Ramsey winches

[oldandslow]

Anyone have one on your Jeep or 4X4? If so what is your opinion of them? They are USA made and carry a lifetime warranty which sounds good but I don't know anyone who owns one. I am considering purchasing an 8000# one and would like to know something about them before I do.

[Dee]

I put one on a 2000 Jeep Wrangler and used the heck out of it. Never ever had a problem. Winched 4 times in about an hour getting out of Lost Creek Wilderness area down on the Platte river after a heavy snow storm. Never needed to get the snatch block out. The Ramsey handled it just fine, and-it was steep. The one on this 2000 Wrangler (in my avatar) is a Mile Marker. Never had one before so don't know much about it, but has worked well so far. It was on the Jeep when I bought it. Wish I knew a little more about Mile Marker.

[oldandslow]

Thanks, Dee. Ramsey has been building winches for a long time so I thought they would have a good product. I'm in the market for a Jeep and the boss says we are going to have a winch on it. We got into a situation a couple of years ago with her sister and her husband in their jeep and a winch would have made getting out easy. We got out but I wound up in the hospital getting my back fixed because of it.

[Dee]

More 4X4s are torn up trying to get unstuck than four wheelin. A winch will get you out, and NOTHING gets torn up, includin the wench. Get a two wheel drive stuck, no big deal. Get a 4X4 stuck, and it's stuck. Sometimes a foot or two forward is all you need. I also keep a Hi-Lift jack in the Jeep also. Some times you only need to go BACKWARD a few feet, and the jack with a strap will take care of that too.

[oldandslow]

Brother-in-law left his hi-lift at home and carrying a big rock to set the equipment jack on was what got my back. We jacked it up, got rocks under the tires, and backed it out. He carries the jack all time now. A friend calls the the hi-lift jacks "sheepherder jacks". Say no one but a sheepherder would have one.  I always carried one on my welding rig and have one in my old 4x4 pickup. They are handy for a lot of things. The old truck is getting retired and the jack will go in the jeep.

[Hooker]

Ramsey makes good winches we use to run their electric models on the wreckers, but now we run their hydraulic models.
When buying an electric winch get the biggest one your vehicle can handle the larger the winch the more time you can spend winching and less time waiting for the winch to cool.

Oldandslow the Hi Lift jack is the most useful offroad tool you can have. it's a clamp , spreader ,come along , tire machine, engine puller, winch, fence strecher, one time I used one for a front leaf spring  when one of mine broke and the body set down on the tire, The uses are only limited by the need and imagination all that and it's a jack too.

Pat

[cwlongshot]

I don't have one myself, but a couple guys in my 4WD club do and they make a good reliable product. I would not hesitate on second buying one.

I have a Warn 8000 on my Comanche and a Mile marker 9500 on the TJ. Winches are part of required equipment for wheeling, I seldom use it, but when you need it.. you will likely really need it.

CW

[Empty Quiver]

Now we called them handy man jacks. They were great for lifting things high enough to do great damage as they fell. I also saw one used to beat the tar out of a co-worker, did it to himself, he did. The best friend a handy man jack has is an oil can, to keep those pins working.

Most dangerous piece of equipment I'd never be without.

[Dee]

The farmers around here call them suicide jacks, but they still keep one around.

[Lloyd Smale]

Ive had a couple buddys with ramseys and they seemed to hold up well but for the same price you can get one of the 8000 lb warns and I KNOW they are good. Ive abused a couple of them through the years and theyve never let me down.

[oldandslow]

Thanks for the replies, everyone. Finding a jeep is turning into a problem. Used ones are few and far between and everyone thinks they are made of gold. Tried to buy a new one at the local dealer. I was nice and didn't call him a liar and a crook. I just thanked him for his time and left. I'll eventually find one and then I'll address the winch question.

[Lloyd Smale]

keep one thing in mind. If you dont really need a winch dont bother. there added weight will bring a jeeps front end down at least an inch and probably 2 inches and will also effect gas milage. I see alot of jeeps with them on for just decoration. Yuppys trying for that macho look. I used to run them on all my 4x4s when i was young and searched for places to get stuck. What ive found is a jeep is pretty light and for 90 percent of the time you get one stuck a hi lift jack will get you out. I guess i just got more intelegent with age. If im running without another vehicle to pull me out i turn around rather then charging through.