Words by Jason Livingstone
Winches are a recovery staple if you wheel hard and get stuck often, but winch setups add significant weight and cost. Wyeth-Scott offers an alternative. Established in 1934, they are the makers of the More Power Puller; a beastly come-along with winch-level pulling power. While the design remains largely unchanged, their most popular model, the 3-35-A-SLT, sports 35ft of AmSteel-Blue synthetic rope and can be purchased through suppliers listed on their website. Weighing under 26lbs with supplied snatch block, it’s a featherweight compared to a bumper mounted winch setup and can be left at home when you aren’t playing in the dirt.
Wyeth-Scott builds their product for strength and mechanical durability to the exclusion of all else and it shows. It is not pretty or cheap ($560.20 from Joe’s Farm Service in Ontario). Like Buckley’s cough syrup, though, it just works! In double-line configuration, it will deadlift 6,000lbs and pull a whopping 12,000lbs. During use, it feels rock-solid, even with my truck properly stuck. Being able to pull in any direction makes it a very versatile recovery device. That said, it is no speed machine. Pull speed will be less than half that of a good electric winch.
Soft, wear-prone paint is the only issue that I have had. Wyeth-Scott says that this is typical and that it has no real effect on durability. They often service 50 year old pullers still seeing use!
I do recommend purchasing the extended handle to increase leverage and, since the handle doubles as an overload failure point, consider a spare if you have a heavier vehicle.
For the solo traveller, overland explorer, or weekend warrior, the Wyeth-Scott More Power Puller is a great winch alternative that can get you out of trouble, providing peace of mind that you won’t be walking home.
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Jason Livingstone
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Jason Livingstone
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Jason Livingstone