First off, let me say that Im not new to atvs, I'm just new to this forum. So when you hear this question, dont think Im just some newbie askin pointless questions.
During a recent excursion on one of the local trails, I asked myself(after bogging down knee deep in mud)"Why the #@$! dont I just put a winch on the front of this thing?" I have a 250ex and a 660Raptor, and I would gladly put a winch on either one of them...but...I know I'm not the first to want to do this. Yet, I have never seen a winch on a sport atv. Granted, I could buy a utility quad...but I already got an Arctic Cat with one on it. Is there some obvious problem I'm overlookin here? I mean, could I not just bolt on a winch in place of the bumper on the front? Im open to any suggestions or explanations...

 

Lethal Audio,
If you have a solid bumper on the front and your quad has a battery I don't see why you couldn't install a winch. I have a suggestion though which is a lot cheaper which I have done. A length of good rope and a come-along can get you out of a mud hole; it is more work but it is effective and a lot easier than pushing by hand.

KenH

 

Oh, I always got something like that straped on the quad somewhere. Either a tow rope or a chain. But there is still that possibility of gettin stuck with no-one around. It wasnt really just the mudhole that got me thinkin, I can take a good sized mudhole on either quad and not get in trouble. I got stuck in the worst possible spot in a "swamp" of a creek...and on the way back out of the creek I had to take a detour around everyone else (who also got stuck) and got stuck on the hill. The part that really gets me is, having to push an atv uphill while strugglin to stand up next to it with no traction on either your tires or your boots cause of all the mud you pick up from the creek. The way I see it though, you are pretty much right. Good battery, solid front end, no reason not to try, right? Ill probably experiment with the 250ex as Id hate to mess up a perfectly good raptor. What I'm thinkin is, take a factory bumper and just fabricate a solid winch mount for it...simple enough...I hope.

 

I would find an old bumper and weld a bracket to it and mount a winch on the front.Save the stock bumper for when you get rid of the quad.

 

i saw a picture of a worrior with a winch on the front the guy had to custom make a bracket that he attached to his bumper or frame im not quite sure it was a while ago but it can be done with the right tools

 

I plan to keep the original bumper so I can alternate between the two...depending on the trail. Well, now that that question is answered, can someone suggest a good winch? Since Im going to mess around with it on the 250ex, Im guessin I wont be needing the biggest winch on the market, maybe something small and compact...