Member III
What winch do you prefer? Hand winch or electric? Why? I use a 8000lb hand winch that is used on the farm. My reasons being its light, cheap, will fit under my rear seat with other recovery gear and can be used anywhere
What type of winch is everyone using?
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Contributor III
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Member III
I keep a capable winching chain setup with my hi-lift, but I also run a smittybuilt. I have successfully used both a few times.
madcratebuilder
Rank V
Pathfinder I
One is none and two is one. Everything fails. If it’s your self recovery gear then you can get yourself into a real bind in a hurry.
I travel alone most of the time so I don’t have the benefit of help from another rig. I have had winches fail me in the past as well as hand winches and even high lift jacks.
On my current rig I have a front and rear winch, one hydraulic and one electric. That’s mostly due to the size of the truck and it’s use (1995 hmmwv). On top I have a high lift jack and in the tool box I have a come-a-long as well.
That’s overkill I understand but I use the come-a-long for all sorts of stuff since it’s light and easy. It’s more of a tool than a recovery method. The high lift is so dangerous it’s a tool of last resort l, but I have it and maintain it. The winches are there to get me out of a bind, move trees and or whatever silly situation I get myself into. In the southeast US we have mud, and it sucks. There is no getting around sliding into a rut from time to time. A winch sure makes life easier.
I travel alone most of the time so I don’t have the benefit of help from another rig. I have had winches fail me in the past as well as hand winches and even high lift jacks.
On my current rig I have a front and rear winch, one hydraulic and one electric. That’s mostly due to the size of the truck and it’s use (1995 hmmwv). On top I have a high lift jack and in the tool box I have a come-a-long as well.
That’s overkill I understand but I use the come-a-long for all sorts of stuff since it’s light and easy. It’s more of a tool than a recovery method. The high lift is so dangerous it’s a tool of last resort l, but I have it and maintain it. The winches are there to get me out of a bind, move trees and or whatever silly situation I get myself into. In the southeast US we have mud, and it sucks. There is no getting around sliding into a rut from time to time. A winch sure makes life easier.
Member III
I tend to openly badmouth winches as being quite overrated. I still think they are, and I still think there are way too many near-stock rigs out there running winches that have never even had the cable spooled out except in the driveway, all because they were told they need to have one "just in case."
That said, when this happened not too long ago, it was either 10 minutes to get out using the winch, or probably 30-40 minutes and a lot of sweating with the hi-lift and winching chains. The hi-lift absolutely could have done it, but it probably would have sucked.
Off-Road Ranger I
Smittybilt X2O 10k and a hi-lift. I bought the smittybilt because I too am usually out solo. I don't do stupid stuff, but it came in real handy this spring when there were still significant snow drifts at altitude. When there's a 2 foot deep drift 20 feet long and clear road ahead I felt comfortable going for it because of the winch.
Pathfinder I
My 03 Rubicon has a warn 10k and my 97 diesel f350 has 2 warn 10ks on the front and a 15k warn in the back. Hi lift jack on both. Roll tide.
Expedition Master III
A 17,500 pound Smittybilt X20 GEN 2with cable rope in a ARB bull bar in a 2003 Silverado 2500HD 4x4 diesel extra cab, so this vehicle has some weight to it. Hence the big winch.
I have a High lift jack, with chain adapter tool & base-plate, and a 4000 lb. ''come-along', a winch/tow chain for what ever. NOTE: I have 2 other hi-lifts(spares/extras).
EDIT:
At this time they do not make a synthetic line for a 17,500 lb. winch, that doesn't compromise line length. If you were to choose synthetic, you end up with about 50-60 feet before the drum is full. Compare this to 95 feet of steel cable on the same size drum. It just would not be practical to carry so many extensions. You know in real life, you will be using an extension past that 95 feet of cable anyway in certain extraction scenarios.
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Member I
Badlands 12,000lb w\ Master Pull 3\6" x 75ft. Synthetic Rope, Factor 55 fairlead mounted Warn Trans4mer brush guard winch mount on a 2000 GMCz71, I carry a 42" Bulldog Hi Lift Jack on my adventure trailer.
Since the this photo I removed Badlands cable tensioner
Since the this photo I removed Badlands cable tensioner
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Member III
I have a Warn Zeon 10S on the Xterra. I have not had call to use it yet. The last time we were out, a strap from a buddy's truck got me off the rock.
I thought the same thing back when I could always find someone to wheel with. I've gone out solo enough in recent years I decided to go ahead and have one just in case. Nothing less fun than being hung out by yourself with the family in tow. Now that's less of a worry. And the winch was about $1k where lockers and the associated parts for my build would have been $5k with me doing the work.
Warn 16.5ti. It's overkill but when ever it hooks up to something it will move one way or another.
Enthusiast III
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I opted for the TuffStuff 10.5 k lb with synthetic line. Got it on sale for just under $ 300 & they contract out through warn.
Member III
I have a Warn VR 10,000 on the front of my LJ which I've never had to use. I guess that's a good thing. I also have a Superwinch 10,000 on a portable 2" hitch cradle. I picked up the like new winch used for $200 and the cradle for another $30. I used it recently on a friends trailer when we picked up a "barn find" Comanche that had been sitting for 19 years. It worked great!
Enthusiast III
I'm running a Warn Zeon 10-S on my truck. I haven't had to use it as much as I would like to justify having it, however it does provide me some sense of confidence when I am wheeling alone. I have a hi-lift as a back up as well.
