Winches

riptricket · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2008 10:05 am

A rep from Mile Marker came to my college yesterday and talked about how hydraulic winches are better than electric... He said that the electrics take too much of your battery, you have to have your car on while using them, and they aren't able to pull their max weight b/c of the battery restriction.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?!?

MiniDevil · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2008 10:37 am

Optima yellow tops should be able to power the unit with the vehicle having no engine power, for a little while at least. Enough to get out of a mud pit for sure.

Wouldn't a hydraulic winch require mounting a hydraulic system, and even then, the hydraulic system would still run off of battery/electric, no?

snowsport · **Joined:** Tue Oct 18, 2005 11:52 pm **Posts:** 1211

Also, it would be good to know about the weight difference between the two types.

OK just got busy and googled up a few answers.
http://www.4x4review.com/products/acces ... mwinch.asp
http://www.jeeptech.com/winch/

That's interesting, I thought hydraulic winches were heavier....does anyone know if there's a hydraulic winch that will fit the ARB bull bar?

Hood297 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2008 11:49 am

Also remember this, most hydraulic winches run off of your power steering pump. In our case we would most likely have to switch to a much stronger pump to run our steering and winch. Not only the fact that the engine must be running to turn it, but if your winch blows a line, then you have also lost your power steering. Thats a lil' more tough of a trail fix than just a battery replacement or jump.

If you were not going to run it off of your P/S pump, then you would have to install a dedicated hydraulic system for the winch, that was ran by 1. electric pump 2. Mechanical pump ran off the engine

Either way electric seems the way to go unless you need a super high pulling capacity...

Just my $.02

MiniDevil · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2008 11:54 am

Can we call this Myth Busted? :lol:

tommudd · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2008 12:00 pm

No myth not really busted , Hydralic winches are better than electric but in most cases (i.e. for our uses) its not the best way to go. They work well on larger off road trucks, dozers and things that have a hydralic system to begin with. So for us the regular is the best

callaway · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2008 12:14 pm

riptricket wrote:

A rep from Mile Marker came to my college yesterday

what school do you go to?

riptricket · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2008 2:39 pm

University of Central Oklahoma

WoodysKJ · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2008 3:22 pm

All of what he said is mostly true. However...

Hydralic winches opperate from your power steering pump, ideally, assuming you have power steering as all KJ's do.

They need the vehicle to be running too.

They are VERY strong and not suseptable to electric concerns like water and power drain.

Unfortunately most and i do say most of us use the ARB bull bar. and the ARB bull bar does not allow for a hydralic winch to be mounted inside. it is designed for electric and specificly only a couple of WARN models.

Mile Marker hydralic winches are some of the best and toughest winches you can buy.

Just not for the KJ. NOT sure of the KJ's power steering pump can handle the addition of a winch. IF somebody could design an air bag compatible front bumper that would accept a hydralic winch for the KJ, that would be kind of cool.

God knows getting your KJ in a situation where it is TOO wet for an electric winch is scary, but would be nice to have hydralic capabilities.

Speaking of winches...
here is my KJ with the new WARN M8000 and ARB on it.

tommudd · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2008 3:51 pm

Most that I have used had no power steering, of course they were on bull dozers and other heavy equipment, the Kjs power steering pump would never handle them anyways too much fluid needed , our pumps/fluid already gets pretty hot adding something like that would burn them up in no time.

WoodysKJ · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2008 3:57 pm

tommudd wrote:

Most that I have used had no power steering, of course they were on bull dozers and other heavy equipment, the Kjs power steering pump would never handle them anyways too much fluid needed , our pumps/fluid already gets pretty hot adding something like that would burn them up in no time.

A very good friend of mine is an auto engineer and designs hydralics for city fleet vehicles and truck and snowplows...

His take on it was exactly that. The Stock power steering pump could not handle it, not even close, BUT he did say that there are upgrades for virtually EVERY vehicle, and that he felt that IF my ARB bull bar could take a hydralic, and IF I really didn't mind screwing up another part of my brand new 2007 KJ's warantee, then he could get one to work and work better than any electric could even touch.

I went with the Warn M8000 electric. I do not plan to go scuba diving with my KJ. If i do I have bigger problems that weather or not my winch will work under water.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:44 pm

Your electric winch will work under water,they are sealed.

I have used both electric and hydrualic winches,the mile marker hydrualic winches are less then to be disired to say the least(as are there electric winches).Very underpowered for what they are supposed to be rated for.I do like hydrualic winches but unless you have a dedicated hydrualic system(not tapping into the PS system) then they are great,otherwise a electric winch with a Yellow/Blue top is the way to go.

Winches

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