Winches..110 or 12V ???

For an offroad Jeep that would see many long pulls definitely go with a Warn Winch. The 110V AC winches I've seen have all been very light duty. For an AC winch to be useful at heavy loads it would probably need at least 220v.

For very rare use on a vehicle the Smittybilt would probably be ok. Tow trucks using Hydraulics makes sense. Hydraulics on a vehicle that may never actually use the winch doesn't make sense. To use the Milemarker Hydraulic winch I would definitely use a second power steering pump. I would not connect the Milemarker to the factory hydraulics.


The top of the line 12k Smittybilt with wireless remote and synthetic line is $649. Still need the mount location, winch plate and recovery kit. Only connect to the top battery studs, never the side connection.


Quadratec for Smittybilt winch

Milemarker is unstoppable and will run continuous. Never overheat or run your battery low.
If your engine runs it runs. Upside down, dead under water is not so good.

http://milemarker.com/product_type/hydraulic-winch/

KD4UPL wrote:

SoCalDesertRider wrote:

JoeChiOhki wrote:
Hydraulic if you can afford it :).

The PTO drive gear, controller and wiring, driveshaft, hydraulic pump, mounting and hoses to connect to the winch are pretty expensive to set up. Hydraulic winches aren't cheap either.

For something that may only be used a handful of times, if at all, in the life of the truck, an electric winch would be far more cost effective.

Now if it was for a vocational tow truck, then yes, by all means, get a PTO powered hydraulic winch system, it'll last a lifetime and pay for itself quickly!

Who said anything about a PTO? I agree that would be really expensive. I would go with a Mile Marker winch or equivalent that is hydraulically powered off of the power steering pump. I think I heard that all of the military HumVees have this set up. That's way better than adding extra batteries and huge 12v cables. As long as the engine is running you can winch and don't have to worry about battery drain.

If they have them that can run off the power steering pump, then hot dam, go with the hydraulic! I didn't know such a thing existed!

I used to haul heavy equipment using 8000 lb cheap 12V winch.
If you have good size battery, you will really like 12V over 120V.
Having 2 batteries with Powerstroke, I did not have to bother about having engine running.
I could pull 9000 lb forklift up the ramps at 45 degree angle, even when front of the forklift had wheels in the air at the angle and I was dragging front plate on concrete.
That was done with doubling the cable on 8000 lb winch.
Bottom line, Harbor Freight winches work well and work long.
Than I was religious about proper cable spooling when the job was done.
Bare in mind that winch pulling power change with the row of the cable on drum.
What is 8000 lb on first row, becomes 6000 lb on second and maybe 4000 lb on third.
Still couple of pulleys will get everything done.

You can buy a Harbor Freight 12,000lb. winch on sale for about $300. I can't imagine finding a 110V winch with anywhere near the same capacity for a similar price.

If you're going to use it regularly, the Harbor Freight one is probably not the hot ticket but for occasional use, it will do just fine.

SoCalDesertRider wrote:

JoeChiOhki wrote:
Hydraulic if you can afford it :).

The PTO drive gear, controller and wiring, driveshaft, hydraulic pump, mounting and hoses to connect to the winch are pretty expensive to set up. Hydraulic winches aren't cheap either.

For something that may only be used a handful of times, if at all, in the life of the truck, an electric winch would be far more cost effective.

Now if it was for a vocational tow truck, then yes, by all means, get a PTO powered hydraulic winch system, it'll last a lifetime and pay for itself quickly!

Who said anything about a PTO? I agree that would be really expensive. I would go with a Mile Marker winch or equivalent that is hydraulically powered off of the power steering pump. I think I heard that all of the military HumVees have this set up. That's way better than adding extra batteries and huge 12v cables. As long as the engine is running you can winch and don't have to worry about battery drain.

The 12V winches are also designed to be out in the weather and can be used in wet conditions. Haven't seen 110V winch designed for those conditions. I wouldn't want to use a 110V winch in the pouring rain while standing in a mud puddle.

Minimum rating is 1-1/2 times the weight of the vehicle but this rating is for when you are getting axle deep stuck in mud. If you only need to get out when you lose traction, you can get by with less. This is my use and already had it sitting on the shelf from my jeeping days so I mounted a 9,000# warn to the front of my truck despite it's loaded weight of 10,000#. Figured better than nothing and with the block, should get me out of most places I'm willing to take my rig.

JoeChiOhki wrote:
Hydraulic if you can afford it :).

The PTO drive gear, controller and wiring, driveshaft, hydraulic pump, mounting and hoses to connect to the winch are pretty expensive to set up. Hydraulic winches aren't cheap either.

For something that may only be used a handful of times, if at all, in the life of the truck, an electric winch would be far more cost effective.

Now if it was for a vocational tow truck, then yes, by all means, get a PTO powered hydraulic winch system, it'll last a lifetime and pay for itself quickly!

Thanks... always thinking

If you're just looking for tool that will give you pull you out of a place where you cannot get traction, there some winches that could help you even if they were just receiver mounted. If you expect the winch to pull you out of a ditch or mud hole, you will have trouble finding a winch with the capacity you need and creating a mounting point that is strong enough to use without causing more damage.

I have a cheap brand high weight rated winch with two pulley blocks that mounts to my receiver. I have not had to use it for my own recovery, but it has dragged 12K lbs across dry pavement with all four wheels locked using double line pull. I expect my winch will last me a while since it is used infrequently, stored indoors and used at half its work load rating.