Winch Advice Please

[FloridaLife]

I have never had a winch before, and I would greatly value and appreciate advice from those of you that have and use them.

When I recently bought my first FJ40 it came with a gigantic electric winch on the front. I've looked and can't see a name plate or info on it, probably because a previous owner got carried away with black paint and painted it too. And no controller for it.

What I do know is that it took me and another grown man, and we had to really grunt, to pick this massive beast up and move it out of the way. It is HEAVY!!!

Tomorrow I was planning to take it locally to have it tested to see if it even works, before risking a hernia or another ruptured disc trying to put it back on the FJ40 after the paint is done.

But now I'm wondering... even if it works, if it's THAT heavy, is it worth it? I think back to a 35 inch tube TV and how much it weighed & the picture quality versus the cost of a 65 inch TV today that weighs a fraction of the amount and has a 4K picture.

So my question for you guys is, should I just punt and buy a new one? Something that would weigh a fraction of the weight with better pulling power? Has time & technology helped winches like it has TV's?

And the guy that is supposed to test it said he and his wife both have winches and he highly recommended the synthetic rope. That surprised me. He said it weighs less and is just as strong as cable.

What say you? Attached are some pics of "the beast" that weighs as much as an elephant! Sorry, I think the last couple of pics it is upside down in my van, and I may have noticed an info plate but it's raining so I'll check it out later.


Thank you!

 

[brian]

Do you need a winch?

 

[Godwin]

This section has a ton of info on winches Winching and Recovery - https://forum.ih8mud.com/forums/winching-and-recovery.170/

In my opinion the winch that belongs on the FJ40 is the Warn 8274. I'd remove that bumper, winch mount, and winch (never seen one like that) and install an appropriate winch compatible bumper and Warn 8274. Hit up Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and look for a used 8274 for a few hundred $$ instead of nearly $2k for a new one. The 8274 is easily rebuilt and you can improve upon the stock condition of the 8274.

The thing about winches is that you don't need it until you need it and then you really need it. Don't cheap out on a winch.

 

[FloridaLife]

Do you need a winch?

I don't know... Depends on the feedback I get. Do you have a suggestion / recommendation?

 

[FloridaLife]

This section has a ton of info on winches Winching and Recovery - https://forum.ih8mud.com/forums/winching-and-recovery.170/

In my opinion the winch that belongs on the FJ40 is the Warn 8274. I'd remove that bumper, winch mount, and winch (never seen one like that) and install an appropriate winch compatible bumper and Warn 8274. Hit up Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and look for a used 8274 for a few hundred $$ instead of nearly $2k for a new one. The 8274 is easily rebuilt and you can improve upon the stock condition of the 8274.

The thing about winches is that you don't need it until you need it and then you really need it. Don't cheap out on a winch.

I have already removed that cattle guard bumper and the winch. I'm planning on a CCOT HFS winch bumper (unless someone has a better suggestion).

What are your thoughts on steel cable versus the synthetic rope the local guy recommended?

And I'm OK with not keeping and using this winch. Dang thing is too heavy! I'll gain gas mileage just getting rid of it!

Thanks

 

[brian]

Don't know, sounds like not worth the hassle.

 

[FloridaLife]

Do you need a winch?

Do you have a good one for sale at a good price, or a recommendation on where to get one?

 

[Fj80oregon]

You have a belleview winch. The predecessor to the warn 8274.

 

[FloridaLife]

This section has a ton of info on winches Winching and Recovery - https://forum.ih8mud.com/forums/winching-and-recovery.170/

In my opinion the winch that belongs on the FJ40 is the Warn 8274. I'd remove that bumper, winch mount, and winch (never seen one like that) and install an appropriate winch compatible bumper and Warn 8274. Hit up Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and look for a used 8274 for a few hundred $$ instead of nearly $2k for a new one. The 8274 is easily rebuilt and you can improve upon the stock condition of the 8274.

The thing about winches is that you don't need it until you need it and then you really need it. Don't cheap out on a winch.

And, I agree with you, you don't need one until you need one. I remember one time being stuck in the snow, and another time being caught in a flash flood when one would have been really handy many years ago. And there've been multiple times where I would have helped pull someone else out of a jam if I had one.

 

[Fj80oregon]

That winch is old tech and I agree a 8274 is a great winch I just rebuilt my first one and it was very satisfying. The 8274 weighs almost 50lbs without cable on them but are very reliable and super strong. Buy a used one and rebuild the brake and reseal it. Then enjoy years of use.

 

[cruiserkev]

I tried and failed to rebuild a Bellevue winch 20 years ago. No parts are available from Warn anymore unfortunately. Junk it and go with an 8274 if you like that unit. Not a popular opinion here but I personally went with a stronger 10k pound planetary winch. Mainly so I can drag out full size hillbilly trucks stuck in the mud with my little 40. Also makes a great stump puller. I have never needed it off road to "unstick" myself though and hope I never do. To each their own but I do believe it's better to have a winch and not need it than not have one and be stuck.

 

[cruisermatt]

As the others said that is a Bellevue, so an 8274 that others are recommending isn’t going to be any lighter.
Personally if you aren’t going to use it I don’t see the point of having the +200lbs of winch and heavier duty bumper on the front of the truck all the time. They do drive nicer without them.

 

[FloridaLife]

I tried and failed to rebuild a Bellevue winch 20 years ago. No parts are available from Warn anymore unfortunately. Junk it and go with an 8274 if you like that unit. Not a popular opinion here but I personally went with a stronger 10k pound planetary winch. Mainly so I can drag out full size hillbilly trucks stuck in the mud with my little 40. Also makes a great stump puller. I have never needed it off road to "unstick" myself though and hope I never do. To each their own but I do believe it's better to have a winch and not need it than not have one and be stuck.

"10k pound planetary winch"... Never having had or dealt with a winch, you are speaking Greek to me. Is that also a "Warn" brand winch? Since the locking hubs are Warm, it would make since to me to use a Warn winch.

 

[FloridaLife]

As the others said that is a Bellevue, so an 8274 that others are recommending isn’t going to be any lighter.
Personally if you aren’t going to use it I don’t see the point of having the +200lbs of winch and heavier duty bumper on the front of the truck all the time. They do drive nicer without them.

A Warn 8274 weighs as much as this beast? Good grief! Howe much will an 8274 pull?

 

[charliemeyer007]

I spent up to hours winching my deuce and half with a generator trailer both up and down mountains - pto are great for working; electric are use for a few minutes then wait 2 or three time as long before you can do another short pull. 2 big batteries and hi capacity alternator will work better.

I think the synthetic is much safer but in abrasive use perhaps not as durable unless you keep the sleeves at the proper place.

Have a snatch block or two and extra cable can be very handy and multiply the pulling power. The synthetic stuff can use donuts which are much lighter/cheaper. Watch some vids like Matt's Off Road Recovery to see rigging in action.

PTO or hydraulic on the front, electric on the rear would be my choice for a LC.

 

[FloridaLife]

I spent up to hours winching my deuce and half with a generator trailer both up and down mountains - pto are great for working; electric are use for a few minutes then wait 2 or three time as long before you can do another short pull. 2 big batteries and hi capacity alternator will work better.

I think the synthetic is much safer but in abrasive use perhaps not as durable unless you keep the sleeves at the proper place.

Have a snatch block or two and extra cable can be very handy and multiply the pulling power. The synthetic stuff can use donuts which are much lighter/cheaper. Watch some vids like Matt's Off Road Recovery to see rigging in action.

PTO or hydraulic on the front, electric on the rear would be my choice for a LC.

Thank you. Unfortunately, when I bought the FJ40 I was told it had the PTO setup AND a PTO winch on the front, neither of which were accurate. I still think that at $5k I got a good deal though.

However, people in the forums here said that I cannot run a PTO winch AND an overdrive unit. They said I'd have to pick 1, or the other, and the 2F drivetrain I got came with an overdrive unit. I'm thinking I will use the OD unit more than a winch, so that's why I'm considering either using this winch, or getting a newer replacement electric winch.

 

[FloridaLife]

I spent up to hours winching my deuce and half with a generator trailer both up and down mountains - pto are great for working; electric are use for a few minutes then wait 2 or three time as long before you can do another short pull. 2 big batteries and hi capacity alternator will work better.

I think the synthetic is much safer but in abrasive use perhaps not as durable unless you keep the sleeves at the proper place.

Have a snatch block or two and extra cable can be very handy and multiply the pulling power. The synthetic stuff can use donuts which are much lighter/cheaper. Watch some vids like Matt's Off Road Recovery to see rigging in action.

PTO or hydraulic on the front, electric on the rear would be my choice for a LC.

I recently watched a restoration video on a 1950 Willy's Wagon, and to make things easier and not have to deal with pulleys and mounting brackets they decided to use an electric power steering pump from a Mini Cooper and an electric A/C compressor, and it worked great! They were even able to charge the A/C system up and test it without the drivetrain even in it. LOL! They also decided, just to be safe, to run 2 batteries and a higher output alternator. Does anyone in here know which alternator would be good for this type setup on an FJ40?

 

[TheHardWay]

This is all good advice for you to consider. When I bought my second 40 it had a Warn 8274 :

Five years later I decided to rebuild and install on my latest 40:

In my humble opinion, ya can't beat the Warn 8274 cool factor - drop the mic - BOOM

 

[FloridaLife]

This is all good advice for you to consider. When I bought my second 40 it had a Warn 8274 :View attachment 3664058

Five years later I decided to rebuild and install on my latest 40:

View attachment 3664069

In my humble opinion, ya can't beat the Warn 8274 cool factor - drop the mic - BOOM

Thank you.

What is it rated at? How much will it pull?

Also, how much does it weigh?

And last but not least, how high does it stick up? If I'm spending all this time and effort on my paint job and one of my favorite things about these old FJ40'S is the iconic nose / grille / headlight bezel and TOYOTA across the grille, then I don't want anything blocking that.

 

[WarDamnEagle]

Just google it.

M8274 10,000lb Winch with Steel Rope - 106170

The M8274–Warn Industries’ most iconic winch—is evolving. It will maintain all the things buyers love about the product: speed, durability, and its famous shape, but we’ve added more performance and more features. Comes with 125’ of 3/8” diameter aircraft-grade steel cable.

www.warn.com