I'm seriously considering a entry level winch but for what I want I really would like to be able to mount it on a cradle and use it front and rear. My concern is how much of a winch could I really get by with in a cradle mount? I've seen some say 9K but I've also seen on another site that they just say don't use a 15K winch on their cradle. With our heavy trucks I really wonder how much is enough? I know the 1.5 rule and of course it depends on conditions, how experienced the operator is and if he can double, triple line it or use other options to get a straight pull.

For my use, I might, and the might is a big one, use a winch 1 or 2 times a year out in the mountains in the mud so hydraulic and high dollar are out of the question. This is basically an insurance policy and thus the desire to have it in a cradle.

What do the experts and experienced folks have to say?

Thanks,

 

I use a 12.5 Warn.......never had any trouble, but I don't try to pull it up a tree either

 

Thanks for the info and no, not going to use it for anything insane.

 

I took a piece of 8" channel and welded a piece of thick walled square tubing to it. I then bolted he winch to the channel. It does weigh 130 lbs if that is a consideration. My buddy has a 9000 lb Ramsey winch that seems to work fine. He does only use on a 1/2 ton PU though.

 

I built an aluminum bumper, but I do know that I had a milemarker 10.5k winch on one of those warn winch carriers on my 92 dodge dakota.

One of your comments was once or twice a year and cost for a winch. I have 3 hydraulic winches made by milemarker and the oldest is 14 years old with many many hours of pulling myself out and winching out alders.

The cost was 750 bucks from winchesplus.com in idaho and it has never had one problem. I have had 4 electric winches from an 8000lb warn to a 2500 lb warn and every winch I had that is electric has given me an issue. I still own two electric winches and one is less than a year old, but has not given me an issue. YET! If you dont plan on fording rivers and worrying about having the vehicle running, check out a hydraulic winch. 100% duty cycle compared to maybe 20% for electric, no heat, no battery draw, and no letting your batteries have to charge up.

I dont work for milemarker, but they have worked and survived up here in alaska in the backcountry. I have pulled my 17,000lb dozer out of the swamp three times up here with that winch. I had to use a ****** block, but it worked. That winch is on a little for ranger too. I had to strap it to a tree, but it worked.