Which Winch?

[M32H32is]

I would like to read this. Was it in a 4x4 magazine?

Thanks

Yes, I think I first read about it here on mud in the winching & recovery sub forum. Search though on Google & I'm sure you'll find it.

There's a few of them with varying results though - one on Expo where the warn 12k grenades @ around 11,500# - the mile marker wins that competition.

 

[Mr Cimarron]

I have VR10000 on right now. I have m8000 on the Jeep. I had it on the LC for awhile but neither have seen offroad use. I have used the m8000 for random things with good results. Went VR because I rarely have used a winch offroad so I couldn't see spending the extra money. If I had to do over I would probably go Badlands since it seems to be a good bargain. I had the Warn 9.5 on a previous Jeep and it was great but it got stolen. One reason I can't see spending the money on a pricey one.

 

[Azca]

This is one case where bigger is better. Go for the 12k winch and still buy the snatch block. It doesn't matter how reliable the winch is if it can't get you out of the hole you are in!

As far as brands go I have heard good things about the Runva and Engo and obviously Warn. I have a badlands on mine and it is working fine. And I completely agree with jcardona1. Asking which winch is best is like asking everyone which color 80 is best. The best thing for you to do is do your research and buy the one you want, not what everyone else likes. It is your rig, you need to be happy and comfortable with it so that you can enjoy it.

 

[concretejungle]

Another vote for getting the biggest you can fit. I was just talking about this the other night to a mud member. I hear about as many warn winches failing as anything else.

I think 8000 and 9000 is not enough for these big pigs especially if you are really stuck.

 

[jcardona1]

Yup, no matter what brand you get, go with a 12k. The bigger the winch, the less it has to work to pull a fat heavy 80, the less amps it draws and the faster it can pull. There's only benefits by going with a 12k winch.

Look at line speed charts of any winch. The more weight it's pulling, the slower it pulls and it sucks a ton of amps. Don't overwork your winch and it will last a long time.

 

[wrongway around]

You need at least a ten k ,but 12 should be had. And yes winch brand in the 12k range isn't much diff. I use to run warn 10 k warn front and rear then went to the super winch 12k front 10k rear. 10k is not as good as the warn 10k but the 12k is far far better,stronger,faster. Bit of a bitch to mount in an Arb bull bar bumper . The 10k warn did fit easily . If your packing a winch you should be packing a snatch block too,is my thinking.

 

[LandCruisinMy93]

Adding an ARB Bull Bar to my 97 80. I have 3 Warn winches to choose from. M1200, XD9000, M8000. My wife has an M8000 on her TJ and is totally happy with it, but much lighter vehicle.

Big difference in price and weight so I don't want to buy the 1200 just because... Would like to hear your experience with the 9000 and 1200.

Thanks, Will

I run a Warn VR10000 and it does the job, but I would go with something 10000lbs or greater, Take into consideration that the vehicle weighs over 6k unloaded add the drag of mud, flat tires, broken bits etc.. and youre easily maxing out a 10k. I am a big fan of the name brands, but had I not got my winch NIB for such an incredible price I probably would have gone with the badlands 12k like everyone keeps suggesting. Just my 2cents

 

[concretejungle]

I purchased a 12,000 tmax years ago when summit was selling them. I don't recall off hand how much i paid, i'm guessing it was around $650, but i could be wrong. Point is, i saved some money for other items and have a winch strong enough to pull me out, plus, it works. AND, if it doesn't, the money i saved can buy me another winch and i will still be in with the price of one warn....that could fail just as easily as any other. So far my T-max keeps pulling. I am about to take it out of the bumper and open it up soon to see what it looks like.

That's just my 10 cents.

 

[ironhippy]

with whatever winch you do buy, make sure you spool it all the way out and ensure the bolt that attaches the cable to the roller is tight before relying on it. Mine was not and I didn't realize it until I had a tangled mess of winch wire, luckily I discovered my winch was inoperable during spring maintenance and not on the trail.

I went with a 400$ Smittybilt XRC-10 (10,000 lbs), besides the above mentioned issue, it's always worked but I haven't pushed it hard.

 

[86tuning]

I've had my m8000 for years and never had any issues or problems with it. I had it from my previous truck, and moved it over because it was free. No urge to upgrade. Never needed to pull out the snatch block other than to lower line speed for more control, or to change the direction on a pull.

If I didn't have the m8000 already I would have gone with a 12k. Probably with Warn because its been good for me. Not a fanboy, just a happy customer.

 

[concretejungle]

I would re-read jfz80 post. In real world conditions, on the trail alone, in the snow, got stuck. No cell phone service.....full cable AND snatch block barely, just barely had enough to get him out with the 9000. He was lucky he didn't burn it up trying to get out. That's real world experience.

 

[NCFJ]

The bottom line with any winch is that odds are it is not going to break down sitting in your driveway. In my OPINION a winch is not something that you should skimp on. Nor should a person skimp on recovery equiptment. Also keep in mind that the winch rating is based on the first layer on the drum, as you add layers the pull rating goes down. This is why many experienced wheelers run a shorter cable/rope on the winch and carry an extension if it becomes needed.

 

[superstan26]

The bottom line with any winch is that odds are it is not going to break down sitting in your driveway. In my OPINION a winch is not something that you should skimp on. Nor should a person skimp on recovery equiptment. Also keep in mind that the winch rating is based on the first layer on the drum, as you add layers the pull rating goes down. This is why many experienced wheelers run a shorter cable/rope on the winch and carry an extension if it becomes needed.

I understand your opinion, but what I read here is that regardless of manufacturer winches are prone to failure to some degree.

I have a two year replacement plan with my badlands and I've already used it numerous times in less than 6 months without failure. If these winches were breaking they'd probably be off of the market because harbor freight is like Wal-Mart used to be, they'll take pretty much anything back no questions asked and since there isn't a hugely inflated price to cover replacement I'm guessing that few come back broken.

So in this case I think you can get a very reliable winch for a fraction of the cost of a more popular brand, and the phrase "you get what you pay for" doesn't really apply.

I could have bought two badlands 12k winches with two year warranty, and a second battery for about the same price as one 8k winch alone. So I could have winches front, and rear, more power and more green in my wallet with peace of mind that if I've breaks I have a backup until I get home to replace the faulty unit.

I agree that skimping should not be done, but rather than focusing on the price it's the weight rating that really matters most in my opinion.

 

[concretejungle]

I understand your opinion, but what I read here is that regardless of manufacturer winches are prone to failure to some degree. I have a two year replacement plan with my badlands and I've already used it numerous times in less than 6 months without failure. If these winches were breaking they'd probably be off of the market because harbor freight is like Wal-Mart used to be, they'll take pretty much anything back no questions asked and since there isn't a hugely inflated price to cover replacement I'm guessing that few come back broken. So in this case I think you can get a very reliable winch for a fraction of the cost of a more popular brand, and the phrase "you get what you pay for" doesn't really apply. I could have bought two badlands 12k winches with two year warranty, and a second battery for about the same price as one 8k winch alone. So I could have winches front, and rear, more power and more green in my wallet with peace of mind that if I've breaks I have a backup until I get home to replace the faulty unit. I agree that skimping should not be done, but rather than focusing on the price it's the weight rating that really matters most in my opinion.

BINGO!

 

[Funner]

X12 on the Badlands winch. I have had mine a year and a half. I have used it 6-8 times, never to pull myself out though. I think most people with winches find they rarely if ever get used for self extraction. I was looking for a good value option when I bought mine because I was spending a lot of money on the 80 and being frugal where it was prudent allowed me to get more done than getting the best of everything would have allowed.
I do not expect it will last for 30 years, nor will I attempt to rebuild it when it starts wearing out.

 

[Roc Doc]

I've always run Warn winches and am a big fan of the quality, but this was on a 4500lb mini-truck and then on a 4000lb buggy, so the Warn 9500HS was the right application, but I wouldn't run one on an 80 without going to a 3/8" synthetic rope. The 5/16" wire rope that comes with the winch WILL break at something a little over 10k which is pretty easy to do with a shock load and a 6000lb vehicle. For that reason alone I won't run a 8k or 9.5k winch. I've got a 10k Smittybuilt on my 80 with 3/8" wire rope, (better abrasion resistance), it's slow but plenty strong.

 

[swamp-thing]

i have a warn 9k xdi on my arb - i like it, but it's been on a few different trail rigs i've owned. It's been fine so far but if I were buying a new one I would be looking for more beef!!

 

[86tuning]

Yep. 3/8" synthetic rope is awesome! I've had 80' of 3/8" rope on my m8000 since the day I got it (well used) and its so much better than steel. Except for abrasion resistance of course.

I also have 40' of 3/8" extension that is very handy for the various ways you can rig things when doing a recovery.

I should 'qualify' my not needing an upgrade, I don't often go where I need to winch up stuff to make it. I usually go where I can drive, and if I get high centered, or otherwise stuck, or if my friends are dumb enough to try stupid stuff, I can recover them. I also have two snatch blocks, but haven't ever used them to triple my pulling capacity. Just for slowing line speed and/or direction changes.

That said, if I were buying a winch for my 80 I would shop for a 12k winch.

 

[jonheld]

I've had my Warn M12K since 1999. It has been disassembled, cleaned and lubed about every 5 years or so. I'm on my second solenoid pack, went through 2 steel cables and am about to order my 2nd synthetic line (3/8).
It has been used and abused and I have stalled it under full load at least twice in some very bad situations.
I would never even consider something less than a 12K rating for an 80 Series. The use of a snatch block should NEVER be the determining factor on the rating of a winch you purchase. As stated before, you're not going to be relying on your winch on flat, level ground, when the sun is shining and the birds are singing. This goes for every single piece of recovery equipment you purchase, including winch line, shackles, straps, etc. The forces generated during vehicle recovery are staggering and should not be taken lightly.

 

[greentruck]

Keep this in mind about taking care of your planetary drive winches, i.e. ones like the Badlands, T-Max variants (Smittybilt, etc), and even many of the Warns.

The #1 cause of winch failure is heat.

These puppies warm right up, in fact become too hot to even touch on the motor casing after less than a minute in a hard pull. They even get warm free-spooling. Unless it's an emergency situation, take your time and let that motor cool. Yes, it'll be slower, but you'll be amazed at the life of these things if not abused.

No matter how good a warranty is, you're not gonna be able to make a claim on it out there in Stucksville.