Warn/Tabor

[Mike 257]

What is the deal with Tabor? are they made by Warn ? They are so much cheaper than Warn are they any good?

[razorback]

No personal knowledge....http://www.warn.com/truck/winches/line.shtml

[unbalanced]

I have one and so far I like it. I got the 9k Tabor. Easy to use and does the job. And yes they are made by Warn.

[chvymn99]

Just my two penny's worth. While I was doing my research for a winch. It came away with basically the main difference is the warranty of the two winches. 1 year vs. Limited lifetime warranty

Chvymn99

[Mike 257]

unbalanced I am also looking at the 9k, Im seeing that winch for as low as $499 . As soon as I get a front bumper I like I will go for that winch, unless I hear something bad about it.

[ovrszd]

I have a few basic principles that I apply to things like this. The first and most important is "You get what you pay for". With that said, IMO the winch you buy should be relative to the use you expect from it.

Most Jeeps spend 99.99% of their offroad time just carrying the winch around. Those Jeeps may wheel for months without unreeling the cable. If that is your Jeep, then price shop and get in as cheaply as you can with the goal being to have a winch for that very rare time when you need to self recover.

The other side of that is the Jeep that uses it's winch almost every time it goes offroad. That might be for self recovery or it might be to assist others. Either way the winch is expected to work on demand, without delay or failure, pulling against it's limit often.

If that is your Jeep, then price shopping is secondary.

1. For you primary concern should be guality of construction, warranty (because you are going to break it).

2. Weight to pull capacity ratio, because you are going to need a powerful winch but still need to be concerned about how much weight you are carrying. A winch changes the balance of the Jeep, the heavier the winch, the more effect on balance.

3. Next, it is critical to read the manufacturers specifications and pay close attention to amp draw. Most cheap winches have a high amp draw at capacity loads. High end priced winches will have a noticeably lower amp draw at capacity loads.

4. Lastly, cable speed. Cable speed becomes critical if you are going to spend time on the hook while trying to climb critically steep obstacles. For that you need a winch that has a fast unloaded line speed. That allows the winch to keep up when you get a little traction and lurch forward. There's one winch that is the King in that regard, 68 fpm with no load. I'll let you research and figure out which one it is.

So, if you don't plan on critical use, shop for price. I wheel with one guy that has a low end winch. It works fine for a short, occassional pull. Extremely hight amp draw. Sounds like it's going to eat itself every time he uses it. Drains his battery with one long pull. But he got in cheap and only uses it rarely.

If you do plan on critical use, shop for the above listed items or make up your own. I rarely wheel without unspooling my winch. Over half of my pulls are to recover others that are stuck. My priorities in a winch are durability, reliability, simple construction. I have Warn, Ramsey and Milemarker winches. The Milemarker is hydraulic. I currently run a Ramsey RE 8K on my Rubicon. It's a Bulldog. Worm gear design that is bullet proof. Low amp draw for pulling power received. Down side is it's unloaded speed isn't all that great and it's very, very heavy. But I would hoist my Jeep vertically up in the air and never question whether that winch would hold it. It's a $1100 winch.

[Guest]

I have a few basic principles that I apply to things like this. The first and most important is "You get what you pay for". With that said, IMO the winch you buy should be relative to the use you expect from it.

Most Jeeps spend 99.99% of their offroad time just carrying the winch around. Those Jeeps may wheel for months without unreeling the cable. If that is your Jeep, then price shop and get in as cheaply as you can with the goal being to have a winch for that very rare time when you need to self recover.

The other side of that is the Jeep that uses it's winch almost every time it goes offroad. That might be for self recovery or it might be to assist others. Either way the winch is expected to work on demand, without delay or failure, pulling against it's limit often.

If that is your Jeep, then price shopping is secondary.

1. For you primary concern should be guality of construction, warranty (because you are going to break it).

2. Weight to pull capacity ratio, because you are going to need a powerful winch but still need to be concerned about how much weight you are carrying. A winch changes the balance of the Jeep, the heavier the winch, the more effect on balance.

3. Next, it is critical to read the manufacturers specifications and pay close attention to amp draw. Most cheap winches have a high amp draw at capacity loads. High end priced winches will have a noticeably lower amp draw at capacity loads.

4. Lastly, cable speed. Cable speed becomes critical if you are going to spend time on the hook while trying to climb critically steep obstacles. For that you need a winch that has a fast unloaded line speed. That allows the winch to keep up when you get a little traction and lurch forward. There's one winch that is the King in that regard, 68 fpm with no load. I'll let you research and figure out which one it is.

So, if you don't plan on critical use, shop for price. I wheel with one guy that has a low end winch. It works fine for a short, occassional pull. Extremely hight amp draw. Sounds like it's going to eat itself every time he uses it. Drains his battery with one long pull. But he got in cheap and only uses it rarely.

If you do plan on critical use, shop for the above listed items or make up your own. I rarely wheel without unspooling my winch. Over half of my pulls are to recover others that are stuck. My priorities in a winch are durability, reliability, simple construction. I have Warn, Ramsey and Milemarker winches. The Milemarker is hydraulic. I currently run a Ramsey RE 8K on my Rubicon. It's a Bulldog. Worm gear design that is bullet proof. Low amp draw for pulling power received. Down side is it's unloaded speed isn't all that great and it's very, very heavy. But I would hoist my Jeep vertically up in the air and never question whether that winch would hold it. It's a $1100 winch.

Can we make this a sticky? This is probably the best write-up I've ever seen on the issues associated with winch selection. Good job.

[ovrszd]

Oh Tommy, you made me blush... :roll:

[millertime]

I met the Warn rep at 4x4Land in Topeka last year. The way he explained
it to me; Warn manufactures the winch, the warranty is only 1 year,
line speed is slower, paint is not as thick, release knob it cast metal as
opposed to chrome. I think this would be a good winch for the average
social wheeler. The hardcore finatics should look to warns upper end
winch, example warn 9.5TI.

[wkroot]

The only thing I would add to ovrszd's post, which was excellent by the way, would be if you travel alone. If you're alone in the Rocky Mountains or the Arizona desert and need your winch, you really want one that is built to last and will work when you need it. No matter how much time it spends just rinding around on your bumper.

[ovrszd]

The only thing I would add to ovrszd's post, which was excellent by the way, would be if you travel alone. If you're alone in the Rocky Mountains or the Arizona desert and need your winch, you really want one that is built to last and will work when you need it. No matter how much time it spends just rinding around on your bumper.

Good point wkroot, and it further explains what I was saying about needing a winch that I can count on. My wife and I travel long distances to wheel alone including our recent 3K mile trip thru Colorado and Moab. I take very good care of my winch. Always checking it for issues. ALWAYS respooling my winch after each day's use. We also carry a tree strap, two heavy blocks and two 7/8" shackles.

[Mike 257]

I had a Warn M6000 on a Bronco and used it mostly to tow cars out of the median when it snowed. It was a way to make extra money in the winter when I lived on the east coast, I yanked cars out of the snow all winter long and in the summer I would pull trucks out of the mud flats when they got stuck. I pulled a Bobcat that got stuck in the mud, pulled stumps out of the ground for neighbors. I definitly abused that winch and never had any problems with it. Im leaning toward another Warn although I will not use it like I did back then, but for a few hundred dollars more than the cheaper winches I'll have piece of mind if I happen to find myself stuck with no one around .

[jagular7]

For me, my Ramsey Pro9000 was brand new back in 1992 when I first got it. It served well for 9 years in the front of my XJ and was used many times. Then it sat in the garage for another 4-5 years before I installed it on the TJ. About 2 years ago when I was assembling my front yard rock wall, the soleniod for letting the cable out wouldn't work. I was blocking off the Maple to pull the rocks off my utility trailer. Work really well and my then 10yr old son controlled the winch. It still pulls inward and I haven't worried about getting into the soleniod pack just yet. It still has original cable and hook on it. It still has the original roller fairlead.