Bravo to the designers and engineers. This design is perfect in every way. I'm a digital designer (UX/UI), and I'll be using this product as an example of the right approach to human center design.
I'm jut in the process of gathering the steel for my front & rear offroad bumpers on my new pickup, as I'll be installing a new winch in the front (if not the rear as well) I've be taking a fresh look at equipment & accessories & I'm definitely going with Factor 55 gear & without a doubt, this winch hook will be in my new recovery setup. Great video, very concise, keep them coming!
I just ordered and bought my first ever Jeep. A 2021 JL Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. I ordered it with the steel bumper group and will be adding to it a Warn Zeon Platinum 12k winch and have added to it a Factor 55 Ultrahook. I really like everything that Factor 55 makes and plan on buying a lot of their stuff!
It looks fancy, and sure it may be strong, but i think it’s in the same category as by-fairies-in-the-moonlight-forged golden audio connectors. Even if your whole vehicle explodes this hook is still unscratched laying between the rubble.
Outstanding product! I have one suggestion - besides the finger molding that encourages users to hold the UltraHook correctly with the hook opening facing up, if the printing was turned so that it could be read when the hook is facing up it would be an extra reminder to hook correctly the opening facing up.
Pay Way thanks for your comment! There are quite a few builds in SoCal running this product from local customers, Shop builds to Offroad race vehicles for the Ultra4 Racing series. If you come to King of the Hammers this year you will see many in use. Thank you!
Your UPS driver told me about you guys. These look awesome. I recently posted a video on my channel of an offroading jeep adventure and we used the winch at one point in the video. Your stuff would have been really handy.
Awesome!!! It looks like an amazing place to wheel! We need to come visit! Shoot us an email if you are ever in need of some equipment. Congrats on your record!!!
When you're serious about safety and having the highest quality tools to perform a self-recovery this is the best out there. Is it pricey, yes but not when you consider what you're getting. Especially if you've ever witnessed winch tackle failure at the hook. Most of the guys I see winching fail to use a line damper and I've seen their factory hooks snap and fly back towards the truck. Keep in mind a line under weight with a small fragment of metal attached to it will become a high veloicty projectile that can cause serious injury or death.
If you're serious about safety and possess the ability to think rationally, you'd forego this fancy bullshit and just use shackles like a normal person. There is not a single thing that this thing does better than a good old rated-shackle, and the shackle will outlast this product by far.
As he is saying the hook will be forced down, you see the opposite during their destructive test @1:35. The end of the hook that would be attached to the end of the rope moves up first. Gravity will pull it down eventually but inertial forces will act as the physics dictates in the specific situation. Maybe it is good practice to hook one way or another. Better yet understand the limitations of each part in the system, proper and improper use of each part, mitigate risks with proper procedures and understand that the possibility of a misstep and or a failure is always possible. I've not studied the topic well enough to know if hooking up is good practice but if the industry is saying so because they, through destructive testing like the one in this video and experiences in the field, have found it to be more true than not that the hook will be driven down then the destructive test in this video shows use that we should consider that practice not as a definitive conclusion but as probable outcome that should still be mitigated just incase. I was recently introduced to this company and the fact that they are willing to show destructive tests of their products is impressive. I like how you all think. Very impressed so far with the lengths you seem to be going to design, manufacture and test products. I will certainly be considering your products if that holds to be true come time for purchasing.
I've been doing some research on this ever subject. I just bought a new winch, my first ever. Warn EVO VR 10S. And wanted to replace the ugly hook they provide. Now, the one constant in every application, is that there is always a secondary clasp, clevis or soft shackle used to attach the rope or strap. My question is, why use a hook or closed link at all? Why can I not go from eyelet to clevis or soft shackle to tow strap? How is it better/safer to go from eyelet to closed link to clevis or soft shackle to tow strap?
Hi Phillip. Great questions. For some users, that is exactly what our Loop Guard product is designed for. It is simply a storage device to keep the winch rope under tension while stored against the fairlead. When it comes time to set up your rigging, you simply remove the Loop Guard and attach your shackles or soft shackles. The UltraHook was designed for quick attaching needs found in offroad racing or for the Military or municipality customers. In those extreme, sometimes life-threatening situations, every second counts. So a quick attachment is necessary. But for most of us recreational offroaders it's simply not necessary as we have the time to set our rigging correctly and safely execute the recovery. We personally use the FlatLink E on almost every vehicle here for that exact reason, but some still find the convenience of a hook familiar and easy to use. That is why there is such a variety of products we manufacture. You can see more of the Loop Guard here. factor55.com/product/loop-guards/ If you have any further questions let us know! Fee free to reach us at sales@factor55.com or give us a call at 208-639-1674. Thanks!
Hi Mike and Justin just thought I'd let you know about a product called bogout made in Australia. I've been a fan of factor 55 for years and watch it all the time with lite brite so I thought I'd message you to see if I can get your idea and thoughts on a product called bogout. I am extremely interested in watching you guys test out this product to the extreme and giving me your open honest opinion on the product. I've been using this track myself for years but never used the actual product itself, I believe it is much safer and cancels out a lot of the use for kinetic energy recoveries or multiple vehicles being required. Would love to see an episode of you guys testing it out.
Properly rated steel shackles are the only way to go in my book. Sure the hook is fancy and shiny, but it does nothing better than a similarly-rated shackle, except for the convenience aspect, which frankly means nothing to me. I'd gladly take the "extra" step of threading the pins into a shackle given that the shackle will last forever, while your fancy little carabiner hook will wear out quite quickly in comparison. More moving parts and "features" just means there's more that can go wrong with it.
INF1D3L010 thanks for your comments. Most of us here use FlatLink Es on our vehicles and practice Closed System Winching with steel and synthetic shackles. The UltraHook was designed for the quick attachment needs of Ultra4 Racers and for Military, Law Enforcement, Fire/EMS, and SAR groups. It is rated twice as strong as conventional winch hooks provided by winch manufacturers and made and tested in USA. The UltraHook is not for everyone and we share your belief in that there is time to simply use a Shackle with one of our many other winch line shackle mount products. Thanks!
I agree. As a mechanical designer it is all properties of materials. They haven't mentioned anything about metal fatigue. Steel is strong from day one till forever. Aluminum fatigues and will fail eventually after it has been subjected to stresses.
@@Modzilla32 its sounds like youre just making a case against aluminum by cherry picking facts. You know when using aluminum or any material the design of a product is taylored around the material property. It seems the mfg took into account the properties of aluminum in this case. To your defense there are real issues with steel vs aluminum. Never depend on an aluminum product thats usage history cannot be vouched for as it can look ok but may fail under rated use from prior abuse.
Hi Neil, great question, the reason is 99% of the time the UltraHook will be stored on the fairlead in front of your winch. With the writing on the UltraHook in the orientation it is now, in order to read it correctly, this forces the user to have the UltraHook titanium mounting pin hole facing towards the ground. Why is that important? This will prevent water, mud, sand, road/trail debris, from building up inside the attachment hole and prevent any possible corrosion. If you look closely at the hook throat opening, it clearly states and shows a graphic to use the hook in the upwards position. "Hooking up" should be performed in any winch hook operation. It is the safest practice when using vehicle recovery winches with hooks, not just our hook, any hook. Why? If a failure were to happen it will shoot the hook towards the ground instead of back at the vehicle it is attached to. Please let us know if you have any other questions.
Ron Moore most winch lines have a thimble of some type creating the eyelet at the end of the line. Under heavy loads these thimbles are designed to collapse. When they collapse around a pin or bow end of a Shackle, the only way to remove this is resplicing the line or cutting the shackle. The 5/8 titanium double shear pin that most all of our winch line shackle mounts attach to, can still slide out easily even if the thimble collapses. You can view some photos of this in the FAQ on our website. The other problem is storage when not in use. All of our products come equipped with integrated rubber pads to all the product to be stored tightly against the fairlead surface protecting that surface from a metal on metal connection and also allowing your winch line to be stowed out of harms way until needed. Now let’s say you have a steel cable. And that steel cable has an eyelet that has no thimble in the end but the rope is simply crimped back to itself. Well then using a Shackle is more than ok. But how are you storing it? We offer a new product called the Loop Guard that could be perfect in this application and it’s only 67.00 USD. We have many options. We mostly use FlatLink Es. Thank you for your comment!
Ron Moore because of the pin diameter. A standard 3/4 Shackle has a pin diameter of 7/8 inch. The attachment titanium pin of our standard size shackle mount product line has a 5/8 or .625 inch pin.
Question: lets say you have this hook on your front bumper and you come to a rail road crossing and someone's stuck on the tracks. you get out and offer to winch/or pull them off the tracks using a tow strap. But as soon as you offer the guy the help, you hear a train coming. With very little time to react, the guy with the stuck car asks you to push him off the tracks since you have a steel front bumper with a bar. Here's my question.. would this hook be ok if it was on the front bumper of a Jeep when it pushes a stuck car off a rail road track. The likely hood of this happening is very slim to none I know, but it would be nice to know that the hook would be ok if you ever had to do such a task with very little time to react.
Absolutely. The UltraHook, like many of our products, is used on the front of Ultra4 race cars where they are literally driving them into rocks. You may scratch the powder coating depending on the color but the hook would be more than fine and operational. We would suggest using the UltraHook with a Rope Guard and carrying some soft shackles as they can be deployed in seconds, so the tow strap option could still work as well. Feel free to give us a call anytime and we can advise you with many techniques to use our products in many situations. M-F 8:30-5:30pm MST 208-639-1674
It is available through many European dealers like Xs4x4.parts, ASP-Eberle, Arctic Trucks, Euro4x4 Parts, etc Check your local 4x4 shop, they may be able to order one from many of our wholesale partners as well. Thank you!
@@Factor55 thank you, the difference between the price at Amazon.com for the hook and the local shop in the Netherlands is $348,12 for the Netherlands and 237,25 for Amazon. That is $110,87 difference. A lot of money.
No, it won’t. A 1/4-3/8 self locking USA made hook can cost anywhere from 140-200 USD and a USA made shackle between 24-40 USD. It’s not that much cheaper and then how would you store your winch line? The UltraHook is a fraction of the weight of heavy industrial rigging at only 32 oz and comes equipped, like all of our winch line shackle mounts, with integrated rubber pads to protect your fairlead from a metal to metal connection when not in use. Not only protecting your fairlead surface, but allows you to store your winch line behind the fairlead until ready to deploy it during a recovery operation. Protecting the line from trail debris and potential UV damage. The cost is high because we only use the highest quality Kaiser USA Made billet aluminum when machining our products and titanium double shear pins. If cost is an issue, we have options that start as low as 65.00 USD. All of us here personally use the FlatLink E on our vehicles. For more info please feel free to contact us anytime at 208-639-1674
captain seamus we agree. Our operations manager is a certified Crosby rigger and we have discussed this many times. The UltraHook was designed for single seat race car drivers and racing applications and for tactical or quick deployment life saving applications for our Military and Fire/SAR personal.
I like the bit where is doesn’t hurt the fairlead, but after that I don’t get it? Wide mouth standard ring hook goes onto the strop without a D shackle. Why have more metal in the line that one bit. Also, never seen a hook go, the rope goes first. (And we have our system proper abuse for ten years in competition)
Thank you for your comments. What types of hooks are you using? Larger yellow hooks perhaps, maybe ones that attach with a hammer lock joint? Most of those type of hooks are made for industrial rigging purposes. These hooks work well especially for competition, the only problem is weight and storage. The UltraHook was designed for all types of terrain and function. It weighs a third of most hooks and even half of a pound less than conventional winch hooks. Standard steel winch hooks that come on common winches are not rated and if tip loaded can open and yield far below their expected minimum breaking strength. The UltraHook is twice as strong as conventional winch hooks. The hooks you are referring to, common to GigglePin and Red Winches, are much stronger and better built than the hooks offered on domestic winches. Here's an example- Common 3/8" or 10mm diameter winch rope breaks between 18-22K lbs or 8-10 Kg. We have seen common winch hooks fail as early as 11K or 5 Kg. After lengthy talks with our friends at GigglePin, we have been working on a more "race specific" type hook that may be available later this year.
Yes big yellow hook. (but ring type) The only thing that dies is the gate, that takes some doing and you can buy new ones. The ring the ferrule goes through is big enough to take a D link as well.
Mr. Bluegrass yes, most all our shackle mount products work with steel cable and synthetic rope. If you have any other questions you can reach us at sales@factor55.com or 8-5pm M-F MST at 208-639-1674. Thanks!
We are working on much better distribution through South America. Check out Dakar Offroad in Venezuela. They carry stock of our products. You can also order direct from us too.
So when are these going to replace all their competition in the professional lifting, rigging and heavy recovery world? Why aren't Crosby management jumping out of windows?
For common lifting purposes, standard hooks remain a good safe product. Gravity continually pulls the load down into the saddle of the hook greatly reducing the chances of the load making contact to the safety latch mechanism. For horizontal pulling, especially in off-roading, it is common to experience tension and momentary slack. During these cycles it's common to have the safety latch get loaded and broken and the hook to come loose from the rigging.
We have many other options that are less expensive and may be better for your current build. We only use the FlatLink E here on our personal and company builds.
I guess I don't get it? Why add something to the system that is not necessary? Don't get me wrong. It looks really cool. Just don't forget to stow it away each time your away from your truck. That thing would be stolen in a second. My old rusty $9.00 shackle does the same thing and nobody will steal it. Love your stuff. Just can't afford them. Must be the cool factor.
Hi Peter, thanks for your comment. What are you adding to the system that not necessary? There are many ways to prevent the parts from being stolen. The UltraHook, as well as all of our winch line shackle mounts, has integrated rubber pads to protect the fairlead surface and store your winch line properly. 90% of its life, the hook will be living on the front of the fairlead and it’s imperative to keep the line safe and fairlead safe so when a recovery happens your gear is in top working order. We have many other options starting as low as 69.00. It’s far more than just a cool factor. If you have any specific questions please reach out to us at 208-639-1674 or come visit us at one of the many off-road events we attend. We have blem parts we sell from time to time and also offer Military and First Responder discounts as well.
The UltraHook is not for everyone. Mostly used by Military, Fire, SAR, and Offroad Racers. The soft shackle used in this test had torn fibers after this test, rendering this soft shackle useless. The soft shackle used stated an MBS at 32K, the UltraHook throat opening breaks at 31K but the UltraHook Closed System shackle tab breaks at 48K, far greater than the average soft shackle. If you intend to simply use a soft shackle at the end of your winch line, check out our Loop Guard product for a positive stop and full winch line storage and protection. factor55.com/product/loop-guards/
If I got this hook for my trail rig I would spray paint it black and put a Made in China sticker on it so people wouldn't know I paid $240.00 for a winch hook.
This question is covered under the FAQ on our website. factor55.com/faq/ Why doesn’t the end of my synthetic winch rope fit into my Factor 55 product? In some rare instances, especially on imported winch lines from China, the rope tube thimble may be slightly too thick to fit into the thimble openings of the ProLink or Flatlink products. These non-standard imported thimbles simply need to be modified to fit. In most cases simply using a hammer or shop press to flatten the tubing ever so slightly is all that is needed to make the thimble fit. This procedure will not compromise the strength of your synthetic rope in any way since these tube thimbles are made of a mild steel that is designed to bend under loading. If you need additional assistance with this process, feel free to call us and we can talk you through the process 208-639-1674 You can find some pictures and video that will better demonstrate how to fix this problem here factor55.com/faq/ Please let us know if you have any other questions and thank you for your business!
Fortunately for us who don’t spend $200 on a winch hook, you can just use a carabiner with a twist locking latch for $15 (Rated for the appropriate weight and force, too) about 20-25 Kn for a 3500 lbs winch (ATV) and so on.
Possibly? It could be technically feasible to find a suitable carabiner based on the strength of small UTV winches. However, this option would come with limitations as it could only be used with other steel rigging such as attaching it to bow shackles, and one would have to ensure that the straps can fit into the carabiner gate and you would have to consider violating the bend radius of synthetic rigging like soft shackles. Additionally, the storage of the carabiner would need to be considered, such as whether to run it up to the Fairlead or pull it in with rubber pucks, both of which have potential downsides such as tearing the pads or exposing the winch line to damage from UV and debris. Our products are different as they are made in the USA, tested, and rated as one piece, making them a one-time purchase that can be used with various readily available rigging accessories. They also come equipped with integrated rubber pads and additional rope guards that offer complete winch line protection. We also offer plenty of other solutions that are more affordable but still offer complete Closed System Winching safety. Have any further comments? Please contact us at sales@factor55.com or call 208-639-1674. We’d be happy to discuss options. Thanks!
@@Factor55 good points! I’m planning on using it for my ATV, so my options aren’t as limited. For heavier things like UTV’s and jeeps, you really gotta pay attention to force and weight limitations, if it’s gonna be dragging along the ground, going into salt water, etc. your product, from what I understand, is like a multi-tool. The one product for all your winching and strapping needs. Granted, to get all that engineering and certifications into it requires some kind of investment. That investment is passed onto the customer. But that won’t mean it won’t sell well. Just look at iPhones! (I’m typing on one rn!) if the person believes it’s a worthy investment for their future, then this is the ideal product! For me tho, I just keep it in storage on my atv in case I need to be towed out.
Gordon GMan Gordon GMan the UltraHook product is not for everyone. We have a wide variety of shackle mount products starting as low as 75.95 and all made in the USA. Give us a call anytime at 208-639-1674 if you have any questions.
'llo there. To obtain it from Hendersonville, Tennessee, États-Unis : Livraison : 17,20 USD (environ 15,75 EUR) International Priority Shipping vers France - Frais d'importation : 66,72 USD. So, 240 + 17 + 67... 320 $ !!! Seriously... same that GORDON... I'll pass. eric (from paris FRANCE). WOOHAA !!!
Hello Greencell French, again, the UltraHook product is not for everyone. We have a wide variety of shackle mount products starting as low as 75.95 and all made in the USA. You may also want to contact Euro4x4Parts.com or 2B PERFORMANCE to verify pricing. These are French Direct Authorized Dealers of Factor 55 products . Give us a call anytime at 208-639-1674 if you have any questions. Thanks
You know...you could just pass a screw-pin shackle, or better yet, a soft shackle, through the thimble already on end of the winch line...costs nothing, less weight to carry, one less potential point of failure, and one less potential projectile should something fail. But then there'd be nothing to sell, would there?
Thank you for your comments. Have you looked through the products on our website? That is exactly why we have our Loop Guards available. For those who only need a storage device for the end of the winch line. factor55.com/product/loop-guards/ If you read the comments below or our FAQ on our website you will see examples of why you should avoid using a steel shackle with the end of most types of winch rope. Again, we do not use the UltraHook on our personal vehicles. This product was designed for single seat race car drivers and for Military, Fire/SAR Operators. There are many less expensive and safer options we have available.
Thimbles at the ends of most common winch lines are designed to collapse under load. If you use a shackle at the end of a winch line and have a hard pull, the line will collapse around the shackle and you will need to cut and repair the line in order to to remove the shackle. You can review this in our FAQ on our website. factor55.com/faq/ Why cant I just run a shackle through the end of my winch line? Most thimbles are designed to collapse under hard pulls. When this happens trying to run a standard 3/4 shackle pin through the end of your winch line is impossible. The 5/8 titanium double shear pin that comes standard with our ProLink slides through with ease. Allowing your shackle to have a new safe and secure home on the front of your vehicle paired with our shackle mount. The integrated EPDM rubber boot allows the ProLink to be snugged tightly to your Fairlead preventing rattles and protecting your Fairlead from a metal to metal connection. Properly stowing your winch line behind the Fairlead protecting it from any vulnerability. Max Load: 16,000lbs Ultimate Strength: 40,000lbs Made in the USA
@@lewy1 that’s correct. They will collapse under load, but most common winch hooks have a much smaller diameter than the 7/8 pin diameter of common 3/4 screw pin shackles.
@@lewy1 please review some of the photos on our FAQ. You will see that the thimbles can collapse on the pin. Depending on the type of thimble and quality, will directly effect how bad a deformation can occur under heavy load. If you have any specific questions feel free to give us a call M-F 8-5:30pm MST and one of our engineers would be happy to speak with you. 208-639-1674 thanks!
When using a hook, whether ours or any conventional hook for vehicle winching, you should always maintain as little slack as possible and the hook opening should always be facing up. If any failure where to occur it will shoot the energy towards the ground instead of up in the air and back towards the vehicle or bystanders. Always hook up.
another solution to a problem that does not exist ,,, bet that pin is hard to find in the mud , in the dark at four in the morning with the rain going sideways and the ppolice waiting to open the road again ,,, and for the farkle factor alone ,,, im out.
Thanks for your comment. Have you read through the others below? The UltraHook in not for everyone. It was mainly designed for Military, SAR, and Ultra4 racing purposes. We make a wide variety of winch line terminations starting as low as $56.96. We use FLatLink E's on our company and personal vehicles. The UltraHook and and the rest of our winch line shackle mounts do solve many problems associated with the dangers of vehicle recovery.
@@Factor55 i think it could be great ,,, but iits just not there yet ,, bits that drop off instantly are a no no. pip pins dont like being wet and dirty for long , just my experience with them , i actually like pip pins , but not in this application. standard safety hooks is all we ever use , in thirty years or more , no problems ,,, but anything is better than an open hook , even a couple of frapping turns is better.
@@tomthompson7400 maybe there is a slight misunderstanding of the application of the ball detent pin in the body of the hook? It is not to be used every time when using the hook throat opening nor is it suggested or needed in most recovery scenarios. It was merely a design feature requested by Military/Fire EMS customers that have occasionally used their 12-18K winches to raise people up a cliff side etc. It is merely a double safety latch lock feature if the situation calls for it. It does not need to be used in order to safely and effectively use our UltraHook.
The UltraHook is not for everyone. Mostly used by Military, Fire, SAR, and Offroad Racers. It’s twice as strong as the conventional hook and lighter weight. Integrated rubber pads eliminate any metal to metal connection on the fairlead surface and allow your winch line to be stowed properly. We also manufacture many other products that are less expensive and can be used in a variety of different ways. Thanks!
deadmanprodinc $10 shackles have no ratings, are imported, and most we’ve tested fail between 14-16,000 lbs. sounds reasonable right? Except most start yielding just past 9K. The only shackles that should be used are tested and rated shackles. This is why we only sell USA made shackles. We have many other shackle mounts starting as low as 60.00. If you read though the comments here and our FAQ on our site you will find out even more information about this very subject. Thanks
It shattered like glass when he put a load on it What’s the WLL? What safety factor does it have? Most likely something a millennial would buy for his urban Jeep I’ll take my Crosby shackles over this anytime
Scott B shattered like glass? The UltraHook has been consistently destructively tested over 31,000 lbs at the hook opening and over 48,000 lbs at the shackle tab. 3 to 1 safety factor and works perfectly with Crosby Shackles. 🇺🇸
L Jordan, Thank you for your comment. The UltraHook is designed for Military, SAR, FIRE/EMS, Law Enforcement and Racing purposes. Used all over the world by professional trainers and public safety workers. It is one of the most expensive products we manufacture because it is made from USA made Kaiser Billet 7075 Aluminum Alloy. Made buy American machinists using American materials. Tested, rated, and the safest winch hook in the world. We have many other options of shackle mounts available starting as low as 59.95. The UltraHook is not for everyone and like we've mentioned in the comments below, we mostly use FlatLink E's on our personal vehicles. For those that use the UltraHook it has helped increase safety for our Military members and for municipalities when quick attachments are necessary. It may be considered expensive and again we offer many options to increase winching safety at a lower price, but we can assure you that the UltraHook is far from junk.
Great! Thanks for watching. Then you should know The UltraHook was designed for off-road racing purposes and for our Military and tactical customers. The UltraHook still possesses some of the shortfalls of a conventional winch hook but what it does feature is a safety clasp that is repairable, it’s twice as strong compared to the conventional hooks found on most winches, it’s lighter weight, it has integrated rubber pads for winch line storage, and the only hook in the world to feature the Closed System shackle mount as well. We personally use the FlatLink E product or Multimount on our personal rigs but for those customers that need something when seconds matter this is the safest winch hook in the world. For more information on this part or any of our products feel free to call us anytime at 208-639-1674
