What I am about to write is based on experience from 4 years ago, so efficiency may have improved.

In comparing the most popular winchs available, warn & superwinch, I found the warn to be a much more efficient unit than the superwinch. If any of you out there think that your 2500# rated winch can pull that much, think again. There is no way that our "little" batterys can supply enough current to operate them at their rated capacity.(with a 27 series car battery, probably)It is definatley better to go with a freewheeling type model because by the time you have electrically realed out enough cable to hook on to something your "little" battery will already have lost some power and this is when you need it most. I tried hooking my winch (superwinch)to a tree branch and was very dissapointed that I couln't even lift my quad off the ground.(approx 650#). To increase the power of the winch (if you need it) simply unreal it until you are down to the last wrap before hooking it up. Winches are rated with one wrap and if you double the diameter by having a lot of cable on it, you will decrease your pulling capacity by 1/2. My friends warn unit seemed to pull twice as hard and drain the battery much less.

If any of you out there have tried winching your quad off the ground I would like to here about it.

I do not own a winch any more because of the type of riding I do. And in my case it would be a waste of money.

Here is a little tip (for all you with solid,unprotected,rear axles) that I posted many
years back on this forum.

I was riding with my wife as a passenger in early winter and going down a frequently traveled summer trail. There was about 6" of snow on the ground and the ground was not frozen very hard yet. As I followed the trail I also followed the tracks that would go around the areas where people had broken through the frozen ground and
had got stuck. After going around several of these holes, I got tired of fighting the branches and fallen trees and thought that I would be able to cross the frozen holes. I got to the next frozen hole and very slowly drove the front tires onto it. Before I knew what had happened the front end broke through and put the quad in an almost vertical position.It was not a pretty site. I was holding myself from falling forward into the mud/muck/water/ice with my wife on my back. We both finally managed to get off the quad and proceeded to try to get it out. She was pulling on the back and I was giving it gas and pulling at the same time. (try doing that without bypassing the overide) We switched positions and tried again. I finally got a rope out and tied it to a nearby tree about 1 ft off the ground and as I applied the gas and pulled my wife was jumping on the rope, didn't even budge. I put branches logs and pieces of fallen trees into what seemed to be and endless pit yet it was not helping. We both sat down and I started to think seriously about the 4mile walk back to get help, it was at this point I remembered something that I had read. I untied the rope from the rear bumper and and tied it to my axle with enough slack to give me about 3 or four turns, and applied the throttle slowly (talk about a powerful winch). The quad backed out of there like it was on level ashphalt. (even if I would have had a front mounted winch I would not have been able to get to it)I have never had to use this method since, but maybe, one day some of you will be in a similar situation and will remember something that you read.

 

I have a 2000 pound warn and it will lift my 400 explorer off of the ground it make it real easy to clean the underneath. I too have tried a simallar home made winch but took the rope and put it around the tire works okay if you are in a bad spot

 

I saw an item for sale in a mag from here in Quebec. "Le Monde du VTT"

It is a small hook/metal loop or something that hooks to your rear axle and if you get stuck, just tie a rope and voila! Instant 378cc winch!

85$ I think...

 

I carry an assortment of goodies to help get me out of trouble.
1, 2000 lb. winch.
2, a 1000 lb. come-a-long
3, 50 ft of 1/2" rope.
4, 8 ft of chain c/w about a dozen 10" spikes.
5, A ****** block.
6, Chain saw.
Incidentally the chain and spikes are used when the trees are not planted close enough, if you know what I mean. Here's what you do, lay the chain on the ground in a straight line away from your quad, push, pound or hammer the spikes through the chain into the ground and hook your winch to the end of the chain. With a little luck this is all you will need to get out of a jamb.
Also in my toolbox are a
7, A variety of wrenches,
8, 12 vdc tester c/w my quads wiring schematic,
9, Tire plug kit,
10, A small 12 vdc compressor,
11, Spark plug
12, Last but not least a first aid kit.
Sorry for rambling I got a little carried away.

 

I have a 2000 kawi prarie 300 4x4, with a warn 2000# and have hoisted it into mid air to install a snow plow mount, and the winch didn't even bog down

 

It seems that the warn is a much better/capable unit.

Are there any superwich owners out there ????

 

I saw that too, but a rope is something that everyone usually has and for about $10 you can't beat it.

 

If you read the fine print on the winch specs, most of them will say something like this.
2500 PONND CAPACITY WINCH*

then way down in the tiny print you will read this:


*2500# rolling load only, with one wrap of cable around the drum, using ****** block pulley. Actual lifting capacity:1000#

Or something similar. I think Warn specs theirs for straight pull, and some other brands rate it with a ****** block pulley which almost doubles what the thing will pull. Don't hold me to it, though, it is just something I heard.

 

Interesting!!! maybe they should call them "suckerwinch"

 

IF (I insist on IF) I ever get a utility (4x4) ATV, I will get a winch, athough I haven't been really impressed by the one (2000lbs warn I think) on my pal's Xplorer. It did have some pulling power, but not that much. Enough to pull the Xplorer out a nice mudhole though.
So, if I get a winch, I already know which one I'll buy. the 30000 lbs (no error, count again the zeros) hydraulic winch...a bit heavy maybe, but POWERFUL.