Truck winches

[CliffordK]

I guess I’m down to Warn, Mile Markers, Sherpa and Pro-winch.

Ramsey also makes (or used to make) vehicle winches. I believe some of them were 2-speed which would be a benefit. I got a bit lost looking at their web page a couple of days ago.

 

[Hay Dude]

Ramsey also makes (or used to make) vehicle winches. I believe some of them were 2-speed which would be a benefit. I got a bit lost looking at their web page a couple of days ago.

I have a local dealer who has their PTO winches in-stock. They also make electric. Military uses Ramsey.

 

[CliffordK]

Keep a good eye on the battery cables for the winch. The cables on my ZXR 12K turned to powder within 6 months of purchase. Seems they use Cooper Clad Aluminum and they had corroded.

Hmmm, I'll have to look at that. My ZXR negative cable lost an end, and was crumbling a bit. I think I over heated it some. For some reason I was driving it with jumper cables to the Harbor Freight cables.

When I started using the APEX, I also changed over to the APEX cables. I had to slightly enlarge the holes to fit the battery screw tops (Odyssey Battery). So far it seems to be holding up fine, but I've only used it a half dozen times.

The APEX and ZXR were bolt compatible including the Fairlead/Hawse. However, the APEX was slightly wider than the ZXR, and I had added reinforcements to the back of my channel iron mount that needed to be slightly modified.

 

[RandyT]

Hmmm, I'll have to look at that. My ZXR negative cable lost an end, and was crumbling a bit. I think I over heated it some. For some reason I was driving it with jumper cables to the Harbor Freight cables.

When I started using the APEX, I also changed over to the APEX cables. I had to slightly enlarge the holes to fit the battery screw tops (Odyssey Battery). So far it seems to be holding up fine, but I've only used it a half dozen times.

The APEX and ZXR were bolt compatible including the Fairlead/Hawse. However, the APEX was slightly wider than the ZXR, and I had added reinforcements to the back of my channel iron mount that needed to be slightly modified.

I discovered my issue after trying to load a mower on my trailer and the steel cable was arcing to the trailer deck. After getting back home, started testing thinking the motor had shorted out, and discovered that the negative battery cable had no continuity. Couldn't even dead short arc it back to the battery. And was looking at the connector and seen some corrosion and was planning on putting a new end on, and started stripping back the insulation and ended up stripping the entire length and found white powder and crumbing wires to entire length.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Is the Come Up model # 8274? I like 150’ of cable.

No, the 8274 is a Warn. They're rated at 8K but I've seen them pull more on a dyno...enough to break the 5/16" cable.

Those have been my go to winch for a long time, and I would've put one on the trailer, too, if it wasn't for their fast line speed. The no-load 65'/min is great, but even under load they're too fast for trailer use, I think.

 

[nisaacs]

I have a local dealer who has their PTO winches in-stock. They also make electric. Military uses Ramsey.

I am seeing a lot of Warrior winches as oem, from trailer manufactures. They are also built for the military. They offer free shipping.

T1000 Severe Duty Winches

 

[Smokeydog]

Milemarker hydraulic winch has given good service for over 20 years. No repairs other than replacing worn out cable. Runs off power steering pump. Two speed greatly speeds up any winching chore. Don’t have to stop to cool, continuous duty. I’ll never go back to an Electric winch.

 

[nisaacs]

and a small portable Warn.

I used a standard 2" ball mount, the trailer has a receiver, as do all my pickups. Kinda small but about all I want to carry around. It is just a little better than nothing

 

[Hay Dude]

I definitely want to use the spot in my Ranch Hand for a winch. Ranch hand says it’ll hold up to an 18,500lb winch.

I wonder what happens to winches once they go over 18,500lbs? I guess they get too big? Or maybe the bumper is rated to 18.5K.

 

[D&D]

I would love one, but I bet it would be $5,000 or more.
I have a PTO that I would really like to use, too.

Junkyard probably has some 5500 wreckers in it.

 

[Smokeydog]

Have to be careful of not only the bumper but of the truck frame.

Have to rig the truck tie down. Often to tractor with grapple in the ground. Tree tied behind or bumper braced against a tree. Wrecker quality chocks on hard ground.

Mounted a roller fairlead to GN flatbed trailer so I could pull equipment onto the trailer with the truck mounted front winch. Would work on any trailer.

One project yet to build is making pulley and roller fairlead receiver hitch mounts to thread the cable from front to rear under the vehicle. Don’t offload as much but like versatility option.

 

[oosik]

Hay Dude - just a thought. The 18.5K winch limit may have something to do with the stresses on the vehicle frame.

In the 4WD club in Anchorage - everybody, except one fellow, had either Ramsey or WARN electric. This fellow had a stripped down - military - deuce and a half. It had a Ramsey PTO winch. You had to set stakes to see if that winch was really pulling that big 'ol truck forward. I don't know what the pull rating of that Ramsey was - but there were times it pulled so hard - you could hear the winch line "singing". Man - did we ever pile the wool blankets on his winch line. It never broke. Nobody ever got close when he would be pulling.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

This one is hydraulic and good for 40K lbs.

Haven't tried it yet since I'm still not sure how to pull out up to 400 feet of 3/4" cable. Guess I'll use the Jeep to drag it out, with a bungee on the "out" lever (there's no free spool).

If I were smart I'd put a pony winch on it.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

What I used to do to respool my cables was to hook up to a vehicle with an auto trans, put it in reverse and just let it idle in reverse to pull on the cable while I stood there controlling the winch. Let it unwrap the spool enough to clear whatever cable wrap or issue, and then just let the winch pull it back in, pulling against the vehicle while it idled away in reverse. Could do it solo most of the time, but occasionally would have a bad wrap stuck hard enough that the vehicle wasn't applying enough pulling force to pull it free. Then I'd just have Mrs Slim sit in the car and give it a little bit of gas in reverse to tug harder.

I tended to keep my spools tightly and neatly wrapped. It always bugged me to see a winch with a messy ball of "birdcaged" cable wrapped around it.

 

[Smokeydog]

I tended to keep my spools tightly and neatly wrapped. It always bugged me to see a winch with a messy ball of "birdcaged" cable wrapped around it.

Exactly! So much safer and kinder on cable. One reason I like two speed winches to better control, redo and keep wraps tight. Pulling power changes with cable layers. Helps to have two people. Sometimes drag a load (car or log) while landing the cable. Wife has a good trigger finger.

Haven’t tried synthetic winch lines yet. Steel has advantages in a dirty environment. Use some synthetic slings which I like.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I have a 20 or 25K winch mounted on its own trailer that has airplane wheels/tires on it. The winch runs off whatever tractors PTO the trailer is hooked to.

I've winched out a buried dozer with it and let me tell you, you could hear the wire rope creaking and pinging!

SR

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Haven’t tried synthetic winch lines yet. Steel has advantages in a dirty environment. Use some synthetic slings which I like.

Neither have I, but the Warn I put on the 32' flatbed came with wire rope. Put synthetic on it, largely to hopefully spare the powder coat where the dovetail and bed meets.

I'll try putting a piece of PVC pipe in that gap to avoid contact altogether, which wouldn't last long with a steel cable.

Needless to say, the winch has a cover on it, and I'm still not convinced that synthetic is the way to go. Seems to work with soft shackles, though.

 

[700R]

I saw these in a trade show video recently. They look nice, and are decently priced from the mfg...probably cheaper through a distributor/dealer

Warrior Winches USA

Warrior Winches USA - Value without compromise. Warrior Winches have a reputation of manufacturing quality winches at affordable prices. Find the perfect winch for off-roading or industrial use today.

www.warriorwinches.com

 

[LouNY]

Interesting winches quite a selection of electric or hydraulic even in the automotive segment.

 

[Hay Dude]

Yeah I’m just doing the biggest winch I can fit in the space provided on the front bumper. I can’t afford to do pumps, tanks, lines, switches, etc.