I am picking up an older model Ramsey RE 8000 winch from a friend in May and I was wondering what peoples thoughts were on the capacities of this winch and if it would serve the purpose on a Discovery 1 well enough .

Most situations where I have been stuck It has always been rolling weight so I am not convinced that I need a huge amount of pulling power. Last serious situation was when my F250 fell in a hole up to its chassis on the right front wheel . Unfortunately I do not have lockers in it yet and was unable to get out under its own power. I used a 1.5 ton come a long mounted in between a friends truck and my own and it pulled it right out after wearing my arm out. This wasn't a hole that the tire wanted to easily roll out of either . It was a old hole where I dug a tree root ball out of and filled back in but with all the snow and rain we had had the ground was very soft there and sucked it right in. Also with the use of a ****** block I could double the winch's pulling power


With all that being said what do ya'll think?

 

I know hookers with better reputations than Ramsey.......
Hopefully it's CHEAP!

8k can get you out if you have some experience, work the truck as well as the winch at the same time. Yes, a ****** block will double your load, but it also reduces your pull options by shortening cable distance. Some hefty amp draw noted in spec's, rarely have I winched with a single line wrap.

Make sure it works before buying.
Take off the cover & clean/grease your connections.
Consider picking up an extra solenoid and keep it in your glove box.
Think of it as a starter/entry winch.......I've seen all brands fail over the last 20 years, some 'a lot' more than others.........cough....cough...

There was a winch that broke in half on a national tv show not so long ago, they fuzzied out the name....but if your familiar with winches, you know exactly what brand it was.

 

I will definitely keep your advice in mind . This isn't actually a RE8000 but the RE8000 was what they called this model now . It came off a early 80's Chevy linemans vehicle . I spoke with an older gentleman at Ramsey that said the old worm gear in that older model was strong . I haven't had much dealings with winches but I know things built in the 70'w and early 80's were still good . Who knows maybe it is junk but I figured for free it was worth taking a look at .

I will always carry a come a long back up anyways . A lot of have been trying to steer me in the direction of harbor freight winches called " bad lands" ? I figure that this old Ramsey has to be better than some harbor freight junk !

For now I want to try this Ramsey and see what can be done with it . Maybe I will come across a good deal on a Warn one day as well.

So in your opinion what is the best option out there without breaking the bank ?

 

Well.........You didn't say 'FREE' before..........game changer.
Check your electrical connections once in hand.

Winch talk.......That's a can of worms, it's like the pro's & con's of hitch hiking.....Everyone has an opinion.

Harbor Freights last cuzz they're soo damn sloooooow.......I know this 1st hand as a former trail leader and as we sized up a 15 row deep field of 4-bys, we'd put them towards the rear.......obviously we'd still need to wait for them, but it made more sense.....ugh, hated tail gunner position.

I've owned a Warn 8274......It was fine, but had it's flaws. I was a Superwinch dealer for 6 years......had 1 warranty claim in that time period, it was taken care of promptly...........owned numerous Superwinch, worked directly with Superwinch........that's my brand. You can kill any of them, I screwed up a Superwinch reversing down and around an obstruction.....I could have done it much better but in haste, I screwed up the cogs, later repaired them and all was well..........it was my fault, not the winch.

Superwinch incorporated 1 month prior to Warn back in the day.......

Superwinch went heavy in the UK while Warn stayed state side, Superwinch is based in Connecticut, Warn's T shirts are even over priced...........You decide.....

 

The best winch is the one on your truck, assuming it works.


I have a Viking GS-9. Its the same as a ComeUp DV-9 which is the same as the Superwinch EP-9. Awesome winch. Warn has some nice winches but I feel you get more bang for your buck with Superwinch.
There's so many different winches now its almost overwhelming. I did a lot of research and based on winch shoot-outs and comparing specs I chose the Superwinch EP-9(Viking GS-9). Some winches look like a good value until you see they can't take synthetic line, or they still use the 4-pack of solenoids, or see how slow the pull speed is. You have to figure out what features you want and then buy a winch that fulfills them.

 

Thanks for the feedback guys. I will be looking up superwinch . I can use this winch that I am getting for free, assuming it works, on just about anything around my house . And the cool thing to me is just in case a winch breaks on me I am very confident in come a longs pulling me out as a last resort. Slow, yes, but very effective .

and knowing a lot about rigging helps me out in the long run. I just wish it didn't all cost so much. And of course putting money towards lockers will also help me out greatly. any great winch shoot out links you would like to post?

I will do some google searches and youtube surfing in the meantime .

 

Lockers!? You better have a very dependable winch if you get lockers.

 

yup, they only get your stuck deeper in the woods!