We’ve all heard the saying “you get what you pay for,” but how many of us have heard the saying, “you may pay for what you don’t get?”
Odds are you haven’t heard this saying because it doesn’t exist, but when it comes to the subject of Recovery Gear, it probably should. Each year, vast numbers of off-road consumers shop for bargains on new recovery gear, and the aftermarket is happy to oblige with a barrage of cheap, brightly-colored recovery products that quickly attract the unknowing consumer.
What’s the problem with this? Simply, these products often lack the appropriate materials, engineering, features, and lab-proven load ratings to merit their use in offroad vehicle recoveries. The consequence is that unknowing consumers buy these products and unwittingly put themselves at risk each time they use them. This is due to the increased likelihood of catastrophic failure from these inferior products – which may not be able to handle the massive forces being applied to them during a vehicle recovery. These failures can lead to serious injury and even death, typically caused when these broken products (straps, ropes, anchor shackles and snatch-blocks) fly through the air and strike people. In fact, the forces can be so severe that these products can literally smash through automotive windshields and body panels, striking the occupants inside.
Sadly, You Tube is full of examples, but the antidote to many of these life-threatening failures could/should have been simple education. Had the consumers of this cheap Recovery Gear done some research before making their purchase, they could have come to understand the inherent dangers of off-road vehicle recovery, and the value of spending more on Recovery Gear that is truly built for the task.
Sure, quality Recovery Gear is expensive, but no one should end up “paying” for what they didn’t get. So, regardless of which brand of Recovery Gear you buy, put your safety first and spend more for Recovery Gear that contains the proper materials, engineering, features, and lab-proven load ratings. You will never regret this added expense.
