winch chat (Warn's special deal, wire vs synthetic, and Spydura--aka highway robbery)

[TurboMinivan]

Hi, everyone! I've got a few winch topics here, and I figured I'd throw them all into one thread.

#1: Warn's current special. Now through the end of June, if you buy a select new Warn winch they will give you their new medium-duty accessory kit for free ($200 value). I've been wanting a winch for quite a while, and now that my trailer is paid off I figure the time is approaching. Throw in the accessory kit and I think I'll be making a purchase some time next month for sure. I've decided on the 9.5cti, if anyone is curious.

#2: the age-old wire rope verses synthetic. Everybody says synthetic is the way to go, but it does have its own drawbacks. Some say it stores absolutely no energy and thus is totally harmless when it breaks, while others say it can still snap and/or recoil somewhat. I've looked for impartial videos, but every video I've seen was produced by someone who was trying to sell me synthetic rope. I'd love to see something completely unbiased. Anybody have any links?

#3: why the hell does Warn think they can justify so much money for an upgrade to their synthetic rope? I know they call theirs Spydura and blab on and on about how unique it is, but what's so special about it? Was it hand woven by the blind nuns of Tuscany? Seriously, it seems I could save a lot of money by purchasing just about any other brand of synthetic rope and retrofitting it myself after the fact. What am I missing here?

Anyway, the floor is open for conversation on any of these three topics.

 

[Pile of parts]

I'm certainly not a winch expert but my thoughts are; I like wire for what I do. I'm not competing and therefore don't need light weight to attach quickly to extract myself. That being said, I take my time when winching is neccessary. Gloves, weight on the cable and a little awareness go a long way. I would also rather see my cable grind into the sandstone and rocks rather than worry about my rope fraying. I honestly haven't used my winch a lot. It's nice to have when needed. I've had it on my jeep for about 7 years and it still looks new. I take care to always respool the cable properly and just can't see the sense in investing in rope for what I do.

 

[sabatoa1]

I would not buy a top name brand winch if you are only going to use it a couple times a year. There are other not so high end named winches like Engo that have 9000 lb winches with synthetic rope and fairlead for the price of just warns synthetic upgrade. If you are an extreme offroad enthusiast, and plan on using your winch every weekend than I would definatly say go with high end winch.

 

[Anchor_Mtn]

1. The recovery bag is a good deal and if you need the gear, go for it. I have always been a Warn fan.

2. I like the synthetic line mostly for weight savings.

3. The price difference in Warns winches with and without synthetic line is about $250. If you can find a comparable quality synthetic line and aluminum fair lead for that price, go for it.

 

[Rogerwh0]

I rely on my winch fairly often, at least once a month I find myself somewhere needing the assistance of Warn. I have never wished I had saved money on the single tool that has many times removed me from a potentially uncomfortable stay in the cold on the trail or mtn. Sometimes the least used tool can be the most important when you are really counting on it.
I have used both synthetic and cable and have no preference, cable has never failed me as long as I have gloves when I spool it back in. The synthetic has never has failed or broke, but it does seem to suck down into itself more than cable under pulls. That can be a pain when you are pulling it out the next time.
The recovery bag is a huge bonus that definitly helps close the deal in my opinion. Makes you think you are getting a little bonus for buyng the brand you trust.

 

[TRD270]

Glad to see this post, I've also been wavering about cable or rope. The only benefit I could see is the weight. I am also looking at Warns for the same reasons mentioned above. I can count on one hand the amount times i've used a winch, not that i've had one very much. But when you need it you need it, I want to have something I can trust, not that I saved a few bucks on.

I'm kinda leaning towards a rope myself just for weight savings since mine is a DD.

Let us know what you end up with Dempsey



Edit: Anyone have any experiences with the new Zeon winches? Looking I'm kinda looking at those.

 

[mbryson]

As someone that has a budget winch (TMax), I'd buy a Warn with cable. There's trade offs for either the rope or the cable. If you keep an eye on the cable, you should be fine. I've broken a winch cable before. Not sure how many can say that. In any winching situation you DO NOT want anyone near the rope or the cable anyway.

My TMax has really served me well, but I'd buy a Warn (and will for the JK) when buying again.

 

[N8RB8R]

Glad to see this post, I've also been wavering about cable or rope. The only benefit I could see is the weight. I am also looking at Warns for the same reasons mentioned above. I can count on one hand the amount times i've used a winch, not that i've had one very much. But when you need it you need it, I want to have something I can trust, not that I saved a few bucks on.

I'm kinda leaning towards a rope myself just for weight savings since mine is a DD.

Let us know what you end up with Dempsey



Edit: Anyone have any experiences with the new Zeon winches? Looking I'm kinda looking at those.

I have had the Zeon with synthetic rope on the front of my JK since November.

I have never used it but man it looks good!

It is still pretty heavy even with the rope on it, seems to be very well built.

Seemed to be the best bang for the buck for me.

 

[Tee]

I like the Zeon. It's currently reasonably priced at 800 scoots for the 8000 (is that enough for a TJ?). And with the recovery bag goodies they are offering right now. I think I will be ordering one. I will go with cable, figure I will maybe use it once a year.

 

[benjy]

I use synthetic rope without gloves... and can tie it in a knot when it breaks. I like rope.

I don't think cable is really heavy enough to make a weight difference, maybe a few pounds?

 

[TRD270]

I have had the Zeon with synthetic rope on the front of my JK since November.

I have never used it but man it looks good!

It is still pretty heavy even with the rope on it, seems to be very well built.

Seemed to be the best bang for the buck for me.

I just got my Teraflex Epic Rockguard bumper installed, and looking at the winch mounting location it appears to be offset for more traditional style winches. I like the zeon but its more centered than the older style so i'm not sure it will fit without hitting the frame rail. I might just look at the 9.5cti that Dempsey is looking at since it for sure would fit

 

[gijohn40]

I won the zeon 8+s during easter jeep... I finally got it installed on the jeep last weekend... it weighs in around 78 lbs and with the 3/8 steel plate I used to mount it to the frame it comes in around 105lbs... so the extra 30-40 lbs going to rope instead of wire sure helped!

I have not used it yet but my old ramsey re12000 on my expedition got used alot and it had cable. the trick is to make sure you wind it back in right after each use so that it it is nice and tight and looks great! I am not sure how the rope is going to look after a heavy pull....

 

[gijohn40]

I need a set of these on the sides... but for $289 I can wait... I have looked at a few sites for something like this and they are all priced like this... what gives? are they made out of gold?

http://www.extremeterrain.com/rugged-ridge-d-rings-jk-tj-yj-1154017.html

 

[Rogerwh0]

I have put four Zeon 10-s on a couple trucks in the last few months. I have been extremely impressed. They look awesome, the fit and finish is far better than most. They are definitely a center mount style. We have only had to use them 2 times but they worked great. Pulled extremely fast and hard. Almost enough to make me convert from the 8274... As for weight, all winches feel like they about 90lbs. I don't think the cable has much to do with the overall weight of the winch. Synthetic is for sure easier to drag out 80 feet of line.

 

[N8RB8R]

I just got my Teraflex Epic Rockguard bumper installed, and looking at the winch mounting location it appears to be offset for more traditional style winches. I like the zeon but its more centered than the older style so i'm not sure it will fit without hitting the frame rail. I might just look at the 9.5cti that Dempsey is looking at since it for sure would fit

Mine is on the stubby rockslide engineering bumper and is sunk down in between the frame rails, it is tight but it does fit. I have installed a couple of the 9.5CTI winches and they are very nice as well. In my rides thread there are some good pictures of it in there. http://www.rme4x4.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=80697&d=1364659421

 

[bamacpl]

winch chat (Warn's special deal, wire vs synthetic, and Spydura--aka highway ro

The Zeon is huge!! & awesome looking too!!! I like it!!

 

[TRD270]

Mine is on the stubby rockslide engineering bumper and is sunk down in between the frame rails, it is tight but it does fit. I have installed a couple of the 9.5CTI winches and they are very nice as well. In my rides thread there are some good pictures of it in there. http://www.rme4x4.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=80697&d=1364659421

I just took some measurements and referenced Warns dimensions. With the offset mount Teraflex has in this bumper I would be over an inch into the frame with the Zeon. Looks like I'll be looking at the 9.5cti or the M8000

 

[Toad]

I used cable on my old 8000i for a lot of years. After every use I would respool under just enough weight to get that cable nice and tight. Never had a problem with the cable. I installed a new 9.5cti last fall and have not used it(the joys of a newborn. Wife does not think it is a good idea to get buried in the snow with a infant). I got a swinging deal on a smittybilt rope(60 bucks) at the same time and installed it. I like the rope when you are hiking in 3 foot of snow to get to a tree to drag yourself out.

 

[TurboMinivan]

I take my time when winching is neccessary.

I would also rather see my cable grind into the sandstone and rocks rather than worry about my rope fraying.

I honestly haven't used my winch a lot... and just can't see the sense in investing in rope for what I do.

This mentality reflects my own. I did have a winch on one former Jeep (an XD9000i), and when an opportunity arose to use it, I certainly didn't look at it as a race.

I would not buy a top name brand winch if you are only going to use it a couple times a year.

To each their own, but personally I would never buy any winch that wasn't a Warn. More info below.

I have never wished I had saved money on the single tool that has many times removed me from a potentially uncomfortable stay in the cold on the trail or mtn. Sometimes the least used tool can be the most important when you are really counting on it.

^ THIS. I don't plan to use my winch every time I go 'wheeling; indeed, it might not be used for months at a time. But when I need it, I'm sure I will be counting on it to perform as desired without failure. There are numerous places where I might cut corners financially, but any situation involving life-or-death potential is not one of them. If I couldn't afford the Warn I wanted, I would postpone its purchase until I could. If for some reason I couldn't wait, I would consider less expensive Warn models before going with brand X.

(I apologize. It was not my intention to turn this thread into a 'Warn vs the world' argument. If anyone out there wants to buy some other brand and is comfortable with that decision, well, it's your money--buy whatever you like.)

Glad to see this post, I've also been wavering about cable or rope.

I don't think I will use my winch often enough to justify the synthetic upgrade. Besides, wire cable seems to have worked for thousands of people worldwide for decades, so I'm sure it will be fine for me. It was fine on my last winch.

Let us know what you end up with Dempsey

I'd say there is a 95% chance I'll end up with the 9.5cti. I've already put lots of thought into it, I've studied endless specs, compared performance figures between models, etc.

Edit: Anyone have any experiences with the new Zeon winches?

When you go to Warn's web site, they break down their winches into three general categories: Entry Level Series, Premium Series, and Ultimate Performance Series. The Entry Level series is just that: entry level, for people who are very price sensitive. Stepping up to the Premium line gives you improved engineering with upgraded internals, better sealing, more features, and so on. Go all the way to the Ultimate Performance Series and you are entering 'cost no object' territory: you want the best componentry available and you're willing to pay for it.

The entire Zeon line is listed under Warn's Premium Series. In my mind, this would make them a decent choice for a casual user. I haven't used one personally, but they sure do look nice.

I might just look at the 9.5cti that Dempsey is looking at since it for sure would fit

Full disclosure: the 9.5cti is one of Warn's Ultimate Performance models. I like that it is a top-of-the-line model. More importantly, I like its specs (weight rating by layer, line speed, and so on) plus I like that it has a longer cable than most of their models. The 9.5cti offers lots of performance and tons of peace of mind, and that's why I want one.

 

[TRD270]

Well I think I am probably going to follow in your steps. After reading quite a bit tonight and watching some videos I think I will be going with the 9.5cti as well. Probably go with a rope to save the 23lbs