Questions to ask when buying a used winch

[scuzy]

What questions would you suggest asking someone selling a used winch? And what kind of an inspection would you do when looking it over? I have never been in the market before and am considering used to keep costs down as much as possible. And this almost seems like a stupid thing to ask but is there a list of winches compatible with an ARB or is there room for just about anything? (not received mine yet but hopefully this weekend).

Thanks
Adam

 

[MyTwoToys]

Everyone I talk to swears by the Warn 8472. It is rated for 8000lb from what I am told but pulls much heavier than that. If you can find one at a reasonable price there are some great tutorials on you tube for these. If you find one in mint shape folks are looking for $1500. I found one in my area for $600 which is not too bad. I think you can get a kit to rebuild it for about $125. Hope this helps. Happy Wheeling. 72 FJ-40

 

[MyTwoToys]

Sorry, I meant to say 8274.

 

[80t0ylc]

The 80 series standard ARB winch bumper is not made for the Warn 8274 winch. I believe there are a few that have modified the bumper to adapt the winch, but the bumper was made for planetary winches. Also, I think the commercial version of the ARB can run the 8274.

 

[subzali]

ARB's website tells you which winches are compatible with their various different bumpers. For an 80 I'd personally be looking for a 12k winch, though some get by with 8 or 9k winches. Unless the winch is still hooked up to a battery it's a little hard to tell the condition apart from its external appearance. Ask about usage, maintenance, etc. you can visually assess the condition of the cable and electrical solenoids and wiring. FYI I got my 8274 for $300 and all it needed was an oil change and a new plug to get it working. It could use some more maintenance though to make sure it's 100%