Let me preface this by saying I have never owned a winch except on a boat trailer. I have for the most part relied on friends and a good tow strap or a heavy duty come-a-long I have to get out of stuff I found myself stuck in. I do not wheel like the guys here and will not be using my winch to climb stuff, pull myself out of jeep swallowing holes or any of a number of things most folks here find themselves doing. At most I will need it on the beach using an anchor or in the woods when I loose traction to pull myself free. These things happen so rarely that it is almost a non-event however they do happen. As I get older and the back breaks down more I am tired of using the come-a-long although it works like a charm. I want an electric winch to make life easier. I am not wanting to replace my bumper or do a whole lot of modifications to add one and I don't need one that is so heavy duty I could run it through a block and lift the jeep. A few years back I saw portable winches that hooked to a trailer hitch or front tow hooks and pluged into a socket but that would require the other thing I don't want loss of storage room. Does anyone have any suggestions? Keep in mind I am not using it for serious offroading just in case I get stuck with my stock jeep. I know I will be flamed for this but I was even thinking a heavier one for an ATV would work because I just need a little boost and not heavy lifting power.

 

Thank you, I had no clue as to what the come-a-long was rated at. I knew it was a heavy duty one my dad picked up for use around the farm many years ago but beyond that I knew nothing except for operation. We have used it to get tractors unstuck so it works. I will start looking at winches because I know sooner or later I will need one and it would be nice to let a motor do the job instead of me.

 

I am still pretty spry, young, and fairly poor. So a 4 ton come-a-long can take the place of a winch in your experience? They seem to be under $60 or so... would it be worth it to get one til I can afford a winch?

 

I never was stuck I could not use it to get out. For the most part though all I needed was a little boost of a few feet to get traction agian. I did have to pull one diagonally out of a rut because I was hightopped. It went up on three wheels and drug sideways as it rolled forward but I felt I was at the extreeme range of the come-a-long. I know this I would never dream of parting with mine. I do need to say this mine is a heavy unit compaired to those el-cheapo cable units. Mine uses a heavy duty bicycle type chain run through the unit and while you have to watch so the chain does not come around and bind it has lifted/pulled anything I asked it to. I have seen el-cheapo cable units break and used mine and it worked so choose well. Keep in mind the heavier duty the unit the better in all of this. Personally all I need is something that has a motor and bare minimum requirements because I am not wheeling hard. If you do the type of things where if you are not stuck you ain't having fun you may want to get a real heavy duty winch.

 

I see. I am still a beginner here, but I am really motivated to get the best of everything I can afford so that I am prepared each and every time I go out. I can see where a winch would really help climbing some tricky rocks, rolling out of a mud patch or something where a come-a-long simply wouldn't be enough.

Now I am talking myself into getting a winch!

 

As I said it depends on how and where you wheel. Most come-a-longs are usefull where a few extra hands pushing would do the job. Mine is a little more heavy duty and came off the farm years ago. I trust mine to do a whole lot more than the ones sold today. I still want a winch though just to save my back.

 

you get what you pay for...buy a good warn winch, and keep it forever, that is my advice...dont do things the cheap way, they never work out....i suggest a warn 8274

 

That would be nice but I think a little overkill for those of us who don't wheel hard but just drive offroad. I might get stuck maybe once every couple of years. I might even more with the jeep but hey I have not had it that long. My jeep is not a wheeling machine but a tool I use to get to and from places. (mainly fishing holes) Sometimes those places are hard to reach but not nearly as had as those places people go just to see or prove what thier jeep will do. I say more power to those that do it however that is not me.
Once agian I might get into loose sand or a small bottomless mud hole with no traction. A little bost a foot or so and I am back in action. I am not draggin my jeep 15 or 20 feet through the nastiest stuff around.

 

Start with a hi-lift jack. You can use it as a comealong until you get your winch. Plus you can use it as a Jack.

 

I would not start below a 9000 pound winch for a 4 door JK. I had an 8000 on my TJ, and I burned the motor.

One thing to think about-- you said that you never needed one before because you used other people's, or straps..... well, once you have one, you become 'other people'. Just about 95% of my pulls were for friends, and I burned a motor extracting a friend.....

Do it right the first time so you have no regrets, whatever you end up doing. I saved for a long time before I got my winch, and other modifications jumped in front of it as I saved..... Like an upgraded roll cage-- figured that if I was dead, I did not need a winch.