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Originally Posted by Samurai I too gave up hearing a 60K price tag for a $600 winch. Is there a non-ripoff way to get it? |
Glad you started this thread. There a lot that needs to be considered when buying a winch. Just to get the discussion going basically winching is a highly stressed activity and the loads encountered are severe. The quality of equipment used has to be top notch. Either on account of ignorance or paucity of funds not everyone is investing in equipment that is fit for the job. There's a influx of cheap Taiwanese/Chinese alternatives in the market for 15 k etc but the risks are huge.
From the little reading I've done about winching in preparation for procuring a decent one I have observed the followign criteria
1. Weight. Usually (but not necessarily) the heavier winches are made of heavier metal and reflect sturdier construction. Lightweight winches may simply not have the structural strength to handle the loads. While buying the lightweight winches you have to do double the research to make sure it is a tried and tested product
2. The motor and the gearing. Apparently its recommended that the winch be rated for 1.5 times the vehicle weight (include all the stuff loaded into the car too) So if you have to pull a car weighing anywhere between 3500 to 4000 lbs add on the fact that the car is stuck in slush etc and adding on the 1.5 factor you need something well in excess of 6500 to 7000 lb rating. Ideally a 8000 lb winch would handle most situations.
3. A reputed manufacturer usually uses aircraft grade cables rated for almost 30000 lbs so its safer to go along with quality winches as a snapped cheap cable under tension can spell disaster both for man and machine.
There are specific technical details which one must monitor in choice of winches but I won't go there as yet. Its all available on the net for interested enthusiasts to read up.
Of the reputed brands Warn and Ramsey seem to rule the roost along with Superwinch and Milemarker. There are many others but you'd have to weigh the pros and cons of other brands extra carefully should you consider buying them.
A 8000 lb winch should be in the range of 1000 to 1300 USD. I reckon with taxes and shipping it shouldn't cost more than 60 to 70K max. That itself is steep but remember this is some very serious equipment and can bail you out in almost any offroad situation. You don't want a cheaper alternative smoking away to death on your first attempt to pull out as it simply doesn't have the juice.
I know very little about the subject and am simply reading up before I buy one. Perhaps some of the hallowed experts at TBHP can shed more light on how vital this piece of equipment is for any serious offroader and the pros and cons of choosing a particular brand.
Samurai, once I get my Warn in from the US I'll share how to go about it. Haven't figured it out yet but will soon
PS Perhaps TBHP could start a clubshop section where they trade in quality stuff (a revenue stream?)
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Originally Posted by simply_sunny001 there should be someone producing winches in india,they might be cheaper. |
Not aware, considering only the army in India has been actively requiring its use I reckon its built inhouse for army production only and not sold for civilian use? We need to find out
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Originally Posted by nitrous The army uses some winches. Im not sure they are electric.But, I remember hearing they use PTOs.It might be possible to scavenge the winches from the used army vehicles.
Arka should have a lot to add on this topic. |
You have hydraulic winches, usually much much heavier and then the common electric winches that run off your battery
Then you have the traditional PTO (power take off?) based units as commonly found on the old Landrovers. Read stories of owners forgetting to disengage these units and completely deform their front ends as they drove off