Propickup Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/105105
BUYER'S GUIDE MORE CONSIDERATIONS Another thing to consider when buying a heavy-duty winch is how it's made. When you work in mud, sand and water day in and day out you want a winch with the highest quality internal components, and its electrical and drum/gear components sealed from the elements. The last thing you want is a winch that fails because mud and water worked their way into critical parts. The winch mounting has to be up to the task as well. When you mount a winch capable of exerting six or eight tons of force, you don't want to see the mount start bending or the bumper snapping off. After all, a winch is only as strong as the weakest link in the system. The common grill-guard winch-mounting system that goes over the factory bumper probably isn't going to cut it. What you'll want to mount the big dawgs like the ones shown here in our buyer's guide is a custom-fabricated bumper designed to hold the winch in place while you drag the world around. The bumper should be made from heavyduty materials, welded and gusseted to withstand heavy loads. It's also nice to have s. light mounting points, shackles and tow hooks. Shop accordingly. WINCH BUYERS GUIDE IDE D PIERCE PS20000 Pierce is well-known for their PTO and hydraulic wrecker winches. They are also getting a good reputation for the PS series winches like the new PS20000 ($1,025). The 20,000-pound capacity 12-volt electric features a heavy-duty motor, zinc-alloy gear box, three-stage planetary system, super torque strength and a mechanical safety brake system for large loading. Piercesales.com; (800) 658-6301 RECO RECON BRUTE FORCE 17.5 Recon Recon's claims their new Brute Force Series winches have the fastest line speed (28fpm) and most powerful series-wound motor (7hp) sp offere offered in self-recovery winches. The 17,500-pound-capacity model ($700 ($700) uses a three-stage planetary drive system and automatic brake to control 92 feet of 7/16-inch aircraft cable. Winch weighs 125 pounds and comes with 22,050-pound-rated snatch block, roller po fairlea fairlead and remote. Gorecon.com; (877) 377-3266 RECON BRUTE FORCE 10.5 Deep in a Louisiana swamp, sliding along on red Georgia clay, or ay, making your way between mountains somewhere in Utah, , the Recon 10,500-pound-capacity Pro Performance Series winch ($700) will give you peace of mind. A 12-volt 6.5hp series-wound motor and 218:1 three-stage planetary drive e is at the heart of this 62-pound stump puller. Hawse-type fairlead and 88 feet of 7/16-inch synthetic rope come with the package. Gorecon.com; (877) 377-3266 MILE MARKER SEC12 Mile Marker's SEC12 ($699) is a proven recovery platform for those heavy-duty winching needs. A powerful series-wound motor and rugged planetary gear set is the backbone of this expedition-grade, 12,000-pound-capacity winch. With a 500-amp sealed solenoid, a galvanized roller fairlead, a load holding brake, and an integrated kill switch, the SEC series is a proven winch design for heavy-duty needs. milemarker.com; (800) 886-8647 ROPE VS. CABLE Many of today's winches come with the choice of either traditional aircraft cable or synthetic rope. Rope looks cool and is very easy to handle. It's also just as strong as any cable as is exhibited by Samson Amsteel-Blue (samsonrope.com), one of the favored winch ropes. Synthetic winch line stores zero energy under stress and, in the event of breakage, doesn't snap back with the deadly whiplash action of cable. However, some synthetic ropes are susceptible to cuts from sharp metal and abrasion. Rope also needs to be kept clean. Winch cable can be easily damaged wrapping over itself on the drum, by kinking or bending over sharp edges. So be careful when rigging either rope or cable. And always use something over cable to help absorb the energy in the event it does break or comes loose from an attaching point. 42 PROPICKUP Buyer's Guide 2012 MILE MARKER HI12000 The Mile Marker HI12000 hydraulic-powered winch ($1,875) delivers continuous pulling power running off the pickup's power-steering pump. The solenoid control valve is integrated into the winch body. Kit includes all mounting/ installation hardware, remote control, roller fairlead and winch cable. HI Series winches (HI9000, HI10500, and HI12000) require a vehicle specific 35-series vehicle adapter kit. milemarker.com; (800) 886-8647 MILE MARKER H18K Mile Marker introduces its largest pickup winch to date: the H18K. Offering a full 18,000 pounds of pulling and recovery power, this hydraulic winch can be utilized in many applications from field service vehicles to compact loader/ excavators to industrial utility vehicles and beyond. Requiring only a hydraulic flow of 4gpm at 1500psi, the H18K ($3,496) can be powered by either stock power steering pumps, or PTO systems. milemarker.com; (800) 886-8647