need winch info/tips

[coreys88burban]

how about using the removable mount that slides into a reciever hitch?

anyone know a good front reciver brand? need one for 10k at least right? i see warn has them for $180 anyone done this?

 

[chasespeed]

DO NOT CHEAP OUT ON A WINCH.

Me, on my truck, I have a hydraulic winch. For what I use it for, its perfect. A little slow in low gear(heavy pulls), but, its 100% duty cycle, and will pull my truck up the side of a building if I need it to.... The High gear, is quite a bit faster, and still, 100% duty cycle... (Big cooler going in, in the spring) But, its nice to pull logs, etc... I wouldnt be able to keep up with an electric winch...

On that note, I will be putting an electric, between the frame rails, at the rear of the truck, for self extraction from the rear.......

I personally, dont like the receiver mount winches.... they are versatile, but, that is a lot of strain out away from the frame rails....but, that is me.

If you have the room, to do a hidden winch mount, say, on a piece of 1/4 or 3/8 plate built up between the frame rails.... keep it tucked in....

Beef up your charging system....

Hydraulic is great IF you have the money, and the patience..

They are slow... period.

You need to make hoses, good stuff.... add a cooler as well.

And, they are expensive.

A good Warn wont be cheap, but, it will last. It will be reliable..... If you cant afford a good winch, save up.

Chase

 

[Little Red]

I bought a Smittybilt 12k pound winch through 4wd Hardware. The price is very reasonable. The winch itself works great for self-extractions and most things. However, the mounting hardware included with the winch is grade 2.

I attempted to winch a very stuck, very heavy 1500 Suburban 4x4 diesel up an incline. The winch had plenty of power to do the task. The bolts on the other hand were not up to it. One side of the winch broke loose, then it twisted. I have not had time to access the damage yet, hopefully all i need to do is install new grade 8 hardware.

Thanks for the info, I will make sure to upgrade to higher grade hardware if I end up buying this winch

 

[Little Red]

how about using the removable mount that slides into a reciever hitch?

anyone know a good front reciver brand? need one for 10k at least right? i see warn has them for $180 anyone done this?

I would recommend getting a winch bumper or a more durable mount that bolts to your existing bumper, that way the weight gets distributed more evenly and it is a lot stronger. It also looks much better.

I was looking at buying one from Kennesaw Mountain Accessories myself, they are much cheaper than the competition but I have heard mixed reviews about them.
Has Anyone here bought from them before and would you recommend it?
Thanks...

 

[wesfab1]

quick update on my broken winch situation. I finally found time to go out and buy grade 8 hardware. As i was removing the two bolts that did not break i noticed that the other two bolts did not actually shear, but the threads on the nuts stripped out. Also, because of the two bolts coming out it caused the housing on the opposite side to break.

I called it in yesterday, they are going to warranty it. Replacement winch should be here next week.

 

[Antichrist]

Milemarker are better known for their hydraulic winches, but also make electric. Ramsey is another domestic that makes hydraulic, as is Braden (I think they are still in business). I'm pretty sure Warn makes some hydraulic as well.

Advantages of hydraulic:
You can winch 24/7 if you need to (point being they are 100% duty cycle) when set up properly
Quieter
No need to rev engine
No need to use wheel assist (which you shouldn't do anyway, but many people do)

Cons:
Generally more expensive
More complicated to install a proper set up, not one that runs off the PS pump.