I have yet to get my winch from my dealer, but I hear installing it on a grizzly is a pretty extensive job, like 6 hours. Anyone do it yet? Is it as hard as they say?

 

Why wasn't it installed on the quad before you picked it up from the dealer?

The Warn 2500lb winch on my 450 Kodiak was installed and wired by the dealer.

If you do it yourself it's not a huge job. The biggest part is running the wires neatly from the winch and the bar mounted toggle switch to the relay assembly and battery under the seat. As far as I'm aware, the kit contains everything that's needed but I could be wrong.
I installed a winch from scratch on my 250 BearTracker including fabricating the brackets. It wasn't one of the harder things I have done. But then, I enjoyed doing it because it's a hobby.

 

I installed one on my buddies 07 grizzly 700, not a bad job at all. Im no mechanic either....I just had a little practice because I put one on my Bruin a few weeks before that. 6 hours.....no way. Us two idiots did it in about 2, maybe 2.5 hours without all of the proper tools. The hardest part is getting all of the little push pins out that holds the front fenders in place, after you get that off....its just simple following directions.

*edit*

You dont have to run the wires back under the seat like you do on the Bruin/big bear/Kodiak either....everything mounts right up in the front.

 

They have to order the winch, and the dealer wants $400 to install it. My buddy has a suzuki, and his was prewired. I hope its easy.

 

$400 to install the winch...wow..
when I bought my bruin they said they would install the winch or plow for free.. I bought the plow and they installed it for free.. the plow 'install' was easy, but for spending thousands on a machine I would of told them NO DEAL if they wouldnt install for free..

 

I did not remove the front fender plastic to install the Warn winch on my Grizzly 700, all I removed was the center black plastic piece that covers the battery. It took me 4 hours to install the winch, but then again, I'm **** about these things. All the wire connections got dielectric grease on them, and all of the wires were routed perfectly straight and precise, and zip tied precisely in place. It looks far better than the factory wiring does. So a lot of the extra time I took was making sure the red wire was beside the blue wire, and not behind it, etc., strictly for cosmetics.

Our local dealer also said that the $69 winch deal was what the winch cost the customer, and that installation would be another $300. I told him I'd take the winch for $69, but that I would install it myself, thank you just the same.

DV

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Gasitman

They have to order the winch, and the dealer wants $400 to install it. My buddy has a suzuki, and his was prewired. I hope its easy.</end quote></div>

That would of been a deal breaker for me if they said that.
For what these machines cost, especially here, they should give you the winch and install it at no extra cost.

 

What I was told from my dealer is that it can vary from dealer to dealer on how they price the quad. Some dealers may offer the winch installed but may raise the selling price a bit. I have four semi-local Yamaha dealers to work with. Two offer it free/installed but charge you for freight and assembly of the quad. One offered it installed and you pay just the $69 additional, freight and assembly of the quad is inc. for the overall price. I went with the dealer closest to me (plus he had a good deal on a left-over)

My dealer said they basically split the cost of the winch between themselves and Yamaha and offer it free with the machine but if you want it installed by them they charge you about $150 (about 2-1/2 hrs labor). Not bad but I opted to install myself. Like others mentioned, the mechanical is easy but being picky on how you route your electrical is time consuming. I also used clear RTV silicone on the solenoid mounting holes inside the storage box and the wiring as it entered the box to keep any possible water from getting in.