Winch muscle, how much is really necessary

[duderhimer]

I've been looking at installing a winch on my 74, it see's occasional offroading and I'm looking at more of a piece of mind when I go wheeling by myself. Already done a bunch of reading on brands so not looking for help in that area, what I'm more curious about is how BIG do I need to go? 8000lbs, 9000lbs, 9500lbs, 12000lbs, the average EB is roughly 3500lbs, what's everyones opinion or what configurations out there and why?

Thanks,
KW

 

[.94 OR]

Permanently mounted on the front?
Removable so it can be used on either end?
Line speed?
Line length?
Snatch blocks for doubling power?
Power requirement?
Aesthetics?

 

[Yeller]

8000-9500. Have an 8k on mine, been used a lot and always been enough. Have a 6k on my 4100# buggy and has always gotten the job done

 

[crankman]

I had only a 6000lb winch on my 69 back in the day, it pulled me out of every conceivable mess you could get in gumbo mud to whatever. But I put a Warn M8000 on my current 76 just cause I had funds to beef it up. You could go to weigh scale and use the old rule of 1 1/2 times of your weight.

 

[Timmy390]

I too run an 8K. Wile I've not used to to pull out the Bronco I've used it for may other pull jobs. Seems to get the job done with ease.

My buddy uses a 3500 on his car hauler and he's pulled everything from a Yaris to a Cadillac up the ramps.

Tim

 

[okie4570]

Consider the use of a snatch block, amazing what a small winch can do with one.

 

[duderhimer]

Thanks everyone for your responses, once again this forum has proven to be very valuable. As I figured, 8000 - 9500 is going to be suffecient, if not, mechanical leverage via snatch block will do the job. Thanks again

 

[75MIKE]

I've had a Warn 8274 for years. It has bailed me and other stuck vehicles out with too many to count. Some deer and elk, as well. Although they weren't really stuck.

I like as much cable as it will hold, seems like you always get stuck a long way from a tree.

 

[OX1]

I grabbed one of these about 10 years ago for my 70, mostly street,
light wheeler (maybe someday I'll finish and get to use it).

https://www.quadratec.com/products/92142_019_07.htm

Probably could have gotten away with an 8K, but
this thing is fairly cheap for a 9.5K, at least USA assembled, and
a major brand..........

 

[bmc69]

Warn 8274 with a snatch block..that's gotten me and others out of many a bad spot.

Without the snatch block, it would not have been adequate for some of the situations I've found myself in.

 

[SteveL]

I read somewhere the manufacturers recomend going with double your vehicle weight. 4000# rig 8000# winch. I think most broncos roll in at 4000-5000 lbs.

 

[Yeller]

If you plan on using it don’t overlook line speed. Winches draw lots of current, faster ones do it for less time allowing to get more work done with less strain on the electrical system

 

[Steve83]

...how BIG do I need to go? 8000lbs, 9000lbs, 9500lbs, 12000lbs, the average EB is roughly 3500lbs, what's everyones opinion or what configurations out there and why?

What you need depends on how badly you're stuck at that moment, and how fast you need to get unstuck. If you're in no hurry, a 1,000# come-along will get you out eventually (assuming there are some anchor points around).


(phone app link)

If you only need a little more speed, a 1,000# cheapo 12V ball-mount winch will do it. In a pinch, you can even get unstuck with a hatchet (if there are trees around) &/or some rope/cable. Read the field-expedients in the manuals linked in this caption:


(phone app link)

I used all of those & more over the years of wheeling & working off-road before I got my first real winch (a Warn 9K that was too fast). Knowing HOW to get unstuck is much more important than having any particular piece of equipment. And those manuals have some VERY good info on the subject. And the average is irrelevant to what YOU need. Do you know how much yours weighs? Mine is exceptionally heavy, even for a fullsize. It's only slightly lighter than my 1-ton turbodiesel 4WD longbed X-cab was.


(phone app link)

...manufacturers recomend going with double your vehicle weight. 4000# rig 8000# winch. I think most broncos roll in at 4000-5000 lbs.

Modern winch guidelines might be 2x the vehicle, but that's only because modern winches are overrated junk. Originally, it was 1.5x, and originally, an early Bronco was less than 3300#.


(phone app link)

I doubt many people have come that close to doubling the original curb weight; so even a 6000# winch should be overkill.

...faster ones do it for less time allowing to get more work done with less strain on the electrical system

If you're comparing winches with the same pulling force, the faster one generally draws MORE current (MORE strain on the charging system). That's another reason I prefer a slow winch. But mainly because it's safer, stronger, & more-durable.


(phone app link)

This was my most-recent winch exercise:


(phone app link)


(phone app link)

 

[OX1]

Warn 8274 with a snatch block..that's gotten me and others out of many a bad spot.

Without the snatch block, it would not have been adequate for some of the situations I've found myself in.

WOW!!, you must have been stuck good. I only rate that winch a hair
lower than the older 12K Warn (fully US made) I had on my 78 with
44 boggs. Buddy had one mounted between frame on back of an S-10
on 38's back in the day. Straight line pull on that thing always seemed
about even with my 12K.

For years, I didn't fully understand the legendaryness of that winch.....;D

 

[phred]

Without the snatch block, it would not have been adequate for some of the situations I've found myself in.[/QUOTE]






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[nvrstuk]

When you are buried in mud or heavy wet sloppy snow you are pulling a LOT more than 1 1/2 times weight of a vehicle. I've had guys try to pull me out with their 10K winches while my 9500 # was also struggling...none would do it. This with 1/0 wire, sometimes dual batteries, all the line out except maybe a dozen wraps...wish I had a big fish scale to check it... lol

I've literally burned up 2 Warn 8274 winch motors by using my winch a LOT. This was with dual 27F batteries... WARN said at the time it had not happened before, they wondered what I did to them! lol... anyway, go at least 8K IF you use your Bronco for nasty wheeling where you will be stuck frame deep...

I went with a dealer installed Koenig PTO for a long time...wow...a DREAM winch and never slowed down... I broke 3/8" un frayed wire cable 2 times pulling with it...dang, it would pull till the frame stretched an inch I bet HA

Anyway, go big because when you're buried, by yourself, 160ft from an anchor point, you'll wish you'd done it right the first time. I've only chopped one tree down to make my winch cable reach because I was short of line (long time ago any USFS employees) but you need to get home safe. No exaggerated stories here, just been doing this a lot and for a long time...

Have fun, go wheeling...

 

[Steve83]

...pulling a LOT more than 1 1/2 times weight of a vehicle.

Of course, even when you're NOT stuck, you CAN rig a line that will pull more than 10x the vehicle's weight. But that doesn't mean you MUST have a bigger winch - it means you need to learn HOW to rig the line so you're NOT pulling that hard. Read those manuals I linked.

 

[Z Bronco]

I have a Warn 8274 that has been on two different Broncos. Lots of cable for those far away connecting points, and it has never let me down.

 

[nvrstuk]

Steve83... cute links but I'm not spending 12 hours in 8 deg weather dinking around with a come-a-long.

I've used come-alongs before...that was the ONLY winch I had for years until I got my 8274. I had to use it once with tire chains on one end, a flipping tree in the middle (about 35' long), and logging chain on the other... but I was just slid off the road...and too far away for anything but a single line pull.

Quite familiar with rigging pulleys and ropes...I used 4 large double pulley block and tackles to lift 40' long logs up to build the walls and move those logs up to my roof...just by my strapping forearms so I have a pretty good idea how all pulley systems work...

I'm talking STUCK...like you aren't going to remove the bumper deep material that is setup like glue above your axles, up to your t-case, and within inches of the tops of your 40" tires...no flipping come-a-long with 100' of line with multiple pulleys is going to do squat when the solid anchor point is 99' away... this is when you need a real winch.

I have several examples (pics-many more without) of being buried, not just stuck - well over 200' away from anything much less a tree secure enough to withstand the load... I carry 2, yes TWO snatch blocks, usually an extra 100' of tug boat 75,000 lb rope (thanks to Jack), and back in the PTO winch days I had 120' of cable permanently wrapped around the front bumper... at least this amount when wheeling with someone else that doesn't have a winch or alone.

Show me how 120' of cable with 2 snatch blocks will remove my 5400# Bronco that is buried not in soft dirt, but in the heaviest wet medium you can imagine...thick and heavy enough to stop a Bronco doing 25 mph in 20' to a DEAD stop (did it again this January)... not in some yard snaking a tree over smooth ground


I skimmed your manuals...nothing about not having enough line to use 1 or 2 or more snatch blocks when you are pulling more weight than the winch is rated for and can only pull single line. I carry 2 shovels year round, I carry chain saw chain to cut a tree if needed, I'm pretty resourceful.

So which manual linked above covers single line applications when your pulling more weight than the winch, come-a-long, pry bar is rated for? The one that says a 500# Harbor Freight winch will pull me right out? lol

Don't use a quote from my post and insinuate that I don't know how to use snatch blocks, block and tackles, multipliers and other tools and say that I should read some cute manual about how to use a flipping come-a-long... I actually use 6 of them in my barn every spring and summer lifting items that weigh much more than the single line pull capacity of each come-a-long...

Post your link, don't link it to mine unless you have a clue about my background.

thanks

 

[ammowaster]

Whatever you get make sure and keep a snatch block or two. As mentioned they can make a huge difference and multiply the effectiveness of a winch. Not only can you increase the pulling power but you can can do cool off angle stuff as well.