Okay, down to facts. What is an ATV trip without getting stuck, right? I am beginning to see that an axe and a folding shovel are more important than my winch, which is now fully shot. Winch on my rig was a Warn A2000. Always worked, seemed dependable. I replaced the freespool cap end a few months back because of slipping. Winch was working fine on last trip when it got us out of a few tight spots. Spooled out the cable and repacked it all smooth and nice, before going out last Friday. All worked fine and smooth.

Bottomline, if you read no further, is that the A2000 failed; just stopped. Would not reel in the wire. Unit never overheated. Getting home, after resting on Sunday, took the rotary switch apart; all okay. Yesterday I took the motor apart. No glaze on the armature, brushes a bit worn, but look okay. On closer inspection of the case, I see the magnets bonded to the walls have just come apart, flaked off in chunks. There was no evidence of any water contamination ever inside the motor case.

Anybody here ever have the magnets flake out on their Warn Winch? New motor is $125. Seems like magnets should stay intact unless case is dented or smashed or maybe water got in and froze up the works; neither of which ever happened to my winch.

Anyone know of a source for a replacement motor that is not a Warn part? About all the Warn guys can tell me is "Tough Luck". I am ready to try another brand.

Here are the details if you enjoy a story...

On Saturday, crossing a swampy area, in about a foot of water, the 6 wheeler goes into a deep rutted track we can't see and gets high-centered. No big deal, the front hubs are not even under water, except it's icy water, the temp is about 34f and starting to snow. The good new is we have a winching point within reach. Free spool out the necesssary line, take up the slack, the cable gets taught, and nothing!

No need to keep tension on the line, we're not going anywhere; so reverse the motor and figure a way out. Turns out, the rear tires have nothing to grab and so the front wheels are not pulling. Time to walk 100 yards back through the marsh and cut a Spruce tree to lever with. (Not to offend anyone, we did not "kill" a live tree, but found a previously cut one about 5" in diameter), trimming this to manageable length, it gets hauled back to the marsh.

This lever and several pieces of wood used as a fulcrum eventually got us out of the hole. We kept trying the winch, it would tension the cable strongly but not pull the fram accros the dirt bottom we were high-centered on. I want to stress that we never kept tension on the line or ran the motor for longer than under a minute because when you are up to your knees in icy water, not wearing waders, you can only stand so much mud being thrown up in your face while you push or lever.

First lever breaks, after an hour or two of lifting and putting material, rocks, limbs etc. With boots full of icy slush for over an hour, seems like time to make a fire and thaw out.

Finally, with socks wrung out and feet toasted by the fire, it's time to find another pole to lever with; a bigger one. So we do.

Back into the mucky cold water. Finally decide rather than put stuff under the wheels, to lever the 6by up and out of the ruts. We are able to do so, and son drives 6x6 to less soggy ground while I push.

12 mile ride later down a good trail, soaked to the bone, we are home. Thank God for wool sox and expedition weight polypropylene long u/w! We weren't even shivering.