Ramsey REP 8.5e winch??

[99sr54wd]

noob question: is this one any good? I have never owned a winch before but shopping for one. I like it, first it's American made, secondly, it comes with a hawse fairlead already, cause I'm gonna get synthetic line later on.

From what the limited research I did, Ramsey is a quality brand, but I couldn't find much about this specific model. Currently I'm looking at the Smitty 8000 lb unit($300), too.

$425 shipped isn't a bad deal for an 8500lb winch with Hawse fairlead, cable, clevis.

Link to truckaddons.com
http://truckaddons.com/Catalog/subpages/ramsey_rep8000.htm

also, quadratec

http://www.quadratec.com/products/92142_018_07.htm


here is the manual:
http://www.quadratec.com/Assets/Installation/30100.pdf

[Red2003]

I have the older model REP8000E. It is very SLOW,but has not let me down when I needed it. I think I paid $299 shipped about 5 years ago.

[WallyP226]

I have a Ramsey 9000 Platinum edition on my Heep, not made anymore, but it has the the same clutch release. IMO keep the winch covered and out of the elements otherwise the clutch release can get froze up and break. Other than that, they are reliable winches.

Wally

[rader]

I only buy Warn, but Ramsey winches are generally darn good winches. ONE thing I personally insist on in a winch is a series wound motor, and NOT a permanent magnet motor like I believe the 8500-E has. Permanent magnet motors are only found on entry level winches nowadays and usually the solenoid set ups that comes with them are not the best either, the mfg just use them to provide a low cost alternative to their better winches (the PM motors are just cheaper).

Why permanent mag motors are not the best is they get smoking hot if you winch hard and long and the power drops as the motor heats. The permanent magnet motors also lose some hp as the magnets weaken with age.
Series wound winch motors also heat some while winching but not nearly as bad, and they don't lose power as they heat, or with age.

I have read that the Smittybuilt is an OK budget winch, it HAS a series wound motor but I haven't seen one in action yet.
Check the link for more info than there is room for here.

http://www.offroaders.com/tech/winches/Winch-Components.htm

[99sr54wd]

I know you guys would school me on this for sure. I didn't know the difference on the motors before, but I still don't understand why the REP 8.5e is $200 cheaper than REP 8000, not just this one vendor, everybody does have this kinda price difference. both of them have pm motors.

[rader]

I know you guys would school me on this for sure. I didn't know the difference on the motors before, but I still don't understand why the REP 8.5e is $200 cheaper than REP 8000, not just this one vendor, everybody does have this kinda price difference. both of them have pm motors.

IT'S the motor, The Rep 8000 has a 3.8 hp "series wound" motor in the 12V model, the Rep8000 24V has a PM motor.
The Patriot 8000 has a 5.5hp series wound motor, why I point that out is you can see how the price and usually line speed goes up along with motor quality and Hp. I suspect the only major difference in the three models, is motor and solenoid quality.
http://www.ramsey.com/winches/rep85e.html
http://www.ramsey.com/winches/rep8000.html
http://www.ramsey.com/winches/patriot8000.html

[whiteyJ]

I have the 8.5 and am happy with it so far (only one year of use), like stated above I find it to be somewhat slow but it gets the job done. The only thing I
didn't like was it only came with a hawse fairlead, I had to buy a roller
seperately.

[Red2003]

Like Rader said mine does get hot during long pulls. I just make sure I let it cool and not run the shit out of it and burn it up. Heat on any winch motor will kill it!

[WallyP226]

Short bursts also make it easier on the alternator and battery as well. Which is another consideration when buying a winch, ie upgrading the battery and alternator.

What I can say from first hand experience however is if one takes it easy ie short bursts instead of holding the button down for a minute straight,you can get by fine with existing equipment. If the plan is do heavy duty winching all the time, probably better to do it right and get it overwith. I know what the books and experts recomend, but common sense goes a long way to preventing the red herring exploding battery and fried alternator. :rolleyes:

I have a Belleview 6000 with the permanent magnet motor, original motor too, less new brushes. New brushes should give a hint at the amount of use it has seen in the last 35+ years. We broke 5/16s cable with it on a straight pull a few years back. Take good care of a permanent magnet motor an it will take care of you.

Ramsey is American made in Oklahoma, Smittybuilt is a Chinese import, if that matters to some.

Wally

[rader]

I have a Belleview 6000 with the permanent magnet motor, original motor too, less new brushes. New brushes should give a hint at the amount of use it has seen in the last 35+ years. We broke 5/16s cable with it on a straight pull a few years back. Take good care of a permanent magnet motor an it will take care of you. Wally

Hey Wally, I sold a Belleview 8000 a couple of years ago controls and all for $125.00, I bet we confused a lot of people with that winch LOL.
I took it off the last rig it was on years ago, and it was only gathering dust. I had thought about rebuilding it but I really need power out. For anyone that is not familiar with the Belleview around 1974 or 75 they became a Warn winch and were changed over the years, they live on today as the Warn 8274.

My B-8000 would snap 5/16 too, I went to 3/8 because I had it on a full size truck when it was new. The winch and the motor on them was a whole different ball game it was basically like a starter motor. I never saw anything that could kill a battery as quick as that winch or pull as fast either.

When I first got it,(first pull) I winched a truck out that had slid into the ditch on a snowy road, it was at night and I had my lights on in just a minuet or so of winching with the truck motor running the lights were going out. I found out with it like you say a short burst then wait. Shit I can winch a full spool length pull with my HS9500 Warn and not drain the battery as bad, the little Toy alternator pretty much keeps up till the winch battery cables are hot, hot, hot. The new winches are sooo much better than the early electric winches.

[WallyP226]

We had ours on a 1972 FJ40, I kept the Belleview when it was sold. It had some broken levers, I TIG welded them back togather, refurbed it ie new bushings, put a new brake on it. Now it resides on a reciever hitch winch mount. I wired up two solenoids in paralell with a winch controller to update it, put some synthetic winch line on it. I think its a great winch!

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h224/WallyP226/100_2857.jpg