winch shopping

SaddleTramp said:
I'd love to get the integrated on board air function of the Powerplant but it'd be sitting on top of a PSC Brawler Lite bumper vs. in a sunken bumper on my rig and I'd be afraid out here in Vegas and trips to Moab, etc. it would still restrict too much to the radiator but interested in others experience vs. my assumptions. :idontknow: Currently leaning toward a Zeon and an ARB under seat or under hood compressor.
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I have a zeon 10s on top of my rampage bumper which is also a top mount. I Have wheeled in Moab, sat in 110 degree 3 hour NYC traffic jams, etc and have NEVER had a single issue. In fact, I have never met anyone that had an overheating issue because of a winch. I have met one guy with a jeep that blamed his winch from overheating but since I have dealt with this problem before on sports cars, I quickly solved his problem. It wasn't the winch, but the mesh he was running in his slats. His mesh was way too tight, and would be called 40% on sites that sell sheets of it meaning, it allows 40% of air to pass through. As soon as he removed the mesh, his problem went away. I didn't want the power plant because I didn't want two systems tied into one unit in case of failure. I'm not saying that its going to fail but I like my setup better. I have underhood onboard air and a winch. Two independent units so if one fails I don't need to replace both systems. The power plant is an excellent unit. If it suits your needs I would have no qualms about getting it.
 
SaddleTramp said:
I'd love to get the integrated on board air function of the Powerplant but it'd be sitting on top of a PSC Brawler Lite bumper vs. in a sunken bumper on my rig and I'd be afraid out here in Vegas and trips to Moab, etc. it would still restrict too much to the radiator but interested in others experience vs. my assumptions. :idontknow: Currently leaning toward a Zeon and an ARB under seat or under hood compressor.
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I have a PowerPlant HP but is mounted down inside of my bumper so I am not thinking we would comparing apples to apples, but I do like the fact that I have most of my grill "free" of obstructions. as far as the winch itself, it is great. If I were to do it different, I would have got the bigger HD (12k lbs) instead of the HP (9500 lbs)...

andrew-
 
wow so much to think about. i really appreciate all the advice. my jeep is mostly a "mall krawler?" i dont do any real highly technical things like moab sahara rubicon stuff. i pretty much baby her. i pretty much hunt fish play in the snow and an ocasional gravel road a a few nasty pot holes. im really just lookin for simple all around winch. i honestly dont even know how to use one. so ill be overwhelmed with a top model. im thinking the winch mopar has on their website. i have time to shop around but i think the power one recommended might be too much for me. is there like a good beginner model out there. after looking at over 100 im overwhelmed i think
 
I have opted for a Warn Rockcrawler Stubby with top mount Engo winch. I know there are big fans of Warns, and I like. I read some good reviews on Engo and also Four Wheeler shootout.
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Rubycon said:
wow so much to think about. i really appreciate all the advice. my jeep is mostly a "mall krawler?" i dont do any real highly technical things like moab sahara rubicon stuff. i pretty much baby her. i pretty much hunt fish play in the snow and an ocasional gravel road a a few nasty pot holes. im really just lookin for simple all around winch. i honestly dont even know how to use one. so ill be overwhelmed with a top model. im thinking the winch mopar has on their website. i have time to shop around but i think the power one recommended might be too much for me. is there like a good beginner model out there. after looking at over 100 im overwhelmed i think
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The power plant may be overkill for what your looking to do. You could look at the middle of the road warn VR series or again I would look at the zeon series. Maybe an 8s which is an 8000# model with synthetic rope. I would recommend synthetic rope just so that you can keep things simple. Watch this video from a warn demo that kinda explains the main differences between wire and synthetic.

http://youtu.be/hYjWh0Q7Qz8
 
If your looking at dragging carcasses up a hill, have you considered an 8274? They are pretty pricey new, but you won't find one that's faster or one that will hold 150' of cable. It's rated at 74 ft pr minute with no load I think. It should b close to that with a deer carcass

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Don't get me wrong Warn makes a great winch. When I purchased a winch for my JK I picked up a 10000lb Shittybuilt, at the same time my son picked up a 10000lb Warn for his JK. As of right now mine is purring like a kitten while his has shit the bed and stopped working. We are currently working with Warn to find out what happened, but till it is resolved he is without a winch.I have had Warn winches on my other 4x4's just with this one money was alittle tighter so I went with Smitty. It has not let me down and for someone on a tighter budget it is a perfect winch.
 
Mikes Offroad said:
Don't get me wrong Warn makes a great winch. When I purchased a winch for my JK I picked up a 10000lb Shittybuilt, at the same time my son picked up a 10000lb Warn for his JK. As of right now mine is purring like a kitten while his has shit the bed and stopped working. We are currently working with Warn to find out what happened, but till it is resolved he is without a winch.I have had Warn winches on my other 4x4's just with this one money was alittle tighter so I went with Smitty. It has not let me down and for someone on a tighter budget it is a perfect winch.
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I have to second Mikes Offroad. I'm running a 10,000lb Smittybilt XRC X2O winch. It's my second from Smittybilt and I've been very happy with both winches (had an XRC cheapie on my TJ). Many years ago, after reading all of the shootouts and listening to everyone and their mom, I swapped my XRC cheapie for a warn. The Warn wasn't a bad winch, but it the XRC was just as good imho. When it came time to shop for my new JKUR, I went right back to Smittybilt. :twocents:
 
I went with a quadratec q9000s which compared very similar to the same version warns sells down to warranty and everything. I didnt have the funds to get something more expensive and since I dont see myself using it a lot I will be fine. On the east coast we dont usually need very long pulls or anything with what we have, well in PA at least. I would suggest dual batteries however if you plan on long pulls. I would also be careful of synthetic vs steel tho if your going to be pulling where the line will be rubbing against rocks or the ground.
 
Can any winch be converted to synthetic rope? I know the fairlead must be changed, but does the drum get changed too? Any and all experience. I'm considering buying the hd powerplant or zeon 12. I wanted to know if the powerplant air compressor really is that good and fast or do people purchase it because its convenient to have both units in one?
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UncensoredAggression said:
Can any winch be converted to synthetic rope? I know the fairlead must be changed, but does the drum get changed too? Any and all experience. I'm considering buying the hd powerplant or zeon 12. I wanted to know if the powerplant air compressor really is that good and fast or do people purchase it because its convenient to have both units in one?
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You can just change out the line, don't need to replace the drum.

Other than the fairlead, there are different options for thimbles, hooks etc. that are specific to synthetic rope or cable. The best option for rope that I've seen is the safety thimble. That's what I'll be getting when I get my winch with rope.

http://www.vikingoffroad.com/viking-safety-thimble-2-black/
 
Just ordered a Engo E9000S shipped to my door for $389.00. Not my first choice in winches, but at that price it definitely fits in my budget.
 
Flatattack said:
Just ordered a Engo E9000S shipped to my door for $389.00. Not my first choice in winches, but at that price it definitely fits in my budget.
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I've got that or the 10000s on the list of things to do. Nice choice.

10frank9 said:
I actually hear they are really good and reliable winches. Congrats.
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There was report/testing done not too long ago and Engo came out right towards the top. Was dinged for not having a fancy remote (just basic pull/release I guess). Also as you know, TTFHELL has one and used it many of times. I saw it hold a Toyota Tacoma from going over a cliff. Enough first hand proof for me. It's not as sexy as a Warn, but paper and real world tell it'll get the job done.
 
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