Field Review: Mile Marker Rhino Pull 1000 - by OutdoorX4

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Mile Marker’s Rhino Pull 1000 - Portable Reliability Everywhere

Have you ever ridden down a trail and been stopped by a downed tree, lacking the appropriate gear to remove it or a vehicle that isn’t a full-fledged expedition grade? Or maybe you’ve need to lift an item vertically and a regular pulley system just didn’t cut it. What do you do? Well, that’s where portable winches come into play. Though there is a variety of options available, Mile Marker has come out with a product that stands out from the others on the market. Many portable winches either require a drill or are corded units, which doesn’t really work when you’re far from a wall outlet.

The Winch

The Rhino Pull 1000, on the other hand, is a complete all-in-one unit. Everything you need to get started comes in the box. Winch, charger, battery, and wireless remote. The unit is sized nicely—at just under 17 lbs., it’s not too heavy. The controls are simple with a single trigger for operation and a forward and backward switch to make direction changes of the line. The included wireless remote allows for operation from up to 50 feet away. If the batteries in the remote happen to go dead, you can still use the winch with the included cord. It is equipped with a synthetic line that measures about ¼ inch and is rated to 1000 lbs., and the line length is 39 feet, so there’s plenty to get the job done. The quality of the unit is very nice with a robust construction. Additionally, the Rhino Pull 1000 is priced at $499, a cost of entry comparable to other portable winches on the market.

IMPRESSIONS

I’ll admit I had never heard of the company Mile Marker before, but after reading about them and their experience in the field of winches (not to mention having the only hydraulic winch approved for use on military Humvees), I felt that I had to see what this little winch could do. While using it on some downed trees when I was out on the trails, I was surprised at how it pulled them along with relative ease. Now if you came across some REALLY big timber, things might be a bit slower; but even with a normal winch that would be the case. Adding a snatch block into the mix would give it some more pulling power if needed. However, one of the downsides is it doesn’t have a clutch to engage or disengage the spool which makes spooling out the line tedious. At the same time, I understand why it doesn’t, since that would take up more space and add weight. Just don’t be in a hurry when trying to winch–you shouldn’t be when doing that type of work anyway.

Another thing that I find a little cumbersome is that when charging the battery for the winch, it needs to be in the unit with the wall cable attached. The flipside is the batteries charge quickly which is good. I have read of some people’s batteries not lasting very long, but I haven’t personally had that issue yet. It might be worth getting an extra. What I love about this winch is that it has so many different uses.

If you have a roof top tent or other equipment on the roof of your vehicle, this would make either installing or removing them so much easier, especially if you’re unable to find a helping hand. If you like to hunt and you have some bigger game, this would make getting that 8-point buck into the bed of your truck just that much easier.

And if you’re thinking that you don’t need one because you have a main winch, well don’t totally write it off. With the many ways in which it can be utilized, I still see it as a good investment because a winch on your bumper can’t be taken off and used around the house or on a job site (at least not very easily).

With its size and adaptability to different jobs, I see the Rhino Pull 1000 by Mile Marker as a very valuable tool to have in your kit. The more I think about how I can use it, the more I wonder why I didn’t have a portable winch sooner. All in all, the Rhino Pull 1000 is a great portable winch with a variety of uses that stands up to any demands put on it.

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