12V portable winches?

[0to60in6min]

anyone use one? are they any good?

I am thinking about it because it's more versatile compared to a bolt on one.. which I can use on the front or on the rear...

thanks

[hans j]

I'm going to get one of these: https://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?category_id=197&item=1856 to keep under the seat.
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1986 Canadian Syncro Westy TDI - 1989 Syncro Single Cab - 2001 Audi S4 - 1981 VW Caddy ABA - 1980 VW Caddy EV - 1973 VW T-181

[Wildthings]

I had a little electric jobber years ago that was great. Increased the wire size to get higher voltage to the motor and it pulled much stronger than a lot of much larger and much more expensive winches. Had a ball mounted front and rear, so the winch itself was always pulling in the straight line which really reduced the load a lot. I actually had two balls mounted on each end of the front bumper so I could pull to the rear from the front as well as pulling sideways or forward.

I got to pull out a lot of rigs that had 8000 to 12000 pound winches that blew up from the load. This usually caused a lot of swearing being done and the kicking of inanimate objects.

My winch was larger than most of the portable ones I have seen since, but worth the effort to lug around.

[davevickery]

I had a little inexpensive ATV winch, 2500 lb capacity. Inadequate for real winching but could pull you out of a slippery situation where a come along would also work. But that size is dangerous as you will try to use it in any situation where you are stuck and the brake won't hold, the cable can snap, the motor for sure can burn up. I had a pulley so it could pull pretty well. I tried pulling out some bushes and had my e-brake on and on a slight uphill incline. The bush didn't come out, but the van skidded against the tires.

After I burnt up the motor on that one. Ha. I got a 3500 lb UTV winch made by one of the good companies. Same thing, had a pulley to increase how much I could pull and I replaced the cable with stronger amsteel synthetic line. They were mounted on a portable 2" reciever winch mount and I had receievers front and back.

The advantage of going with the smallest size you can is weight and bulk, and cost. The 3500 was compact and still powerful. The portability was good and you didn't have to keep it on the van.

Winches are dangerous. Most people don't read up on how to use one and don't use them in groups to see what to do and what other equipment to have. Someone should spend as much time reading up on safe winching practices as they do figuring out what to buy. This goes double for people using hand winches where you are right next to the cable.

Currently I have a come along. I found a good quality one that has steel gears not the laminated gears that a lot of come alongs use (which is what this replaced. Haven't needed ithe new one yet but I think it will do as well as my old 4K lb come along. I also have 100 feet of amsteel blue 17,000 lb line, a snatch strap, a d-buckle, pulley and a couple 25 foot standard 11,000 lb tow straps. I don't carry all that most of the time.

I'd probably do the 3500 lb UTV winch route again. But I might just mount it up front and call it good. Maybe have an emergency plan to unbolt it and use on the rear if need-be. I can see the rationale for an 8,000 lb Warn. When you have a winch, you are automatically volunteered to help anyone else that gets stuck. You are risking it with a UTV winch, so you need to know when to say no.