Winch Wishing...

[Bounty__Hunter]

Tried and true Warn 8274 here, picked it up for $100. Contacted Warn with the date code and it was manufactured in '75, almost as old as I am. The motor was seized from sitting, after breaking it loose it works like a champ. Gears are in great shape, they still make parts for it, and it's a workhorse. It has a no-load line speed of about 75ft a minute, so winding the entire 150ft of rope takes no time at all. There is some inherent run-on after letting go of the switch, so between that and the line speed you really need to watch what you're doing. They want a small fortune for the new 8274's, but would be well worth it IMO.

 

[SteelHeadz]

Warn fan here as well. Had it for years and has pulled cars out of ditches, trucks and Jeeps out of mudpits and pulled a lot of tree stumps out. Still works like a champ. I recently refurbished it and thanks to the Warn support staff, they provided me with the decals free of charge.

 

[robo83]

how big? 6000lb, 8000lb, more?

ive heard to take the weight of your jeep and double it for winch size, mine weighs a little less than 4000 lbs so an 8000 lb winch would do for me. but im like you all i can do is wish...

 

[dempsy1]

found this one seems like a good deal

M8000 Self-Recovery Winch

 

[originalrider41]

Definitely get a winch, I sucked it up and got a Superwinch a while ago over the Smittybuilt or other cheap brands and I'm extremely glad I did. It has pulled me, and others, out of holes I never thought it could. Unfortunately it did fail and I am in the process of sending it back. So far customer service seems to be good but we'll see when its all finished.

Yes the come-along is less expensive but the winch is stronger, easier, and faster. It has been the back up for only a week and I miss the winch A LOT.

 

[phall92139]

how big? 6000lb, 8000lb, more?

ive heard to take the weight of your jeep and double it for winch size, mine weighs a little less than 4000 lbs so an 8000 lb winch would do for me. but im like you all i can do is wish...

IMHO an 8,000 lb. winch would be minimum. My preference would be 9,500 lb. While it is true that most recommendations for winch size are based upon either th 1 1/2 or 2 times vehicle weight, this is totally misleading because many, many recovery situations will far exceed those figures. Is your rig sunk to the axles in mud? Are you trying to winch over large rocks up a waterfall? Is your rig damaged to the point of adding to rolling resistance?

**ATTENTION WINCH OWNERS OR PROSPECTIVE OWNERS**​

A MUST READ for anyone contemplating using a winch for vehicle recovery should absolutely, without a doubt, read Billavista's Recovery Bible, located in the Tech Section of Pirate 4x4 at Pirate4x4.Com - Extreme Four Wheel Drive

It's a bit long and you will learn more than you ever wanted to know about winching but you will not regret it.

 

[jfrabat]

Another thing to consider is that the winch rating is ussually for the first layer; if it turns out you need to winch all the way to the 3rd layer, the winch will have significantly less pulling power. How much less will depend on the brand and model of the winch; for example, my superwinch is 9K pounds rated, but at the third layer, it pulls about as much as the Warn M8000, which is why I decided to go to the 9K winch. Cheaper winches will fall even fastr...

 

[dvdmacdaddy]

We've got a Ramsey 8500 works great, never had a problem with it, love it.

 

[Ggg]

Another vote for Ramsey here, I have a rep8000, and a RE12000 the latter is 20 years old and never let me down. I also have a Koenig PTO and it ROCKS, came with 1/2" cable I have no idea the rating but it is way more than my 12,000.

 

[mikep]

Take a look at the Bulldog good price and works great for me

 

[pizaba]

heres a newb question, when i get the chance to have a wench. is it smarter to have it on the front or back? on the concept of i'm stuck and can't get out on my own... with my luck i would have the wench on the front and the only trees are behind me or vise versa. sorry if this is a dumb question

 

[phall92139]

If they have a winch at all, 99% of the Jeeps you'll see on the trail will have the winch mounted up front. It's probably more a thing of "direction" rather than anchor points. Typically we are winching over, up, or through something. With front wheel steering it is easier to control and guide the rig as well.

As for anchor points, my winch has 125' of cable, I carry a 50' extension, 20' of 3/8" Grade 70 chain, a 30' and 20' recovery straps, 5 shackles and 2 snatch blocks...I typically can find something to hook to. However, on those rare ocassions when there is just nothing suitable available, I rely on my big, heavy and bodacious Pull-Pal (spade-type land anchor) to get me out.

As for winching backwards I know Warn sells a portable winch mount that attaches to a 2-inch receiver and extended power leads so that you can move a winch from front to rear, or whatever. I've just never seen anyone actually use this setup though.