Hook vs Prolink?

Four Flusher

New member
I see you're running a hook. I've got my Zeon 10S with the Warn hook connected to a D ring on bumper, of course it works. The Prolink looks cool, any upside/downside other than price?
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
No need to delete the thread. Not sure what a Prolink is but I assume it's something like a Factor 55 thimble or D-ring. With that said, I run a thimble on my JK and hate it. In the end, you still need something like a D-ring to make it useful. For anyone who's done a lot of winching, a hook is the way to go if only because they're much easier and faster to work with and typically come with your winch - no extra charge.
 

JTCO

Meme King
With that said, I run a thimble on my JK and hate it. In the end, you still need something like a D-ring to make it useful. For anyone who's done a lot of winching, a hook is the way to go if only because they're much easier and faster to work with and typically come with your winch - no extra charge.

Agreed completely. I've used my winch (with a hook) several times. Hook is cheap and easy. I've only used a thimble once and it was on a buddy's Jeep to winch him to a tree. I tried to be helpful and use a d-ring I had very accessible and it didn't even fit in his thimble, so we had to walk back to his Jeep and he had to dig and find the correct one.

Looks like prolink is a thimble:

prolink_loaded1_grande.jpg
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Exactly ^^^

Fast forward to about 6:20 on this video.


Exactly what I have seen time and time again and why I hate these stupid things.
 

doubletapdaddy

Caught the Bug
I had the Prolink on my JK. Granted I only used my winch to assist other people, mainly pickup trucks. Honestly I just found it to be unnecessary. I was always obsessed about getting it lined up in the middle of the fairlead. Lol. I left it on my JK when I traded it in and have not looked back.
 

Four Flusher

New member
Ok so that video was awesome! I'm now on a mission to watch every WOL video

PS Cindy's pretty BA and she has a great smile too
 

sharkey

Word Ninja
If you want to look pretty and be functional (and you hate having money in your wallet), you could get the Factor 55 UltraHook.
 

BillArnett

New member
If you want to look pretty and be functional (and you hate having money in your wallet), you could get the Factor 55 UltraHook.

Right:

IMG_0720.jpg

Best of both worlds. For quick easy recoveries use it as a hook. But if there's any possibility of something unexpected, a closed system is a lot safer. (And yes, all my shackles fit.)

And besides, it's a very cool piece of engineering art :)
 

ddays v2

Member
Ok so that video was awesome! I'm now on a mission to watch every WOL video

Careful dude - That's a rabbit hole you'd best be prepared for. Those videos have been known to empty wallets & cause week-long Jeep boners. :cheesy:
Seriously, those are what hooked a lot of us over on the Wayalife site. This one may be responsible for most of them, although they're all awesome. Check out the "Moab Fork Yeah" series too

 

13_gecko_rubi

New member
I used to have a pro link also. After some hard core winching one day in Harlan I ripped it off and chucked it in the trash can that night. Pita.

Sent via....
 

NFRs2000NYC

Member
I too have the factor55 link....I rarely use my winch, and found that some shackles it's annoying, others it isn't an issue. If I winched regularly, I'd probably ditch it. For my purposes (99% road driving) it's just a cleaner way to store the winch rope. I'd probably just run a quality hook if I lived out west. Having said that, a hook requires storage to expose a bunch of line, and I'd hate some hooligans to try and be funny and slice the line for shits and giggles.
 

OJK12

New member
I had a buddy buy one of these and the first time we went wheeling and he needed the winch I spent like 10 minutes trying to get the damn D-ring through it. What a pile of overpriced, over engineered crap! What really gets me is it’s a safety thimble that goes over top of the factory safety thimble they claim is so unsafe and useless. Truly these guys are marketing geniuses cause even at the ridiculous price people still pony up for them. On top of that have you seen the “rope guard” they offer as an accessory to protect the so called exposed rope while your winch is not in use? I actually thought even people who bought the link would scoff at this thing but nope they too are selling as if they are rare collectibles. I myself prefer to use a soft shackle through my stock safety thimble as my setup and it cost a third the price. I honestly have to give these guys props for being able to sell these things and getting people to want them because I never would have thought anyone would buy them.


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JTCO

Meme King
On top of that have you seen the “rope guard” they offer as an accessory to protect the so called exposed rope while your winch is not in use? I actually thought even people who bought the link would scoff at this thing but nope they too are selling as if they are rare collectibles.

Lol. I had to look it up. Never heard of that one before. Since they advertise it for 'hardcore off-roaders and off-road trainers,' I won't be buying one. I just don't qualify :(

Untitled.jpg
 

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.
 

notnalc68

That dude from Mississippi
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.

See the fifth post in the thread.


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See the fifth post in the thread.


Sent from my iPhone using JL Wrangler Jeep Forum mobile app

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

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