Here we are again with another article. This time I'll be discussing everyone’s favorite extraction tool, the winch. I'll first talk about some simple extraction tools like the tow strap, come-a-long and the farm jack. Then we'll dive into the different cinches available and a bit about the companies that make them. Finally, I'll talk a little bit about synthetic ropes. So, let’s get started, I've got a lot to cover.
The cheapest and easiest tool is the tow strap. Its only downside is you'll need a buddy. Overall, it's simple and works fairly well for light to moderate wheeling. There are basically two types of straps available. One has metal hooks on either end while the other has cloth loops. Get the one with loops. Those metal hooks can slip or break off and turn into projectiles. You don't want to end your outing early with a trip to the emergency room, do you? The most common is the 2 inch strap but there is also a 3 inch strap available. The 2 inch will be rated for less since it is thinner but it will be easier to store. You will also want to wash your tow strap if it gets dirty. Dirt and grime can rot out a tow strap.
The next step up is the Come-along. These are available in many sizes and lengths. Basically, it's a poor mans winch. The come-along has a wire cable or a strap that can be reeled out. The other end has a hook and it attached to the Jeep in some fashion. The person then moves the handle which brings in the line. Pretty simple but requires a some manual labor.
Similar to a come-along is the farm jack. Most common version is the Hi-Lift brand. This jack comes in 48 and 60 inch lengths. Like a come-along, the jack is attached to the vehicle then a long chain or strap is attached to an anchor point. As the jack closes, it pulls the vehicle out. The only problem is the length with which the vehicle moves is limited to the length of the jack. What does this mean? Well, you better not be in a hurry.
In recent years, winches have come down in price significantly. Before, you were lucky to buy a winch for under $500. Now you can find them for around $3-400. So, let’s start off with some of the early winches.
The Power-Take-Off or PTO winch. These are engine driven through a gearbox connected to the transmission or transfer case. The PTO had one big advantage over other winches. Since, the winch speed is dependant on the transmission; the winch will turn at the same speed as the wheels and tires, assisting extraction. PTO’s use worm gears to rotate the drum, this means they turn at a 1:1 ratio with the input speed. They are great for sustained winching since they run off the engine. The down side is that the engine needs to be running for the winch to work. Some PTO winches come with a backup handle, just in case. Ramsey PTO’s can be found on many older Jeeps. They seem to last forever.
The capstan winch is a rare site these days but was somewhat popular in the early on. The capstan winch is driven continuously when in use. Rope is then looped over the capstan. To control the winch, tension is added to the tail-end of the rope. No one uses these winches these day’s. Like the PTO, these winches are driven off the engine.
Hydraulic winches regained popularity with the Mile Marker winch in the late 90’s but has been in use much longer. The winch is driven off of a hydraulic pump which can be engine or electric driven. Mile Markers series of hydraulic winches are driven off of the power steering pump which then does double duty.
By far the most popular type of winch is the electric. Because these rely on an electric motor, some gear reduction is required. Early winches like the Warn’s used a series of gears in an upright position. This can still be seen today in the Warn 8274 series. These older winches which use a separate oil bath for the gears. Newer winches like the HS9500 do not require oiling for the life of the winch. Most electric winches use an electromagnet for their motors. A few, like the Ramsey REP8000 series use a somewhat less effective permanent magnet to reduce the winches amp load. Only a few years ago, winches came standard with a 1-2 hp motor depending on brand. Warn and Ramsey were using two different ways to calculate their Hp so comparing them was difficult. Since the jump to higher Hp motors, everyone finally agreed on a system. Now it’s common place to have a 4.5hp or higher winch motor. Most winches out on the market use a remote solenoid box. The solenoid box houses the relays that control the brains of the winch. Since the mid-90’s winches have been sold with integrated solenoids. These are easily identified by the metal bridge on top of the winch spindle. Recently, Warn has started to sell MOSFET, or Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor control boxes. MOSFET replaced the old mechanical switches with digitally controlled components. This means the control box has no moving parts and can be sealed. The down side is MOSFET controllers are expensive and cost almost as much as the winch.
Before choosing a winch there are a few things you need to know. One is the weight of the vehicle full loaded. This is important since you do not want to buy a winch that is not able to extract the vehicle. The general consensus for choosing a winch is to choose one that is at least 1.5 times the vehicles weight. For example a stock Jeep weighs in around 3200 lbs. This would mean that the bare minimum winch to choose would be 4800 lbs. There is one other thing to consider also. Mud, rocks, sand and the like add their own weight to the vehicle. The maximum pulling rate of the winch is on the first wrap of the drum. You loose 12% with each additional wrap. In real-life numbers, you will want at least 2-2.5x. So that would mean 6200-8000lbs. With the advent of the budget winch there is no reason to go less then 8000lbs.
Currently, the cheapest winch out on the market is the Chicago Electric winch sold at Harbor Freight. These winches are older Ramsey winches that were exported to other countries. The 8000 is based on the REP8000 but with the older motor. This is a decent starter winch but if you’re considering harder trails and more frequent winch usage then invest in a better winch.
The next budget winch that came onto the market is the Magnum, now known as the Tabor. These winches are budget Warn winches. They are made and sold by Warn in the US. These winches skimp on some non-crucial parts to keep cost down. Overall, it seems to be a good budget winch that might even be up to par with the standard Warn winches. I wouldn’t overlook these winches even when considering a standard Warn.
The next winch manufacturer is a newcomer, T-Max.. This company is said to be Australian but is really Chinese. T-Max or Hangzhou Industries has been making winches for a while.
Mile Marker is known for their hydraulic winches but also makes electric winches. Their electric winches seem to be similar to the old Ramseys. They also use a permanent magnet like the REP8000 series. Their hydraulic winches haven’t changed in a while. Most people recommend a larger power steering (PS) pump when using these winches even though they are supposed to work with stock PS pumps.
Thirty-five years ago in the northeast hills of Connecticut, Frank Tolsdorf began manufacturing Superwinch electric winches. Superwinch may not be as prevalent as Ramsey or Warn but they still make a reliable product. Superwinch has been popular with offroaders around the world for many years. Superwinch lineup consists of the EP, S, X and Husky lines. Unlike the others, the Husky uses worm gears and is considered heavy duty.
Ramsey has been in the winch game since 1945. Early one their PTO winches became popular with some Jeepers. This was when electric winches were still new. Ramsey makes many of the winches used on tow trucks today. They revamped their product. The budget models are the REP series followed by the Patriot Profile and the top of the line Patriot series. The main difference between the Patriot Profile and Patriot series is the integrated solenoid with the Patriot series. Ramsey’s work horses are still the RE series but they are big, heavy and slow compared to the others.
Some consider Warn the best winch out there. The company was founded in 1948 by Author Warn and has grown even since. Warn starts off with their Value line which was mentioned earlier. The next series is the Premium Series. This family consists of the old reliable M8274-50, M6000 and the M8000 which have been in the Warn family for a long time. Joining the family is the XD9000 and XD9000i. Their Heavy Weight series consists of the work horses. The lowest rated winch is the M12000. In the Ultimate Performance Series is the 9.5XP, 9.5TI and the 9.5SI MOSFET. These are for the serious rock crawlers.
So what’s left? Well, in the past couple years; there has been a big interest in synthetic ropes rather then the metal cable ropes winches have used in the past. Synthetic ropes have been used in shipping for a long time. Only recently with the advent of rock crawling, was there a need for a light, yet strong replacement for the cable rope. There are many different types of ropes available out there. Here are a few, Ultra Line, Ultra Blue, Polytron, Duraplex, Tenex, Amsteel, Spectron, Plasma, Kexlon, Ultra-Tech, Super Strong, Stable Braid, Mooring Master, SSR, Polysteel, Magnus, Hi Power & Poly Plus. What’s the difference? Well each type of rope is made with different materials. Stuff like Polypropylene, Copolymer, Nylon, Polyester, Dacron, Spectra, Dyneema, Kevlar, Technora, Vectran. Only a few of these ropes have been used on offroad winches.
What are the advantages? Well the first is weight. Synthetic ropes are very light. There is no risk handling the rope. Also, the ropes can be braded together if it happens to break. When and if the rope breaks, it does not become a projectile but rather stores no energy and falls to the ground. Some things need to be aware of when using a synthetic rope. The biggest is abrasion. Snagging the rope on rocks, trees or metal can damage the rope. Abrasion sleeves are highly recommended. Some companies supply 3-5 foot sleeves while others cover every inch of the rope. Heat is another problem. Some materials start to weaken at the same temperatures the winch drum might get to. So, to prevent this, some companies use shielding or even a different compound for the first few feet of rope. Now if that isn’t enough to think about you still have to choose 3/8 and 5/16 dia. ropes.
Synthetic rope has also caused a shift from roller fairleads to the hawse fairleads. So what’s a fairlead? That’s the part that guides the line into the winch. The hawse has always been made of cast iron and come with many lower-end winches. Rollers have been the preferred fairlead because they guide the line in without any abrasion to the cable. Because of the smooth slick ropes, roller fairleads do not roll and can get caught in the edges of the rollers. So everyone has moved back to the hawse fairlead. Well sort of. Many companies now make hawse fairleads out of aluminum and a few out of plastic. So, why can’t you just use the one that came with the winch? Well you could but it synthetic rope would catch on it. If you wanted to spend the time, you could grind the hawse sloth though. Not many people want to even bother going down that road.
There are a few more things I’d like to hit upon before closing. You know those extra things that need to be bought with the winch. The first is the mounting plate. Nothing special about them. Everyone who makes a winch should have a winch plate for your application. There are different styles for different vehicles. Beware that the bolt pattern for the winch is not standardized and different winches may require different mounting requirements. Also, if you’re going to buy a winch besure to learn out to use it safely. Always use gloves. A Tree saver, short length of chain or strap should be used to affix the cable. Many companies sell winch kits which contain most of the things needed to get started. Shop around though. The one from your winch company might be priced significantly higher then others.
Hopefully, I’ve helped you get started. There is a lot of technical stuff I’ve breezed over so you’ll still need to do some homework. There is a lot of stuff on proper winching techniques which I haven’t even touched on. I’ve tried to give you enough information to get started. Good luck.
