X-BULL 4Ton Snatch Block Pulley Hook Wire Rope Hoist For 4WD ATV UTV Off Road

A straight winch pull is the exception, not the rule. More often the only solid anchor is off to one side, or the pull needs doubling to break a vehicle free without asking the winch for more than it has. That is the whole reason a snatch block lives in the recovery bag.

Redirect the line, or halve the load on it

Run the winch line through the block and back to a point on your own vehicle, and the winch sees roughly half the load for the same pull, at about half the speed. Take the line around a tree protector off to one side instead, and the pull arrives at the angle the situation needs rather than the angle the terrain handed you. Both tricks count for more on a small winch than a big one, which is why a block is usually the first thing added to a 3000 or 4500 lb setup.

What X-BULL states, and what it does not

The block is quoted at 4 tonnes, with a steel body and a swivelling head that lets it align itself with the direction of pull rather than twisting the line. X-BULL does not say whether that 4 tonne figure is a breaking strength or a working load limit, and no standard or test is named against it, so it should not be treated as a certified rating. At 0.6 kg and 180 x 55 x 18 mm this is a compact block; check the sheave suits your line diameter and that the stated figure suits your winch before rigging it.

Key features

• Swivelling head: the block lines itself up with the pull instead of fighting it and twisting the rope.
• Steel construction: the material X-BULL specifies for the body.
• 4 tonne figure quoted: the supplier does not state whether this is breaking or working, so rig conservatively.
• 0.6 kg: light enough to live in the recovery bag permanently rather than the toolbox at home.
• Takes rope or chain: works with synthetic winch line, steel cable or chain.

Specifications

• Capacity: 4 tonnes, as quoted by the supplier; breaking or working basis not stated
• Material: steel
• Head: swivelling
• Weight: 0.6 kg
• Dimensions: 180 x 55 x 18 mm

What's in the box

• 1 x snatch block

Rigging a block safely

• Open the block and inspect the sheave, side plates and pin each time before it goes in the line; anything bent, cracked or seized comes out of service.
• Hang a dampener on each leg of the line once the block is rigged, because a doubled line means two paths for stored energy.
• Nobody stands inside the triangle formed by the block and the two legs of the line. That is where the gear goes if something lets go.
• Anchor the block to a rated recovery point or a tree protector, never to a tow ball, a tow bar tongue or a bumper bar.
• Straps are never joined to each other with a shackle, and a shackle should never be side-loaded across the pin.

A small piece of gear that changes what a modest winch can do. Rig it once in the driveway before you need it in the mud.