T-max winches.

[Alra]

Hi all,

I'm in the market for a winch to go on my new 110 wagon. I have been pointed in the direction of a T-max 9000 with the synthetic rope.

It is not my intention to ever drive into a situation knowing that I am going to need a winch to get out. Actually, quite the opposite. I'll be stoked if I never have to pull it out except for a bit of maintenance to make sure it is still runs.

The purpose of the winch will be a safety net for when the family and I are on a single vehicle trip and get into a spot of bother. The roads up here in north west Qld can sometimes be a bit lonely.

I realise that a Warn xd9000 is optimal, but trying to be a bit scroogey, plus the weight saving in the synthetic rope is appealing.

Cheers,

Danial.

[Loubrey]

Danial,

The T-Max's had very good write ups in the UK as "occasional" winches. The main thing would be maintenance and an "often enough" runout and wind in to ensure all's good. Cabling (electrics) might need some UV protection.

Just remember that synthetic rope fits on Warn winches as well...:D
(just joking... understand the budget would be the bigger consideration and the inclusion of the rope does make for a good buy)

Cheers,

Lou

[Alra]

Thanks Lou,

I'm not totally off the idea of an xd9000. I have one on my work car and have had to use it a few times. The peace of mind it gives is comforting. Will wait and see what the finances are like at the time of purchase. Hopefully the Minister for War and Finance is in a good mood that day.

Cheers,

Danial.

[Tombie]

Check out Mako.... Excellent quality winch...

And when you need a winch, you really want it to work...


Having said that, the worst winch I had was a 9500XP Warn, Failed and motor full of rust - had been fitted to car for 5 days and rained on only when the rust was spotted (we stripped it down for a Winch Test article a mate wrote)

Had a Tmax 12000 integrated - great winch, solid and powerful.

Now have a Premier, which is same manufacturer as Mako...
Tough reliable winch, better pull than the Warn - even though rated the same... And good sealing, has been dunked a few times and still looks clean when pulled down for servicing.

They are the most neglected item you will fit, make sure its a good one :D

[clubagreenie]

Not all warns (or all winches for that matter) are rated for use with synthetic due to the location of the brake. Yet I still see them being sold with it.

[Alra]

Hi Guys,

I have been doing a bit more research on the winches available out there. One concern about winches that seems universal across all brands is sealing them for when they get dunked.

What is the story with trying to seal a winch against mud, water etc? My work car is fitted with a Warn winch but I have no idea if it has had some after market sealing to assist with maintenance.

I'm starting to lean towards spending the extra coin and getting a Warn purely for past proven ability.

In my experience, giving the car a bit a dip every now and again is unavoidable when exploring this beautiful land. I don't go looking for water to cross. Sometimes it just has to be done to get where you want to go.

Is it a case of stripping the winch after every times it gets wet or muddy? Or slapping some silicone sealant around the control box?

Cheers,

Danial.

[Tombie]

More to it unfortunately!!!

My winches used to have breathers fitted!

[Alra]

Are you able to elaborate any further?

Danial.

[redrovertdi]

In my opinion only- save your money for the warn, i picked up a used xd9000 for $450 or $500, stripped it right down just to be sure befor fitting about 3 years ago, to many horror stories with the cheapie chinese copies and i watched my mates "ridge ryder" go bang on its 2nd ever pull[destroyed its gear set]. This isnt to say that warns dont have problems but its normally down to a poor earth rather than gear failure. The ridge ryder was replaced with an xd9000. With out starting an arguement- "this is just my opinion!"
Richard

[Tombie]

In my opinion only- save your money for the warn, i picked up a used xd9000 for $450 or $500, stripped it right down just to be sure befor fitting about 3 years ago, to many horror stories with the cheapie chinese copies and i watched my mates "ridge ryder" go bang on its 2nd ever pull[destroyed its gear set]. This isnt to say that warns dont have problems but its normally down to a poor earth rather than gear failure. The ridge ryder was replaced with an xd9000. With out starting an arguement- "this is just my opinion!"
Richard

Mako and Premier arent copies or knock offs...

External Brake design, can safely spool synthetic rope in and out (no heat issues) and easier and more positive spool lock.

XD9000 vs Premier = Premier any day... And I own both...

Premier is the stronger, more powerful unit as well, even though its rated the same... Pulls quicker and harder.

Agree the el cheapo units are questionable, both metalurgically and electrically - but the Mako and Prem are solid units and well engineered.

Warn sell based on reputation more than capability - Kinda like Toyota

[Tombie]

Are you able to elaborate any further?

Danial.



Lip seals on the drum ends need to be fitted (housings need to suit)
Motors have a breather hole, it needs to be sealed and a breather tapped in and run to a higher point (like diff breathers do)

Just to name a couple of small things...


Control solenoids if solid state are usually ok, but old style need cleaning and upkeep if dunked in mud etc..


With most good quality winches:
Usually a quick swim isnt a problem, but plan to service the winch yearly.


Extended swimming (lots of water / mud play) plan to run winch each trip to dry it out and then re-spool.


Plan to service regularly submerged winches more often.

[Alra]

Thanks for the heads ups. I will see if I have local supplier for the Mako and sus them out.

Cheers,

Danial.

[Treads]

Dredging up an old thread; but I thought it might be interesting for anyone considering a T-Max

I pulled mine off the Defender after about five years. I greased it before I originally fitted it and it's only been used a few times (recovering others :cool: ); but has been well and truly dunked 30+ times.

I opened it up and found the grease still perfect. The insides look fine and it runs well.

I'm putting it on the new Pajero with some nice new plasma rope :)

[XDrive]

The real problem with winches lies not with the winch per say but rather with ethe fact that by far the majority of people who fit them undertake very little if any maintenance and then expect them to work when they are required.

If your winch is only to be used on the occasional basis then perhaps think about a winch cradle that can be taken on and off as required is not exposed to the elemnets nor is the rope subject to uv degredation. Winch cradles can also be fitted front or rear making self extraction easier as in some cases it is easier to extract yourself out the way that you went in rather than trying to drag yourself through an obstacle

Smaller winches with a 'snatch' block can be used which may have an impact on the cost of the item or you may even look at hand winches if again it is only occasionla use. Believe me once you have used a hand winch in anger you will want to purchase an electric winch.

There are also other self extraction devices that can work such as MAXTRAXs and the like.

If you do go down the route of purchasing a winch then try to get some training on how to use it properly, this will also include checking the winch after use for any damage and spooling unspooling the rope on a regular basis. Synthetic rope may indeed be lighter and may also in certain situations be safer, however there are cases where wire rope is superior and the weight pay off will be negated in these situations. remember if you fit a bar and winch you will invariably need to spend extra on upgraded suspension components for the front of the vehicle.

A winch is certainly not a 'fit and forget' item

[rangietragic]

Anyone had any experience with "i max" winches?Bought a 12000 lb wire rope one about 21/2 years ago for about $430 delivered i think.Bolted onto an arb bar on my 130.used it a few times on other vehicles and pulling fences straight,seems to be going ok so far.Motor never seems to get hot,but i use the 30 secs on/off if pulling anything heavy.

[FenianEel]

T-Maxs are great winch, and priced well.
I've had a couple, currently got a 10,000k with syntethic and never had a drama.
Premier / Bushranger are excellent as well, as Tombie said.
They currently have a SEAL 9.5, with a fully sealed control box, and are designed to be waterproof.

The main thing with winches is maintenance. They should be spooled in & out at least monthly, even if you haven't used it.
Also, in wet conditions or after water crossings (either at home or end of the day), it's a good idea to run them in & out. THis helps get rid of any water, and burn out any condensation.
They should also be stripped down and re-greased annually.
Water damage is the number 1 killer of most winches, and isn't covered by most warranties :o

Synthetic rope is great for many reasons, but it also takes a lot more looking after, and won't last or take the punishment that most recreational users give it.

[ozscott]

T-max are not a cheapie cheap winch. My brother has sold a LOT in his business. About 7 years ago I bought one from him - the size marketed at suzuki's - for my boat trailer. Over 1.5 tonn of Seafarer Vagabond being hauled up dry most if the time...ie hull fully clear of the wated for a fair bit of the run. Never missed a beat. The plastic pawl lever broke from constant sun exposure but easily fixed. I have now got synthetic rope on it - much better handling.

Cheers