PTO vs Electric winch?

[Tom123]

Suggestions on what winch setup is better, PTO or electric?

Ive got a PTO on my truck at the moment but thinking of getting an electric winch for ease of use etc. I don't use my winch much as it is.

[muddy]

A PTO will out-perform most electric winches under most conditions, and will definitely be better than any electric winch under $2000. Low maintenance (just check oil and grease UJ's), simple and reliable. Compared to electric which don't like water & mud (solenoid packs especially), and generally need upgraded batteries and alternator for serious use. And if you already have a PTO, you'd be crazy to consider replacing it. I'd advise keeping what you've got. But learn a bit about about winching techniques and safety - a PTO has a LOT of pulling power - so needs a bit more care....

[kbjj]

^ What he said

[mudmike]

both if you can, best of both worlds

[Tom123]

Thanks for the relpies.

Yeah that makes sense. I was wanting to gain a bit more approach angle as well because the PTO setup sticks out a lot at the front

Anyway if I do decide to get an electric one, I was thinking of an iron man 9500lb winch, are these any good?

[muddy]

If it's on a 'Cruiser - then you can gain a lot of the approach angle back by remounting it a bit higher and closer to the front crossmember.

[Tom123]

Yeah its on a 70 cruiser. So would you just cut the PTO shaft and re-weld it? And then make a new mounting plate positioning the winch further back?

[muddy]

Yes - pretty much. I think from memory the PTO shaft runs above the crossmember and beside the radiator. I'd have to have a look to be sure - not my truck so not handy for me to check - but it's a pretty common mod

[Bruiser70]

Hi ive just been through this issue with my PTO on my MWB cruiser weighing up approach angle etc etc i found i couldnt lift or push the pto any further back into the truck without major mod needed i decided to lift the unit approx 20mm and built a bar tight around it to get maximum approach in the end a end up getting caught on shackles before winch bar! It has prety much never been an issue for me. Also you retain the factory pto shaft angles, The straighter the better i rekon less force through UJs.

[Tom123]

Hi Bruiser, that sounds like a good option, im not to keen on playing with my shafts either.

Have you got any photos of the setup by any chance?

[Bruiser70]

Here is a couple of the setup ive done i just rebuilt whole system from Transfer case right through and am running the Dynema rope managed to get about 34mtrs on the drum.
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Hope these help out

[Tom123]

Sweet thanks, that looks good, ill have a decent look at mine this weekend.

[XJCrawler]

No point looking at electric winches if you have a good working PTO. But if you were looking to upgrade so to speak I have a spare Warn 8274 that i'm rebuilding with new mounts and new 40m cable be ready for sale Jan next year. (Winch is 4 years old)

[Sadam_Husain]

A pto on the front of a 70 series is always going to be a bitch with approach angles especially if its still on the factory diving platform mount and on 25 year old saggy leaf springs you can improve it by remounting the winch, if you put a 50mm body lift in the truck you can get the winch up much higher and bring the pto shaft over the top of the front cross member instead of under it, you have to play around a bit to get clearance between the bottom radiator tank and the cross member but it can be done, you'll probably end up with the pto shaft on a bit more of an angle which will make the coupling a bit noisier as it flopps around a bit more than usual, both of my trucks are like that but still winch fine. If you do that you might as well throw another $4k or so at it and throw some oldman emu springs and shocks in the truck they lift 70 series cruisers up nicely and flex well for cart springs and finish it off with a new set of 35" tyres, do all that and you'll have a heaps improved approach angle and better truck

[mudlva]

yep what he said