What size Winch is "enough"

[waylonh]

Well I burried the bigfoot yesterday, and the sorry excuse for a winch that is mounted wouldn't pull me out of the creek , so it's got to go.

The guy that pulled me out had a Polaris Ranger with a warn 4000lb winch, but is that overkill for an argo?


What are most of you guys using, and can i get by with a new Warn 2500?

[Eldon]

A buddy has a Bigfoot and he uses a 3000 lb. Superwinch.My Max II has a Warn 2000 lb. in neither case to my knowledge have these winches not done the job.I would think on a Bigfoot the smallest I would go would be 2500 lb. and 3000 lb. would do it for sure.

[rdr]

Well I burried the bigfoot yesterday, and the sorry excuse for a winch that is mounted wouldn't pull me out of the creek , so it's got to go.

The guy that pulled me out had a Polaris Ranger with a warn 4000lb winch, but is that overkill for an argo?


What are most of you guys using, and can i get by with a new Warn 2500?

hi waylon i have a 2500lbs gorilla on the max 4 and it has pulled it out no problem .mcCoy has a 4200 ruel on his big foot works great . as for brand. ALL are made in china . so might as well save the big green and get a gorilla . robbie

[Rock Doctor]

4,200lb Rule on my Conquest, and I think that's just enough, even with a Snatch Block.





RD

[Roger S]

I think that's just enough

Yes, for a guy that reclaims bridges and moves cabins. And winches buffalo into the rear compartment.

I love my snatch block on a marginal winch. Couldn't make it without it.

[Rock Doctor]

I think that's just enough

Yes, for a guy that reclaims bridges and moves cabins. And winches buffalo into the rear compartment.

I love my snatch block on a marginal winch. Couldn't make it without it.

LOL,

I should note that this is enough power to POP the rivets in the upper front part of the Argo body. I have not done it to mine, but a friend did on his last fall when we were moving the cabin.

Direction of pull is KEY. If possible you really should be pulling UP on the front of the Argo when winching.

99% of the time you will NOT need this much Winch, but when you need it, you will have it.

I put 2500 lb winches on QUADS.


RD

[waylonh]

I'll let you guys know how the Warn RT25 does. I ordered it. I had some Cabelas points saved up. Also they're offering 30 bucks off of 150 spent. I got the winch shipped for 260.00. I think it retails for 350 plus tax and shipping. I could swing that.

ive read some horror stories about cheap winches giving out in the field. Especially on an Amphib. I don't want to take that chance, since i'm in some sort of body of water 50% of the time. However, I don't want to buy more than nessessary mainly because of cost. I won't be pulling anything out but me. I'll let the heavy UTVs fight to pull out each other. Most of them get a kick out of saying they HAD to pull "X product" with their "X product". I try and stay out of those arguements, they've had to pull me out already!


Cabela's -- Warn RT ATV Winches

[E-K-C]

Winch Size

If You Are Stuck The Bigger The Better So I Have A 4000

[magger]

4500 lb champion on my rig and more than enough power for all jobs,@$227 tsc store (tractor supply).

[RKlingborg]

My Argo cam with a superwench X2 wicth is rated at 3000lds. havent used it to pull my self out but have moved fallen trees but had to put the Argo in reverse and give it the gas couse it was just pulling me and not the tree

[Jeff t-boss]

From my training and experience over the (30) years, the general rule is to have a winch that is capable of "RECOVERING" a vehicle 3 times it's actual weight (MINIMUM). Meaning; if your Argo is 1000 lbs, you need a winch that is capable of pulling 3000 lbs. Reason being that, worse case scenerio, you get stuck to the most extreme condition (basically "SUNK" in mud) the winch will handle the load resistance. Simply put, if a 1000lb vehicle is basically burried in mud, the resistance factor that is created by the mud is equivelant to 3 times (sometimes on rare occasion 4) the vehicle weight. And that is based on the MINIMUM AMOUNT OF cable on the winch drum when pulling. There are a few links/subjects on this site that go in to more detail and recovery. Just search recovery or winch. One other note; The more cable you have on your drum, the less pulling power you have.

[dustin3207]

winch

I have a 4,000 lb viper on my vanguard. I think it's over kill but it's definitely enough. Think a 2,500 would do just fine.If you cant do a short pull. Pull it out so the cable is rapped around the spool 4 times and it will have the full 2,500 lbs the winch is rated at. If you are pulling with a full spool your probably only using about half or less the power of the winches ratting. my 2 cents

[Bushpig]

2000lbs has always done it for me

I have only ever used a 1500-2000lb winch and 2 snatch blocks in the 30 years I have been running Argo 8's, that set up has never left me stuck in any of the numerous swamps,bogs, muskeg stretches or Beaver dams that we encounter all the time up here in Northern Alberta. .I have ran my Argo 30 kilometers down the Athabasca River (yes, in the River and sand bar hopping)several times to get to my trapline. You don't want to slap a big nasty winch on front when its not needed.It just adds weight to the heaviest part of your argo already, making a climb up a creek bank ect, harder. SNATCH BLOCKS, 2 of them will get you out of anywhere, throw a come-a-long in and winch out off of your rear tow ball, its easier to pull out backwards than forwards.
A very good point with the argo is to BACK IN to a nasty looking spot and go through in reverse, you'll climb out a lot easier.

[Roger S]

[argowar]

I did a lot of logging this summer getting ready to do some timberframing and my Superwinch x2 was plenty to haul 18' maple logs from the bush once I figured out I could wrap the tow rope around the log and roll it out.

The Winch | From Beyond the Grid