Hey. Just signed up. I have been looking for a winch for my 2008 F250 fx4 super duty. I was wondering what people are using and what they like. I'm not looking for something real expensive due to it is more for show and work and not hard core offloading. Also I want to know am I able to attach a winch to my factory bumper with a grill guard on it already. Thanks for the help.

 

Just about to make my own winch thread when I saw this.
I have pretty much the same desire as you do. I just need one for getting me out of small binds. I am not going to be in deep mud.

I am looking at this winch, anyone have any opinions?


You probably shouldn't use the grille guard unless it was designed for it. If it was, it will have a winch tray between the two main upright beams.

Your other option is a front receiver. This is my route.
Both options are usually rated at about 9000lb line pull

 

I have the 9000 lb warn it has a fast speed which I like. I don't use it to pull the truck out as much as pulling tree's and such...I don't get stuck too often LOL..I have a front receiver.

 

I would personally love to get a Warn 12000 lb with an air compressor on our Super duty but money forces us to not be able to afford one. You say it is for looks well to me they look awesome.
Trav

 

Why would you bother asking what people like when you don't want quality and it's just for decoration? Get whatever the cheapest one is (S*ittybilt is a good start) and go from there.

 

with how heavy these trucks are, I'd start with a 12k winch MINIMUM and more likely buy a 15k instead

last time I got stuck my rear tires were on dry ground and only the front end was buried. it took several other diesels yanking around to get me out. a puny 9k or 10k winch wouldn't hack it IMO

 

Well I am only mounting it to a receiver, which is only rated at 9k. I have seen them do it, so I know they can. I'm not getting into anything too crazy. Mostly just sand, rocks I cant get over or slick mud. I dont go tromping around in that nasty muck stuff.

 

Might look at the harbor freight badlands winches. Can get the 12k for 250-300 on sale with 20% off coupons. Can also buy the 2 year warranty. I've always had some skepticism about hf but I found a new 9k for sale locally for 50$, just the winch part-no solenoids, remote etc. I was looking for something to use while I fixed my warn 9k. Bolted it up and have been using it for about a year now with no problems. Gets used a couple times a month, pulling out firewood trees or stuck friends. Good friend bought the hf 12k last summer and had no problems. Only downside I see is they are slow pullers, pull better than I expected just slowly.

 

You know, that's not the first time I've heard that about the harbor freight winches. If you think about it, they are probably just a Rebrand of someone else.

And with those crazy sales they do.... Hmm.

 

Ive heard the harbor freight "badlands" winches are decent as well

 

Let me clear up a myth about winches. I have had some training in vehicle recovery, due to my 22+ years of being in a uniform.

You only need a winch that is rated at the weight of your vehicle. If your vehicle weighs 8000 pounds, you need an 8000 pound winch.

Why, you might ask? Wouldn't a 12,000 pound winch be better? Isn't this a case of the more the merrier?

Nope.

Unless your vehicle is being blocked by something, or does not have 4 rolling tires under it, the heaviest load that you will encounter is the dead weight of the vehicle. That would be pulling the vehicle straight up, with no weight on your tires. Even if your vehicle is stuck up to the axles in mud, you will still not exceed the weight of your vehicle in a straight pull.

Buying a 12,000 pound winch when you have an 8000 pound truck does nothing but separate you from your money.

Before you throw a BS flag, or size and buy a winch, please download and read this PDF:

Handbook of Winching Techniques for Vehicle Recovery
by SuperWinch.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/812gREqqovS.pdf

 

I want to agree with you. The only thing I have heard to the contrary is amp draw, and that a larger winch requires fewer amps to get the same load moving and that it can do it faster because it can draw more.

I don't know if that is true, but it's what I heard.

 

this is the same argument as whether or not to get the 5.4 or the 6.8. they both do the same job. 1 just does it alot easier with less fuss

I've winched recreationally, and I can tell you from personal experience that bigger winches handle weight easier. take that 8k winch you propose and use it for a situation where the tires are buried and vehicle has layed frame. you must have the wire unwrapped so it's only 1 layer on the drum...take a 15k winch, you may be able to have 3 wraps on the drum for a 8k pull.

it sounds minor, but the # of wraps on the drum is a big thing. all of my extractions were sub 50ft pulls. and the winches had 100-150 ft lengths. that's alot of wire that has to be unwrapped




btw, I saw those calculations. pretty neat for dead reckoning

 

If I was burried In mud to the frame I would probably stretch out the wire to one layer anyway so I could get some ****** blocks on the line. But that's just me.

 

also..can't forget suction...