Winch Recommendation - Lightweight

[Zandcwhite]

According to Warn, their steel winch plate kit for the JL/JT steel bumper weighs 39.2 pounds. (Part No. 101255)

That warn plate is the most over built plate on the market IMHO, there are dozens of plates in the 10-20lb range. I see full receiver hitch winch cradles under 25 lbs. If you're concerned with weight, maybe don't buy the heaviest winch plate on the market?

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[Adventure.AS]

Can a Hi Lift really be used in place of a winch in a jam? Very interested to hear your experiences.

 

[Adventure.AS]

Can a Hi Lift really be used in place of a winch in a jam? Very interested to hear your experiences.

 

[Zandcwhite]

Can a Hi Lift really be used in place of a winch in a jam? Very interested to hear your experiences.

Attach the top hook to the vehicle you need to pull, run a strap from a tree to the jack lifting shoe and start jacking. It works rather well, but only 3-4 feet at a time before you have to re-rig. It's perfect if your high centered or hung up on a rock, not so good in mud or snow as you often need to carry momentum out of those stucks. The traction boards are much more effective in those cases. We've done everything from the rubicon to poison spider to holcomb creek solo over the years without a winch and have always found a way to get unstuck. It's a lot more work than pulling cable, but sometimes that's more rewarding anyway.

 

[Whaler27]

That warn plate is the most over built plate on the market IMHO, there are dozens of plates in the 10-20lb range. I see full receiver hitch winch cradles under 25 lbs. If you're concerned with weight, maybe don't buy the heaviest winch plate on the market?

I simply pointed out that the 40 pound winch plate claim was, in fact, right on the money.

You should call those guys at Warn and straighten them out. Their design engineers will be delighted to learn that they can shave 75% of the weight off their winch plate without adverse consequence —- just be sure to include all your research, so they can compare it with the research they did in support of their current design.

 

[Zandcwhite]

I simply pointed out that the 40 pound winch plate claim was, in fact, right on the money.

You should call those guys at Warn and straighten them out. Their design engineers will be delighted to learn that they can shave 75% of the weight off their winch plate without adverse consequence —- just be sure to include all your research, so they can compare it with the research they did in support of their current design.

The 15+ other manufacturers who offer winch plates at 10-25lbs are all obviously inadequate. It couldn't possibly be that the warn is over built. Apparently even 1/4" aluminum is strong enough for rock hard 4x4, warn should let them all know they need 2-4 times the weight to be sufficient.

 

[Whaler27]

The 15+ other manufacturers who offer winch plates at 10-25lbs are all obviously inadequate. It couldn't possibly be that the warn is over built. Apparently even 1/4" aluminum is strong enough for rock hard 4x4, warn should let them all know they need 2-4 times the weight to be sufficient.

I'm not purporting to be an expert. Since you're speaking with such confidence and authority, I'm suggesting you help Warn by sharing your research. No manufacturer wants to throw extra steel and weight into a part for no reason. If your research shows Warn is doing that, you're in a position to help them -- so please do. They're nice people.

The fact that other people sell cheap and/or lightweight parts means nothing to me. Some lightweight parts are great. In fact, I just bought the Artec aluminum belly pan, and my bother, who has more money than me, installed all Genright aluminum fenders/bumpers/rock-rails -- so I understand that there are often strong, high-quality solutions.

You're experience may be different, but strong, high-quality lightweight solutions always seems to be very expensive and, often, beyond my budget.

I approach 4x4 builds with a fair amount of skepticism, because I've been burned several times over the last 40+ years... There are a LOT of companies out there selling complete crap, often made out of cheesy, thin, stamped, Chinese steel. (Years ago I bought a cheap push-bar for an F350 that got good reviews on Amazon. It looked good. Unfortunately, one of our kids backed over it while getting our Polaris Ranger out of the shop. The push-bar was still in the original packaging, and the light weight of the Ranger bent the bar. That shouldn't be possible. No bar strong enough to provide meaningful protection for an F-350 should be so weak it can be bent by a light weight, balloon-tired, UTV running over it's box. The bar was ridiculously thin and light. I braced it between two 4 by 4s and stood on it to straighten it back out. It was THAT weak... I assume that push bar got good reviews from folks who liked the shipping speed or something -- but nobody who pushed or bumped anything would have given it a favorable review.

I see favorable reviews on crappy Chinese winches too. One of the more popular brands was packaged with our Ranger. It lasted almost one summer of being used to tension fence, and rebuilding it was more expensive than replacing it. We called it a "disposable winch" -- like a disposable razor. Retailers are selling the crappy winches by the truckload -- because they are cheap, they look fine, they are lighter, and they usually work for long enough to produce a review, but in my experience, nobody who uses winches a lot, or repairs them, suggests they are equivalent to the heavier top tier products from any of the top tier manufacturers. Nobody.

I don't claim to have your level of expertise, so I look to others I respect to help me avoid mistakes like the one I made with the push-bar. I don't buy the cheesy Warn Chinese winches, but I have over 40 years of experience with their stuff that is made in Oregon, and it has never let us down. If you can help improve their products, please do it.

 

[Zandcwhite]

I'm not purporting to be an expert. Since you're speaking with such confidence and authority, I'm suggesting you help Warn by sharing your research. No manufacturer wants to throw extra steel and weight into a part for no reason. If your research shows Warn is doing that, you're in a position to help them -- so please do. They're nice people.

The fact that other people sell cheap and/or lightweight parts means nothing to me. Some lightweight parts are great. In fact, I just bought the Artec aluminum belly pan, and my bother, who has more money than me, installed all Genright aluminum fenders/bumpers/rock-rails -- so I understand that there are often strong, high-quality solutions.

You're experience may be different, but strong, high-quality lightweight solutions always seems to be very expensive and, often, beyond my budget.

I approach 4x4 builds with a fair amount of skepticism, because I've been burned several times over the last 40+ years... There are a LOT of companies out there selling complete crap, often made out of cheesy, thin, stamped, Chinese steel. (Years ago I bought a cheap push-bar for an F350 that got good reviews on Amazon. It looked good. Unfortunately, one of our kids backed over it while getting our Polaris Ranger out of the shop. The push-bar was still in the original packaging, and the light weight of the Ranger bent the bar. That shouldn't be possible. No bar strong enough to provide meaningful protection for an F-350 should be so weak it can be bent by a light weight, balloon-tired, UTV running over it's box. The bar was ridiculously thin and light. I braced it between two 4 by 4s and stood on it to straighten it back out. It was THAT weak... I assume that push bar got good reviews from folks who liked the shipping speed or something -- but nobody who pushed or bumped anything would have given it a favorable review.

I see favorable reviews on crappy Chinese winches too. One of the more popular brands was packaged with our Ranger. It lasted almost one summer of being used to tension fence, and rebuilding it was more expensive than replacing it. We called it a "disposable winch" -- like a disposable razor. Retailers are selling the crappy winches by the truckload -- because they are cheap, they look fine, they are lighter, and they usually work for long enough to produce a review, but in my experience, nobody who uses winches a lot, or repairs them, suggests they are equivalent to the heavier top tier products from any of the top tier manufacturers. Nobody.

I don't claim to have your level of expertise, so I look to others I respect to help me avoid mistakes like the one I made with the push-bar. I don't buy the cheesy Warn Chinese winches, but I have over 40 years of experience with their stuff that is made in Oregon, and it has never let us down. If you can help improve their products, please do it.

Warn themselves sell other winch plates in the 20lb range. The 40lb version referenced looks to be designed as much to re-enforce the factory bumper as it is to mount a winch. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with it, but if weight up front is a priority as the op posted, it clearly isn’t the option I’d recommend. JCR’s American made winch plate weighs 23lbs. I don’t claim to be an expert in winch mount design, but heavier doesn‘t always mean better. If ultimate strength is the goal, maybe go with the warn mount. If you’re goal is like the OP’s, light weight and reliable for the rare occasion he needs it, I’d go with JCR or an aluminum bumper option.

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