Which winch is best for a Ranger?

[jackt13]

Hey everyone, I'm a new member to the forum and a new member of the Ranger community. I have recently made some upgrades to my truck (new off-road front bumper, off-road lighting, etc.) and I want to get a winch. However, there are so many options out there and it seems like everyone has different opinion. I've looked into Warn winches but they're just out of my price range, and I like the new Badlands APEX but 12,000 lbs seems like over kill for my smaller truck. Is there a solid, reliable winch out there for a reasonable price? Thanks!!

 

[Dirtman]

Your winch should be rated for double the weight of the truck. Ranger curb weight is around 3,500, add 500 for gear and you should be looking for at least an 8,000lb+ lb winch in my opinion. Overkill is never a bad thing though. The more stuck you get the bigger the winch you need...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

8k is about right.

Factory options for a first gen Ranger were 6k or 8k.

The 12k badlands is popular because of the price and it is supposed to be pretty decent. They also make a 9k but it isn't much cheaper. ALSO... some things from Harbor Freight are not quite as durable as you hope when used at their rating so it might not be bad to get a little bit "extra" so you have more of a margin of safety. Google "Duty Cycle"

The 9k winch may not be as happy running at 9k as say a Warn...

All speculation on my part, I am trying to sneak up on one myself (I would prefer an M6000 or M8000 Warn as that was what was optional for my truck)

Smittybilt makes a popular one too and are about the same price as a Badlands but isn't "rated" as high.

 

[dvdswan]

Welcome to the site. 8K is perfect IMO. If you need more then you can just double back with the cable/line. Be sure to get the accessories for the winch as well. Tree saver, hooks, gloves, etc. help with the winching.

 

[ericbphoto]

As mentioned, 8k - 9k minimum. 12k would be nice. Anything over that is probably money wasted and adding a lot of weight on the front suspension.

 

[Roert42]

Welcome to the site. 8K is perfect IMO. If you need more then you can just double back with the cable/line. Be sure to get the accessories for the winch as well. Tree saver, hooks, gloves, etc. help with the winching.

Snatch block.

 

[Ozwynn]

Whatever 8k or bigger you can afford

 

[RonD]

Also something to consider
Winch's pulling lbs is rated for first layer of cable, so empty drum as it pulls in the first layer has the "8,000lbs" rating
General rule of thumb is 10% less pulling power per layer
So 8,000lbs - 10% = 7,200lbs on 2nd layer
7,200lbs - 10% = 6,480lbs on 3rd layer
6,480lbs - 10% = 5,832lbs on 4th layer
ect..........

There are two things to take away from this
Don't store extra cable on the drum of your 8,000lbs winch, lol, carry it in the bed
Higher rated winch can carry a bit more cable on the drum for your lighter vehicle
i.e. 12,000lbs rating still has 8,000lbs with 4 layers still on the drum

 

[Dirtman]

Winches is goes zrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Winches is goes zrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

And hopefully NOT POPzinnnnggggggg!

 

[Dirtman]

And hopefully NOT POPzinnnnggggggg!

That's what winch safety bags are for!

 

[Bird76Mojo]

I went with a 9500lb Superwinch for the reasons Ron typed out. More pulling power with a fully loaded spool/drum. A snatch block should be bought at the same time as the winch. You'll need it sooner than you think and they help a ton with weird angle pulls, etc. I went with cable but I'd suggest going with synthetic rope for someone that's new to winching. A winch cover is also a very good idea in my opinion, especially with synthetic rope.

I use mine way more often than I ever thought I would. Yesterday I used it to pull a huge maple stump (about 4ft thick) on to the fire pile, which is one advantage of using cable instead of rope.. I've pulled sapling trees with mine too. I also had to use it yesterday to pull my Allis 720 out of the pond muck where I was pushing brush. We use it on the farm all the time to tension very tall (60+ feet) maple trees to get them to fall exactly where we want them, and a snatch block is necessary for that to keep your truck well out of harms way.

 

[sgtsandman]

That's what winch safety bags are for!

You’re a safety bag!

 

[Roert42]

You’re a safety bag!

Hot

 

[Dirtman]

You’re a safety bag!

I am safe and have bag like qualities...