need winch info/tips

[coreys88burban]

Ive never owned a winch before and im trying to trade my 300 win mag for one to put on my suburban. I saw a member here (FullSizeJimmy) had one mounted with a custom plate and mounted behind the stock bumper (very clean i wannna do it!)

so lemmie know what i need to know to get a good winch!
-what brnds are junk for higher weights?
what last longer?
best power type for heavy truck (hydrulic or electric)?
ect ect ect!

by the way im near seattle so if anyone has a winch and will trade for a new remington 300 win mag all set up for elk with bipod, rangefinder reticle scpoe and more then, lemmie know! thanks.

 

[ktn00000]

Warn is the winch I would stand by (have owned several)
I currently have a Tabor (the 'value' line of Warn) and it seems to do the job if you are not doing a lot of technical winching, i.e. you just want to get unstuck and get others unstuck.

 

[Rot Box]

Get one rated for double the weight of your rig. Warn is likely you best bet and if I had the money a 16.5 would be my choice. That said I beat the living tar out of a Mile Marker for years and years. It was very slow but it would pull an army tank up a tree before it would ever think about overheating.

You want a very good charging system and likely two batteries. Winching puts a lot of strain on the electrical system and you do not want to winch on low voltage for long periods of time. You should have plenty of room for a winch behind your bumper and most of the time (depending on the winch) you can mount the solenoids up and out of the way on a fender well.

 

[ktn00000]

General rule is 1.5 times your GVWR.

Sure you want to give up a 300 mag for a winch?

I like winches, but a 300 mag will last generations

 

[coreys88burban]

how are warn and milemarker hydraulic winches? i dont want to get another battery and really dont like the thought of more electric anything and it seems a hydraulic would be better for me. i know they are slower right?? but i dont care as itll just be for use to get myself out of mud once in a while and maybe get a friend out or move a fallen tree from the road once or twice a year. just rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it! how are CSI ???

 

[coreys88burban]

General rule is 1.5 times your GVWR.

Sure you want to give up a 300 mag for a winch?

I like winches, but a 300 mag will last generations

ive got a few other rifles, im already used to my 30-06 anyway and can hit anything up to about 800 yards. just no use although i can come up with a lot of excuses to buy one hahah, but if i need anything bigger than that (for distance) then IMO the shot is too far to take on an animal.

 

[liftedlimo]

For your suburban, get the Warn heavy duty 12000 lb winch. The Warn 16.5 is good too, but its a little large for most rigs.

Hydro has its advantages I agree. But it boils down to this for me: what happens when my power steering or my winch hydraulic hose part in the middle of nowhere? My steering lines have been known to blow apart under hard use many times, and it would leave me stranded when I need it the most. The electric will at least get you out even if your vehicle isn't running.

Best thing you can do is read this ENTIRELY:
http://pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/Recovery/index.html

also, the links at the bottom of the page are great reading also.

 

[alexrex20]

i'm on my 3rd Warn and will continue to use them on my vehicles. my nissan has an m8000 and my chevy 2500HD had a 16.5ti front and M12 rear. slow or fast is not a concern for me; i'm not rock racing. as long as it gets the job done, i am happy.

dual batteries is not a must to run a winch. i would say that most people that run a winch, actually do NOT have dual batteries. if you want to winch off straight battery, then it's strongly recommended, but i've always winched with the motor running. god willing, i will always have a running motor when i need to winch myself out.

i would try to stay with the big name brands (Warn, Mile Marker, Superwinch), but lots of people use Smittybilt, Ramsey, T-maxx, etc. without many bad things to say about them.

 

[Warn Industries]

If you've got any specific questions about the WARN line, don't hesitate to ask or PM me.

- Andy

 

[Little Red]

Winch for suburban

I have an 89 Suburban and am thinking about getting a winch too.

I would use it mainly for getting people unstuck or out of the ditch as I am a volunteer fire fighter and we get lots of snow up here in the woods.

I looked at several (Warn, Mile-Marker, Super Winch and Smittybilt)

I know Warn makes good winches and I would get one if I could afford it.
But I found lots of good reviews about the Smittybilt XRC 12 and seen it on Amazon.com for only 412.74 You cant beat that!

It is a 12.000 lb winch and seems pretty durable.
Does any one out here have this winch and would you recommend it?

Thanks

 

[blakeape]

I have a Warn XD9000 on a 1 Ton Tacoma that I bought new in 1995. It has been on 2 trucks and dragged them both and many others out of all sorts of situations. I was having a solenoid problem last spring and contacted Warn to ask a question and buy a solenoid. When they heard I had the old 3 wire controller they told me to send them the solenoid pack and the controller. They upgraded it to a 5 wire controller, fixed or replaced the solenoids (I don't know?) and sent it back to me free of charge. I just paid shipping one way. I have had great luck with Warn involving warranty issues on both Dana 44 and Dana 60 premium hubs. I also have an old Warn 8274 upright sitting on the shelf in the shop waiting to get bolted onto one of my projects. Warn is a very stand up company and I would recommend them to anyone.

 

[alexrex20]

I have an 89 Suburban and am thinking about getting a winch too.

I would use it mainly for getting people unstuck or out of the ditch as I am a volunteer fire fighter and we get lots of snow up here in the woods.

I looked at several (Warn, Mile-Marker, Super Winch and Smittybilt)

I know Warn makes good winches and I would get one if I could afford it.
But I found lots of good reviews about the Smittybilt XRC 12 and seen it on Amazon.com for only 412.74 You cant beat that!

It is a 12.000 lb winch and seems pretty durable.
Does any one out here have this winch and would you recommend it?

Thanks

i've never owned a Smittybilt, but know many people who do. my buddy had an XRC12 on his SAS Frontier and he loved it. they've all only good things to say about them. i think you won't be disappointed.

XRC12 on the yellow Frontier:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxWiH01pQb4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxWiH01pQb4[/ame]

 

[coreys88burban]

For your suburban, get the Warn heavy duty 12000 lb winch. The Warn 16.5 is good too, but its a little large for most rigs.

Hydro has its advantages I agree. But it boils down to this for me: what happens when my power steering or my winch hydraulic hose part in the middle of nowhere? My steering lines have been known to blow apart under hard use many times, and it would leave me stranded when I need it the most. The electric will at least get you out even if your vehicle isn't running.

Best thing you can do is read this ENTIRELY:
http://pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/Recovery/index.html

also, the links at the bottom of the page are great reading also.

true but i just replaced my pump and hoses...used some hose that is rated at 3,500 PSI and fittings that should go higher than the pump can take, sooo that isnt going to be a problem! hahaha plus my bro works for a hose/fitting company as a hose repairman so i can get the beefiest hoses and fittings made

 

[wesfab1]

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.

 

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

1.5 x GVW is the rule of thumb. I have a Warn 15k mounted in an ARB on my 1/2-ton. Overkill...maybe. But it's what fit. I like the extra bit of peace of mind. In a tough spot you can never have enough winch. :sombrero: