I don't post here much but figure I'll give it a try today. Ive searched and looked a several photos and read reviews on the warn 8274 and am kinda drawn to it. There is one for sale locally at a decent price and I'm reaching out to mud for advise. I have a 96 80 series with a ARB standard bumper. From what I've learned there has to be modification to either the grill or the bumper and possibly both to make it work. I have access to pretty much anything that I will need to make these modifications and a person that is very capable. So for those of you that have an 8274, are they worth it over another option? Specifically those who have one on an 80 series. Thanks in advance, Rick
Talk me into or out of an m8274 winch (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter taco162
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I have no regrets. Great winch.
RFB
97 FZJ80 LIFTED SC DUAL BATTERIES,37s
I want one as they are real deal no plastic frills etc. and bear in mind I have a new 12k syn Id get it JMo and make the mods. thats my 2 piece of thinnly clad in copper zincs discs
LFD2037
TEXAS LEXUS!
But it's only rated for 8K lbs!!! 
I just bought one on craigs list. I like the fact that they are very easy to customize the motor and the drum width and diameter. With a wider drum and a skinnier mandrel you could have a very powerful winch that's holds a lot of line. Tomorrow I am going to try and mount mine behind and possibly poking out the top of my stock bumper. There are not a lot of options for bumpers. The 4x4 labs bumper would be nice but it blocks the radiator pretty good.
@Jason hansen it was impressive winch what bumper you going with? We will be over Moab as soon as it cools down! That winch is the s***
The 8274 is kind of like the land cruiser of the winch world.
- Thread starter
- #8
Thanks for all the replies. If the cost were the same it would be a no brainier. At this point I'm still negotiating price but I'm about at the half price from new range. I've been told that it is a circa 2008 and appears to be in great condition. Oh and not really paying attention to the 8,000lb rating.
I have been told that the 8000 lbs rating is very conservative.
For now I am going to put my 8274 behind the stock bumper. I may build a bumper and put some 4x4 labs wings on the sides if they sell them separate. Today I am going to try and mount the winch, will post pics.
You can get old 8274 winches for a few hundred bucks. They aren't hard to rebuild and they can be upgraded to whatever your budget and dreams allow. While rated at 8k lbs, really it's more like 10k ish. With a little modification you can increase that quite a bit.
I'm a big fan of the 8274 (having owned and used one for almost 35 yrs.).
I don't hold it up to be the perfect winch for all folks under all conditions, but for most applications (where an 8K-10K winch is adequate) it would be hard to beat. They pull hard, they pull fast...and they LAST!
Below is an excerpt from testing on a variety of winches (somewhat dated but still applicable) that echos my experience and sentiments for the 8274.
Tug of War: The Ultimate 12v Winch Test
Warn M8274-50 $1,872 (Editor’s Choice Award)
Warn 8274
"The M8274-50 enjoys legendary status around the globe, and has seen decades of use and abuse while championing the concepts of simplicity, durability, timeless design, and astonishing performance. Like the Superwinch, the 8274 is a Camel Trophy veteran.
Commonly referred to as the “Eighty two seventy four,” this winch is somewhat unique in that it mounts foot-forward: The mounting feet are bolted to a vertical plate at the front of the vehicle. In contrast to the other winches in this test, where the load is concentrated on the mounting feet, the foot-forward mount concentrates the load on the plate and bumper, and not so much on the winch. The gears and brake are assembled in a stacked position on one side of the drum, resulting in the upright design. While these attributes have structural and performance advantages, they limit mounting possibilities on many vehicles. The high profile is at home on 4WDs such as older Land Rovers, Land Cruisers, Patrols, Jeeps, and G-Wagens. But I rarely see 8274s on trucks such as Tacomas, 4Runners, Monteros, Troopers, Frontiers, or Xterras unless the vehicles are highly modified.
The 8274 uses heavy-duty spur gears with a 134:1 ratio, along with a large brake, all of which are located to one side of the drum. The external, ratcheting disc brake mechanism is stout and can always be visibly (and audibly) monitored, and it keeps the drum free from the heat that drum brakes can produce. The drum is 3.5 inches in diameter, will hold up to 150 feet of winch line (50 percent more than most winches), and free-spools easily
The published no-load line speed for the 8274 is 73.4 feet per minute, but we recorded a blistering 100 fpm using 3/8-inch rope on the first couple of layers on the drum. Speed like this is obviously handy when you’re in a hurry, so it’s no surprise to see these winches by the dozen at competition events. It’s also appreciated by those who need to winch often or assist many vehicles in a group. Even under load the M8274-50 is fast—the fastest winch of the test by a wide margin, recording speeds of 31 fpm pulling the camper and trailer up the paved incline, and 27 fpm on the two consecutive Unimog pulls (almost as fast as the no-load speed of the Husky 10).
However, the impressive speed comes at the cost of amperage draw: The 8274 drew some of the highest numbers of the group. For this reason, I’d recommend a good charging system (such as we had on the Jeep JK) and a very healthy battery for extended winching sessions. For average use, the higher draw isn’t much of a concern, since the fast speed means the motor runs for a shorter period. Despite the high amp draws, the winch remained cool, barely breaking a sweat on the Unimog test as the motor reached just 118°F after the second pull. Overall performance was excellent; the winch pulled strongly, quickly, and had no trouble passing the load rating verification test at 8,000 lbs."
I don't hold it up to be the perfect winch for all folks under all conditions, but for most applications (where an 8K-10K winch is adequate) it would be hard to beat. They pull hard, they pull fast...and they LAST!
Below is an excerpt from testing on a variety of winches (somewhat dated but still applicable) that echos my experience and sentiments for the 8274.
Tug of War: The Ultimate 12v Winch Test
Warn M8274-50 $1,872 (Editor’s Choice Award)
Warn 8274
"The M8274-50 enjoys legendary status around the globe, and has seen decades of use and abuse while championing the concepts of simplicity, durability, timeless design, and astonishing performance. Like the Superwinch, the 8274 is a Camel Trophy veteran.
Commonly referred to as the “Eighty two seventy four,” this winch is somewhat unique in that it mounts foot-forward: The mounting feet are bolted to a vertical plate at the front of the vehicle. In contrast to the other winches in this test, where the load is concentrated on the mounting feet, the foot-forward mount concentrates the load on the plate and bumper, and not so much on the winch. The gears and brake are assembled in a stacked position on one side of the drum, resulting in the upright design. While these attributes have structural and performance advantages, they limit mounting possibilities on many vehicles. The high profile is at home on 4WDs such as older Land Rovers, Land Cruisers, Patrols, Jeeps, and G-Wagens. But I rarely see 8274s on trucks such as Tacomas, 4Runners, Monteros, Troopers, Frontiers, or Xterras unless the vehicles are highly modified.
The 8274 uses heavy-duty spur gears with a 134:1 ratio, along with a large brake, all of which are located to one side of the drum. The external, ratcheting disc brake mechanism is stout and can always be visibly (and audibly) monitored, and it keeps the drum free from the heat that drum brakes can produce. The drum is 3.5 inches in diameter, will hold up to 150 feet of winch line (50 percent more than most winches), and free-spools easily
The published no-load line speed for the 8274 is 73.4 feet per minute, but we recorded a blistering 100 fpm using 3/8-inch rope on the first couple of layers on the drum. Speed like this is obviously handy when you’re in a hurry, so it’s no surprise to see these winches by the dozen at competition events. It’s also appreciated by those who need to winch often or assist many vehicles in a group. Even under load the M8274-50 is fast—the fastest winch of the test by a wide margin, recording speeds of 31 fpm pulling the camper and trailer up the paved incline, and 27 fpm on the two consecutive Unimog pulls (almost as fast as the no-load speed of the Husky 10).
However, the impressive speed comes at the cost of amperage draw: The 8274 drew some of the highest numbers of the group. For this reason, I’d recommend a good charging system (such as we had on the Jeep JK) and a very healthy battery for extended winching sessions. For average use, the higher draw isn’t much of a concern, since the fast speed means the motor runs for a shorter period. Despite the high amp draws, the winch remained cool, barely breaking a sweat on the Unimog test as the motor reached just 118°F after the second pull. Overall performance was excellent; the winch pulled strongly, quickly, and had no trouble passing the load rating verification test at 8,000 lbs."
LFD2037
TEXAS LEXUS!
No doubt it is one of the, if not the, best winches in the world for off reading. As well it should be for the price tag. They are built like brick s*** house and are faster than Sugar Ray! Destroyed used ones around here still go for ~$600+ and they'll need a FULL rebuild.
John McVicker
SILVER Star
Me & the wife also are planning a Moab trip this fall...lets keep in touch.
I have to say though I am proud of myself for not just ripping and tearing and trying to make it work and ending up with an abortion. So now I will probably end up getting a 4x4 labs bumper made for the 8274 and spend some time rebuilding and powder coating this winch.
It can slide behind the front bumper, but the grill will need to be removed and/or cut to fit. Also the transmission cooler may be in the way as well. My plan is to remove my m8000 which is inside the stock bumper, and build a plate/bracket to mount the 8274.
My 8274 requires attention before I can build my winch mount. And I'm undecided whether or not to build a stinger or grille protector while I'm there, which will lead to a tube bumper hidden inside the stock bumper. I'm all about stealth. Although the winch motor hanging out in front of the grille won't be very stealth at all.
For anyone considering an 8274 the one modification I would consider mandatory is an Albright solenoid. An optional but recommended upgrade would be to replace the steel cable with synthetic line.
LINUS
Waiting for the Great Pumpkin
Warn has made very few 'meh' winches - so esp if you can get that one for a fair price, awesome!
It will help if you're both mechanically inclined to doa rebuild on that, as well as have a welder.
If you can't get it reasonably, a used Warn M12K of your local CL is nothing to sneeze at, or a Zeon now that we are seeing a few in the used market now.
Zeon may be more for us Northerners who have our gear wet from late Sept to early June, continuously.
It will help if you're both mechanically inclined to doa rebuild on that, as well as have a welder.
If you can't get it reasonably, a used Warn M12K of your local CL is nothing to sneeze at, or a Zeon now that we are seeing a few in the used market now.
Zeon may be more for us Northerners who have our gear wet from late Sept to early June, continuously.
I'm new to the 8274 and have a used one I picked up I will eventually go through. Can you tell me more about the solenoid? Thanks!
