Truck winches

[Sawyer Rob]

Looking to install a 20K + winch.

Had my sights on a 20-25K Sherpa. Looks like the best you can get, but they are super expensive.
Was looking at these on Amazon.
They claim the motors and larger parts are German/American made. Not a Chinese made winch

Amazon.com

Less than half the price of Sherpa.

Here’s the company store. Looks like they have a lot of experience.

Prowinch

chain hoist, cranes, lifting materials, material handling, hoists, chain hoists, winches, wire rope hoist

www.amazon.com

I have used my warn m8274 for endless years, yes its heavy, but fast and very powerful. It's been rebuilt a time or two but has a receiver mount and jumper cable set up I made works great. And have several doubler blocks to help on real heavy items. Will see if I can find a photo of it in use, pulled a 60' lift sunk in mud once with use of trees for anchors, no room to get anything else close to problem.View attachment 837634

It says it has "evolved", I hope so because the one I had, had only one keyway between the shaft and drum. I stripped that out two different times! I got fed up with THAT, and welded the drum to the shaft, and sold the winch!

I then bought the Warn 12,000 planetary winch (NOT china made) and all these years later it still works perfectly. I've winched out my 3/4 ton "loaded" pu, no problem at all and it was high centered crossing a swamp.

SR

 

[oosik]

I've had many vehicles with an electric winch - WARN - ever since we move to Alaska in 1965. Never burned up a winch motor but sure fried some batteries. Went to a whole lot of foolish places based upon the belief in the winch. Did a whole lot of grubbing in the mud and a whole lot of winching. Alaska can be a "winchers" dream or nightmare.

There is no such thing as too heavy copper wire from the batteries to the winch and from the alternator to the battery. You will know you are at or near the limit when you see the plastic coating melting and dripping off those wires.

Suggestion - if you will be traveling where there are no good winch points. We always took along a double fluke boat anchor. Drive the flukes in the ground - attach the winch line to the anchor. We had a retrieval cable attached to the anchor also. Just hook to the rear trailer hitch and slowly pull the anchor back out of the ground.

I always went with an electric winch. Both PTO and hydraulic depend upon a motor that is running. The primary battery might be enough to get you out - when the motor won't start. The second or third battery would be used to get the motor firing again.

 

[RandyT]

I had a BADLAND ZXR 12,000 lb winch that decided to give up the ghost while loading a van. I had to complete the task with a come-a-long. I still need to get it apart to see what broke. Perhaps a brake?
I had an unused BADLAND APEX 12,000 lb at home which I'm now using. The synthetic rope is interesting, but still seems to work.
I built a custom 1 1/2" receiver for my trailer, and the winch is removable which is a nice feature, but it is awfully heavy to lug around. Hmmm..
The Sherpa Stallion 25K is listed at 68lb (rope)/104lb (wire). Not too bad. The Prowinch 20K is listed at 136 lbs (or is that shipping weight?) A bit to lug around.
I haven't convinced myself that I need a 20K winch, but I would like some of the extra capacity so one doesn't pull it up to the max all the time.
As far as amps for the Prowinch.
12V x 450A = 5.4 KW = about 7.2 HP (rated at about 6.6 HP).
If you have a large 5+ HP motor, it will suck down the amps. Only way around that is with very low gearing.
Many winches will have a duty cycle, and won't be rated for full power continuous. Nonetheless, your winching will likely vary with power. So, you might hit 20K pulling your load out of the mud, or up the ramps, but most of it will be pulling at much less, unless you're pulling several hundred feet up a 45° slope.
I've seen two speed Ramsey winches, but that doesn't seem to be common.

Odd, there are two very different winches in the photos in that ad.

The basic winch looks similar, other than the integrated fairlead and wire cover. I do like the second a little better. It would certainly be worthwhile to verify what will be in the box.

They seem to list both 12V, and 24V. The 24V would be nice, but would need a little different battery and charging arrangement.

Hmmm, comparing the Stallion to the Prowinch 20K,
The Prowinch 20K uses 9/16" wire rope (14mm, 85 ft).

The Stallion uses 100ft (30m) of 0.472" (12mm).

Interesting different cable choices. A little longer lighter cable might be nice, but perhaps they're for different purposes.

So far I can do several winch pulls without draining my battery. So, a high amp load may not be a difference unless one really has some intense winching to do, and if one has a front bumper mounted winch, then one can easily recharge, or idle the vehicle as one's pulling.

Keep a good eye on the battery cables for the winch. The cables on my ZXR 12K turned to powder within 6 months of purchase. Seems they use Cooper Clad Aluminum and they had corroded.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I make my own batt. to winch cables, out of welding cable.

I make my own ends too, out of copper pipe fittings.

SR

 

[oosik]

Sawyer Rob. The electric cables always looked like welding cables with copper water pipe ends. I've always stuck with WARN. Particularly important when we built our log cabin in Alaska. Winch the logs out of the woods and onto the trailer - winch the logs up the driveway to where we debarked - two sided - installed.

Sears & Roebuck got tired of seeing me. That summer we built the cabin - went thru four Diehard batteries. They would groan but still replaced their batteries under warrante.

Some of the vehicles that I installed a winch - the most difficult part was getting those HD electric cables routed around the engine compartment and out to the winch.

BTW - the Taco Wagon came with a 12K WARN winch. Haven't had to use it yet - hope things stay that way. Makes me shiver - remembering diving down in a mud hole to attach a winch line. Even worse - crossing an ice covered creek - breaking thru the ice - going under the ice and water to attach a winch line.

Boy - were we ever young and full of spirit in those days. Kind of pretty DUMB also.

However - we guys who belonged to Top 'O the World 4WD club saw sights in Alaska that few ever saw.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

I looked at Sherpa when needing an 18,000 or so winch and ended up with a ComeUp.

Goofy name, but impressive winch, I think. Hard to go wrong with an 8274 though, and the 150 feet of cable usually allows for using a snatchblock if necessary.

Have a military MileMarker hydraulic 8K that I never put on anything, but those were made to run off the P/S pump...and very slowly.

 

[Hay Dude]

I guess I’m down to Warn, Mile Markers, Sherpa and Pro-winch.

The Mile Marker‘s only achilles heel is the engine must run.
The Sherpa looks amazing, but is psycho expensive
I haven’t looked into Warn yet, but I know they are top notch and great reputation
The Pro Winch I don’t know much about, but looks like a great value.

I think I’m down to Warn or Pro Winch, but would still consider Sherpa if I could free-up some $$
It’s noteworthy that Sherpa just put their 20K on sale for $2,000 (normally $2,500)
I welcome any additional comments or suggestions.

 

[Hay Dude]

I looked at Sherpa when needing an 18,000 or so winch and ended up with a ComeUp.

Goofy name, but impressive winch, I think. Hard to go wrong with an 8274 though, and the 150 feet of cable usually allows for using a snatchblock if necessary.

Have a military MileMarker hydraulic 8K that I never put on anything, but those were made to run off the P/S pump...and very slowly.

Is the Come Up model # 8274? I like 150’ of cable.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

I welcome any additional comments or suggestions.

My suggestion would be to avoid Harbor Freight winches.

It was tempting to put one on a trailer recently, because of price, but then I thought "What if I really need it to work at some point?". So the trailer got a Warn 8K.

 

[Hay Dude]

My suggestion would be to avoid Harbor Freight winches.

It was tempting to put one on a trailer recently, because of price, but then I thought "What if I really need it to work at some point?". So the trailer got a Warn 8K.

Not on the list. I only buy good stuff. If I can’t afford good new, I buy good used.

Sometimes I can’t even afford good used.