That's the spirit !!!!

 

Actually, stuck in the mud it can get far worse. The weight of your vehicle if stuck up to the rims. Twice the weight of your vehicle if up to the hubs. 3 times the weight of the vehicle if up to the body. and then compound it if there is any grade at all.


Just stay clear of deep mud!!! (you should anyway!) Everywhere else should be fine.

The link below is a fun read about recovery towing


Pirate4x4.Com - Extreme Four Wheel Drive

 

I would agree about a safety factor in the reciever you are looking at. God only knows what it is. I guess you could email reese or curt and ask them.

One other thing, since you mention safety factors. Almost evrything you will buy for the winch has a rating or weight capability stated for it. In most cases, that is the Yield rating. No safety factor.

When they say a shackle or wire rope is able to handle 16000lbs, you can bet that is the breaking point.

I chose all of my recovery equipment and accessories to have a higher yield rating than my winch rope. Since I have a synthetic rope that is rated much higher than my winch, then I hope the winch will stall first. If something breaks, it will be the rope first. Synthetic ropes do not whip back with deadly force like wire ropes when they break

I don't know if you ever saw my recovery gear, but it is shown in various places throughout the following thread:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...fications.html

 

True......I noticed that.......I have also noticed that most of the better winch accessory kits have the blanket for the cable in case the cable fails. I'd love to have the synthetic rope.......high dollar !

 

Good info !.....Thanks for the link .....great reference material ! .the "mire" above assumes the wheels are unable to move "damage resistance" included

 

I like the Engo model in that write up...it's only 10000 lb, but considering the front receivers (not custom bumpers, but receivers) are only rated to 9000lbs...and it only runs 349.99

 

So has anyone actually hit one of these winches in a torture test yet. I am waiting until a fellow FTE'r buries their ride and unsticks it without frying the winch before I get one. Thanks in advance if anyone has used it and posts updates.

 

I have a 9k Badlands winch (it was $249 at introduction ) on my 4Runner and have used it a few times rockcrawling. No issues yet, but I typically just winch over an obstacle I can't drive over - so not nearly the torture of dragging an X 150ft out of a mud hole or back up the side of a steep drop off.

As far as frying the winch, get the HF warranty. Doesn't mean you'll get home that day - but you can at least sell the replacement winch and get a WARN!

 

The 2 best pieces of advice I got when shopping for a winch:

1) You will never hear someone with a Warn on the trail,should it happen to break, say they should have gotten the Badlands winch.

2) Any winch is better than none at all!

I went with a Superwinch and have no regrets. If you arent going to rely on it a lot see #2. I have also found that once you have one you find all kind of things to do with it

 

This months HF 'super coupons' have the 12k Badlands winch on sale for $339.99

Display

 

Badlands 12k is currently on sale at HF for $299.99

 

local or online?

 

Both...I have the coupon, so you can do either. It went out in their weekly circular.

 

Yep, I saw that...

I've used my 9k lb winch a dozen times or so now. I don't have enough battery for a long pull, when voltage drops enough - it stalls. Otherwise, no complaints except my confidence will certainly get me in trouble eventually. We go places we would have never gone before and pick lines that are sometimes ridiculous - because I 'have a winch'... After 'wheelin for basically 30yrs w/no winch, I suddenly feel invincible! Surely, this will change when I get in a bind somewhere and spend all day recovering my junk from a bad spot!

 

Do you have a deep cell to power the winch?