Warn VR10, Warn M8000 or Smittybuilt X20-10K Winch

Title says it all, i’m looking at these three winches. From what i’ve gathered the Warn VR and Smittybuilt are both Chinese made, intermittent duty cycle and the Warn M8000 is american made with a constant duty cycle.

I know very little about winches and I don’t own any. I’ve been winched out by a smittybuilt but i’ve read some mixed reviews about them and I just want the winch to work when I need it. The smittybuilt price sure is appealing. It will not be used often but when it will be used it will be below zero temps and likely the first time it’s been used all year. It needs to be reliable in these conditions.

I am down to these three as they are all in the same price range. Steel cable. The winch will be receiver mounted in a cradle wired for both front and back. The winch will be stored in the bed until needed. I figured on the VR and smitty models you would have to go 10K on the Tacomas and on the M8000 which i’ve gathered is stronger you can get away with the 8K.

 

you may want to consider a synthetic rope since you will be carrying the winch to either the front or back.

I personally have the X20 10k winch and its been serving me well over the past almost 2 years. I am not in any cold weather conditions that is for sure, but it has seen its fair share of water and mud! I also talked to a rep at a show about them before i pulled the trigger on it. He re assured me that they are good with pretty much replacing the winch when something breaks.

 

I went M8000s and it's been good to me

 

I have an M8000s haven’t used it yet though. Sure looks cool through my ATHFAB bumper.

 

I too have the M8000s and it's served me well. I've read a few different sources that recommend making a few small modifications regarding sealing the planetary gear housing with silicone to prevent water intrusion and replacing the grease with a different weight. Since you will see more use during colder conditions, I would look into a grease that can handle the lower temperatures. I wish I could help you out with exactly what you need but I would agree with @Zac of all trades, synthetic rope might serve you better if you plan on moving the winch around in that cradle.

-J

 

< Adds another vote for M8000S

 

Isn't a 8000lb winch just slightly small for our trucks? I've always heard 1.5 x GVWR(5500) = 8250. I know next to nothing about winches so please correct me if I am wrong.

 

Add a snatch block and you have 16000. Gives you plenty of capability and never given me an issue

 

It's not exactly "double" the rated pulling power of your winch but it is a good general rule to follow. If your snatch block is attached to the tree but connected back to your bumper, it's still 1:1 ratio as this merely redirects the pull back to your bumper. Per this example, you would be getting the same rated pulling power from your winch as long as one complete row of rope is wrapped around the drum. If you add a second snatch block and hook it up to your bumper and secure the end of your rope to the tree (or another immobile object), that would give you effectively "double" your pull rating. You might need to use properly rated winch rope extentions to get the full pulling power of your winch. Also, another thing to keep in mind if you're using snatch blocks is that you should make sure they are properly rated for your weight as well as your D-rings. 20k snatch blocks should be a comfortable starting point. There is a really good post on these forums that goes over winching techniques both basic and advanced. Ill see if I can't find it and add a link to this post.

-J

 

2x is def the simple answer, but you get my point. Any multiple of 8000 is plenty for tacomas unless you severely overload it or you are doorsill deep in the mud. Equipment selection is another key to success or tragic failure.

I would check your understanding of double and triple line pulls though.

 

I looked into the synthetic but the extra cost and perceived loss in durability has me thinking going steel. I could entertain synthetic if i sent with a smittybuilt but the warn synthetics are out of my price range.

 

It all depends on your budget. The warn M8000 is the highest quality out of the 3 but I would definitely go with a synthetic line. There are too many benefits of synthetic over steel but in your case, lifting/carrying a winch weighing 100lbs from your bed to the hitch in somewhat extreme conditions will make you change your mind fast. I wouldn't say that a synthetic line is not durable. It was first use in marine applications way before offroad usage in vehicles and lasted for years without issues. Besides weight, steel cables can rust, fray/kinks, and can create a more dangerous environment with it's stored energy if a line snaps. Emergency repairing a broken line is much easier with synthetic.

 

Good info, thanks man.

 

I had the m8000s on my Jeep and it was great. The only drawback to synthetic is its susceptible to UV rays so it should be covered when not in use. But the safety factor is worth the cost. If you’ve ever seen a cable snap it can take your head off. The synthetic ropes do not store kinetic energy.

 

I have the smitty 10k x20. Best bang for your buck. I have had it get me and buddies out of some hairy situations. Never ever ever had a problem with it. Just make sure to use once a month if even if its just letting some line out and pulling your truck up the driveway. Internals need to stay lubricated

 

Go with Warn they've got a very good reputation and I've had very good luck with the Warn XD9000i and the Warn 8274

 

They do have a good rep if not the best but your also paying for the name.

 

I have a Smittybilt on my ATV and a 9500 lb Smittybilt XCR on my F150. I've not tested either in harsh conditions yet but I had an issue with the one on my ATV. The controller went bad shortly after buying it. They made it super easy to swap out just the controller. I was impressed with the CS at both Smittybilt and 4 Wheel Parts where I bought that winch. The other I got the best deal on through Amazon.

1.5X curb weight is about right, but most Tacomas are going to be under 5000 lbs. My F150 4X4 Supercrew is 6000 lbs with a fiberglass cap and 2 passengers in it. I don't plan to bury mine in mud up to the door handles, just get it out of a ditch or some ruts. I'm right at 1.5X curb weight so 9500 is the minimum for me and 8000 should be well over 1.5X most Tacoma's weight.

 

you can always replace the steel cable with a synthetic line down the road.

 

Ok, I admit I was wrong. I misunderstood that because the rope/cable is doubled it has to travel twice as far pulling at half rated speed if it's secured back to the winching vehicle effectively halving the pulling power(force). If the pulling power from the winch is halved, it is still capable of pulling 8000lbs so you cross multiply which means your winch is capable of pulling 16k in that configuration (math terms, its been a while since I've sat in a math class). I mistakenly thought that because I pull with a force of 8000lbs routed through a pulley attached to my bumper that it merely redirected the force as if I routed the rope/cable through the block to a secondary anchor. If the rope/cable is not attached to the source of the pull (IE bumper/winch) then the cable will be under the whole 8000 lbs of force. A simple way to test this would be to have a rope secured to a basket routed through a pulley suspended from the ceiling. Sit in the basket and pull down on the rope, your body weight will be effectively reduced by half. Now, if a friend were to pull on the same rope attached to the basket that you are sitting in, they would be lifting your whole body weight. Phuck Physics n shit.

-J