Winch Decision Sanity Check and Duty Cycle Question

[BrandonS]

I've never owned a winch, but I do recognize how invaluable they can be when you really need them. I'm planning to purchase one for my FJ Cruiser. I don't offroad every weekend nor do I currently get very far away from civilization. My future plans do include more expedition type things when I can get more gear to be properly outfitted for such. I'm leaning toward a Warn Zeon 10s. Reasons I picked it in order of importance:
1. Warn Reputation - I want my winch to work when I need it.
2. The new sealing that is industry rated (forget the rating) - The winch will sit in a tray at the bottom of my stock bumper so it will get whatever my truck goes through thrown at it
2a. I can buy a winch drum cover to keep the elements away from the synthetic line - not really sure how much of a benefit this is over a standard cover, but it'll probably be easier to put on based on the winch's location.
3. Amperage Pull - lower than the 9.5xp/cti winches. My truck has OEM Alternator and OEM Battery. I'm thinking this will help in the event I have to winch a long distance or without the engine running. This is at the cost of speed/line pull per layer.
4. I like how it looks - Not a huge factor at all, but full disclosure right?

Does this seem like a reasonable decision for this winch? Is there another winch that I should be considering? Am I way off base on the amperage/line speed/pull per layer thought? Just looking for an opinion because this is a fairly large purchase for my checkbook.

Additionally, what I'm wondering is how do you know when the duty cycle is "up". It says intermittent in the owners manual. I understand this would be dependent on how much of a load you are pulling (closer to max, the faster it will get hot). I looked in the owners manual and it simply says "intermittent duty cycle." So my question to all of you with experience is this: How do you know when to stop and give your winch a break?

I apologize for the beginner questions, but I've been researching for the past 2 months and have read a lot; maybe to the point it's getting a bit foggy. I just want a sanity check at this point before I pull the trigger in the next month.

 

[BigSwede]

The only reason not to buy the Zeon would be money. If you have the money it is a great choice. When you need a winch, you really need it to work.

 

[Bennyhana]

Another thing to think about when considering the Zeon series is to make sure it will fit your mount or the one you're planning on getting. It's a little bigger than most winches.

 

[I Leak Oil]

Duty cycle is usually a % of on vs. off time. I'm not aware of any electric winch that has a 100% (or even close) duty cycle, for that you'd need to go mechanical PTO or hydraulic. The problem with electrics is that the motor gets hot. When it gets too hot bad things will happen to the motor. That's why it needs to take a break and cool down, hence the lower duty cycle. Some winches have thermo sensors, most it's just done by experience of the operator. I have yet to have a heat issue with my electric winch so unless you plan on pulling all your buddies from the muck I wouldn't put too much weight on the heat issue.

Your description of your needs makes an electric a good choice for you.

 

[ih8philly]

Another thing to think about when considering the Zeon series is to make sure it will fit your mount or the one you're planning on getting. It's a little bigger than most winches.

Its also got a centered drum which is a little different from most other winches and can cause some fitment issues.

 

[ldivinag]

Additionally, what I'm wondering is how do you know when the duty cycle is "up". It says intermittent in the owners manual. I understand this would be dependent on how much of a load you are pulling (closer to max, the faster it will get hot). I looked in the owners manual and it simply says "intermittent duty cycle." So my question to all of you with experience is this: How do you know when to stop and give your winch a break?

pulse

if it starts a smokin'... stop the winchin'...

seriously, unless SOMEONE's life is in danger; i would pulse my winching.

or like winch 10 seconds... wait 5 seconds. winch 20 seconds... wait 10 seconds.

remember, with an OEM batt and alternator, you are mostly protecting these, instead of winch. longest winching time i had was probably a minute, in total. probably took around 4-5 minutes all together.

dont forget, max power for the winch is when there is least amount of rope on the drum. and warn recommends a minimum of at least 5 wraps of their steel cable.

so spool out as much cable as you can. if you are buying new rope, think about a buying a short amount and buying an extension cable...

 

[evilfij]

Electric winches are fine for recovery through a tough spot or a even a mud pit or two and most times you are no where close to the actual maximum load the winch can pull (most manufacturers will give the line speed at full load and it is really slow so you will know when it is really working hard). Under these circumstances, an electric is perfectly fine and suits the vast majority of needs. On the other hand, if you are going into something planning on using the winch all day or for long extended pulls near max pull, an electric is not the best choice. Only something engine driven (PTO ideally, or hydraulic) is the right winch for the job. I have never had a Xeon, but my warns have been fine (including the pre-warn bellview). Only winch I ever had fail was a husky which seemed odd to me.

 

[LR Max]

One thing to consider is the fact that you probably aren't going to do a full pull. Think about obstacles you've encountered before. Its like, a 20~30ft stretch of crap. At MOST you'd be winching like, 30ft typically.

Only time I've seen full pulls was on Slickrock at Tellico (RIP). There, you would do full pulls!

You typically are going to "pulse" the winch anyway as you check every once in a while to make sure you aren't winching your axle into a rock or some nonsense like that.

Overall, I'd recommend you buy a winch that has a temp sensor and warning light on it. That way if there is a lot of heat building up in the winch, you'll know it before there is an issue. On top of that, you can get out, put the back of your hand on the winch and see how hot it is. That said, I haven't seen it be an issue on any warns (yes on the early Milemarker units but that was it).

Lastly, if you want your winch to be in good shape, pull it out and do a full pull in your parking lot once a month. This will do two things: Keep your winch in good working order (I've had mine rust up twice due to lack of use, this doesn't help when you need it!) and second its practice handling your equipment. You can learn a lot from this exercise, both in terms of what you need to do and what your equipment can do. Like I know I can do a full pull with my M12000 on flat land and not even drain 20% of the battery. Also you get used to the sounds, feel, and speeds. So when its go time, you know what to expect instead of a bunch of questions and uncertainties when winching (this is bad).

 

[xplrn42]

I was planning on getting a Zeon for my FJ as well, but to install it with my bumper I would have had to trim the grill and clock the lever. Plus, I actully like the stealth look or a "classic" winch with the solonoid box relocated. I went with a Warn VR10S.

 

[Fireman78]

The best winch in the world is.......... the one you have with you.

 

[AlexSaru]

Hello,

I always rely on my Superwinch Talon (as in the picture). I don't do competitions, although I might take some wild roads in the weekend .
Anyway, if you are looking for a reliable, rare to use and safety giver, plus an affordable cost...that's Talon.

Good Luck