Winch for 1989 Dodge W250

[Sean VHA #60013]

I am soliciting advice & opinions on a winch purchase for my 1989 W250 Dodge Cummins.

The winch is primarily for use on our farm in a variety of infrequent winching duties, & also for self-extraction in the case that I wander into the ditches during the winter's ice & snow driving, as the Dodge is my daily driver. I am a third shift Emergency Room charge nurse and need the Dodge to be able to handle any driving conditions, as I have had to travel to work in some pretty wild winter driving conditions (eastern ice storms, 1+ foot of snow on top of ice 32mi one way to work, and NO VDOT plows to be seen etc :smiley_drive: )

This winter weather role was formerly filled by my '97 Disco with ARB front & rear lockers, 5" Rovertym lift, 35" tires & 9000 Superwinch, but I am transitioning to using the Dodge in this role due to better mpg & overall longevity/low maintanance.

My limits are financial: I need to keep the purchase price of the winch at or under $800.00. the truck already has a suffucient winch tray built into the front brushguard.

Thus far, I am leaning heavily towards the Warn M8000, but am open to being persuaded in another direction. Any thoughts/experiences to share & help contribute to my decision making paradigm? :coffeedrink:

I also need advice regarding wire or synthetic winch line. My only experience is with wire. Are there any disadvantages to going with synthetic? Any major differences in how to use/handle it?

 

[UHAULER]

I would look for a used Warn 10k, 12k or an 8274.

 

[bftank]

i would avoid anything less than a 10,000 winch on anything with a cummins in it. check craigslist there can be good deals on there.

smittybuilt has one for less than 800 i believe.

regarding synthetic, it doesn't seem to last as long, and gloves aren't as necessary. needs to be kept clean and out of the sun to avoid deterioration.

 

[Sean VHA #60013]

Thank you for your replies: I have seen the occasional 10k & 12k Warn on Craigslist, I'll keep a look out for one. I have no experience with Smittybuilt: what is their quality & reputation?

UHAULER, regarding the Warn 8274, I really love what I have read of this winch, and I have seen great prices on them in the used market. My problem is that my Dodge came with the flat winch tray already made & attached to the frame (the brushguard, done 3 weeks ago, was designed around the existing winch tray) & unless I am mistaken, I believe the 8274 mounts very differently from the other models of Warn I am considering, as it appears to me to bolt in behind a vertical mounting plate vs bolting to a horizontal mounting plate such as I have, which would require a complete redisign of my existing winch tray. Is this correct or am I mistaken?

 

[UHAULER]

Thank you for your replies: I have seen the occasional 10k & 12k Warn on Craigslist, I'll keep a look out for one. I have no experience with Smittybuilt: what is their quality & reputation?

UHAULER, regarding the Warn 8274, I really love what I have read of this winch, and I have seen great prices on them in the used market. My problem is that my Dodge came with the flat winch tray already made & attached to the frame (the brushguard, done 3 weeks ago, was designed around the existing winch tray) & unless I am mistaken, I believe the 8274 mounts very differently from the other models of Warn I am considering, as it appears to me to bolt in behind a vertical mounting plate vs bolting to a horizontal mounting plate such as I have, which would require a complete redisign of my existing winch tray. Is this correct or am I mistaken?

I think you are correct, the 8274 mounts on the front vertical plate of the bumper and the others are bolted from the bottom.

 

[Rovertrader]

I agree on at least 10k, and the 8274 is as good as it gets. You can fab a 90 degree bent plate of 1/4" with 45 degree gussets on the sides. Bolt it to your winch tray, and then allow the 8274 to bolt up correctly on the vertical leg.

 

[poriggity]

I agree with all the previous posts.. 10k at a minimum...
Scott

 

[turbohaulic]

Ya an 8000lb isn't enough. It will work but very likely to fail. For light trucks like toyota's and other smaller trucks its fine. Deffinetly 10000lb or more.:sombrero:

 

[Maximus Ram]

I have the Mile Marker 12000 on my Dodge 1500....works pretty well.
Here's one with a different sililnoid setup than mine, but basically the same
http://www.quadratec.com/products/92110_110_07.htm

 

[Kilroy]

If you understand any kind of heavy pull would require the use of a snatch block to double the winching power, would the smaller winch suffice. I've been contemplating this myself. Especially if you already own a winch.

 

[bobcat charlie]

I just picked up a Warn M15000 off craigs list. It worked but I tore it down anyway to clean/re-lube but I'll have only about $700 in the whole project. I think a 12K winch on a full size is the minimum if you ever travel solo. BTW, I like less cable on the drum, ~65', to get max pull. Carry a 50' section of looped cable if I need to add length.

 

[Antichrist]

For occasional use the 8275 would be fine if you keep a snatch block in the truck. You can likely modify the bumper cheaply enough to accommodate it.
I'd keep the wire rope so you're not fooling with trying to splice it on the way to work when it breaks.

You might also want to invest in a good set of tire chains all around.

 

[Sean VHA #60013]

Researching winches a bit more in the poundage ratings you guys are recommending, I came across the WARN Tabor 12K. I also found the Smittybilt XRC 12 Winch. Does anyone have experience with these winches?

I'd really like to hear from some Smittybuilt owners, as this winch is several hundred dollars less than the Warn counterpart.

Both look to be available within my price range.

My next question is regarding snatch blocks. What should I be looking for in a snatch block? I have found several different ratings of block, from one that appears quite simple:

all the way up to a Warn 33000 version that looks quite good, but is also quite $$$

What should I be looking for in a good snatch block?

 

[ridgerunner97]

I run a Jeep and several of my friends do as well, and we wheel them fairly hard. They are running the Smittybuilt XRC8 and XRC10's i'm yet to see a XRC12 in action, however I can attest that the current production XRC8's and XRC10's are great winches for the money. No complaints at all from anyone I've talked to. I think the XRC12 would be perfect for your application and sticking with wire rope. As far as snatchblock's go, just get one that is rated high enough for your winch load etc. they all basically are designed the same.

You Might want to check AWDirect.com for snatchblock's and stuff, they cater to the tow truck market and may have stuff other people don't. Love the truck too by the way! I've been looking for one to Daily Drive as well and haul my Jeep around with

 

[Engeek]

Newbie to the recovery gear game, but I just went through researching affordable options for a 15k or larger winch. I originally thought, as many have recommended here, of locating a used M15 and refurbishing it as needed. The engineer in me wanted the comfort of a decent safety factor and a loaded 2nd gen cummins with FWC and all the fixin's would require a no BS winch solution. I was elated to land a very good deal ($600) on a Titan TW16 (they are now $750). It is rated for a single pull of 16.8k, is very well waterproofed and shares very similar power and line speed specs to it's Warn counterpart. I, as a Canuck, was also glad to find out Titan is a Canadian company, but i know they sell winches around the world. I learned a whole lot about these winches from this thread:
http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/forums/4x4-off-road-tech/50817-titan-winches.html
I have yet to completely install/test mine, but when I do I will post up on my build thread with impressions. Initial quality appears to be very good and Duncan from Titan was very receptive to questions and is very knowledgeable of his products and winches in general. Only time can attest to the reliability.
Anyhow, good luck on your winch hunt...:elkgrin: