By John Witherspoon on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 05:02 pm: Edit

How much winch is enough winch? Alright, I know this is a nebulous (sp?) question, but I'm curious as to whether say a Warn 8000 is enough, or does one need more? Is 6000 enough? How about 4500? I'm just not sure. I don't expect to have to pull the entire truck off the ground, but...who knows. Comments, advice PLEASE!

John

By joshua on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 05:06 pm: Edit

well, in a good winch, I have always heard at least 2x the body weight, loaded up with 2 people and gear...

a good pull from a realy realy stuck mud hole, is probably close to pulling your truck off the ground, if not more..

Im sure this is Rons que to chime in with some Stats or something...

hehe


joshua

By E Snyder on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 05:09 pm: Edit

9000 lb, minimum for a Disco. Even then, you'll need to use a snatch block sometimes. It's not an issue of "being able to lift your truck". It's an issue of being able to drag your truck through deep mud or over steep angles, or drag other people's trucks. My .02.

By John Witherspoon on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 05:14 pm: Edit

OK,
while I'm being schooled in winches (which I appreciate greatly by the way!) someone tell me, as I don't know,...Can you do a winch install effectively w/out going the new bumper route? Someday, I hope to have a new bumper, but right now, I don't have the spare jack to purchase one! Or, is it more important practically to have a heavy-duty bumper first? I don't know. I'm only now starting to wheel more and more...I'm doing the shock/spring upgrade thing...don't know what should come next in the line of mods. All help appreciated!

John

By Clint on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 09:13 pm: Edit

John,
firstly, I've never owned a winch myself.
I've seen winching firsthand several times with electric winches.
Everything I'm about to say is my opinion.

Get a milemarker hydraulic winch.
Electrics don't seem to have as much power as you think a winch should.
The milemarker
1) is same cost as electric
2) lighter
3) has 100% duty cycle (electrics you have to wait for a few minutes every few minutes)
4) doesn't require you to upgrade your battery / alternator
5)water /weather proof ( may not seem like a big deal, but look at any year old electric )
6) really will pull what it is rated to pull unlike many electrics

Do a google search on milemarker and read up.
There are also several great discussions in the archives here.

By Eric N (Grnrvr) on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 09:24 pm: Edit

I would get the biggest winch that your pocket can afford. I don't know about the Hydraulic vs. electric though.. I do know that with either one there are pros and cons.. They each have their faults.

By Mike B. on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 09:37 pm: Edit

I think the trick on a hydraulic winch is getting a pump strong enough to power it. The stock PS pump is pretty weak. That makes for a very slow hydraulic winch.

I like the electric winches because they still run even if your engine is not. Comes in handy at times here in the muddy south!

Thanks,
Mike B.

By Dean Brown (Deanbrown3d) on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 10:36 pm: Edit

Ron and I are looking into power take-off (PTO) winches (driven hydraulically in my case, and mechanically with Ron) - powered via the transfer case by the engine. You may be looking a fair amount of do$h though. Great Basin Rovers can help. Bill - if you're watching - did you get a system for me yet

Dean

By Ron on Friday, November 23, 2001 - 09:33 am: Edit

8000 is plenty.

It will just die a quick death like everything else I touch. I have not fried an 8274 yet so that would be my choice and it is only 8000lbs. They used to run them in the CT pulling overloaded 110s so it will be fine for your application. I would say an RE 8000 (not REP 8000) would also be fine. I thought the Husky 8 was good but then it died on us.

So I ask you, how much you planning on winching?

If only once in a while then get the little flamer winch. It a lot then get a good electric winch. If constantly get a mechanical or hydraulic with a pto pump. Not a fan of the milemarker w/o a PTO though, damn PS pump is not that tough to begin with.

Search winch or poodle and you will get plenty of comments.

Ron

By Bill Bettridge (Billb) on Monday, November 26, 2001 - 08:40 am: Edit

John, you can mount a winch w/out going the new bumper route if you really want to - there is a factory A-bar and mount in the for sale section

http://www.discoweb.org/discus/messages/10/5521.html?1005665487

I think the factory bar will take an bottom mount Warn or same pattern winch