Synthetic vs. Steel Winch Line Cable

Like I said if I bought it it would have been a Warn. Since it is there I'm not gonna replace it till I have to or have extra money laying around [emoji23]. Besides I usually wheel with others that have winches as well. Pretty rare that I put myself in a critical winch situation when I run solo.
 
QuicksilverJK said:
Like I said if I bought it it would have been a Warn. Since it is there I'm not gonna replace it till I have to or have extra money laying around [emoji23]. Besides I usually wheel with others that have winches as well. Pretty rare that I put myself in a critical winch situation when I run solo.
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Great, now you want to use my winch as well. First the battery, now the winch. Geesh.... ;)
 
Even better than the Warn M8000 is the M8000S already with the synthetic line. Then you don't have to fight coiling up 100' of steel cable in your trash bin.

Synthetic is stronger, safer, and lighter. The only negative is a little more $ up front. But the first time you get a burr in your finger, or a kink in the line, or injure someone if the line breaks under tension, the extra $ won't be missed.
 
CarolinaJK said:
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Awesome to see the Yorktown on here! Pass by it every day!
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Yup, that was my favorite museum to visit when I was younger (hell, it still is). :thumb:
A few years ago I was going through the engine room explaining what the different machinery was and how it's used to my family.... By the end of the walkthrough I had a group of about 10 other people who thought I was a tour guide. Hahaha.
 
For synthetic, what are some good quality brands for the money? What is the correct size rope for a 9500lb winch.

I have a Warn 9.5xp but would like to upgrade to synthetic for the safety aspect.
 
I like the Custom splice, MasterPull, setup. Note teh thickness depends of your usage, vehicle weight and length. Also some materials have higher strength that is independent of the diameter. I.e. not all 3/8 are stronger than a 5/16 (different breaking strengths and material).

Good reading here, along with a reference conversion table:

http://www.masterpull.com/choose-the-correct-size-winch-line/

i.e. : 9.5 xp 5/16" x 100' 3/8" x 75' 5/16" x 100' 3/8" x 75'
Wire Cable Basic Superline® Superline® XD

Also make sure to get one that has a protection sleeve\shield. I like the timble type hook at the end or that allows you to use a shackle at the end instead of a thick hook. If you get creative you can also use your winch as a suck down winch.

Gui
 
Warn all the Way

So, first Warn has the best customer service, they are outstanding. I was trying to buy a winch and I could not find any company to ship one to an APO AE address. I am military stationed overseas and all the winches were over the 70lb weight limit for USPS priority mail. So, I called WARN direct to see if it would be possible to buy direct and have them ship one in two different boxes, cable and control pack in one box and housing in the other. Heidi L. from Warn customer service hooked me up, they even gave me a discount and sent me a Warn Zeon in two separate boxes. While talking to her, the only Warn winches that are not built in the United States are their VR series, they are made in China, but all their other winches are built and made in the USA in Oregon.

Secondly, the Germans have a saying, "they are too poor to buy cheap", meaning when you buy cheap, you end up spending more money constantly replacing it. Buy quality and you only have to purchase once.
 
monstrousmac said:
So, first Warn has the best customer service, they are outstanding. I was trying to buy a winch and I could not find any company to ship one to an APO AE address. I am military stationed overseas and all the winches were over the 70lb weight limit for USPS priority mail. So, I called WARN direct to see if it would be possible to buy direct and have them ship one in two different boxes, cable and control pack in one box and housing in the other. Heidi L. from Warn customer service hooked me up, they even gave me a discount and sent me a Warn Zeon in two separate boxes. While talking to her, the only Warn winches that are not built in the United States are their VR series, they are made in China, but all their other winches are built and made in the USA in Oregon.

Secondly, the Germans have a saying, "they are too poor to buy cheap", meaning when you buy cheap, you end up spending more money constantly replacing it. Buy quality and you only have to purchase once.
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That's really cool to hear. Shipping to APOs can be a pain. Glad to hear Warn was willing to make it happen to keep a customer happy.
 
monstrousmac said:
So, first Warn has the best customer service, they are outstanding. I was trying to buy a winch and I could not find any company to ship one to an APO AE address. I am military stationed overseas and all the winches were over the 70lb weight limit for USPS priority mail. So, I called WARN direct to see if it would be possible to buy direct and have them ship one in two different boxes, cable and control pack in one box and housing in the other. Heidi L. from Warn customer service hooked me up, they even gave me a discount and sent me a Warn Zeon in two separate boxes. While talking to her, the only Warn winches that are not built in the United States are their VR series, they are made in China, but all their other winches are built and made in the USA in Oregon.

Secondly, the Germans have a saying, "they are too poor to buy cheap", meaning when you buy cheap, you end up spending more money constantly replacing it. Buy quality and you only have to purchase once.
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I AM TOO POOR TO BUY CHEAP Buy once, Cry Once :yup:
 
Great story! Although I love WARN, but as mentioned I had Warn winches failing on me. Actually any product can fail, case in point the Warn transplant that keep having issues. There is of course a difference between "MADE" and "assembled"; If you open a Warn winch you will be surprised to see that although they are assembled in the US, the parts come from several sources. I.e. several WARN winches have Bosch motors made in Brazil. The issue I had one one winch was not actually the motor, but the contact posts on the motor housing that were made and assembled in the US.

I love that quote but also note that Germans also do buy the majority of their products and services form elsewhere ;) Obviously we live in a global economy, and hopefully a lot of manufacturers (specially the ones charging a good penny for their product) will keep the focus on a quality product first, and customer service second... Great customer service will only do so much when you are stuck on the trail with a broken product :)
 
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Rope vs Wire

Clearly, we all have our own experiences that we base our opinions on. While I have seen and heard of VR series WARNs fail and have even at least 3 PowerPlants have problems, I have NEVER seen something like an M8000 or a 9.5ti have ANY issues. That being said, I CONSTANTLY see Smittybilt, ENGO and other China made winches leave people high and dry especially when they really need them to work the most. Based on my experiences over the years, I'll always take my chances with a WARN. But then, that's just me.
 
RMC2 said:
For synthetic, what are some good quality brands for the money? What is the correct size rope for a 9500lb winch.

I have a Warn 9.5xp but would like to upgrade to synthetic for the safety aspect.
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I would like to throw it out there that I was pretty disappointed with my Viking Line purchase. I do have the line installed on my jeep and am happy with its performance thus far, however, I would not it buy again.

(1) the thimble was NOT a viking thimble, as they no longer make the safety thimble II, and it is now supplied by a 3rd party.
(2) the sleeve was NOT a viking sleeve, no one addressed this issue at all w/ no comments from Viking
(3) the "knock off" sleeve does not fit over the milked spliced tail, so the first 18" or so of my line can not be covered by the sleeve.

:doh: all three of these issues, in my opinion, No one should have to deal with for that kind of money. Especially when you pay the premium for "Quality"

see details in thread here:
http://wayalife.com/showthread.php?...ic-replacement&p=693224&viewfull=1#post693224
 
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I have only ever had 1 issue with a warn winch. when we went to test it after we mounted it the spool never moved. we thought maybe they forgot the bolt to the wire. nope, it was on but it didn't spool in or out. called them up, told us were to take it. NO questions asked.they never installed the hex shaft into the winch. 1st and only time I have ever seen this with a warn.

for me it isn't a question of weather or not they are perfect, no company is. its how they handle the after sale. I not only pay more for a far superior product but also for the support provided after the fact. last thing I want is excuses when I need them.
in my eyes , when you buy a warn they will look after you. period! and that's why I continue to support them when I buy winches.
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So if one owned a Warn with a Steel line and want to "upgrade" to synthetic what brand would everyone recommend? Just get a Warn Synthetic Line or is there a great aftermarket company that would be a better bet?
 
trailraider said:
I have only ever had 1 issue with a warn winch. when we went to test it after we mounted it the spool never moved. we thought maybe they forgot the bolt to the wire. nope, it was on but it didn't spool in or out. called them up, told us were to take it. NO questions asked.they never installed the hex shaft into the winch. 1st and only time I have ever seen this with a warn.

for me it isn't a question of weather or not they are perfect, no company is. its how they handle the after sale. I not only pay more for a far superior product but also for the support provided after the fact. last thing I want is excuses when I need them.
in my eyes , when you buy a warn they will look after you. period! and that's why I continue to support them when I buy winches.
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Agreed. I don't know how it's possible but the PowerPlant I have on Moby is about 9 years old now and the belt that drives the air compressor just broke a couple of months back. When I called to order a new one, they said to just take in my winch to one of their authorize repair shops and it would be fixed for free under warranty. Being that the closest one to me is in the next state, I asked if I could just buy a new belt from them and they ended up sending 10 of them for free. Again, this is on a winch that's about 9 years old and for anyone who knows me, they'll know what kind of use its seen over those years. :yup:

benatc1 said:
So if one owned a Warn with a Steel line and want to "upgrade" to synthetic what brand would everyone recommend? Just get a Warn Synthetic Line or is there a great aftermarket company that would be a better bet?
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That's a tough one. I used to be a big fan of Viking lines but have been hearing a lot of things regarding their quality as had been mentioned on this thread. Amsteel has always been a good brand too and I might give them a try the next time around.
 
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