Winch bars?

yes

or you can just get a piece of 2" cast iron pipe at Home Depot/Lowes. (they'll cut it for free, but threading costs money). Buy a 10' piece, get 3 or 4 pieces out of it, sell the others, profit

 

Yes and no. Sometimes it can be a pain getting that end onto a binder to undo it, or off a binder after tightening it. However, when you are undoing a tight binder using a bar, that end allows the binder to snap open without trying to rip the bar out of your hands. It does tend to make that safer and easier to deal with. For tightening binders just a pipe end (like what I'm assuming is what you are saying you are using) works just fine, might even be slightly easier at times.

 

Yes. I still prefer the standard straight pipe bar over the one designed for snap binders.

While the straight pipe dosn't provide the same amount of leverage, it is more solid and less prone to slippage at odd angles. The angle you pull from dosn't matter as much with the straight pipe.

 

If you've ever seen a pipe go flying uncontrollably, you'll appreciate the bar with square opening designed for snaps. And maybe you'll dream about that new square ended bar while your unconscious on the ground from having your jaw broken by that pipe.

Yeah, I'm a fan of the correct and "safer" bar.

 

If you let go, or your grip slips from the bar before the binder snaps shut, it is going to fly no matter what type of bar you use.

The bar with the "square" end will only be able to come free if it can travel faster than the binder handle. If the binder handle is the force flinging the bar, the bar will never be able to pass the binder handle.

I don't see how it's safer. It could give you more leverage as it would be longer, but that's it.

 

Most of the bars I've seen go flying were when a really tight binder is being released by a pipe style bar. Not when the binder is being tightened.

 

That makes sense.