Now before you all start flaming me, i'm not bashing the winch just tryin to get info so i can decide what i wanna buy. From what i've read everyone seems to think the 8274 is the end all be all of electric winches, fast, strong, reliable, etc. I'm just wondering what makes this winch so kick ass. And why is it so much better than say a M8000 or XD9000 (the others i'm lookin at). From what i've read its only rated for 8000lbs which seems kinda small for some of you guys that are runnin fullsizes, yet everyone still swears by em. Is it just because their fast and hold 125' of line? also what makes it more reliable than the others? I dont know a lot about winches, and i'm trying to educate myself before emptying the bank. Any other features the 8274 has that make it the :nuke:? Thanks.

Dallas

Simple.. the popular people talk the winch up. So in order to feel in people just follow along like sheeple and get the 8274. people on this board INCLUDED!

Biggest advantages of the 8274 over the low profile winches on warns product line are:

Larger drum (can load up cable on one side more)
Different brake design (or so I heard, haven't confirmed)
Can hold 150+ feet of cable
Yeah.. its fast, but a 9500i is right in the ballpark with it.

drawback
Its $$$ compared to the others of higher capacity
blocks a lot of radiator area if you mount it on the frame of a vehicle. (vs. mounting it between the frame rails)

They are a good winch, but far too heavy and block too much of the radiator IMHO.

Get any of the curent Warn 8k or 9k winches with the faster motor and you will be just as happy.

Originally posted by twaldher

Biggest advantages of the 8274 over the low profile winches on warns product line are:

Larger drum (can load up cable on one side more)
Different brake design (or so I heard, haven't confirmed)
Can hold 150+ feet of cable
Yeah.. its fast, but a 9500i is right in the ballpark with it.


And it flat out pulls, period end of discussion. When I bought my winch I went with an 8000 Warn, low profile, simple because I did not have another $500 to buy the 8274.

My long ago heep had an older 8274 that would out pull my new 8k winch 2:1.

Originally posted by jdjanda


And it flat out pulls, period end of discussion. When I bought my winch I went with an 8000 Warn, low profile, simple because I did not have another $500 to buy the 8274.

My long ago heep had an older 8274 that would out pull my new 8k winch 2:1.

They are tough as shit too. A couple guys in my club have really old ones they got for like $200 or $300 and they still pull like new.

Originally posted by DRM
They are a good winch, but far too heavy and block too much of the radiator IMHO.

Get any of the curent Warn 8k or 9k winches with the faster motor and you will be just as happy.

Gotta call a little BS here David. According to Warn, the 8274 is 110 pounds and it holds 150 feet of wire rope. and the HS9500i is 86 lbs with 125 feet of wire rope. The m8000 is 74 lbs and holds only 80 feet of wire rope. So the weight dif is only 36 lbs and there is 70 foot difference in the wire rope. Now it definitely covers the radiator...

They are a proven design and they last forever. I bought mine used for $250, I cleaned it up and it pulls like new. No problems, no worries, these thing just dont let you down

Heres my issues, I have always had a thing about electric winches being unreliable in my head ever since my first trail run when we burned up 2. I know most winches will run hard for a long time, but i still have it in my head that they are unreliable. I cant afford a brand new winch unless its an M8000 and I'm wondering if i buy an old 8274 off ebay for $300 thats been around for a while and rebuild it will i still be happy with its performance? I've heard about people buyin 20 year old winches cleanin em up and havin em run like mad, but is this more a rarity than the norm? I'm also leanin towards an old 8274 because i like to take things apart and learn how they work. Are parts for these things real expensive or could i get one and replace most of the little shit pretty cheap?

Dallas

http://www.rightcoastcrawler.com/billaVista/8274/8274.htm

If I had to choose a new one now...I'd go with the HS9500i instead of an 8274. Don't get me wrong...I like my 8274 but I want a lower profile winch that doesn't quite weigh as much.

I've run a 1974 Warn Belleview on my Cruiser since I purchased the truck in 1991. Dealer installed winch, cable operated. DAMN nice unit, still works awesome to this day....and 100% original, sans a motor clean and cable replacement. Just installed a new 8274-50 in June, paid $906 to my door brand new in the box - new ones have a power out feature, which mine did not.

- Oil Bath - long life
- EXTERNAL brake - others use internal brake and rely on cable to help dissapate heat, using it as a heat sink. BAD for poly cable. (potential melt)
- 150' easily on there
- Mounts behind the bumper - only slightly more height than a integrated solenoid winch, and the pull is THRU the frame rails rather than sitting on top of them
- Their 8k rating is VERY conservative...I once pulled free a 34k# truck/trailer combo loaded with starter cores. Bent my frame on the cruiser, but the winch didn't stop. (guy paid me $50 and I made him weight it afterwards)

IMO, all the Warn's are nice...but for serious duty, the 8274 is hands-down the one I chose. I've got friends with 9000i, 9500i, m8000, and others....they have not had problems either with theirs, but they also admit they don't get into the sillyness I do and only need their winch a few times a year. It's a rare ride I don't use it a lot because of the place I like to wheel.

Originally posted by StinkBug
Heres my issues, I have always had a thing about electric winches being unreliable in my head ever since my first trail run when we burned up 2. I know most winches will run hard for a long time, but i still have it in my head that they are unreliable. I cant afford a brand new winch unless its an M8000 and I'm wondering if i buy an old 8274 off ebay for $300 thats been around for a while and rebuild it will i still be happy with its performance? I've heard about people buyin 20 year old winches cleanin em up and havin em run like mad, but is this more a rarity than the norm? I'm also leanin towards an old 8274 because i like to take things apart and learn how they work. Are parts for these things real expensive or could i get one and replace most of the little shit pretty cheap?

Dallas

I think chances are that it would probably work great with just a little tlc. Mine was pretty old when I got it and I have talked to many other people that have had the same expierencs as I have.
Just my .02

Originally posted by Tankota
If I had to choose a new one now...I'd go with the HS9500i instead of an 8274.

Those fawkers are fast :eek:

Stink, if you're looking at the M8000, also check out the X8000i. Not much more $$ and you get 100 ft of cable.

Originally posted by StinkBug
Heres my issues, I have always had a thing about electric winches being unreliable in my head ever since my first trail run when we burned up 2. I know most winches will run hard for a long time, but i still have it in my head that they are unreliable. I cant afford a brand new winch unless its an M8000 and I'm wondering if i buy an old 8274 off ebay for $300 thats been around for a while and rebuild it will i still be happy with its performance? I've heard about people buyin 20 year old winches cleanin em up and havin em run like mad, but is this more a rarity than the norm? I'm also leanin towards an old 8274 because i like to take things apart and learn how they work. Are parts for these things real expensive or could i get one and replace most of the little shit pretty cheap?

Dallas

It is relatively cheap. Check out http://www.dsiwarn.com You can download exploded diagrams and parts lists for Warn winches. Then type the part # of the part in on the search on http://www.carparts.com and you can get an idea of how much you will spend on some of the parts. Most likely if you buy a used one all you will need to replace are cable, a couple solenoids, and possibly some brake parts.

Don't forget, the 8274 sounds so much cooler. ;)

oh one more question, i've seen a bunch of references to 8274 and 8274-50, is there a difference or are they the same winch and people are just abbreviating the #?

Dallas

I think the -50 is faster

The -50 is their current new model. It changed when they updated to the higher-power/speed motors (ie: HS9500i and all those)

If you are searching used, don't worry about it. My ancient Belleview was impressively fast with it's 25 year old motor on it.

thanks a lot guys, i appreciate the help. Looks like i may save quite a few bucks as well.

Dallas

Originally posted by StinkBug
Heres my issues, I have always had a thing about electric winches being unreliable in my head ever since my first trail run when we burned up 2. I know most winches will run hard for a long time, but i still have it in my head that they are unreliable. I cant afford a brand new winch unless its an M8000 and I'm wondering if i buy an old 8274 off ebay for $300 thats been around for a while and rebuild it will i still be happy with its performance? I've heard about people buyin 20 year old winches cleanin em up and havin em run like mad, but is this more a rarity than the norm? I'm also leanin towards an old 8274 because i like to take things apart and learn how they work. Are parts for these things real expensive or could i get one and replace most of the little shit pretty cheap?

Dallas
I bought mine for $300, Changed the oil and bolted it on. Mine was made in 1976 and works perfectly...

I have never had any problems with engine cooling in the AZ desert with my 8274 2" in from my radiator.

http://www.azrockcrawler.com/_images/2002/5-02asylum/Dscn2079.jpg

Yet another myth dispelled.

i have both an 8274 and m-8000,the m-8000 will not even begain to pull like the 8274.i backed my truck up to pull out a sammy and got stuck,the 8274 straight line pulled both under its own power with me standing outside the truck.the m-8000 will struggle to pull out my stock truck.the 8274 is big and bulky,but i would not trade it for a brass monkey:D

Originally posted by zags
I have never had any problems with engine cooling in the AZ desert with my 8274 2" in from my radiator.


Yet another myth dispelled.

HAHAH yeah I never did either. Even wheelin in August.

BTW my 8274 is 20+ years old (like a 5 digit serial #) and the thing pulls like mad. Out spools better than new ones. Has been a 100% gem since the day I bolted it into my front bumper. I doubt I'll run another winch at this point.

i noticed a ratchet lookin thing on the side of the winch that engages on the brake. is that just what actuates the brake, or does it actually keep it from spooling out. do these things have a power out on most of em?

Dallas

Originally posted by StinkBug
i noticed a ratchet lookin thing on the side of the winch that engages on the brake. is that just what actuates the brake, or does it actually keep it from spooling out. do these things have a power out on most of em?

Dallas

the ratchet keeps it from spooling out. and all 8274's power out.

They all power out. I think the old 8074 was power out only, no freespool.
Where would a guy run the date code and find out when an 8274 was built? Just for the hell of it...

has anyone else had problems with the c-clip letting go?

Originally posted by Slagburn
They all power out. I think the old 8074 was power out only, no freespool.
Where would a guy run the date code and find out when an 8274 was built? Just for the hell of it...
Mine is an 8074 and is power out only. I called Warn with my serial number and they told me exactly when it was made.

Originally posted by twaldher
Simple.. the popular people talk the winch up. So in order to feel in people just follow along like sheeple and get the 8274. people on this board INCLUDED!

Biggest advantages of the 8274 over the low profile winches on warns product line are:

Larger drum (can load up cable on one side more)
Different brake design (or so I heard, haven't confirmed)
Can hold 150+ feet of cable
Yeah.. its fast, but a 9500i is right in the ballpark with it.

drawback
Its $$$ compared to the others of higher capacity
blocks a lot of radiator area if you mount it on the frame of a vehicle. (vs. mounting it between the frame rails) my 9500 cant even compare to lhe speed of a 8274 & that is the fact not just popular talk dont belive me come to the con in jan.

Originally posted by Madmarx

Mine is an 8074 and is power out only. I called Warn with my serial number and they told me exactly when it was made.

Don't you mean power IN only? :confused:

"In" meaning reeling the cable IN, right?

The old 5687 Warns were POWER-IN only... feespool out, power in. They had drum brakes on the side (a smooth wheel with a metal band 'brake' wrapped a round the outside of it). They also hade motors with only two wires. I even tried connection power to the termials backward (+ to the - terminal and vice versa) and it still powered in.

The 8274 will have a ratchet-looking brake on the side, and 3 wires running to the motor. They're all equipped with power in, power out, and freespool modes. I have no clue about the 8074s system - I have never seen one, and don't particulary fancy posting unconfirmed hearsay on the BB.

My 8074 has power in and power out, but no freespool.

Originally posted by Dr. Evil
I have no clue about the 8074s system - I have never seen one, and don't particulary fancy posting unconfirmed hearsay on the BB.

Based on the other info you posted, what my buddy had was a 8074. It had ONE wire terminal on the motor - and was case grounded.

Power IN and freespool - no power OUT.

Nope. My 8074 is power out and power in. No Freespool

Originally posted by zags
I have never had any problems with engine cooling in the AZ desert with my 8274 2" in from my radiator.

[

yep if you have a good cooling system then the 8274 will not cause problems.

i bough my used 8274 for $300. a new cable and a new end plate for the spool and it works like a charm. i love it. i had a different winch before and after watching the 8274's in action i had to have one. i would not trade my old used 8274 for a brand new hs9500. it is by far my favorite winch out there.

I wouldnt touch any of those winches
I like the 'no brake required' worm drives so no Warns for me.
there are so many variables in 'my winch out pulled XX's winch'
I have pulled out 2 different people who stalled their 10000# warn's with my nasty old 8000 Beaver worm drive.
the warn didnt even move them, but the Beaver pulls them clear out

Hmmmmm.

Lots of opinion floating around here - not a lot of fact or tech..notable exception being Woody's post:

Let me try and address the original question:

Why?

First and foremost is the spur-gear design. This makes it strong, fast, relaible, and dirt-simple to maintain and rebuild. It's just a superior design.

Second (and also related to the spur-gear design - the drum is not only large, allowing a lot of cable, and better handling of bunch-up, and not used as a heat sink for the drivetrain (as woody mentioned), but if you want to get a crazy amount of cable on there - you could actually relatively easily mod it to carry even more (for specialized use - like expeditions or whatever). Try THAT with your HS9500i!!!

Also - as many have said - they just don't quit, parts are readily available at reasonable cost, and they are so simple, even a FID like me can completely strip and rebuild one (see the link above someone kindly posted)

Also - here's a big give-away. My 8274 is even stamped with an overhead hoisting capacity )albeit it much reduced from horizontal pull because of safety margins - that's how strong and reliable it is. Now, I don't know for sure, but I would bet that the newer winches come with bog warnings to NOT use them for overhead lifting. When you consider industry regulations and liability issues - this speaks volumes.


Stinkbug - your main concern seems to be reliabiltiy...you simply can't beat the 8274 for this...not coz we're sheep
:flipoff2: - because of the DESIGN!!

The -50 designation is the 50th anniversary model. It is recognized by having argent powdercoated gear housings, revised solenoid cover, and later models have the BIC motor. The only real mechanical change was the brake shaft, but the parts between the two are interchangable.

The 8274 is rated for 8200 lbs pulling power (a conservative 8200 lbs) and the 74 is the first year it was produced. It uses a spur gear drivetrain which is stronger and more effecient than planetary geartrains. You can not ask for a better winch.

I'll add more anecdotal evidence to the overheating issue.......I have had zero problems with overheating on my mildly built 350 in my YJ.

And even though I am in Maine.....contrary to popular belief it gets HOT here...(usually hot and very humid at the same time)...still no problems with cooling.

I was worried about it, because you always hear people quoting that concern.........but quite frankly, it is great.

(and with places like PartsAmerica/Advanced Auto selling it for cheap, the price argument is BS too)

how does spur gear allow more cable then planetary? that is simply BS, cause it isnt the gear style that gets in the way of a larger drum
spur = strong? strange math there, hard to beat planetary gear surface area
most winches do not suffer hard parts failures, usually just an electrical death, as the 8274 shares all the same electrics as every other winch that is a draw IMO.
all winches are simple design, couple of gears, couple of wires, couple of solenoids

About three years ago I bought a 1974 Warn Belleview for $100. I mounted it on my truck, changed the oil and its been working great ever since.

I do wish it had a good brake though.

By the way, what is the adavantage of having the power out feature? Its faster to put it in free spool when pulling the cable out, right?

Originally posted by mj
I wouldnt touch any of those winches
I like the 'no brake required' worm drives so no Warns for me.
there are so many variables in 'my winch out pulled XX's winch'
I have pulled out 2 different people who stalled their 10000# warn's with my nasty old 8000 Beaver worm drive.
the warn didnt even move them, but the Beaver pulls them clear out

worm gear winches suck for off-road use. this is my opinion because i had one for a number of years. they are just too slow. you can not help the winch out with the rig becuase it is too slow and you will run over the cable. i still have my worm gear winch and it is going on the trailer. i have enjoyed my 8274 much more for the situation in which i use it.

Originally posted by liveaxle
By the way, what is the adavantage of having the power out feature? Its faster to put it in free spool when pulling the cable out, right?

You are winching up a hill, and find the need to un-hook the cable and re-string it for a different pull, but you don't have enough traction to hold your place on the hill (without the cable you would be sliding backwards).

There is a load on the cable - so you won't be able to power spool out, and you can't move the lever to free spool because of the loaded cable.

There are other similar scenerio's, but take it from someone who has used a winch with no power out - it SUCKS :(

The 8274 only has a faster line speed when freespooling. Once you get a load on them they are virtually identical. The 8274 is 12 feet/minute faster freespooling and actually gets slower the more weight is on it compared to the 9500. At 8000 lbs the 8274 is pulling 6.1 feet/minute while the 9500 is pulling 7.6. At the full 9500 the 9500i is still pulling at 6.7 feet/miunute, still faster than the 8274 at 8000 lbs. Not a lot of difference but they way I see it in actual use you get more winch for your money with the 9500, since the 8274 is $300-$500 more.

once you are able to run your cable over you are no longer stuck, unhook.
I bet you can run over the 8274 cable as well

you probably could run over an 8274 cable, but it have to be on a short pull onto something that you have tons of traction on. down in tellico i had to pull cable on lower 2 (starting raining just as I started the last section and I was getting noooo traction on my poor little 33s) and I had to let off the winch so that I wouldn't pull myself through the rocks rather than over them. it's an awesome winch for helping over obstacles like that or just getting off a high center quickly.

i've got an 8274-50 that I got on the Advanced Auto Parts deal ($777) and that thing flies. no overheating problems on my tj.

so are all the parts on a 8274 replaceable? so if i find a beat up one for about 200 bucks should i go for it?

Chris G.

yes, they make parts. For $200 it'd depend on what was wrong with it.

Originally posted by StinkBug
I've heard about people buyin 20 year old winches cleanin em up and havin em run like mad, but is this more a rarity than the norm?

Here's a data point for you. I got an old 8274 from a friend, have a butt-simple hook-up to + on the battery and it pulls like mad. I have used it on almost every run I've been on recently, so far to pull friends out of stucks.

I'm sure the other winches are good, but this old 8274 rocks.

BTW (and I'm sure this has been mentioned) Warn doesn't recommend using UHMWPE rope on their low-pro winches because the drum gets too hot.

Morgan

I have a question:
if the spur gear drivetrain is of superior design, are there other electric winches by other manufactures that use this? I don't think I've seen any.....

Originally posted by Archie_G
I have a question:
if the spur gear drivetrain is of superior design, are there other electric winches by other manufactures that use this? I don't think I've seen any.....

This....

coming from an engineer that has to be told a thousand times that a certain type of anti-wrap bar doesn't work...........:flipoff2: :D

Originally posted by mj
once you are able to run your cable over you are no longer stuck, unhook.
I bet you can run over the 8274 cable as well

And what if on the pull you have slid over to where a rock or tree prevents forward motion, and you still have a load on the cable preventing you to free-spool it?

Been there, done that - not fun when there is no power out :(

3 biggest things I've personally SEEN about the 8274:

1: Speed! I pulled cable on Helicopter pad at Tellico after getting hung on quarter panel rock, and was constantly overrunning the winch trying to use the engine to help pull me up the rock a bit... My crawl isn't the best, but at ~57:1, i was constantly slipping the clutch as not to run over the cable.

With the 8274, I would be able to fully engage the clutch, and the winch would keep up with the rig..

2: They don't quit.. they just bog down, but I've watched a 8274 pulling a tree out of the ground... the drum never stopped turning... it just started dragging the truck it was attached to!

3: The design lends itself to 10+ years of reliability, and that's evident in the 25+ years it's been in production.

As for line speed under heavy load, how often are you REALLY pulling 8000+ pounds, and if so, are you really worried about line speed? Most pulls start out heavy, but quickly lighten up to the 2k range. think about it... the winch would only be pulling 5k pounds if my cruiser was dangling by the cable... even at 45 degrees incline, it would only be 1/2 the vehicle's weight? (engineers jump right in on this one)

In the 2k range, it has the CLEAR speed advantage... and on light pulls is where I've always had the running over the cable problems on mine.

BTW, my current winch is a hybrid Ramsey POS REP9000 with a custom motor... pretty slow regardless, around M8000 speed.

Originally posted by Eskimo
As for line speed under heavy load, how often are you REALLY pulling 8000+ pounds, and if so, are you really worried about line speed? Most pulls start out heavy, but quickly lighten up to the 2k range. think about it... the winch would only be pulling 5k pounds if my cruiser was dangling by the cable... even at 45 degrees incline, it would only be 1/2 the vehicle's weight? (engineers jump right in on this one)


I could very well be wrong but I think the rating on a winch is for a flat or small incline. What I mean is, when burried in the mud, or pulling say a 4k rig over a rock up a hill, I would think that you are pulling A LOT more than the weight of your truck.

In fact, I would think (educated guess) that when pulling a 4k truck up a hill while over a rock you are pulling SEVERAL times the weight of your truck in force...

The reason why I am pretty sure this is true is cause I think that winch cables are rated a good bit over the winch and I have seen non-shear, straight pull's snap a winch cable...

(Maybe someone can back me up with some tech...)

:D

Originally posted by StinkBug
Heres my issues, I have always had a thing about electric winches being unreliable in my head ever since my first trail run when we burned up 2. I know most winches will run hard for a long time, but i still have it in my head that they are unreliable. Dallas


No offense but if you burned up 2 WARN winches in one trip you either have the worst luck ever of were doing somehting wrong. I have done/ seen some stupid shit done with Warn winches and have NEVER burned one up.

I guess it is possible if your first trip ever was on one of those 'hardest trails in the world' shit but I just dont see this as a common occurance.

You must just have terrible luck!:(

:D

hmm ... i do believe Lance let the magic smoke out of the 8274 that used to be on his rig ... dunno where the one he had after that went (don't think it was an 8274) ... any winch can burn up ...

- jack

Wow I must have a special m8000 100ft of wire. Forthe amount of times I used the winch it has payed for it self (399.99)

If I was going todo it again I would go the 8274, WHY because you talk to anyone thats been into wheeling for more then 10 years and every single one of them will say get your self an 8274 its the last winch you will ever buy, they are tough, they are strong and the last a hell of a long time.

They are rated at 8000lbs but I am willing to bet they pull much more then that.

Originally posted by twaldher
Simple.. the popular people talk the winch up. So in order to feel in people just follow along like sheeple and get the 8274. people on this board INCLUDED!


I guess you can call me a sheeple then because that is one of the main functions of this board that I utilize... word of mouth product reviews. (I usually tend to go with the stuff everyone (especially the veterans) are saying is the shit.:D:D:D:D)

I dont know about you but when everyone says something is the best, I usually dont go out and buy the oposite:D

(In this case I sorta did, I got a 9000, but that is cause it was a present from the pops:D:D:D)

ON a side note, I dont think you can go wrong with Warn winches. Seen others take dumps but never a warn. Im sure I will some day but that dosent change the fact they are the best winch out there IMO:D

Originally posted by morpheus
hmm ... i do believe Lance let the magic smoke out of the 8274 that used to be on his rig ... dunno where the one he had after that went (don't think it was an 8274) ... any winch can burn up ...

- jack

no he let the smoke out of his 30 something year old bellvue... yes it can and does happen, but it is pretty rare.

Originally posted by TyTy



No offense but if you burned up 2 WARN winches in one trip you either have the worst luck ever of were doing somehting wrong. I have done/ seen some stupid shit done with Warn winches and have NEVER burned one up.

I guess it is possible if your first trip ever was on one of those 'hardest trails in the world' shit but I just dont see this as a common occurance.

You must just have terrible luck!:(

:D

Well it definitely wasn't one of the hardest trails in the world (miller jeep) and since it was my first time out i didn't know how a winch worked and was just watching. Cant remember what happened to the first one, but i remember the second one was gettin really hot and by the time they got the truck out i remember someone tellin me it was fried. Like i said, it was my first time, so i really dont know what happened to em. just that they died. Probably just a bunch of bad luck and abuse combined.

Dallas

8 = 8000 lb
2 = 2 directions
74=year introduced

As told to me by a warn "suit" who had worked for them for 20 years.

how does spur gear allow more cable then planetary? that is simply BS

I didn't say it did. I said it was RELATED to the spur gear design. As in, the spur gears are designed to sit in the gearbox on the side and are also designed to use the seperate external brake WHICH allows the drum to be just the bog hollow drum it is, which allows you, should you so choose, to cut it and make it bigger. Also, the gears and gearbox design sitting seperate on the side upright like that, allow the generous size drum in the first place.

If it's not related to the spur gear design (and accompanying upright gearbox) then why do they not offer the other planetary models with bigger drums and 150' of cable (similar rating I'm talking - not the 10 or 12s)

It's about the design as a WHOLE, which, in the unique design of the 8274, all starts from the spur gears.

spur = strong? strange math there

Huh?? Transmissions are often spur gears are they not? (or am I confusing my terms?)

Maybe we're all just crack smoking sheeple? :flipoff2:

For the fellow that had the question about wire rope (cable) vs winch ratings etc. The hard truth is, NO commercially available electric 4x4 winch comes with an industry rated wire rope (cable) If you research the industry specs (for instance - in the Wire Rope users Manual) you will find that generally a wire rope has a SWL (safe working load) of 20% of it's ultimate strength. And common 5/16 7x19 galvanized wire rope has a breaking strength of 9800 lbs, which means you should pull no more than 1960 lbs with it, according to industry standards.

That's why winch cables break, and that's why i use UHMWPE.
(on an 8274 where heat build-up will not kill it)
:flipoff2:

the 8274 is a damned good winch.... i dont feel anyone would make a mistake with it......

i decided to go with the hs9500........... attempting to pull trees out with it..... had my jeep (5000lbs) and my ext cab psd tied off behind the jeep...... brother was on the brakes of the truck, i on the brakes of my jeep.... the hs9500 pulled both vehicles with absolutely no problem.......... untill my winch line snapped! so im not gonna nock the 8274 but the hs9500 is pretty kickass IMHO

So in your opinion if i picked up an old semi rusty 8274 for $250, took it apart cleaned it up and replaced the solenoids, would i be about as good off as if i spent the next 2 years saving up enough cash to buy a 9500i? I'm thinkin so, especially since for the same price as the 9500 i could buy and rebuild 2 8274s, and if i kill the 8274 at least i'll have a winch this year instead of 2004.

Dallas

I could very well be wrong but I think the rating on a winch is for a flat or small incline. What I mean is, when burried in the mud, or pulling say a 4k rig over a rock up a hill, I would think that you are pulling A LOT more than the weight of your truck.

DITTO and line speed does matter. The 8274 is only faster up to 4000 lbs where they are actually the same, from there on out the 9500 is faster and it pulls an extra 1500 lbs.

yah but in the real world most of the time i winch....er...get winched it is for like 2 seconds then you have the respool, thats another palace teh 8274 shines! and it make that cool sound...

Chris G.

Originally posted by DRM


And what if on the pull you have slid over to where a rock or tree prevents forward motion, and you still have a load on the cable preventing you to free-spool it?

Been there, done that - not fun when there is no power out :(

where are you getting this no power out crap from? the m8274 has power in, powere out, and free spool. infact the power out is so fast i rarely use the free spool on mine.

Some of the old Beleview winches had power in and free spool. They were a predecessor of the 8074/8274

The 8274 is only faster up to 4000 lbs

Yes, and it is generally only up to that point that it matters how fast it is - i.e in a semi-tractive situation

So in your opinion if i picked up an old semi rusty 8274 for $250, took it apart cleaned it up and replaced the solenoids, would i be about as good off as if i spent the next 2 years saving up enough cash to buy a 9500i?

NO..you'd be about 10x better off - because you'd have the winch now, have the satisfcation of having rebuilt it, along with the advantage of having expert knowledge of your winch from having re-built it, and you'd have argualbly one of, if not the best, winch available. That's the answer you seek. the rest of this is just us playin' "my dick is bigger than your dick" because there are several excellent winches available ...and while we're amusing ourselves with it, it's not really helping you much!

more amusement,

I would like to hear any winch failure stories that involved hard parts, not electric motor or solenoid.
as all the winches pretty much use the same electrics and you can cook any motor given enough time under load.
anyone broke a gear train?

If it's not related to the spur gear design (and accompanying upright gearbox) then why do they not offer the other planetary models with bigger drums and 150' of cable (similar rating I'm talking - not the 10 or 12s)

aahhh the little qualifier glued to the end.
as no one usually winches the full 150'+ they assume that you can add more length if you are further from the anchor.
there is nothing in the design of a planetary or worm that prevents a huge drum.

I have a question:
if the spur gear drivetrain is of superior design, are there other electric winches by other manufactures that use this? I don't think I've seen any.....

exactly
even Warn doesnt like the design, as they tried to phase it out with the planetary ones,
but the myth brought it back to life
if it were truly the 'end all' of winch designs the warn would have the entire line built that way.

for the 'cooling is no problem' guy, is that a lil 4 banger toy or do you have a motor?
I agree tht wouldnt affect my decision to purchase the winch but lt cant help airflow mounted in that way

Originally posted by mj

exactly
even Warn doesnt like the design, as they tried to phase it out with the planetary ones,
but the myth brought it back to life
if it were truly the 'end all' of winch designs the warn would have the entire line built that way.

for the 'cooling is no problem' guy, is that a lil 4 banger toy or do you have a motor?
I agree tht wouldnt affect my decision to purchase the winch but lt cant help airflow mounted in that way

cooling is no problem for my vortec 350. i don't run the winch between my frame rails and it is mounted pretty much as close to the grill as i could get it. if you have a good cooling system the m8274 will not be a problem.

and as for warn phasing it out, well i will say i do not know but if i were to look at things i would come to this conclusion: the 8274 is very popular with the true off-road crowd but it is by far not the most popular modle as far as sales go. the adverage joe does not want to spend the extra $$$ for a m8274. the second thing is most people do not want the big honking winch infront of thier rigs. it is harder to mount than some of the others. i would be willing to bet that if warn actually did want to phase out the m8274 then it was sales driven and not because it was an inferior design.

if it were truly the 'end all' of winch designs the warn would have the entire line built that way.

Not!!!

They don't decide production and marketing based on superior design. They prob don't give much of a hoot about that. They base it on market, sales, and production time/costs. Yes, they would likely like to consolidate and reduce costs...but not just becasue of design principles. The fact that they couldn't, even though they wanted to, speaks volumes about the m8274 I think.

Do you realy think there are that many stupid mindless sheeple out there keeping it alive? Personally, I chose one because my Dad's had pulled daily duty on the farm for over 20 years and never casued a problem - from stump pulling to winching the dozer!! There just aren't that many products built that well.

Will people be raving about the 9500i 20 years from now? Maybe, and I hope so, but until then, who knows. Despite your adamant belief that 8274 performance and reputation is a myth, it is one seriously proven, tried and true product.

I agree about the hard part failure - not likely.

As told to me by a warn engineer/employee they went to the low profile design to look better on todays more aerodynamic sleeker automobiles. You have to admit that an archaic looking 8274 wouldn't look appealing to a yuppie with a 2002 suburban.
Here's my mount. Dead simple, lighter than a bottom mounting winch, pulls thru the frame for more strength, no cooling problems.

Real winchs have driveshafts:flipoff2:

Originally posted by Chrisjeep7
yah but in the real world most of the time i winch....er...get winched it is for like 2 seconds then you have the respool, thats another palace teh 8274 shines! and it make that cool sound...

Chris G.

What and the 9500i doesn't? Their line speed is nearly identical.

oh.. and to someones comment about the 8274 nto stalling out, it just pulled harder than the rest. Well.. thats BS, my 9500i hasn't stalled out before either... it got REALLY slow, nearly pulled the jeep tail over front from the force being applied to the front of it, but it never stopped.

So.. when it comes down to it. Most all of you guys are full of shit. The 8274 as a winch is just as good as a 9500i (keeping things lines speed equal for argument sake). They both work equally well. They both have some small pro/cons that cancel eachother out.

Anyone that says the 8274 is hands down better is basically propelling that myth about them. Only because they don't know anything about the other winches next to them. Cept for the fact their daddy used an 8274, mr. big rock crawler guy uses an 8274, so they'll use an 8274. :flipoff2:

btw - you want real power? Go to milemarker then to Ramsey, Warn can't compete in that arena.

Originally posted by twaldher


What and the 9500i doesn't? Their line speed is nearly identical.

oh.. and to someones comment about the 8274 nto stalling out, it just pulled harder than the rest. Well.. thats BS, my 9500i hasn't stalled out before either... it got REALLY slow, nearly pulled the jeep tail over front from the force being applied to the front of it, but it never stopped.

So.. when it comes down to it. Most all of you guys are full of shit. The 8274 as a winch is just as good as a 9500i (keeping things lines speed equal for argument sake). They both work equally well. They both have some small pro/cons that cancel eachother out.

Anyone that says the 8274 is hands down better is basically propelling that myth about them. Only because they don't know anything about the other winches next to them. Cept for the fact their daddy used an 8274, mr. big rock crawler guy uses an 8274, so they'll use an 8274. :flipoff2:

btw - you want real power? Go to milemarker then to Ramsey, Warn can't compete in that arena.

bring whatever winch other than an 8274 to the con in the winter with me and I guarantee we'll stall it out.

I think all the nay-sayers have never had an 8274, whereas alot of people have had the hs9500, and the xd8/9000i stall them out and them go to the "better" winch. I have seen an xd9000i stall out with dual batteries where my single batteried 8274 laughed at the pull. I simply go on PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. nothing more.

Can some one please describe how a spur gear works and is set up

Spur gears Click for Diagram (http://www.srl.gatech.edu/education/ME3110/design-reports/RSVP/DR4/catalog/spurdatf.gif)) are the oldest design.
This is about the most efficient gear design there is, and generates very little heat.

In the 8274, there are actually 3 gears stacked on top of each other, the smallest one connected to the output shaft of the motor, and the largest at the bottom of the housing attached to the winch drum.

Because spur gears have very little friction, it is easy for the drum to turn the motor backwards (you can pretty much do it by hand) so there needs to be an external brake, which is what the ratchet mechanism on the side is for. The second major downfall of spur gears is that it's difficult to make them compact - since they need to be stacked.

This is the major reason most newer winches (Warn M and XD winches, Ramesy REP series, etc.) use a planetary gear design (Click for Diagram (http://www.hexagon.de/gif/zar5_1e.gif)). It's not quite as effiecient, but it's much more compact. It's a compromise, but one which doesn't seriously hurt performance, and which has worked out very well for Warn and the other winch companies.

The third major gear system used in winches is a Wrom Gear design (Click for Diagram (http://www.srl.gatech.edu/education/ME3110/design-reports/RSVP/DR4/catalog/wormeshf.gif)). These winches are extremely slow, but pull like a freight train. Ramsey RE winches and the Superwinch Husky winches use this desin, as do most industrial winches... since they don't typically have to worry about overruning the cable.

The major advantage of worm gears is that you don't need an external brake - the motor attached to the worm gears can easily turn the drum, but because it is pushing on the worm almost perpindicular to the direction it wants to turn, it is very difficult to turn the motor by pulling on the cable.

Also, the motor must be mounted perpindicular to the drum, unlike planetary winches which allow the motor to face straight at the drum, making for a more compact winch than worm gears allow.

In my opinion, the only reason there are people who dislike the 8274 is because they've never owned one. I love the damn things, and that's not from reading crap in 4x magazines. That's bacuse I've owned or used 8274s, 5687s, M8000s, Superwinch X9s, and HS9500i's. The only planetary winch that comes close enough to make me think about spending money on one again is the HS9500i. But the fact that a 31 year old 5687 I gave to a friend recently still pulls like it's new will keep a spur gear warn on my rigs whenever possible.

Dr Evil
Awesome thanks fore the diagrams

Originally posted by Aggro


bring whatever winch other than an 8274 to the con in the winter with me and I guarantee we'll stall it out.

I think all the nay-sayers have never had an 8274, whereas alot of people have had the hs9500, and the xd8/9000i stall them out and them go to the "better" winch. I have seen an xd9000i stall out with dual batteries where my single batteried 8274 laughed at the pull. I simply go on PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. nothing more.

No... what I am saying is... the 8274 isn't the be all end all of winches people seem to think and push that it is. The con? Sure... I'll slap a 10,000lb milemarker on my rig. your 8274 WILL burn up AND stall before the milemarker. Afterall you did say any winch. :flipoff2:

Originally posted by twaldher


No... what I am saying is... the 8274 isn't the be all end all of winches people seem to think and push that it is. The con? Sure... I'll slap a 10,000lb milemarker on my rig. your 8274 WILL burn up AND stall before the milemarker. Afterall you did say any winch. :flipoff2:

Wow travis you must have something against the 8274 or something ;) to be honest, the 9500's a good winch. works fine. Ive used em. Used m8000's as well and a couple ramseys and even a milemarker. So far my favorite in terms of usability and reliabilty is my now 20+ year old 8274 I bought used for under $400. So, that stated, there will never be another wich gracing the front o my rig again. Ever. And I hear that statement coming from 8274 owners far more often than any other winch owner. And I've seen owners of other winches buy 8274's and then make that same statement. Says something. And I dont read magazines, nor do I care what the vast majority of people on this board think one way or the other ;)

Originally posted by twaldher


No... what I am saying is... the 8274 isn't the be all end all of winches people seem to think and push that it is. The con? Sure... I'll slap a 10,000lb milemarker on my rig. your 8274 WILL burn up AND stall before the milemarker. Afterall you did say any winch. :flipoff2:

I just want to know have you used an 8274?

Originally posted by twaldher


No... what I am saying is... the 8274 isn't the be all end all of winches people seem to think and push that it is. The con? Sure... I'll slap a 10,000lb milemarker on my rig. your 8274 WILL burn up AND stall before the milemarker. Afterall you did say any winch. :flipoff2:

Maybe, if you can keep your milemarker from burning your PS fluid, and you can keep your motor running at all time. My 8274 is one of the originals and after repairing the brake it was as good as new.

Originally posted by twaldher


No... what I am saying is... the 8274 isn't the be all end all of winches people seem to think and push that it is. The con? Sure... I'll slap a 10,000lb milemarker on my rig. your 8274 WILL burn up AND stall before the milemarker. Afterall you did say any winch. :flipoff2:

BRING IT.!

Im not sure how old mine is because its been used so much the numbers are rubbed off the case, but with a little cleaning and a couple of new solonoids it pulls like the day it was new. I have heard many mile marker owners complain about there winches but almost no 8274 owners coplain about theirs:confused: hmm coincidence:flipoff2:

Originally posted by twaldher


No... what I am saying is... the 8274 isn't the be all end all of winches people seem to think and push that it is. The con? Sure... I'll slap a 10,000lb milemarker on my rig. your 8274 WILL burn up AND stall before the milemarker. Afterall you did say any winch. :flipoff2:

Think a Milemarker would get me back over in this case? They are useless IMO unless the truck is street or utility truck in need of an occasional helping hand. In the real world of wheeling, electric with a sealed battery is the only choice. I run a 9500I, but the 8274 is a good winch too. Bigger and noisier, but super fast and capable. It's kind of like the rice rocket vs. muscle car arguement. Both will do close in numbers, but it all comes down to preference.

It's kind of like the rice rocket vs. muscle car arguement. Both will do close in numbers, but it all comes down to preference.

EXCELLENT summary!! And the 8274 is DEFINATELY the Muscle Car :smokin: :flipoff2:

I bought my 8274 for $40, its about 20 yrs old and pulls like new. I've done nothing to it and it always works. The line speed is nice for long pulls. For instance, last weekend my cousin busted his rear yoke so he only had front wheel drive. I had to winch him up the backside of chicken rock on the Dusy Ershim trail. It was nice to have the winch keep up with his rig when he go over a rock and started up another. The 8274 is one awsome workhorse of a winch.

I picked up an 8274 for $175 at auction. This thing is sick. I bench tested it and OMG! Look out! Now I'm looking to install it on my beater TJ.

Okay first off if your going to crawl you want a rad fan you can turn off for deep water crossings anyhow so the 8274 blocking the rad is less of a problem for a lot of people.
Next the motor is off to the side from the drum and doesn't heat the drum/wire like the low profiles. Thus you can get the synthetic rope cheaper because you don't need the heat resistant stuff.
Also I've only seen a 8274 stall once and that was moving a big ass tree with no snatch block out of the way of a trail. Its all personal preference and your needs but those are some of the 8274 pros. Mind you I'm putting one on my sammy build even though I want it to be light but that winch will pull buddies back over when I need it to without problems.

I picked up an 8274 for $175 at auction. This thing is sick. I bench tested it and OMG! Look out! Now I'm looking to install it on my beater TJ.

Why did you feel the need to drag up this old ass thread?
________
DEPAKOTE LAWYER (http://www.classactionsettlements.org/lawsuit/depakote/)

I picked up an 8274 for $175 at auction. This thing is sick. I bench tested it and OMG! Look out! Now I'm looking to install it on my beater TJ.

You've brought back threads from the dead twice today. :shaking:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y34/adeptusmoronicus/thread_necromancer.png

Hey jeep937 how many more old ass threads are you going to bring up just to pad your post count? :shaking:

Yeah, he's post padding alright,, look at the count! I hope he brings up 20 more by the days end just to piss you idiots off.

I picked up an 8274 for $175 at auction. This thing is sick. I bench tested it and OMG! Look out! Now I'm looking to install it on my beater TJ.

Wrap the cable around your neck, at least 4 times.
Hold the switch down to reel it in until you stop twitching.

Report back

I could give a shit what the number is by my name. I am just reading and posting. So fucking what if it's old. I guess the pirate admins should block any post over a year old. Then you could be happy in your "Ohh, I'm the man with 3000 posts, land." "I'm the original pirate" "I was on here when you were putting 31"s on your YJ back in '91" WOW! I'm impressed. Can I come help you custom fab in you 6000 square foot shop? Can you show me how to use your homemade english wheel. Will you all tell me how to install volvo portals on my 200 inch wheel base 6 transfer case jungle jim buggy that looks like a giant spider. Thanks boys.

I picked up an 8274 for $175 at auction. This thing is sick. I bench tested it and OMG! Look out! Now I'm looking to install it on my beater TJ.

Ok theres no tech in what he just posted up there.
Yeah, he's post padding alright,, look at the count! I hope he brings up 20 more by the days end just to piss you idiots off.

Instead he brought up an old thread and said that "This thing is sick". So if thats good tech to you and youve been around here long enough to know that its not well ok.

I could give a shit what the number is by my name. I am just reading and posting. So fucking what if it's old. I guess the pirate admins should block any post over a year old. Then you could be happy in your "Ohh, I'm the man with 3000 posts, land." "I'm the original pirate" "I was on here when you were putting 31"s on your YJ back in '91" WOW! I'm impressed. Can I come help you custom fab in you 6000 square foot shop? Can you show me how to use your homemade english wheel. Will you all tell me how to install volvo portals on my 200 inch wheel base 6 transfer case jungle jim buggy that looks like a giant spider. Thanks boys.

I too could care less about the numbers but honestly to bring up an old thread and not input anything useful other than what you posted....thats just plain stupid. I think its great you searched..I get tired of that being the only answer here but search, learn from what you found and if you have something valuable to add since its an old thread and there maybe new info add it.

Ok cool. I got it. Thanks for being cool.

not input anything useful other than what you posted....thats just plain stupid.

Your input in this thread is just as useless as what I am typing now. If you guys would just let the posts fall off the page instead of adding your useless 2 cents than this thread would have been on page 2 by now. It does not bother me as much as it does guys like yourself. I actually get a kick out threads like this because it ticks off the guys who jump at the chance to type "search newbie"

Your input in this thread is just as useless as what I am typing now. If you guys would just let the posts fall off the page instead of adding your useless 2 cents than this thread would have been on page 2 by now. It does not bother me as much as it does guys like yourself. I actually get a kick out threads like this because it ticks off the guys who jump at the chance to type "search newbie"

search newbie:D

for the search nazi's [yes im one too] fawk off, how the fawk do you think he found the dead threads? a 5 y/o thread doesnt just cycle btt on its own.

now instead of barking search every time it needs to be changed to "read, dont post"

My 2 cents on an 8274 i have one on my suburban.I ve never had a problem with it .A couple of years ago i tried something and put a warn 9.5 xp motor on it which has 6hp and i think the 8274 motor is 3.7. Anyway a few weeks ago we were straightening my buddys cage with it ,i was parked on concrete with a '04 dodge 2500 4x4 crew cab with a cummins in it strapped to me and it drug both trucks about 2 1/2 ft . and it was hooked up with a single line pull no snatch block

Speaking of repair parts...... where have you guys found the best price on the 4.8 motor?? Saw smoke out of my old motor in Canada this fall, needs some new balls.....

Hey jeep937 how many more old ass threads are you going to bring up just to pad your post count? :shaking:


Hmm, since it seems I started this thread 5 years ago, I could just delete it to lower his post count back down again. :flipoff2:

dont, the is useful info in this thread.

You guys should check out the overseas rainforest challange events. the Warn 8274 is the king of the electric winchs. many are modified to run on 24 volts, modified extended drums to hold more wench line. In some of the really hilly muddy sections these guys may continusly use their winches for hours at a time. with out a working winch they can't compete. and for what I have read the 8274 Warn is the tits.

Off the sub a little, but now I understand why y'all get mad when I post on old threads. I didn't realize they were being put at the top of the list. I'll pay more attention to the date from now on.

So, 5 years later...

Stinkbug- did you ever get your used 8274, and if so, how's it working for you? :D

Speaking of repair parts...... where have you guys found the best price on the 4.8 motor?? Saw smoke out of my old motor in Canada this fall, needs some new balls.....

Ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/NEW-12V-Warn-Winch-Motor-Keyed-Shaft-HEAVY-DUTY-8274_W0QQitemZ140196474084QQihZ004QQcategoryZ6755Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

TTT :flipoff2:

OK, the reason everyody likes an 8274 is because in 5 more years when some idiot brings this thread back to life again my 30 year old 8274 will still be working. :flipoff2: