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Originally Posted by DKG Pls excuse my going but interestingly I too am researching winches and am presently zeroed in to a Warn 8274-50 8000 lb winch. Sadly the India dealer in Bangalore is a ripoff quoting 1.1 lacs. Its available for 1100 USD. Even with shipping, taxes, and VAT it shouldn't cost that much. Will get someone to buy it there and send it. Would you know if the Warn winches are available in Bombay? I guess Ramsey should be of similar quality? |
The Warn 8274-50 is one of the best winches made, with a very fast pull speed. It is very popular with hard core off roaders that need to do frequent pulls. It is also one of the most expensive winches on the market, and unless you really can use and need that type of performance, there are much lower cost alternatives that will work very well.
For most Jeeps, an 8k winch is totally sufficient. A Gypsy can do with a 6k winch. There is a tendancy to go for a higher pull rating for safety factor, but often this is just overkill and the net effect is that you are just carrying extra weight on you front bumper. Keep in mind that the motor for a 6k winch is typically the same as a 9.5k winch, and the only difference is the gearing. This means that if you get a Warn 6k winch, it will have a faster pull speed than the 9.5k. 12k winches are even slower.
Warn, and Ramsey are probably the 2 best winches on the market today. There is also Tmax from Australia. Milemarker is lower cost than Warn/Ramsey and has decent quality, which gives you the best value for money. You can get a milemarker PE8000 from costco.com for $340. This unit will work for 99.9% of winch requirements with a typical Jeep, etc.
I have a Ramsey 9500 on my CJ340, and have used it some really difficult situations, and it has worked great. I bought this winch in the U.S., disassembled it into the drum, motor, gearbox, electricals, and brought the pieces over in different suitcases. Then proceeded to reassemble in Delhi. Worked great, and paid no duty.
Most winches have a standard 10x4.5 bolt pattern, and all manufacturers sell standard winch mounting plates. This is highly recommended for safety. I tack welded the mounting plate to my vehicle frame for added strength and security from theft. I then put a security cable lock around the winch drum and front bumper. |