Sponsored

Thoughts about winches

Dfideth

Well-Known Member
First Name
Frank
Joined
Jun 7, 2019
Threads
5
Messages
110
Reaction score
121
Location
Southern California
Vehicle(s)
2020 JLUR 3.6 Sarge
Occupation
Crane Tech

johnnyj

Well-Known Member
First Name
John
Joined
Aug 18, 2020
Threads
10
Messages
215
Reaction score
446
Location
Washington
Vehicle(s)
Jeepless but still a fan.
I've had Jeeps with winches and Jeeps without. The one I ran the longest, my old LJ Rubicon that retired with 220k on the odometer, had a winch and the entire time I owned it I used the winch in my backcountry exploring.....drumroll.....once. That instance was to quickly straighten out a buddy who was sideways on a snowy road. We were, 100%, out there doing stupid stuff that day and taking on areas that were unnecessary for any other application than tomfoolery. A little patience with shovels would have accomplished the same thing, but we wanted to get down and go get beer.

I love how winches look on Jeeps. I like the idea of having a backup plan for the unexpected. Being prepared and using cool gadgets to achieve said preparedness is pretty damn appealing to a lot of men and I'm fully admitting guilt in that regard. I might eventually put one on my JL. too.

I would, however, be lying if I said I thought they were "necessary" to get out and explore off road. Going slow over sketchy places, that are 100% necessary to get where you're going, coupled with avoiding stupid/sketchy sections that aren't necessary and/or have bypasses, pretty much negates the need for a winch in 99.5% of situations.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
steelerpsugirl

steelerpsugirl

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2018
Threads
12
Messages
554
Reaction score
1,216
Location
Maryland
Vehicle(s)
2018 Wrangler Unlimited JL Sport S
I've had Jeeps with winches and Jeeps without. The one I ran the longest, my old LJ Rubicon that retired with 220k on the odometer, had a winch and the entire time I owned it I used in my backcountry exploring application was.....drumroll.....once. That instance was to quickly straighten out a buddy who was sideways on a snowy road. We were, 100%, out there doing stupid stuff that day and taking on areas that were unnecessary for any other application than tomfoolery. A little patience with shovels would have accomplished the same thing, but we wanted to get down and go get beer.

I love how winches look on Jeeps. I like the idea of having a backup plan for the unexpected. Being prepared and using cool gadgets to achieve said preparedness is pretty damn appealing to a lot of men and I'm fully admitting guilt in that regard. I might eventually put one on my JL. too.

I would, however, be lying if I said I thought they were "necessary" to get out and explore off road. Going slow over sketchy places, that are 100% necessary to get where you're going, coupled with avoiding stupid/sketchy sections that aren't necessary and/or have bypasses, pretty much negates the need for a winch in 99.5% of situations.
THANK YOU! Your point is exactly why I keep going back and forth and deciding if it's money best spent elsewhere. And I am STILL deciding lol! I had my other Jeep for 3 years before this one and never needed it and used my rope to to help a friend when she got stuck (we were messing around where we weren't supposed to go). Appreciate the thoughts!
 

Whiskey 13

Well-Known Member
First Name
Steve
Joined
Sep 14, 2020
Threads
3
Messages
274
Reaction score
369
Location
North West Florida
Vehicle(s)
2020 Jeep JLU Black Rubicon, LOD Signature Mid Width Bumper, Smittybilt Gen 3 12000 Lb. Winch Syn. Rope, Teraflex 1.5" Leveling Kit, Weather Tech Form Fit Mats, ROAM MK 3 Frame Mounted Rock Rails
Winches like many other survival things in the off road world are such that you hardly ever need them until you need them and then you really need them so you want them to really work.

With a 5000 lb. rig loaded with gear stuck in the muck I want my winch to pull my A** out even if I only needed it once it is money well spent.
 

Sponsored

WilhelmSR

Well-Known Member
First Name
Wilhelm
Joined
Nov 12, 2020
Threads
48
Messages
494
Reaction score
1,020
Location
Maryland
Vehicle(s)
2021 HellaYella JLUR
had a smitty on my JK for about 5 years. Been flooded, mudded, rocked, etc. Always worked when I needed it.
 

WilhelmSR

Well-Known Member
First Name
Wilhelm
Joined
Nov 12, 2020
Threads
48
Messages
494
Reaction score
1,020
Location
Maryland
Vehicle(s)
2021 HellaYella JLUR

myers688

Member
First Name
Evan
Joined
Nov 16, 2017
Threads
4
Messages
21
Reaction score
20
Location
Duluth, MN
Vehicle(s)
2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited JL Sport S 3.6l
Using it once when you have no other alternative makes it worth the price. Itā€™s insurance and peace of mind for me.
I can attest to this. Got stuck once going snow wheeling and had to pay $400 for someone to come pull me out (which was actually pretty reasonable considering how remote my location was). If I had paid $400 to install a winch beforehand I wouldnā€™t have had to worry about it at all.
 

Whiskey 13

Well-Known Member
First Name
Steve
Joined
Sep 14, 2020
Threads
3
Messages
274
Reaction score
369
Location
North West Florida
Vehicle(s)
2020 Jeep JLU Black Rubicon, LOD Signature Mid Width Bumper, Smittybilt Gen 3 12000 Lb. Winch Syn. Rope, Teraflex 1.5" Leveling Kit, Weather Tech Form Fit Mats, ROAM MK 3 Frame Mounted Rock Rails
Synthetic al the way no need for roller fairlead, easier to stack, and most important if synthetic does break it will not backlash like steel wire rope. It is also much better to handle without heavy gloves.
 

Sponsored

JJSix

Well-Known Member
First Name
Jim
Joined
Jun 1, 2019
Threads
13
Messages
284
Reaction score
502
Location
Tucson AZ
Vehicle(s)
2020 JLUR, 2016 Dodge Caravan
Occupation
Military
Vehicle Showcase
1
I almost always wheel in a group but wanted a winch to help recover others as well. Had this "beast" a year and used it 2x, seems to be roughly equivalent to the badlands ones.

51uV5kV82dL._AC_SY1000_.jpg
 
OP
OP
steelerpsugirl

steelerpsugirl

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2018
Threads
12
Messages
554
Reaction score
1,216
Location
Maryland
Vehicle(s)
2018 Wrangler Unlimited JL Sport S
I look at winches like I do firearms.

If you need it, youā€™ll be damn glad you had it. If you donā€™t need it, all the better.
This is what keeps me in the decision game šŸ˜
 

calemasters

Well-Known Member
First Name
Allen
Joined
Sep 14, 2020
Threads
64
Messages
1,244
Reaction score
1,659
Location
Springfield, Mo.
Vehicle(s)
2021 Rubicon Unlimited, & Escalade
Occupation
Retired Mechanical Engineer
Talk to me about winches- looking at a simple Smittybilt Gen 2 XRC 9500 lbs. Didnā€™t have one on my previous Jeep and trying to decide if itā€™s a good investment. I donā€™t do any crazy wheeling or anything, mostly easy trails but hoping to get to some more moderate ones, still simple. I like the idea of having it as a just in case but curious about other experiences and things to know. Found one for a good price so... anyway thanks in advance! Always get good information on here!
I had my JK Rubi for 8 years and never needed a winch. I am thinking about a Warn winch for my JL, but I have never needed a winch. Until I do. So I am on the fence. I suppose someday when I get hung up, I will wish I had one.
 

davewald

Well-Known Member
First Name
Dave
Joined
Jan 5, 2021
Threads
25
Messages
405
Reaction score
870
Location
Bellingham, Washington
Website
www.davewaldrop.com
Vehicle(s)
2021 Wrangler Rubicon
Occupation
Sort of, kinda retired....mostly
I look at winches like I do firearms.

If you need it, youā€™ll be damn glad you had it. If you donā€™t need it, all the better.
I have 10 and 20lb fire extinguishers in all of the closets of my house. 1-2 per floor is the recommended number and 5-10lbs is the typical size, but I want to make sure if I need an extinguisher, one will be ready for me to use and will be enough to get me and my family out of danger. Granted, that's a bit extreme for this thread (OK, maybe more than a bit. A lot more.), but it reflects my attitude toward things that I might need to get me out of trouble. Like winches. If paying a bit more for a reliable winch with more than enough capability means I don't have to worry, then I'm all in. Your mileage may vary.
Sponsored

 
 



Top