WHAT WINCH?

[MATTADAMS#2]

I'm considering a Ramsey REP 8,000lb winch for my 91' explorer. Will a Ramsey bolt on to a Smitty Built tube bumper with their winch plate? They only recomened WARN for the Smitty B. bumper.

 

[rock883]

Hey Matt, I think that if I went with any winch I could get I would get the Mile Marker hydraulic winch. The winch runs off of the power steering pump in your explorer, and it was said to pull a military Humvee up a 60% grade in dead winter for 70 ft nonstop! They come in 2 different models:
A 9,000 lb 2 speed, and a 10,500 lb 2 speed. They have them at 4wheelparts.com for $739 (9,000) and $839 (10,500). Also if you ever do any 4-wheelin in the water you can use it if its submersed in water. I beleive that they can mount to Warn mounts. But if you don't want that one I would go with a Ramsey Platinum 9,500. I'm not sure what they go for but I think that they are the best besides the Mile Marker.

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1991 2wd Ford Explorer XL-mostly stock, but working on it E-mail--RATM128@AOL.COM

 

[rock883]

Ok, I was just searchin and they have a website----->milemarker.com. This will give you all of the info you'll need, and yeah you can use any Warn mount.

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1991 2wd Ford Explorer XL-mostly stock, but working on it E-mail--RATM128@AOL.COM

 

[mattadams]

Matt - don't you know theres only one Matt Adams allowed per list? LOL just kidding. ANyways, I'd say spend a few extra bucks and get the Warn XD9000... you won't regret it. From what I've heard, people with Ramsey's and Milemarkers aren't too happy with them - just ask Rick. I seem to remember hearing him complain about his Ramsey at some point. I've used my Warn three times now (never to get myself unstuck mind you!) and each time I am thouroughly impressed with the pulling power and the speed and the overall durability of the product. Besides with the Warn name on it - you know you aren't buying crap.

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Matt Adams
94 Explorer 4-door nick-named "Tippy"
http://bart.is-s.com/~explorers/explorer/explorer.html

 

[Rick]

I have no complaints with my Ramsey 9000. It has worked every time I've needed it. I used it twice last weekend to pull other people out. I've only needed it once to pull myself out.

I don't like the idea of a hydraulic winch because you engine needs to be running for it to work. If you are doing a water crossing suck water in the intake and get stuck you're screwed.

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Rick Horwitz
Editor
explorer@4x4central.com
Editor
www.4x4central.com

[This message has been edited by Rick (edited 01-21-2000).]

 

[mattadams]

Rick - I could've sworn I heard you complaining about it, guess I was wrong. But you are right, that is a problem with a hydraulic winch. Although really if you are doing a water crossing that you will be up past the air intake and you have to winch yourself across, you really should find another route, of course thats just my opinion... I'm not into being into deep water either, but thats possibly going to change this weekend - I'm doing longwater gulch which supposedly has a very deep water crossing there, guess we'll find out soon enough Dead Link Removed.

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Matt Adams
94 Explorer 4-door nick-named "Tippy"
http://bart.is-s.com/~explorers/explorer/explorer.html

 

[Ray Lobato]

Well, I guess I'll put my .02 in on this.
Now granted, I don't have a winch yet, but I have done some research on them, and with the one exception that Matt and Rick stated (need to have engine running). You can pull longer with a hydraulic winch then you can with a electric winch. I have seem people burn out motors before, because they don't let them cool down long enough. I have heard, but have not been able to substanciate this, but some electrics(Superwinch) will not work immersed in water. Matt, Rick, how does your Warn and Ramsey work if they are totally emmersed in water? I still haven't made up my mind yet either, but I'm leaning towards the Mile Marker myself. Hope I didn't confuse you any more. Dead Link Removed

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Happy Wheelin'
Ray L.
97 XLT 4X4 4.0L SOHC

 

[mattadams]

Ray - I have never tested it and I don't know of anyone that has tested it... IT's one of those things where you shouldn't really on your winch to get you out of everything, and if you are going to be past mid door height (the height of the winch) and rely on the winch to get you through then you really do deserve to get stuck. Our Explorers don't have the capability of snorkels and it is my opinion that they shouldn't be run like they do. Now possibly if I were to buy a jeep or something with a snorkel, something I intended on regularly submersing in water, up to the windows, then perhaps I'd feel a bit different, but I don't so I don't Dead Link Removed.

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Matt Adams
94 Explorer 4-door nick-named "Tippy"
http://bart.is-s.com/~explorers/explorer/explorer.html

 

[kvo]

I have a Ramsey REP 9000 and ran into a problem with it while trying to pull someone out of a mud pit.

It turned out that the problem was that it did not have enough spacers, too much slack between the housing and the shaft to prevent it from shifting. It was a manufacturing defect and not material. Ransey stood behind its product and had it repaired free of charge for me.

Ji & Tami on this Board also had a problem with their Ramsey Platinum 9000.

BTW - Another Jeep tried pulling the stuck Toyota with his WARN X9000 and couldn't do it either. A Ranger came and pulled it out with a 12,000 lbs winch.

Anyway, I think if you can get a winch with a really good price, you can't be wrong with either the Ramsey or WARN.

I got mine for $600 plus shipping.

Do a comparison for linespeed and HP. I believe for the same rating (i.e. 8000/9000) the WARN winches have larger motors and faster linespeed (you pay more!).

Good luck.

 

[mattadams]

Well, didn't actually get to test out the winchs "underwater durability" but I did discover something, that cable gets really cold when in water below freezing! Now your all wondering the story, so here goes. We (me in my explorer, my buddy in his lifted Blazer and his buddy in his Jeep), and we come to the water crossing. One route is water til about halfway through then ice, the other route is solid ice across. Blazer goes first through the water route, planning on breaking apart the ice as hes driving through, well he doesn't. he gets his front bumper up on the ice and digs himself a niec little hole in the sand underneath (keep in mind he is about 3 feet deep in 31-33 degree water that is filling the inside), I drive across the ice with my winch to winch him through on the other side. No luck, he just pulls me towards him. So I drive across AGAIN and someone (the blazers brother) jumps into the water and hooks up my winch to his rear bumper (not the safest but he had to dig through about 6 inches of sand in below freezing water just to get that!). The winch cable was only underwater for a few seconds, but I winched him out (very slowly mind you, and I was hiding behind my door - just in case!), finally got him out and after an attempt to get all the water out (its still wet today!) while respooling I discovered that cable gets very cold. Hope you enjoyed the story of a Ford rescuing a Chevy Dead Link Removed.

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Matt Adams
94 Explorer 4-door nick-named "Tippy"
http://bart.is-s.com/~explorers/explorer/explorer.html