Boner,
I am not sure who told you Warn has plastic gears, but that is not true. When I installed my brake kit, I was surpised at how heavy the gears were. I have had my atv and truck winches operate under water, which I didn't do on purpose, and they worked fine. If you mud ride, it does not matter what tire you have, what pipe kit, etc., you will get stuck. IF you have your heart set on a Rule, then get it. Everyone as different needs and preferences.

 

Boner,
The Warn will work under H2O trust me I know, Also the case is plastic but the gears are grade 8 metal. Also the power of all winches depends on the power of not only the battery but the alternator output of the quad.
After installing mine I tested it at a warn dealership In Birmingham Alabama, The A2500, Snatched-blocked, ATV chained to a steel post, stalled at 5450 lbs, However, I used 2 gauge wire to install it, and was on the quad at half throttle. So this might be uncommon, As for Superwinch, the larger winched sre some of the best in the land, The Land Rovers in the Camel trophy Rely only on teh Superwinch, and do so without regret.
But In the U.S. the Superwinches are over powered by the Warn name and reputation.

 

I would get the tires if I were you. The winch is awesome, but seems like overkill to me. Plus, its major expensive. Is the electrical system up to par for a 3500 lb. winch and do you really need something that big? I would go for a cheaper winch later on, and get the tires. That looks like a good price on them. Thats my take.

 

SXR6- I know what you mean on actual tire size. My Titan 495's are 25.5" tall off the quad, and 24.5" tall on it. With no wear, they wouldn't be over 25". They are about 9-9.5" wide too rather than the 10.5" that they claim. Out old honda 300 has a set of Carlisle Turfbusters that we got at SAMS for like $35 and they are the legitamate 12" wide. I went up a short muddy little hill today with ease on that 2wd 300, that the 4wd 500 AC had major trouble with. Have to have a good run, otherwise you ain't making it. Shows that sometimes, 4wd don't make a hoot when you have a 650lb. quad. The 89 model 2wd Honda weighs like 438lbs. The wide tires, short wheelbase, and lightweight gave it the advantage today. It blew my mind going up it with such ease.

On the rear lifting thing, you won't gain a drop of Axle/ differential clearance without tires. You will add frame ground clearance, because you will extend the swingaxle downward at a steeper angle and raise frame higher. Same principle as the a-arms in the front.

 

I don't get in deep mud much at all. I do go over large rocks and stuff that I don't want to highcenter on or hit bottom on. Thats the ground clearance need which is one of the main things I want. Cosmetically, the lift would look dumb with too much fender clearance. I like the tighter look better, but not the tighter results (fender drag).
Maximum diameter tires are also part of that equation. I don't just putt around on the flats either. I get in the steep off camber stuff. Normally not on any trails. Just cut through the woods and make your own trail. See if you can make it up this or through that. Thats what I do. A tree hugger or tread lightly spokesmans worst nightmare. Not braggin, just that this is what I like to do. I am responsible for making those ruts that turned into ditches after a big rain.

Lastly Tree Farmer- I CAN indeed make my own choice by knowing my "riding style". I want some opinions and some things to mull over though. Also some talk from people who have this stuff. What exactly are you supposed to post on a forum anyway? If not things like this? Riddle me this.

 

Boner- I don't see why you would need that large of a winch. I very seldom run into a situation where I even need a winch. Maybe to pull myself up a hill or pull someone out of the mud, but a 2000lb does this with no problem at all.

I like the 27" Claws. The Outlaws are nice, but I don't want to lift my bike any. I like the look of 27's under a non lifted bike and it seems to look a bit more stable. Andy on the other hand could use the extra ground clearance that a lift would provide. He was not lying about any of the terrain he rides on. He sees an opening off the trail and goes for it.(He needs to lay off the crack pipe)

 

I know the Warn CAN be operated underwater, but is it sealed aginst water getting in?
WhenI hear about people Frying there Warn winches what is it that they are messing up?

TxDoc,
Did you find any signs of water getting in the winch? Water corrosion?

 

I found no moisture or corrosion inside. The grease looked brand new. 12 volt systems are pretty imperious to moisture. DC systems and AC systems are not comparable. The only 12 volt winch I have seen damaged was one that was stalled out and instead of stopping and letting the motor cool, and rigging a block, he held power on and burned up the motor. That is not an equipment failure. That is operator failure. The equipment was not used as designed. He was stupid and knows he was and admits it. It should have been an expensive lesson, but Warn replaced the motor, even though he told them it was his fault. Just like good ATV dealers, you want equipment backed up by a good company. Hope for the best, but anticipate and be prepared for the worst. I think Rule winches come out of the the Northestern U.S., but cannot remember. Do you know what you do for parts or service, if you ever need it? Ivy Redding, just outside of Monroe, sells them and repairs them. You may call him.He can tell you what he has seen come back in for repair and why-for Warn, and Rule. He has been selling Warn winches since the 70's, I believe. Since he sells them, he is probably your nearest authorized Rule repair center. I know you will buy from HL, but I don't know if they are an authorized service center. Might want to check on that. You can get Ivy's phone # from Warn's site where it lists authorized regional repair centers. Hope that helps.

 

Andy and Boner:
You guys have both got a lot of great advice, but I'd just like to through in my two cents if y'all don't mind. Here goes:

Andy:
Judging from your riding style, (I like the way you ride, I do the same stuff!) I would have to suggest the 27"'s, instead of the 28's and lift. The reason is simple-it sounds like you really don't do a whole lot of deep mud running, but a lot of trail and steep stuff. In this case, the larger tires would be great for clearance, problem is, the higher you go, the more top heavy things get. And, in those steep hill climbs I think a lift and 28"'s would be a little too much. Since my Dad rolled his a few weeks ago, completely stock, I know that there is no way we would have been able to ride that type of terrain with that large of a setup. Just a thought though. I think the 27"'s without the lift would be a better choice. You'd still get a little more clearance with the 27"'s, which would help.

Boner:
In your case, I think I'd opt for the winch. Bigger tires would be nice, but the thing about tires is no matter how big you go, they'll still get stuck. Sometimes even worse than you could with stocker's because of the ability to get further into a given situation. A winch on the other hand, no matter how stuck you get, a winch with a ****** block, you'll get out of anything. Another thought to think about would be building a receiver type setup for the front and back. Then, for your mounting plate of the winch, just bolt it onto a steel plate, with a 2" square tube welded on. Then, you now have one winch with the option of mounting either front or rear. This makes for a pretty nice setup, with the cost benefit of only buying one winch instead of two. Going that rought, you'd still have money left over to get the tires as well, best of both worlds!

One question though for the electrically inclined. Tree Farmer had mentioned in a post quite some time ago about the amp/current requirements for a winch to run at max power, and max bike output. BigCatDriver has been the only one to elude into this point. If I remember correctly, a standard 2000 lbs. winch draws somewhere around 180 amps at a full rated pull.? So then, how much would the 3300 lb. Rule winch draw at full power? If a stock quad does not produce enough power to run a 2000 lb. winch to it's fully rated capacity, how then could it possibly operate the 3300?

Anyhow, sorry to bore you all with my thoughts. Hope everyone had a great 3 day weekend!

Mike

 

Cowboy, you're thinkin is right on with mine. If the mood hits me, I'll order the claws tomorrow from work. Thats the tire that I have decided on, especially after todays venture. The 26x10.5 titans on my 500 right now only measure 9.5" but they are still to wide for the front. They don't track well in mud, too much push and sliding. I don't want that wide of a front any more. BBC's 454 has the 489's and they track excellent, though they don't paddle out as well. I think the combo of the Bi claws up front will track better, and the Tri's in the rear will give me all the paddle effect I want. Not to mention a better ride. Plus, in the case that I went for a lift kit later, It wouldn't be as severe an increase with the lift and the 27's as it would the 28's. Lift kit is not in the plans just yet, I'll have to get stuck bad enough that it pisses me off first. Lack of traction pissed me off the other day, when my 2wd honda went up something easier than my 500 AC did. Tires were decided on that day.

The highlifter guy said the claws will be ok on the stock rims, so I'll just hand the 495's over to BBC if he wants them, and save $200 on wheels. That will free up capital for the high performance kit if I ever find out if its worth the money.

The Dennis Kirk catalog has a lift kit from Moose Utility Division that sells for $80. Cheap compared to the $150 for the highlifter. Anyone know anything about this? Is is worth a crap or just a cheap knock off. Its milled aluminum, so I wonder how strong it would be.