I have a 2004 F-350... I just picked up a 24 foot flatbed trailer that is pretty heavy...made out of a mobile home frame and my truck pulled it like a charm...Today was the a shocker to see how well the 6.0L pulled compared to the 7.3L. Anyways...I plan on doing some scrap metal jobs and some also when/if I get stuck I want to be able to pull my truck out. I go on E-bay and look at winch sizes and am not sure what it would take if I was stuck up to the frame. I'm not looking to spend a fortune but wondering if a 9500lb winch would do, or more? Does brand matter? I see warn as a name brand but also you pay for the NAME???? I'm not a big fan of that. I plan on mounting the winch on a hitch and putting it in the back of my truck when not pulling and on the trailer when I have it and putting a receiver on the trailer for pulling the scraps on it? Any advice? Thank you again.

 

If you are putting it on the F350 you will need at least a 12,000 pound winch.
12,000 to 15,000 pound winches are for larger trucks.

The winch not only has to pull the truck, but also any forces that are keeping the truck stuck.

A winch mount is not cheap either, so plan to put down some cash for both items.

You maybe able to fabricate your own mount to save some money, but that is your call.

As far as brand goes - you will get 100s of opinions from 100s of people.
I prefer Warn - Milemarker, Tmax, are some to name a few.

Don't forget a shovel, Hilift jack, Shackles, and tree savers.

 

I have a Warn and a MileMarker. Both are tough. I read somewhere in the sales literature that you should get a winch that's rated for 1-1/2 times the weight of your rig. Lots of discussion on that score. If the ratio is to be believed, you'd be a little under with a 9.5k so I'd put a ****** block in the tool box along with the other stuff khadma suggested. Double your pull and add some flexibility for other jobs.

 

The rule f thumb is 1.5 times the weight of the truck. For a superduty, look at nothing smaller than a 12k, not only is it the recommend weight spec, it's also the spec for most mounting systems. The 9.5s and under use a slightly different bolt pattern, and makes the install a bit more difficult.

The down side to double line pull is it cuts your cable length in half, so you'd need to have a close anchor. I never seem to near a good anchor when I might need one, so include some kind of anchor and a shovel in your kit.

I love warn, I have a Warn 12k in a semi hidden kit on my truck. T-max is the mexican made warn, warn owns the company, but it's assembled or the parts are made in a different plant (I can't remember which.) If your going to be working out of your truck much, the new power plant line is really cool. It integrates a winch with a decent air compressor, it fill tires or run air tools.

 

I would recomend a 12k winch atleast. Still, a 12k is probably a little less than 1.5 times your vehicle weight, especially if you're carrying a lot of stuff. I'm looking to get a warn 12k winch for my 250sd and will definately get a ****** block for cases that i'm really hung up. I like the mounting system that warn has called trans4mer, however it is a little expensive. I don't know much about receiver mounts though. As far as brands go, I know people have been upset and happy with every brand out there, but if you can get one with a warranty, i'd definately go that route. You should be able to find a deal on ebay if you keep your eyes open, however the company might not honor the warranty if you get it off ebay.

 

The receiver basket system from warn only works with 9xxx series mounted winches. I think the old 82xx will fit it as well as the 9.5s, it's too small for the 12k+. I just wouldn't trust it with a 3/4 ton plus pick up, half tons and less I would love to have one.

 

Thanks for all the help. I'll definately go with a 12K or bigger now after reading all of this. I think I'm going to go with the slide in hitch mount for it because I plan on putting a receiver on my trailer too and then being able to hook on that to pull things onto the trailer while its hooked up to my truck.

 

i have the warn high speed 9500. its great. you had stated that you wanted something that you can remove and install in the rear. a winch that size is the only one that will be able to do that. i have 125' of cable and a couple of straps that i use. i always use a ****** block. its just less wear on the winch. and i NEVER had a problem using my 9500 winch to pull myself or someone else out. as far as that 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton, 1 ton crap, i dont buy it. the trucks dont weigh that much different. i'd be the difference in weight is only a couple hundred pounds. oh, and my ram is a 3/4 ton with 37"bfg's and 5:13 gears and lockers.

 

In a perfect world you should do a 12k winch, but you can easily get by with a 9500, which is lots cheaper, lighter, and comes with all the hitch mount options discussed above.

In addition to the other goodies, a pair of good gloves, some Fluid Film to lube the cable, some healthy chain, and a box to keep it all in. I have rescued a number of souls who forgot to lube the wire rope.

Beware that all this stuff will add several hundred pounds of weight.

 

I use a Superwinch EPI 9000 (9000#) winch with my F250. It got promoted when the F150 I bought it for became #2. It works well even without the snatchblock. 3 weeks ago I had the truck buried to the bumper in saturated ground. I had 100 gallons of fuel in the back and a full compliment of tools. The winch kept pulling untill the mud/ground was touching the bumper. The ****** block would have come out next, but I was just close enough to jumpstart the old tractor. Needless to say I was impressed. I have also pulled myself out ditches on logging roads with snow and ice up to the tailgate.

I agree that the bigger the better, but a 9000# winch will fit your needs for at least 85-90% of what you'd need it for without needing to use your snatchblock. A snatchblock will solve most anything that a 12k+ winch can the rest of the time. I carry an entra 100' of wire rope, so I still have over a 100' range with the snatchblock, or about a 220' range without.

I use a Hidden Hitch 2" front receiver that I got new for $125 from an online vendor, and a winch mount that I built in a few hours out of a chunk of I-beam and some 2" square tube. The receiver hitch setup is nice, I can go from truck to truck, mount it on trailers or tractors. Anywhere you can weld on a 2" ID tube, you can use that same winch.

One thing to look for is a series wound motor as opposed to a permanent magnet kind. a permanent magnet motor gets weaker everytime it is used, less efficient, builds more heat, and is more of a light duty unit. Any name-brand, non-value series winch has a series wound motor.

 

I have a 9000 warn. Its fine .. With lockers I don't get stuck anymore but I'm not a mudder. I use the winch for my tree business.
Dick

 

I just bought me a warn 12k winch and the new front bumper replacement is getting here in about a week and a half from now...cant wait until it gets here

 

You don't need a huge winch like most people will tell you. I have a Superwinch 8500 and it does the job just fine. For really hard pulls I keep a pulley block to double the power. The Superwinch 8500 has a worm-gear drive though, it doesn't stall, it just slows down and keeps going.