Winch selection....

[Andries]

For the life of me, I could NOT get that inner hub to come out.

The metal bits from the selector knob were binding it up, and there was nuthin' to attach a gear puller to.
Anyone have hands-on experience with this?

One thing I have found is, like most things in life, you get what you pay for. The cheap winches do OK but for speed and power I would go with a name brand like Warn or Ramsey. . . .

This note from Dave is sounding just about right, right now.  :-\

[John Mc]

One thing I have found is, like most things in life, you get what you pay for. The cheap winches do OK but for speed and power I would go with a name brand like Warn or Ramsey.

I have no doubt that the Warn or Ramsey winches are better designed and built. However, they are not necessarily faster. Here's a comparison of the Warn Vantage 3000 vs the Badlands 3500.

	Warn Vantage 3000	Badlands 3500
Lbs Pull	FPM	FPM
0	15.7	23
1000	10.4	14.1
2000	6.8	11.0
3000	5.0	6.6

The Badlands does this by using a bigger motor (1.9 HP vs 1.1), and just not gearing it down so much. Of course, the Badlands also draws a lot more current to do this (205 amps at 3000# pull vs 140 Amps for the Warn). And again: the higher speed doesn't do you any good if the winch is broken and I'd guess there is a higher failure rate on the Badlands than on the Warn. (Badlans 90n day warranty vs. Warn Vantage 5 yr mechanical, 1 yr electrical warranty)

The Warn ProVantage 3500 winch (a step up in quality and durability from the Warn Vantage series - more metal parts vs composite, 1.4 HP motor, lifetime mechanical, 3 yr electrical warranty) has similar speeds as the Badlands 3500, but at another significant bump up in price.

We went with the Badlands because we wanted a cheap "proof of concept" for a project we were testing out for use at work (it's less than 1/3 the price of the Warn ProVantage). It certainly isn't the equal of a Warn ProVantage, and probably not up to the Warn Vantage series either, but we've been pleasantly surprised at how it has held up. (BTW, the concept did work. If the Badlands ever does crap out on us, we'll likely replace it with the ProVantage series - mainly because we need the extra speed over the Vantage series).

[upnut]

Found a loose connection on the hot(literally) wire to the winch motor, tightened it up and keep on chugging! Had to winch this ash out in 8-9 foot pieces, still beats schlepping chunks!


Scott B.

[upnut]

Quick update: Picked up a Traveller #4500 UTV winch on sale at TSC for $112.00 today, plus added the 3 year replacement plan for $30.00 just in case. Really liked the Warn winches, just couldn't justify nearly three times the price for a unit that sits idle six to seven months a year. The little winch served me well, hope this one does as well!



Specification   Description
Brand:   Traveller
Product Type:   Electric Winches
Clutch:   Freespooling
Gear Ratio:   166:01:00
Mounting Hardware Included:   Yes
Product Height:   4-3/4 in.
Product Length:   4-3/8 in.
Product Width:   4-7/8 in.
Rope Length:   47-5/8 ft.
Power Type:   Electric
Fairlead Included:   Yes
Line Speed:   No-load: 12-3/4 ft./min Full load: 3-7/8 ft./min
Rope Type:   Galvanized
Brake Type:   Automatic
Horsepower:   3.8 HP/1.5 HP
Warranty:   1-Year Limited
Rope Diameter:   15/64 in.
Drum Capacity - Wire Rope:   47-5/8 ft.of 15/64 in. rope
Mounting Bolt Pattern (W x L):   4-6-5/8 in. x 3 in.
Manufacturer Part Number   EWP4500D

Scott B.