I'd like to get a winch that I can use in my front or rear receiver. I find a Warn "portable" but it's only rated for 9000 lbs. I'd like something heavier. Suggestions?

 

I know a lot of people throw rocks at HF tools and the like but my neighbor got one of these and I welded up a bracket to a piece of square tube for a receiver mount l ike you're talking about and it works fine for him but he's got a small powerstroke FORD with a short wheelbase and short bed so not a lot of weight by our standards.
http://www.harborfreight.com/off-roa...ity-68142.html

 

Hoss, I have a Mile Marker 12000 on a portable mount from Harbor Freight. Works great, of course I have not used it much, thank you, but is good for my Super Duty and now my Ram 2500.

 

Look at any Warn, Superwinch, or Milemarker winch and find the one you like. Most good fab shops are capable of making a sturdy receiver mount for it that includes the required handles. I do not trust my life to anything purchased at HF. I'm happy cdenny and hoghunter have been satisfied, but it just isn't for me. You can use connectors from tow truck jumper cables, and have a set of those ready to go too. AW Direct sells them.

Be careful of your hitch rating. The portable stuff capping out at 9k or 10k lbs might be because the receiver hitches and pins just won't take it. Also, the heavy duty Warn winches rated for 12k to 16.5k check in at 130 Lbs and up.

The 9k portables might be fine for you if you are willing to deal with a ****** block. The blocks get you to a double line pull, making your 9k an 18k, and get more cable off the drum, which gets you better leverage so your 9k winch is actually generating 9k lbs of pull on the first layer of rope.

 

Good info from everyone. Thanks.

I figured the limiting factor here was the hitch itself. I know the rear factory receiver is rated for 10,000 lbs. I don't know what the receiver on my front Ranch Hand is rated for. I would guess the pin would be the weakest link.

Warn has a multi-mount package for their 9.5K winch that I'm looking seriously at:

http://www.warn.com/truck/winches/95...nt_winch.shtml

It comes with 125 feet of wire rope and, as mentioned above, with a ****** block it could give me up to 18K capacity. The only thing is I've never had a winch before and I"m not sure if I'd use it enough to justify the cost of a Warn. I don't really do a lot of off roading in my truck so pulling myself out of mud probably isn't gonna happen very often.

 

Once is enough to justify the cost. If it floods or snows where you live, you have an opportunity to make some money back pulling folks out too. Since you have receivers on both ends, you can winch from one and anchor from the other.

Good luck.

 

I've pulled a few people out of mud holes in my time but I've never charged them to do it. Just figured what comes around goes around.

Mostly I just want a winch. If I get it I'll just have to try to find reasons to use it.

 

kinda of like an insurance policy

 

I think I'm going to get the Warn VR12000 and mount it on the Warn Multi Mount. It's the "value" series and cost about half the price of the Warn M12000. I don't anticipate using it a whole lot so I don't want to spend $1600 on a winch.

 

remember as well that a reciever hitch is made for a straight pull, pulling at a severe angle might not be a great idea, and on winch ratings be sure to get enough winch for that heavy truck in a worse case situation, and carry a ****** block where you can double the pull if needed. i am another that doesnt like the HF or other china import winches, I have seen several smoked, but we use winches quite a bit rock crawling, i replied in your other thread about my prefrence in winches.