Winch or no winch???

[604Bronco]

I am not planning to get one, and my reasoning is I’m too lazy to install one. I'm not going to be pushing it that hard for fear of body damage, so I'm unlikely to get into a situation that lockers alone won't get me out of.

I’m in the same camp… lazy and probably won’t push it that hard. If I do, I’ll be with others who can help pull me out.

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[BR0NCO]

Lockers just allow you to bury yourself deeper, equally, on all 4 wheels when you get stuck. Winch allows you to recover from that.

This is the truth

 

[TripleB]

I've been wheeling for 15 years and only needed a winch once because of a poor decision. I learned from that situation when you get into trouble not to keep going and make it worse.

I’ve had many jeep wranglers with winches and rarely used the winch. Most of the time it was just because I had it. I totally think I could get by without one. Throw some trax boards in the back and be done. If I had high or lux I would stay away from a winch, too complex to make it happen.

 

[nwGTS]

I think we all get in our head that an electric, mounted winch is a box to check, but we forget that a solution exists for 50x lower cost.
Buy a manual winch and keep it in the back with your recovery strap, shackles and snatch block. Recovery boards will get you out of 90% of situations where a winch is redundant or overkill.

 

[MNBigfoot]

Lockers just allow you to bury yourself deeper, equally, on all 4 wheels when you get stuck. Winch allows you to recover from that.

Coming from a place that can get snow 7 months a year (snow plows out today) lockers save a lot of shoveling and pulling. When it's -30 you want equipment that keeps you from getting stuck, just as much (if not more) as equipment that gets you unstuck.

 

[Snacktime]

I have only needed one once, blew the front ring and pinion in my toyota in the rocks. Took two winches to get me out of the obstacle backwards so if I had a winch it would have been pointless.

I think for rocks, winches are required just because the person in front or back of you will need it.

I have a harbor freight winch in the garage, it might make it on this rig or I will make a hitch mount since I will most likely need to pull my butt out at some point.

 

[406g]

I think we all get in our head that an electric, mounted winch is a box to check, but we forget that a solution exists for 50x lower cost.
Buy a manual winch and keep it in the back with your recovery strap, shackles and snatch block. Recovery boards will get you out of 90% of situations where a winch is redundant or overkill.

Exactly - I will get a manual winch and see how often it gets used. If not more than once or twice in a year or two I’ll skip the electric mounted winch.

 

[ROKBRNC]

I would never add a winch to my daily driver due to the cost, weight, and mounting; however I have always had a winch on my dedicated off-road rigs. The only times I’ve ever had to use it was to help unstuck someone else or drag their broke rig off the trail because they were not properly prepared.

 

[PWillette]

I'm from the "Better to have it and not need it" camp and will be installing a winch once I find a bumper that appeals to me. IMO if you are wheeling off the grid, whether alone or with a group, a winch should be standard equipment...basically cheap insurance IMO. I can say without hesitation that winching has gotten me and buddies out/through some very sketchy spots that would have been impassable otherwise. Winches also come in handy for moving objects such as large dead fall trees that may be obstructing a trail or simply anchoring/stablizing a vehicle that may be descending a steep grade or funky angle...winch use/need is not always about being stuck. All depends on your intended use of the truck if a winch is warranted.

 

[bronconagurski]

Since I'm getting the tow pkg. I was thinking of getting a trailer hitch winch mounting plate and a cheap winch to throw in the Bronco if I ever go off road. Should be able to get a set up for less than $400.

 

[ICUGAZN]

I’m going to get one, but mad at Ford over it. I paid for modular bumper, camera, and acc. Not going to throw any of those options out to make a winch work. The camera is the easiest fix ford, and ahould have been a consideration day one.

I didn't want to give those up either, so I went this route. JCR Off-road winch plate and camera relocation kit with the DV8 ACC relocation kit is what I installed.
https://www.jcroffroad.com/product/BR6SB-WP.html
https://www.jcroffroad.com/product/BR6FCM.html
https://dv8offroad.com/collections/...co-adaptive-cruise-control-relocation-bracket

 

[Gary5393]

My vote is winch it. It looks better and can get you out of sticky situations.

 

[dgorsett]

I've been wheeling for 15 years and only needed a winch once because of a poor decision. I learned from that situation when you get into trouble not to keep going and make it worse.

I had a winch I moved from vehicle to vehicle for 40 years and used it to advantage maybe 6 times. As I get older discretion becomes the better part of valor. I let it go with the LJ. That said, something discrete like the RC hidden mount would be nifty.

 

[raptorbill]

I'm thinking something like this. Might get in the way of the spare tire. Just put it in the back and use it when needed.

 

[TripleB]

Well, I already have the winch so I guess I'll use it.

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