Which winch to buy

Just bought my first Jeep. A 2017 4 door Rubicon. What is the best winch to buy? One that is not an overkill but will be reliable. I know WARN seems to be the most expensive. Am I paying for the name or is it really that good? Waterproof seems like a necessary feature. Wireless remote? If it comes with it ok, but not necessary. Research says 1.5 times the Gross Vehicle Weight. A 4 door Rubicon is about 6000 lbs. So a 9000-9500 should be sufficient or go to 12000 for a safety margin? Would appreciate any advice. Thanks Jeepers.

 

No you are not just paying for the name on a warn. Warn is American made and most other manufactures are Chinese made. The way I look at it is when you need a which you are stuck, so when I go to use the winch I want a top of the line something that won't fail and leave me stuck.
Warn has several didn't models that are in the 9000lb range. Your bumper will someone dictate what winch setup you get i.e. Center mount or off center mount.
As far as the remote goes, I see that as another item that can fail when needed. Maybe you forget to change your batteries or something. I don't fine that to be that great but that just an opinion.

Last thing, if you can save a little extra about $250, I would suggest a synthetic line instead of cable. Less risk of injury if it breaks and you will save like 50lbs.

 

Thanks for the good advice Rc Jeep. Great to hear from people who have experience.

 

That's two of you agreeing on WARN. I'm leaning that way but needed some confirmation. Any ideas on how many pound capacity of the winch? Should I go to 12000 lbs which is twice the weight of a four door Rubicon? Thanks.

 

There are ways to effectively double the winch capacity using pulleys. Spend some time on YouTube and watch different recovery methods using a winch.

 

Just a thought. You need to know what the pull rating is on each layer wrapped around the drum. Whatever you rating is on the winch i.e. 9000lb, 12000lb: is only the rating for the first layer wrapped around the drum. For each layer you reduce your pull rating by 15 to 25% depending on the brand and model of winch. For example, My winch is a 12000 pound winch with 100ft of cable and when fully wound up has 3 layers of cable wrapped around my drum on the winch. On the 3rd layer my winch is only rated for 6000lbs, but on the first layer it is rated at 12000lbs. For this reason I always by a 12000lb winch. Better to be stronger than weaker when you need it.

Also there pros and cons for both Cable and Rope. Both are dangerous when they break. I saw a rope snap and whip a man like it has a razor blade on the end of it slicing through skin and muscle both like he was made of butter. If you run a rope, make sure that the winch is designed to be used with a rope. Extra insulation and different materials are used in the drum to keep the heat down on the drum. Under load the drum of a winch can exceed 300*F and this is detrimental to winch ropes because the excessive heat makes them brittle. For an example of the differences go here https://superwinchcompanystore.com/collections/superwinch-talon . Superwinch is having a big sale on their winches, and still, with the same model winch, the rope version is 50% more costly than the Cable version.

 

I just pulled the trigger on a warn 9.5 cti with synthetic. Should arrive tomorrow!

 

Thanks OFFGRID for the detail physics of a winch. I will put that piece of information in the mix of variables on buying a winch.

 

Just finished the install on a warn 9.5 cti-s sitting on an evo mfg 1/4 pounder w/ stinger.

 

That looks pretty good.

 

Dusting this one off.

Considering a winch. Really know nothing about them. And found this thread. Picked up a lot of great info. I have a much better idea which direction to go. A Warn with a synthetic line. Was looking at compact/stealth with a kinatic line. I'm looking at cost and weight. No plans on replacing the front bumper at this point. And there a few winch mounts for OEM bumpers. And I'm leaning that way.

There are a couple other bigger upgrades I'm looking to first. But an awesome thread.

Now I just need a place to go get stuck. Lol.

 

I bought a Warn M8000 years ago for my previous regular cab Tacoma. It got me out of a few situation. No issue, great product, another vote from me. Now I have a Jeep JKU, might need to upgrade to something bigger.

 

The 9.5 should be enough

 

Warn and Superwinch have the best names. Superwinch is having a good sale right now. I bought a Harbor Freight 12000lb winch a couple of years ago just to try it out. I've put it to good use in the mud pits. I have no complaints. I really like that it has a guide that wraps the cable evenly across the drum. I've never seen this guide on any other winch. Keeps,the cable from building up on one side and kinking your cable.

 

Here is one more opinion. I went with warn winch again. Had them on my other jeeps and they never let me down. They have good ratings,( Ip68 rating), pull speed and construction . That's important to me here in Florida in the water and mud. This is my first synthetic rope and it works great. Winched myself out a few times and winched lots of other jeeps. Good product but it costs. You get what you pay for. This is something I was not going to comprise on. Lots of good winch company's out there, but warn has done right by me. Snatch blocks help with increase pulling power. Just check on the winch your getting if it will fit your bumper. Some mount on top some sit down in the bumper. So far so good with the wireless remote.

 

Still on the ledge if I pick one up. If I do. I'm not sticking with my stock cut down bumper. I'm going to go with a winch ready bumper. And, yeah......here's my OCD issues. Lol. I'm not sure I want to swap bumpers. I have another upgrade or two before I decide on a winch. Issue....where I live, NJ. I'd probably never use it. And I hate spending money on a tool I only use once....or never. Ya....its good to have it in your tool box. But not a $500 tool. That will never be used.

Man....seriously. I envy you guys out there in the west. Your back yard is your play ground. Mines a pear tree with crab grass issues. .

 

Winches are expensive... after 2 uses its paid for...ever have to call an off road recovery truck. Ridiculously expensive...