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Thanks Guys....and I second the notion that I'd be happy if the Fed read this post and decided to award some free money or something......
Peter
Moto
Peter
Moto
Warning about Viper winches
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Old thread, but I just finished installing a Viper Max 3500 on my new Rubicon so I figured I would update.
Instructions were wrong enough to make things harder instead of easier and left out a lot of helpful information. I ended up going to the warn website & using their instructions which are excellent. Hardware (nuts/bolts/etc) was somewhat incomplete and somewhat just wrong (bolts too short for example). After working through the issues it seems to work, but I think I got what I payed for and next time will go for Warn.
Side issues - the way the cable attaches to the spool will allow the cable to come free if I am ever in a bad spot and allow the cable to unwrap too far (Moto Alliance tech said to leave on six wraps, you will not find this in the info that comes with the winch) . Does anyone know of a way to attach synthetic cable that would allow you to unwrap it without worrying about it coming free ? Other thing, I would like to have a fuse or circuit breaker in the winch motor circuit, anybody done this ?
Instructions were wrong enough to make things harder instead of easier and left out a lot of helpful information. I ended up going to the warn website & using their instructions which are excellent. Hardware (nuts/bolts/etc) was somewhat incomplete and somewhat just wrong (bolts too short for example). After working through the issues it seems to work, but I think I got what I payed for and next time will go for Warn.
Side issues - the way the cable attaches to the spool will allow the cable to come free if I am ever in a bad spot and allow the cable to unwrap too far (Moto Alliance tech said to leave on six wraps, you will not find this in the info that comes with the winch) . Does anyone know of a way to attach synthetic cable that would allow you to unwrap it without worrying about it coming free ? Other thing, I would like to have a fuse or circuit breaker in the winch motor circuit, anybody done this ?
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6,298 Posts
I'm pretty sure all ATV winches use the loop and ball to secure the cable to the drum. My Warn winches also say to never allow the line to unrwap all the way. That's basic winching 101. If you think you'll need all of your cable, take an extension in your rear cargo box and use that.
Not sure what model you installed your winch on, but I didn't have any trouble mounting on any of my rigs.
I have two Viper Max winches and they have been problem free for 5+ years of abuse and hard use. The Viper Classic I bought croaked about a month after the warranty ran out, so not a Viper fan boy by any means. The Viper Classic was a pos, but the Max have been great winches.
Warn is the King of the hilll in the winch world, and probably always will be. I've been running Warns on my Jeeps since the mid 90's, and they are great winches, but you can't convice me that a Warn ATV winch is worth what they want for them. The Viper Max's I bought and and Superwinch LT3000 I bought for $123 shipped on Amazon have been problem free, and cost a fraction of what a Warn would have cost. Problem free is problem free, so the only variable is cost, and Warn ATV winches cost too much.
Not sure what model you installed your winch on, but I didn't have any trouble mounting on any of my rigs.
I have two Viper Max winches and they have been problem free for 5+ years of abuse and hard use. The Viper Classic I bought croaked about a month after the warranty ran out, so not a Viper fan boy by any means. The Viper Classic was a pos, but the Max have been great winches.
Warn is the King of the hilll in the winch world, and probably always will be. I've been running Warns on my Jeeps since the mid 90's, and they are great winches, but you can't convice me that a Warn ATV winch is worth what they want for them. The Viper Max's I bought and and Superwinch LT3000 I bought for $123 shipped on Amazon have been problem free, and cost a fraction of what a Warn would have cost. Problem free is problem free, so the only variable is cost, and Warn ATV winches cost too much.
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151 Posts
I'm a Warn fan. I do lots of remote riding by myself. If I get in a nasty spot, I need to know my winch is going to work. If your stuck out in the bush and its a long walk, spending the extra $$$ on a Warn isn't going to be a issue!
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2,084 Posts
Same, and that's what I keep telling people but they don't seem to get it. I can't afford to have a winch that doesn't work, I have no problem spending the extra coin to get the Warn over the other brands if it's going to leave me with some peace of mind.
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13,197 Posts
I've had my Warn fail on me as well as the others. Most of the time it's the contactor or mini rocker switch so I could still use the winch wiring it direct to the battery. It's a pain but it gets you out.. lol They can all have problems. I've tried a lot of different winches over the years. Loved the Warn but have had very few problems from the Vipers so that's what I'm using now.
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151 Posts
The only issue I've seen with a Warn winch was on the older ones if you let your winch out and had somebody pull out out with it (instead of using a strap) there was a little plastic piece that would break and not allow the free spool to work. I bought a used quad in high school and this piece was broken.
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