Just like any other industry, the 4X4 industry is prone to trends: things that come into fashion for a period of time, and become very popular.
I got a delivery from the USA a little while ago, and it might just be the next trend. It’s from a manufacturer called Factor 55, and its called the Hitchlink 2.0.
It’s made from 6000 series aluminium, and is anodised and powdercoated. It is marked with a maximum load of 9,500 pounds (4,309 kg), testing by the makers have deduced that the link fails at 51,000 pounds (23,100kgs), so the 9,500 pound rating has a safety factor of 5. The cool thing is that it weighs less than 1 kilogram.
It fits your standard sized tow hitch and 4.7T shackle, and looks a little bit flash. Factor 55 also make some pretty cool gear that replaces the hook on your winch, so stay tuned for a review of that in the near future.
The Hitchlink is worth around $80 from the USA. For more information, go to www.factor55.com
