. OK Factor 55, take my money. I had the shackle for a while and had to put up with my husband calling it my third nipple. :crazyeyes: I also was obsessed with it being perfectly centered and facing the correct way.. is there a correct way? I was seriously worried I would take a hard hit and that pin could fall out. And I also thought that because it stuck out so far from the bumper that I would be "booping" trees/people/other vehicles with it when I parked. Haha :D

Then we heard rumor we were moving out of state to where they require front license plates. The hell you say. So I ordered a flip up license plate holder that attached to the hawse fairlead. I no longer had my hook (gave that to my Jeeping nephew) and the thimble would not sit behind the license plate as there was only a couple inches of space there. I switched to the Factor 55 flatlink.. yes, have some more of my money... but it fit nicely behind that flip up plate holder. And then we sold the Jeep. So back to the hook we go for the JL. It all just comes full circle.
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
So that guy didn't check it before using it? Ok, not sure what that proves. Mine fit. Mine would have gone right on there with no trouble. I've used it again and again.

While you may not have had problems, I can't tell you how many times that I have pulled line on someone Jeep with one of these silly things only to find that the D-ring given to me to use would NOT work. Ideally, it's always best to have something that will ALWAYS work and with whatever recovery equipment is provided. All I'm saying is that in my limited experience, a hook will do just that and it costs NOTHING extra.

Of course, I'm not in a race. I'm really not sure what a race does, other than to be potentially dangerous. I think having a winch race is a really dumbass idea that could get somebody hurt, and it doesn't really prove anything.

LOL!! Oh please, the race was done with experienced observers carefully watching to make sure people weren't doing anything stupid or potentially dangerous.

Sure, you can put a hook on something faster. Faster isn't always smarter. Just my opinion. Do what you want.

Clearly, you've never been in a situation where time was of the essence. Faster can mean the difference between saving a rig and maybe someone's life and to me, THAT is smarter. But then, that's just me.
 

Clearly, you've never been in a situation where time was of the essence. Faster can mean the difference between saving a rig and maybe someone's life and to me, THAT is smarter. But then, that's just me.

I definitely agree with this. It's not an every day situation, but it does happen. I was wheeling Tellico with a group of friends. We were done for the night and relaxing around our campfire. This guy in side-by-side comes racing down the trail and frantically asks for help. I couple had dropped two tires off a shelf road and were teetering out there, afraid to even move. We took 3 Jeeps up there, hooked on to stabilize and pull them up, luckily without further incident. Personally, I'm glad we all had hooks and didn't have to mess with additional hardware.

Sent from my SM-G892U using JL Wrangler Jeep Forum mobile app
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
I definitely agree with this. It's not an every day situation, but it does happen. I was wheeling Tellico with a group of friends. We were done for the night and relaxing around our campfire. This guy in side-by-side comes racing down the trail and frantically asks for help. I couple had dropped two tires off a shelf road and were teetering out there, afraid to even move. We took 3 Jeeps up there, hooked on to stabilize and pull them up, luckily without further incident. Personally, I'm glad we all had hooks and didn't have to mess with additional hardware.

Yup, been there done that only I was there when the Jeep in question started going off the ledge. Moving quickly was critical. Also, it doesn't take long for a block to fill up with oil once a Jeep goes on its side or on its lid. The faster you can get it back up on all four the better. But then, I can only go off of what I've seen in my limited experience.
 

YAHAHA

New member
Ever since I started reading this thread on my computer, it has been FLOODED with ads for this thimble! Very funny.
 

asmith1923

New member
Try the Factor 55 Splicer, you need to rebraid the line, but it eliminates one metal fail point. With the new design a shackle end slides right through, or better yet use a soft shackle to connect - eliminating even more metal to fail and fly around like a missile.

Take it from me, buy the Chinese finger torture / knitting needle thing or you’ll go mad. And wear some gloves...
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Tony
19 JLUR Mojito!
 

asmith1923

New member
Eddie, I see what you mean about obsessing about centering the proline in the fairlead. I’m staring at it now, trying to figure out a strategy for spooling the line to end in the middle. I can just hear it now, a Jeep buddy pulling up at a stop light to tell me, hey jackass your hook’s crooked!



Tony
19 JLUR Mojito!
 

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