Overland Winch Test? (1 Viewer)

[Sprockett]

Is there a way to get a hold of this issue still are is it online somewhere? I'm trying to make a winch decision and 3 of the winches I'm considering are in the article.

I was surprised how hard it is to find the article online by now

 

[Southeast Overland]

I think this is the issue and you can purchase a copy at the link on the bottom of the page.

Gear 2009 | Overland Journal

 

[Master Pull]

Four Wheeler did a winch test recently, the results should be posted up soon. They tested some budget brand winches and some high quality ones too I believe.

-Alex

 

[Sprockett]

Anyone who's read it want to spill the beans on results? I suspect there was no real clear winner/loser?

 

[Kigiin]

I have the issue but can't recall the winner - want me send it to you?

 

[Sprockett]

Well, I decided I don't think I have time to wait for the back issue as I'm trying to make a decision on a bumper right away. I was just going to go with another 8274 but if you have some sort of soft copy I could read over that would be helpful.

 

[PFDD]

I'm on the road this week, but I have the issue. As I recall the 8274 was still the recommended editor's choice. There were the typical pros/cons for each tested, but the thing that stuck out to me was the Warn Endurance 12.0 drum crushed during testing and the winch was effectively belly up. No surprise that there were mitigating circumstances; the Warn mount wasn't used, they used Viking Trail line (I think) and Warn claims that their winches over 10K (I think) aren't recommended for use with synthetic lines except theirs that has supposedly greater heat sheathing on the inner wrap or two. Can't remember if it was the Ramsey Patriot or the Superwinch that also was pretty decent, but the bottom line is that if you have space for the 8274, it still seems to be the darling of many. I can check on the issue when I'm back home on Thursday if you don't have a more definitive response by then.

 

[Sprockett]

I appreciate it PFDD. In the end, the only other winch I am still considering is now the new Super Winch Talon series. There's a lot of things I like about the design. Waterproof, brake not in the drum, spur gears. The cost seems very cheap with the synthetic line and alum fairlead included. Unproven winch I suppose however? Hatrd to get information.

I want to buy new and start off with a history I know this time around and a new 8274 really seems like a luxury that hard to justify. Could be $2000 after going synthetic.

 

[1911]

Here is the article on the interwebs:Tug of War: The Ultimate 12v Winch Test

No reason to buy a brand-new 8274, you can buy them used and working for less than $500 and rebuild them yourself quite easily. Flintknapper has a great re-building thread and Ishobie has a re-building video right here in this forum.

 

[lshobie]

I'd buy a used 8274 over any new winch on the market for what I do, I highly doubt these winches that claim to be waterproof truly are. The 8274 is like a baseline vehicle, you can buy it as is or upgrade the s*** out of it as your needs dictate. Mods are endless on the 8274, everything else - well, nough said.

 

[Jetboy]

Why has nobody made a clone of the 8274? It's a simple design. The Patents have surely expired. I'm surprised no-one has made a similar model or a crappy chinese clone.

I have one on my cruiser. I'm a big fan. Not sure I'd buy a knock off, but I do think $2k is kinda spendy. I wonder why we don't see a Ramsey or Superwinch spur gear model.

 

[lshobie]

Jetboy I was just thinking the same thing, in fact the 8274 could actually be made much better with some simple changes. I was told that Warn was going to discontinue the 8274 and then just jacked up the price to see what the market would bear - and the market says 2K is just fine for that winch - unfortunately.

I'm not even sure that if it were made in china that it would turn out crappy. As it stands now many winch motors are chinese and work well, an aluminum case - pretty straight forward, some big lunky gears - pretty easy - they make all the winch rope in china now so bob's your uncle.

I contacted a manufacturer on Alibaba and I was told that if they had an example of a product that they could make a working protype within a week and then full scale production in less than a month at how ever many thousand a month I wanted - not for a winch but a 4X4 related item.

 

[Southeast Overland]

...they make all the winch rope in china now so bob's your uncle.

You are incorrect. Many winch lines are still made in America. Samson Rope manufactures Amsteel Blue (and many other lines including the type Southeast Overland uses in it's tow ropes) in the good 'ole US of A. Amsteel Blue lines are a heavy player in synthetic winch lines and currently the only synthetic winch line that Southeast Overland will put it's name on.

 

[Jetboy]

I have a HF 8klb chinese winch on my 4runner that I use for my home-built snow plow https://forum.ih8mud.com/95-gen-toyota-trucks/439163-3rd-gen-4runner-homemade-snow-plow.html

Works great for that purpose and the speed of an 8274 would actually be a major problem in this case. However, I would buy a second copy of the 8274 for the back side of my cruiser I could buy a new clone for $800 or something like that. I'd imagine if I can buy the one I've got for $250, an 8274 knockoff could be marketed for well under $1k.

I'd also love to see a light version of an 8274 where the pull might be 6k lbs and the spool only hold 50 feet of line and it would weigh half as much. That would be perfect for a lot of light weight vehicles.

 

[lshobie]

Hmm, thought amsteel blue was farmed out - any day you learn something is a good day!

 

[Sprockett]

Thanks a lot for posting that link 1911.

 

[1911]

Thanks a lot for posting that link 1911.

You're welcome. I "liberated" it from another thread here on mud.

 

[Mike54]

You are incorrect. Many winch lines are still made in America. Samson Rope manufactures Amsteel Blue (and many other lines including the type Southeast Overland uses in it's tow ropes) in the good 'ole US of A. Amsteel Blue lines are a heavy player in synthetic winch lines and currently the only synthetic winch line that Southeast Overland will put it's name on.

Amsteel is actually made from Dyneema which is Dutch

 

[e9999]

that winch test in 4wheeler was a bit odd. The testing was pretty good and revealing in some ways actually, like the dunking tests. But they had a couple of DoA winches, which is disturbing but good to know. And more bizarrely, their scoring system put a huge weight on fluff things like packaging, labeling, etc and very little on actual operation. And of course, like most of these tests -and admittedly it's not easy- nothing on long-term reliability which is the main thing for most buyers I assume.

 

[Master Pull]

Amsteel is actually made from Dyneema which is Dutch

Yes the fibers originally came from the Netherlands, but DSM has had a factory in North Carolina for at least half a decade where many of the fibers are made today.

Many of our lines still come from Europe because they can manufacture a product nobody in the US can.

-Alex