What to get, Snorkel or winch? (7 Viewers)

[bowyer2002]

I don't offroad too much, my truck is more set up for expedition travel (even that doesn't get done often enough).
Mostly my truck is my DD (or my road bike ) and used for hunting, camping & fishing trips.

I am considering a winch and snorkel as $$ allows.

I want the snorkel for looks mostly since I dont plan on any DEEP creek crossings soon. But I do regularly drive on gravel roads that can be quite dusty. (I found one for $100 less than I have ever seen advertised!)

OR

Do I get the winch which I could actually use if I get stuck or to help un-stuck others and not sacrifice my engine or transmission with the load. Winch has a cool factor too!

 

[5280Hawk]

I think you answered your own question...








Winch.

Plus its fun to unstuck helpless citizens.

 

[bowyer2002]

Yeah, I know like I should be able to make this decision on my own but still wanted input - so thanks so far.

I may buy the snorkel first since it is at a good price then just save up for the winch.

PLUS the snorkel looks cool from far away, cruising down the highway!

 

[MOfj40]

snorkel = tree limb magnet. They don't look nearly as cool hanging in pieces from the front fender. Unless you're flooding the passenger compartment with water or doing REALLY dusty driving (ie desert) it falls into the same category as chrome.

If you're concerned about dust, buy a quality filtration oriented filter. This does NOT include K&N, BMC, Fram Air Hog, etc.

winch will get you home. winch will get your buddies home. winch will get the stranger you run across on the trail home. winch will open little used trails blocked by fallen trees. winch will keep you from tearing up existing trails by using too much skinny pedal.

 

[KingBeeIII]

snorkel = tree limb magnet. They don't look nearly as cool hanging in pieces from the front fender. Unless you're flooding the passenger compartment with water or doing REALLY dusty driving (ie desert) it falls into the same category as chrome.

If you're concerned about dust, buy a quality filtration oriented filter. This does NOT include K&N, BMC, Fram Air Hog, etc.

winch will get you home. winch will get your buddies home. winch will get the stranger you run across on the trail home. winch will open little used trails blocked by fallen trees. winch will keep you from tearing up existing trails by using too much skinny pedal.

Sounds like some great words of wisdom there.

 

[WristPin]

snorkel = tree limb magnet. They don't look nearly as cool hanging in pieces from the front fender. Unless you're flooding the passenger compartment with water or doing REALLY dusty driving (ie desert) it falls into the same category as chrome.

If you're concerned about dust, buy a quality filtration oriented filter. This does NOT include K&N, BMC, Fram Air Hog, etc.

winch will get you home. winch will get your buddies home. winch will get the stranger you run across on the trail home. winch will open little used trails blocked by fallen trees. winch will keep you from tearing up existing trails by using too much skinny pedal.

Except for my snowrk'l. I made it. used 3" exahust pipe wth 18GA wall. Tuff stuff. its a limb killer, not a victim. unlike the plastic junk you buy from the interwebs.

Buy a winch. buy a WARN if you buy anything LESS than a WARN you may as well stay in the mall parking lot.

 

[bowyer2002]

Thanks for the info....

winch will be ordered - what about superwinch vs. warn?

i'm thinking #8000lbs for the taco

BTW - I just sold my K & N on ebay and went with OEM filter from Cruiser Dan!

 

[WristPin]

I searched pirate on winches in the 79-95 truck section. there was many threads, and a few long ones all about the best winch out there.
One had a poll. and it was one of the really long threads.
The conclusion I came to is that there no other winch worth buying but a warn. and 80% of those who swear by warn swear by the 8274. its a monster. may be too big for you. but its the one I am currently searching for.

buy a warn. so some searching on pirate. there is no reason to rely on a winch, a tool that will get you unstuck from a bad situation, only to have it fail. no amount of saved money or warranties matter when you are 87 miles from help.

 

[bowyer2002]

the 8274 will not fit in my ARB - without modification.

I had an 8000# Warn on my Pathfinder (4" Trailmaster lift, custom swing out full size tire carrier, bumper and roof rack) and it ALWAYS worked!

Good advice on the reality of not being stuck - I don't go cheap on any of my other tools so why should the winch differ?

WRISTPIN -

I wish there was a mall here! I live in "small town USA!"

 

[PigHeaded]

Yeah, the Warn 8274 is no doubt the best winch for a 'cruiser, but it won't fit in an ARB for a taco.

You can't go wrong with a Warn, and the 8000 is plenty.

Also Mile Marker seems to be getting good reviews too. They are slightly cheaper and are available with a wireless remote.

 

[WristPin]

Yeah, the Warn 8274 is no doubt the best winch for a 'cruiser, but it won't fit in an ARB for a taco.

You can't go wrong with a Warn, and the 8000 is plenty.

Also Mile Marker seems to be getting good reviews too. They are slightly cheaper and are available with a wireless remote.

in that thread I read a few guys HAD mile markers and each said when they crossed water, the winches didnt work at all for a few days. Junk. Like I said. quality tools and cheap tools are like oil and water. you dont put water in your crankcase, why put a mile marker on your truck. mile marker is made in smoggingchan, china. warn is made in Portland, Oregon.

 

[PigHeaded]

Well, thats good to know. I was just going by the experiences of several friends that have milemarker winches on their rigs, although I don't know if they've ever submerged them. Now, me on the other hand would be giving mine a bath quite regularly (possibly more often than I take a bath myself )

Thats one point that I've often wondered in the great winch debate.....how watertight different ones are. Everyone talks about line speed, overheating, etc. But not too much discussion about how they work when they get wet. There are lots of people who use the cheapo Chicago Electric winches from Harbor Freight and are pretty happy with them. (Although I think that these are made by the same company as the milemarker winches) They are slow as hell, but they get you out. I doubt that they would hold up to a good dunking though.

But if you want 100% reliability, a lifetime guarentee, and great parts availibility then you can't go wrong with a Warn.

 

[Rix86]

Winch.
warn or tmax are the most common that I've seen.
With a few ramsey (seems quite good) and others thrown in.
However I have a tmax rip off from china (china dongfeng I think?) that hasn't caused me any problems, and I use it alot.....ALOT..... being stock height and IFS and all that...

 

[bowyer2002]

I am buying a Warn M8000 - found one with roller fairlead for about $530 inc shipping.

After it gets here and installed I'll post pictures AND I went and ordered the snorkel - if I don't install it (cutting into a good fender worries me) I can get my $ out reselling it - I BET I cut the fender though!

Who has installed a snorkel? Pictures? Link? thanks!

 

[WristPin]

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[bowyer2002]

WOW! WTH!

That truck is super cool, tough and very Mad-Maxish!!

My Taco won't look like that for a while since I have kids and we use it for travel (up to 17hrs each way!) I have to keep some comforts for my passengers princess: mostly!)

Thanks for sharing - have you done a ROTM? You should with all the obvious work thats been done to you truck!

 

[SHANE07TACOKILLER]

Get the winch man.

 

[Happy Trails]

I am buying a Warn M8000 - found one with roller fairlead for about $530 inc shipping.

After it gets here and installed I'll post pictures AND I went and ordered the snorkel - if I don't install it (cutting into a good fender worries me) I can get my $ out reselling it - I BET I cut the fender though!

Who has installed a snorkel? Pictures? Link? thanks!

great choice on the M8000. I've had no problems with mine. Have you considered switching out the steel cable for synthetic? I did and the weight
savings/safety are worth it in my humble opinion. A snorkel would be nice,
I've considered it, not sure of the price.

 

[bowyer2002]

great choice on the M8000. I've had no problems with mine. Have you considered switching out the steel cable for synthetic? I did and the weight
savings/safety are worth it in my humble opinion. A snorkel would be nice,
I've considered it, not sure of the price.

Yes, I like the weight savings of the synthetic cable but will have to wait for more mod fund$!
I got the M8000 for a good price but didn't think to ask about switching out the cable before shipping to me. For what I spent I should be able to afford the synthetice sooner than later.
I got the snorkel ordered from e-bay, NIB for about $260. (has yet to arrive though ) Apparently they were blowing out some that had been sitting on the shelf for a while. I haven't seen them for less than $350+s/h - so I figured that I couldn't go wrong at that price.

 

[Reverend]

WRISTPIN -

I wish there was a mall here! I live in "small town USA!"

Kirksville has a Super WalMart. That ought to count! lol