well, i thought i'd share this with you guys -

two weeks ago we played with our rigs in a local playground for crazy 4x4s. while pulling the winch cable in and out, i got careless
and let the 8274 drag my left hand, which held the hook, into the drum. it happened also due to a misunderstanding, but believe me it happened FAST.

so, my instincts were quick enough to let me pull almost all the hand out(no gloves on, ofcourse), but two of my fingers got caught and then got smashed and crashed including the bones.

the pain was one hell of a pain and then some, but i managed to deal with it and not faint inspite of the shock. i was then rushed to the hospital by an ambulance.

so now , after medical treatment i'm alive and kicking again,
although it'll take some time before i'll be driving again.

why am i telling you all this? first of all because i regard you PBB members as my friends and colleagues, but mainly because it should be a good lesson and a reminder for us all, that winches, especially the fast ones, are not toys and that the rules should be followed at all times even when one feels one is a pro and e full of self confidence.

so now, guys, the frog has got only 8 full fingers - but don't let it fool you, i intend to be back in no time.

take care and be very careful!!

Damn that sucks.

Hope you can adapt to your condition quickly.



Everyone repeat after me:

Safety first, Safety last.

Soory to here about your injury. I wish you a speedy recovery and quick reuse of your hand.

Thanks for sharing though, hopefully someone will remember your story next time they are spooling in the rope and take the proper precautions.

That is too bad, were you running the control or someone else?

Originally posted by CJ
were you running the control or someone else?

someone else, but i'm to blame, not him:(

Ouch!!!!! No good man sorry to hear about your fingers. Hope you get back getting it soon!!

Damn, So sorry you got hurt. I fear this means you even lost the PBB salute finger!? We better make you a prosthetic for that one soon!! Take care and remember us wimmins like body damage . . I mean scars . . .err so I've been told!:D

WOW, ouch! no offense but, got pix?:D

i lost the meat of the muscle that controls my left pointer finger cutting the ifs bracketry off my toy, but WOW, ouch! you win, get well soon!

Sorry to hear that Barry.

Cody (my co-driver, whom you met) had two fingers on his left hand taken off 2 months before TTC. They actually put them back on. He's just had his 2nd operation on them a couple days ago, and has one more to go. He hopes to get 90% movement back.

That's too bad, and a good lesson, especially with an 8274. My M12,000 spools in so slow, I'm not sure that could happen :)

Get well.

Tim.

Oh Man! I'm real sorry to hear about the injury.

A few years ago I had a dana 60 diff/ring gear fall onto my pinky finger. I know what the shock/wanting to faint feeling feels like all to well. I can't imagine the pain you went through.

I wish you a speedy recovery.

These winches are definately dangerous, its easy to get careless.

Take care,

CJ

Originally posted by WOLF359
Sorry to hear that Barry.

Get well.

Tim.

hello my friend, how are you?

well in my case there was nothing left to attach - it was simply crushed and gone, some of it left on the bitchy winch...(sorry for
the brutal description) :emb4:

anyway, i'm fine now and very happy to hear from you.

Originally posted by WOLF359
Sorry to hear that Barry.

Get well.

Tim.

hello my friend, how are you?

well in my case there was nothing left to attach - it was simply crushed and gone, some of it left on the bitchy winch...(sorry for
the brutal description) :emb4:
look at the bright side - i wo'nt have to go through any
operation:)

anyway, i'm fine now and very pleased to hear from you.

*groans*

Get well soon and please do protect your remaining 8 fingers like your life depends on it.

Damn, Barry really sorry to hear that. :( I guess it's good your in a profession that does not require all ten digits.

I emailed you Barry.

Damn, sorry to hear that. Your right, we all tend to get a bit cavalier around and in some dangerous equipment and situations.

Good luck and speedy recovery.

Tough lesson to learn, truely sorry to hear that Barry.:(

Sorry to hear about that dude. That sucks. My thumb is in a cast right now. Not a wheeling accident though. Get better quick!

Wes

thanks EVERYONE for your kind words.

i'm home now, going to sleep(it's 12 p.m. here).

will see your e-mail tomorrow when i'm in the office.

sweet dreams.

Sorry to hear about that.
It is a tough lesson to learn. Hopefully, someone else will learn from it as well. tho'.

Sorry to hear about your injury. Hope you get well soon.
I've been sitting at home for the past two weeks recovering from a fourwheeler accident because I got too comfortable for my experience level.

So your glove/hand wasn't snagged by a frayed cable - instead you were distracted and allowed your hand to get too close to the fairlead?

I am realy sorry to hear about that. I will be prayin for ya :(

OUCH!!!! sorry to hear about that Barry.
I pulled something similar yesterday. i thought i could hold a piece of brake bracket i was cutting in the chop saw instead of clampling it down. We'll it slipped and i stuck my thumb into the chops saw blade. OUCH!!!
Glad to hear that you are going to be OK. I guess now you'll have time to sit and watch that video i sent ya!

Crap just thinking about it makes my fingers hurt!...hope ya heal fast.......

Barry, I was so sad to hear your news and am just sick about your loss. Are you right handed or left?

That's the problem with those god damn 8274 winches. They need a brake so when the switch is off, they STOP! Just like a modern power tool or lawn mower. It's not only dangerous, but it's hard to finesse them. :mad:

I'm glad to hear you are okay and that your sense of determination is intact. Undoutedly, your terrific sarcastic sense of humor will return shortly if it hasn't already.

I will email you.

First OUCH !!!! Thanks for sharing! If it helps 1 other person....defintily worth posting....


Second, Here is a good sugestion to everyone..... The first thing i did was throw the damn WARN 4 in. red strap awaw and buy about 2 ft. of similer strap (aka webbing) at wal-mart for like $0.50 (its ok to go into the fabric section if your only buying this stuff... it usually next to the automotive section and you can slip over there and no one will see..) Over 1 ft/sec no load is damn fast.... 4" strap dont give ya much time....

I slip that through the hook where the cable gets pin'd in and tie a knot or two. Lots to grab onto even with out a glove. Especially on a hill

And for everyone else that watch people get in the zone and doing somthing they would other wise know NOT to do..... Stand up and Bitch at em !!!! I see people all the time talkin on the sidelines sayin how dangerous somthing is and they don't step up.... I've been there as im sure everone has.... All it takes is a shout to say HEY THAT AINT SAFE ! Id rather be called an ass hole but ohhh well, been called worse....... Safety is no joke and all that stuff....

im off my soapbox....

-yag

I totally agree!

Yell at any one when they are doing something unsafe.

There is a lot to be said about communication between the remote user and the cable person. And no I don't agree with the winch being at fault. There is not fault IMO, this is why they are called accidents. They happen.

Sorry this happened Barry. Good to see your spirits so high.

hope yah heal quickly. i know how you feel. a few years ago i was respooling the winch cable back at camp. i didnt have my hand to far from the fairlead while holding the cable. i was guiding the cable into were i wanted it and didnt realize i was so close to the end. the doubled part of the cable were its clamped caught my glove and pulled my fingers into the fairlead under the cable. i was fast enuff to react and reverse the winch and pull my fingers out, but not fast enuff. i figured when i pulled my hand out of the glove stuff would be missing. i was lucky i just pealed the skin off the pionter finger on the underside above the 3rd knuckle. i could see the bone and all. i was in the middle of no were so a doctor was out of the question. i cleaned it up wrapped it with a paper towel and some electric tape and was ok. it took a long time to heal but it healed. it is still ugly and hearts when i bang the skin/scar tissue especially when its cold out. this was with a xd9000i. you can keep your fast winches, personally ill buy the slowest one from now on.

Sorry to hear about that, Barry. But hey! It hasn't seemed to affect your web-wheelin' skills! I can't even type well with ten fingers! I hope for a speedy recovery for you.

Sorry to hear about the loss. As a heavy equipment operator some of the cabled rigs I have worked around they had the last 10 foot of cable painted. This way they could see that the hook was coming up on them. I think I'll do this to mine today. I have also seen one of those hand held weed digger with the end ground down and bent into a J shape to help guide the cable onto the drum. Yes I did make one of these things but I don't use it much. I do like the 4 foot of stap idea also.

Sorry to hear about that Barry but glad to hear you're back, okay and with good spirit :)

Sorry for your loss, thanks for sharing the story.....