Winch Decisions ??

[bloc]

I look at some of these 8274s getting refurbished after 10 years of use and 20 more sitting in a barn. Not that modern Warns are built the same way, but I have to wonder whether these Chinese winches will have the parts availability in a decade that may be needed for someone that takes care of their stuff and reasonably expects long-term use of something they spent $1000 on and only use occasionally.

 

[Qball]

For 500 you can get a 12k Chinese winch with synthetic rope. I use it so often I haven't even pull the rope on yet.

If you use it often in nasty and critical situations then yeah get the best you can afford.

 

[bloc]

That brings up my earlier question.. Does anyone know of a 12k winch that uses the smaller warn 9k format so it'll fit into a slee shortbus?

That is the bumper I'll be getting soon, and the more I read the more I believe a 9 or 9.5 winch isn't really enough for an 80.

 

[Douglas S]

I look at some of these 8274s getting refurbished after 10 years of use and 20 more sitting in a barn. Not that modern Warns are built the same way, but I have to wonder whether these Chinese winches will have the parts availability in a decade that may be needed for someone that takes care of their stuff and reasonably expects long-term use of something they spent $1000 on and only use occasionally.

I rebuilt my 8274 and have more faith in it than any new winch, Warn included. If you have even limited mechanical skills you can pick up an 8274 on Craigslist, replace some seals, upgrade it to an Albright solenoid and put some synthetic line on it for less than the price of some new Chinese winches.

 

[greentruck]

I look at some of these 8274s getting refurbished after 10 years of use and 20 more sitting in a barn. Not that modern Warns are built the same way, but I have to wonder whether these Chinese winches will have the parts availability in a decade that may be needed for someone that takes care of their stuff and reasonably expects long-term use of something they spent $1000 on and only use occasionally.

I'll agree a 8274 is bulletproof most of the time and well worth rebuilding. If you can find one at a good price, go for it. Wish I hadn't sold mine off with my FJ55 years ago.

That said, it's a bit of a project to fit one to the standard ARB. The "commerical" ARB is supposed to fit it, but they seem to be hard to source in the US based on comments from people looking for them.

As for the T-Maxx clones (which most of the Chinese winches are) there a bunch out there, most people buy them for display as much as use (and the older I get, the more mine is for display). So there's always gonna be a bunch of parts floating around. At least as long as I'll ever need to worry about them.

And at $299 at HF, you can always just get another.

But seriously, they do the job and keep doing it so long as operator error is kept under control. I understand the passion for Warn, being a PO, but no need to feel like you're inadequately equipped with the HF, Smittybilt, etc.

 

[Box Rocket]

Adding a little more information to the thread, the ComeUp winches are not T-max clones. The company has also been around for something like 45 years making industrial winches and hoists. Should have good access to parts if needed.

I agree with the suggestion to get the nicest winch you can afford. My personal opinion is the same as many of you, reliability is most important. The winch has to work when you need it, everytime! Not something I would personally considering "settling" for something that might get me by in a pinch.

 

[bloc]

8274s are awesome.. But they arguably don't have the pulling power necessary for a loaded '80.

 

[greentruck]

SNIP

I agree with the suggestion to get the nicest winch you can afford. My personal opinion is the same as many of you, reliability is most important. The winch has to work when you need it, everytime! Not something I would personally considering "settling" for something that might get me by in a pinch.

Keep in mind that no matter how much you spend on a winch, reliability is a matter of more than hanging a spiffy new winch on the bumper and forgetting about it. Doesn't matter what brand it is, the years of exposure to the elements before the chips are down and it's needed can wipe out your investment in reliability if water has seeped in, rust and corrosion have taken hold, and the control box has checked out for warmer climes.

If you look the field of winches over, there are a few now that claim various degrees of waterproofing. Fact of the matter is, the planetary design is inherently hard to really seal up. And if water gets in, you want it to drain out. I had a thread on "waterproofing" (advisedly, not absolutely) a winch that might be useful food for thought, not matter what you spent, if you're looking for reliability.

Waterproofing a Winch

 

[Box Rocket]

Good advice @greentruck . Moisture is the primary killer of winches.

FWIW, the ComeUp winches are all IP68 (highest waterproof rating) rated. They even have a video out there somewhere of them running their winch in and out while submerged in a tank of about 3' of water, then they fully disassemble it to check for water intrusion. Came out bone dry. When I was choosing my winch I figured if the guys from Arctic Trucks in Iceland trust the ComeUp winches for all of their trucks then it would work for me.
But yes there are more than one good option, just go for quality and reliability over price and you'll likely be happy for many years.

 

[DOCBG]

So which come up winches will fit in the slee short bus bumper?

 

[Box Rocket]

So which come up winches will fit in the slee short bus bumper?

I'd suggest checking with Slee. They carry ComeUp winches so should be able to give you a definitive answer. I'd be surprised if the 9.5rs that I have didn't fit the shortbus bumper.

 

[jwilliams]

I'll throw my 2 cents into the ring...
10,500lbs MileMarker Hydraulic winch mounted in my ARB.
Has been going strong for 13 years now with no problems at all.

HI10500 | Mile Marker Industries

 

[IanB]

I rebuilt my 8274 and have more faith in it than any new winch, Warn included. If you have even limited mechanical skills you can pick up an 8274 on Craigslist, replace some seals, upgrade it to an Albright solenoid and put some synthetic line on it for less than the price of some new Chinese winches.

Did your HDJ81 not come with the factory Aisin 10K lb winch? Or did you replace it?

On another note, has anyone fit the OEM Aisin unit into a Slee Shortbus bumper?

Mr. T spec'd a 10,000lb unit from factory on these trucks, so that's the minimum I'd want if I was shopping for one. Granted that was 20+ years ago now, but I don't think the new stuff pulls more than the rating when comparing.

 

[Douglas S]

Did your HDJ81 not come with the factory Aisin 10K lb winch? Or did you replace it?

On another note, has anyone fit the OEM Aisin unit into a Slee Shortbus bumper?

Mr. T spec'd a 10,000lb unit from factory on these trucks, so that's the minimum I'd want if I was shopping for one. Granted that was 20+ years ago now, but I don't think the new stuff pulls more than the rating when comparing.

Mine didn't have one.

I think you'll find that the factory winch is rated at 8,000lbs and not 10,000lbs. I briefly looked for a factory winch to use in the rear of my truck, if I found one for a fair price I would still consider that. The only issues being parts supply and the rarity/expense of factory winch controllers.

 

[bloc]

One of the 4x4 magazines tested a bunch of 9k and 9.5k winches.. they found the warn 9.5xp didn't stall until 16k.. though it wouldn't work after that test. It also pulled very fast, but eventually killed a battery quicker than any other winch in the test when pulling a truck up a 15% grade.. it depeleted the optima deep-cycle plus the truck's 195Amp charging system (I doubt they were getting everything they could out of that system)

I weighed my cruiser yesterday as part of the title proces.. 1fz-fe, A442f, no 2nd or 3rd row seats , 2-swingout 4x4labs rear bumper but no spare tire holder built yet, no sliders, stock front bumper, 315s.. 5040lb

Figure I'd add another 500lb in spare, front bumper, winch, battery, and drawer system/tools.. even with passengers I don't see it getting over 6000.

Seems to me that 16k should be more than enough in the rare event every bit of pull strength is needed. Yes, I know the winch is only rated for 9500.. but most pulls won't use near that much, let alone what it stalls at.

Point being, I don't think fitting a 12k into that shortbus is as important as I was assuming.

The T-Max EWI-9500 pulled the same load and still functioned afterward.

It was written in 2011 so Comeup wasn't included in the test.. I'm curious what it would do under the same conditions.

Link to the article: Massive Multi-Winch Shootout - Four Wheeler Magazine

 

[wv_lx450]

i have a warn 9.5xp that gets used basically every time i wheel. i have abused it (never use a snatch block, pull for long distances up very steep hills, run it in reverse against the brake) and it has never given me any problems. its been on my truck for 6-7yrs now and only been cleaned/re-greased once last year.

 

[White Stripe]

8274s are awesome.. But they arguably don't have the pulling power necessary for a loaded '80.

Have you ever seen a 8274 fail to pull something? I never have personally

 

[bloc]

Have you ever seen a 8274 fail to pull something? I never have personally

I have very little experience with winching, so no. As it is I was going on Warn's 8000lb rating.. but my post in the meantime shows I've since learned that the rating doesn't mean much considering others beat their rating by 50% or more. (again with the caveat that we can't expect them to last long if we push them that hard regularly)

But.. an 8274 also won't fit into the bumper I plan to run.. so that effectively eliminates it as an option.

 

[pnguyen]

Does anyone know of a 12k winch that will fit into a slee shortbus?

Christo mentioned other brands of 12k being the same size as a 9.5xp and "might" fit..

I've got a SmittyBilt X20 Comp 12k on my short bus bumper....the control pack is mounted to the side, its snug but it fits. If you remote mount the control pack, there is plenty of room.

 

[Douglas S]

I've pulled my truck and others out of seriously nasty stuff with an 8274. I agree though, if you weren't planning on using one from the start then it's not a good option with its bulk and mounting requirements.