T-max winches.

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Originally Posted by Alra

Are you able to elaborate any further?

Danial.

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• 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.

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

Cheers,

Danial.

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 :)

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

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.

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.

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