Best winch for the buck? Will be under pelfry built plate bumper

Synthetic: Lighter. Safer if it breaks (i.e. less likely to cut you in half). Can rot and break down if kept wet.

Steel Cable: More resistant to tears/cuts. Heavier. Deadly if it breaks. Doesn't "rot".

 

I think the Warn M8000-S is the minimum I would buy. They sell for about $850 which with the synthetic line is a bargain. If you just want the look then anything will do, but if you don't want to be questioning if it will work or not when you need it, then save a little more. Warn has a reputation for a reason. I would go with synthetic because it's lighter and easier to pull. If you keep it covered and clean it once a year it will last a long time.

 

Well I see a pattern, @Krs1760 , out of the dozens and dozens of winches available , lots of votes for the m8000, including mine. Though it's the only one I've owned this thread validates my anecdotal opinion. I'd say the synthetic/ steel decision is yours to make, I ran steel and never maintained anything and over the course of 9 years called on the winch to do work for me on several occasions and it never let me down. A couple of the situations saved me a tow and where I lived at the time (1.5 hrs from town) a yank cost 4 to 500$ so it paid for itself. Plus i did cool stuff like move trees, boulders, equipment / fence posts , recovered others vehicles, atvs. Remember it's a one time investment and that when installed it's not getting stolen unless some a-hole Jacks the whole truck lol. If you are getting a top tier bumper like the pelfreybilt ya might as well complete the front end with a m8k, it's a mid to high priced unit but by all accounts performs as expected without issues. Go for it.

 

One of those thimbles is on my list but for the time being I have a piece of a dirt bike inner tube covering the first couple of feet of line. Cheap fix and works fine.

Lots of love for the M8000s around here

 

Nice. I love filthy utility setups that get a workout. Reminds me of my buddy's Ranger that he uses for SAR in Oregon.

 

And for what it's worth, I was talking to Satin Pelfrey earlier this year before I bought my winch mount and at the time she and Tyler were both running the Warn VR8000s. The VR series is identical to the M series except that they are made in China vs USA built. I know they've since upgraded to the Zeon series on their personal trucks, but that's where serious $$$ comes in.

 

You ask about the receiver mounts and as mentioned, there are pros and cons to them. Being able to take them off when not needed is nice from a security point as well as weight savings. Cons include that if you forget to mount it before you get stuck it can be (not so) fun trying to get it in the receiver when your front is in the muck. They also decrease approach/departure angles as they tend to hang out further. Pulling at angles (not reccomended if you can help it and why you should always have a tree saver, extra shackles, snatch block, etc. and know how to change pull directions) can bend the mounting stub that goes into the receiver.

I've always run wire rope because I don't use my winches a ton (best not to get stuck when you're alone). About once a year I inspect the winch and all cables, solenoids, connections, etc. carefully and take care of anything that needs attention but I spray the cable down with spray lube about once a month or so- just thoroughly saturate it. Almost everyone I know does the same thing and all of our cables are still in good servicable shape as long as they haven't gotten kinked or otherwise damaged. Kinking is something you definitely want to avoid as it damages the cable. You also need to make sure the cable is wound tightly and correctly on the drum with no loops. If I ever have to replace mine I'll probably go with synthetic for the weight savings but the wire ropes last a looooonnnggg time if you take care of them.

I use a blanket, or more often a loosely wrapped tree saver or tow strap, around the cable while winching to prevent it from whipping if it should break. If the pull is going to be a hard one I've sometimes put the hood up too as an additional, albeit thin, barrier. I also carry cable clamps and a thimble in case I have to repair the cable in the field. Note that there is a particular way these clamps must be used to be safe and even then most sources tell you that you have a reduce working load and to replace the cable when possible. Knock on wood I've been fortunate and never broken a cable.

 

I recommended the Warn M8000s earlier, and another reason to think about getting one, besides all the other pros everyone has mentioned, is that I know for a fact that you can install and remove it with the pelfreybilt bumper in place. You need to remove the grill which isn't a big deal, and a couple brackets, and also the winch mounting bolts are a little hard to get to from underneath, but its still easier than removing the whole bumper.

Winch removed for cleaning, re greasing, prior to the start of my SAS.

 

I'd by a tested used Warn M8000 long before I ever bought one of the non-brands new. My M8000 has all parts still available, I refreshed it a couple years ago and is as good as new - not bad for a 20+ year old winch. The offshore offerings on the market won't be going 20 years from now, and they are throw-away when things go wrong.