A winch is a winch is a winch ... or is it??

[wallew]

The deuce I'll be looking at this Sunday does not have a winch. While I do like the looks of the US military front winch, my understanding is it takes a 'soldier B' to operate it. While I will ALMOST ALWAYS will have 'soldier B' at my side (my wife), it will not ALWAYS be so. Having said that, I was reading a thread that showed someone who had installed an electric winch. I really liked the way it looked, tucked up underneath there. I believe it was made by Mile Marker. I went and looked at Warn Industries and found the following for a HMMWV in 24v. Granted it's only rated at 10,500 lbs, it is fairly compact and SHOULD give the same ability to get me unstuck as the 'normal one' only without 'soldier B'...

http://www.warn.com/industrial/severe_duty/pn64402.shtml

Of course, it's $3K, which makes it barely affordable, but it would look nice stuck up underneath there...

Maybe I could talk Warn into letting me be a 'spokesperson' for their product at shows??? Get some kind of discount? Nah, I doubt it.

 

[DrFoster]

I think the hummer is actually rated lower than 10.5K... I heard it will snap if you try to yank out a stuck hummer, so never stand close enough equal to the radius the cable is extended or you'll loose a part of your body... I heard it can be a head or torso, both very important to your longevity as a human.

I'd use a 5-ton winch from a 925 or similar. I've also heard great things about the PTO winches on deuces, so I suppose, no; a winch is not a winch.

 

[Towerguy1]

All winches have positives and negitives. The duece winch can be operated by 1 person, just requires a little more effort. (done it several times) PTO winches dont overheat like electric ones. And electric ones dont like fording operations very well. Hydrolic is typicaly the slickest but requires pumps and hoses ect. Lots to concider before buying one!!!! I personaly think the stock winch is the best for the deuce unless you can afford the hydrolic one.

 

[wallew]

Towerguy1,
You make some very good observations. I guess I WILL rethink this. I want what's dead bang ready EVERY TIME I want to use it.

I'm still a bit 'worried' about doing the stock winch without the 'soldier B' though. Plus, a stock winch only costs about $1500, compared to Warns $3000 - $3500.

Guess I will keep looking at all possibilities.

Thx. jim

 

[cranetruck]

I think the deuce winch would be rated 20,000 lb by commercial standards. Got to do with the number of layers of wire on the drum.

 

[emmado22]

Also, the stock winch is worth more if you decide to sell it to another MV'er.

 

[mangus580]

I use my stock winch alot without soldier b..... its possible. I still want to make a magnet mount mirror so I can see it from the drivers seat....

 

[marksgarage2]

I have the stock pto winch on my truck and love it. I can use it by myself, but you have to keep stopping to see if the cable is wrapping properly if you are alone. I use my winch alot pulling trucks out and it is way eaiser with soldier B telling you the cable is not bunching up on one side or has wrapped around the winch itself. Been there done that. I have electric winches on my mud trucks and know first hand they are easy to use by yourself. The control is in your hand so you can work the cable or back away as needed. With all this said at the same rating , the pto winch is the stronger puller....... As long as your engine is running that is. Mark

 

[mangus580]

Another note about soldier b...

you have to be able to TRUST them

 

[Recovry4x4]

Solder B? During winching? Whats that? Common sense, a little knowlege of whats going on and some climbing in and out is all that's necessary for safe 1 person winching. Never try to operate the winch with the dog clutch in the front, you're askng for trouble and will be shoppng for a radiator right quick if you survive the ordeal!

 

[mangus580]

I learned this the hard way!!

I got lucky, the only damage were the plates on the winch....

 

[marksgarage2]

I know what you are saying Kenny, but up here the woods and trees are tight. You can't alway get a straight pull on the winch. If the pull is on a angle the cable wraps quickly on one side. If anyone wants to see what I mean, Go from your front bumper in to your seat 5 times in a row. Tiring huh?

 

[gringeltaube]

Don't trust them! With the "help" of soldier B (and C) I ended with a broken sheer pin, shortly after giving the plates an interesting new V-shape and also some grinding into the new radiator core! That’s why soldier A had to learn the one man winching lesson.

BTW, does anyone know exactly what kind of aluminum the sheer pins are made of?

Gerhard

 

[mangus580]

That was my point gringel!

you are best just buying the shear pins from someplace that carries them...

 

[spicergear]

Here's a 20,000# military rated Garwood PTO winch from a 5 ton truck I successfully wedged into my deuce. I've hidden it's girth well...make no mistakes...THAT'S a BIG WINCH. It is a merciless machine...if what I'm pulling snags something, here I come as the truck is flat dragged nearly effortlessly. PTO winches are FAST too. Nothing to heat up and burn up and not work the next time. I use mine a lot-

 

[Djfreema]

WOW that really hides the size well, kinda like my underwear! LOL

 

[Recovry4x4]

Trust me Marksgarage, I know about fleet angle and the difficulty in keeping the cable going on correctly. Truth be known, everything I have here has a winch. 2 of the 3 trucks have 2 winches (well not anymore). I use that winch as a last resort in anything I do. I use that 6" snatchum strap for 99% of my recovery work. Its a pity that the deuce doesn't have a level wind like the 5 ton wreckers. The magnetic mirror seems to be the hot ticket. Gang, when I use Soldier B in winching, I put them in the cab, I put the winch in gear and they only operate the clutch. I've had good results using my 13 yr old son for this. I would rather not rely on an amateur out front in harms way.

 

[rmgill]

seems like a hand engaged/disengaged main clutch lever would be nice up front next to the winch for some of those operations that you need to be there for. Push pull cable sort of thing.


Question, if the winch is rolling in under no-load and low idle, is there anything wrong with using the front winch side clutch to engage/disengage. I've done it once to inspect my cable and did it after I pulled the cable out a good 100' to check it. Every thing seemed to work fine that way. Though I didn't have a big load to drag across my front yard in the process to really test the brake.

 

[red devils dude]

here's the electric winch I was looking at go'es for $600+-
http://www.milemarker.com/SE12000.html

it would be perfect for what I need pulling cement blocks out of the frozen ground etc.

 

[wallew]

Spicergear,
I REALLY LIKE the looks of that five ton you 'squeezed' between the rails!

Plus I never understood why they ONLY put a 10,000 lb winch on the front of a truck that weighs approx 13k lbs empty...

The ONLY problem I see is that a winch off a five ton winch costs about $3k. Can ANYONE out there tell me where I could find one a shade cheaper than that? Thx. jim