Ramsey winch opinion

[Donnie]

Hi team, a friend of mine has an 8,000 pound Ramsey winch. I would like to hear a few opinions on this item...It powers both in & out or free wheels out if needed...I know nothing of this winch..
I think that it was originally used on a roll back car hauler..
How do they rate quality wise?
Market value?
Any & all answer's appreciated.....thank's Donnie

[Terrys]

Is it an electric, worm gear drive winch? Roll backs use a hydraulic version. I have one off them, or a PTO version to be more precise. I also have a Ramsey electric worm drive on the front of my S3. Makes anything else pale by comparison. My only complaint is they are heavy.

[I Leak Oil]

Without details of which specific product I'll say this...Ramsey makes a good product. Typically overshadowed by Warn, Superwinch on the higher end and overlooked by those choosing a cheaper chinese made winch on the lower end. Non the less Ramsey is usually every bit as good, and in some models better, than the Warn or Superwinch.

[o2batsea]

If it's the one I'm thinking; the worm gear drive type, then the winch itself is the same whether powered by PTO, hydraulic or electric motor.The only difference is in how the power is attached. They are made to last and you can get all the parts you'll ever need. Not as popular, but that means zip when you are by yourself and need to winch out.

[Terrys]

I think you see fewer Ramsey worm drive winches because they are quite a bit more expensive than their own, and other maker's planetary winches. Their internals are machines worms and gears, not stamped and riveted planetary assemblies.
I got this one in a trade, and kept it. Puts my Warn 9000 to shame.

[antichrist]

I got this one in a trade, and kept it. Puts my Warn 9000 to shame.I see you have it mounted upside down. Have you noticed any issues with lubrication? I hadn't thought of that, but it would make mounting easier in some situations.
I have the RE10000 version which I find to be a great winch.

[LR Max]

I'd pass. Ramsey makes a good product, but if its been on a rollback for 20 years, its probably had the soul beaten out of it everyday for 20 years.

If it had been on the front of a truck, then it is probably fine but a rollback probably pulls, 2...3...4 cars a day? That is A LOT of wear and tear.

Sorry, I just have the image of buying this winch and the first time you are stuck up to your axles in mud, the internals commit suicide. I'm probably just being a nagging nancy but unless you get it in trade for a nice sammich, I would pass.

Ramsey makes good stuff. Their worm drive stuff is slow and heavy but pull until the end of time.

[Donnie]

Thanks guys for your fast help..It looks like the one on the front of Terry's III
As near as I can tell it is a model # DG-200R??/
It is 12volt operated.........Does that mean that it possibly is not from a rollback?.........I need to make a fast move on this if I want it.
Which I think I do...........Donnie

[disco2hse]

I think you have made your decision, but I might add a comment or two. I have a Thomas 8000 pounder that was electric when I got it. Thomas made Ramsey clones in Australia for a long time, as did a couple of other manufacturers, for both civilian use and the military. I converted mine to PTO by simply removing the electric motor gear box and making a minor change to the input shaft. I needed to flip it around back to front since the drive now went in from the rear instead of the front.

I would not worry to much if it has been thrashed. You can easily get new bushes and bearings for these, and in fact I would do that anyway. If the motor is worn, you can easily replace those too. There is a direct replacement from ummm, Iskra (http://www.iskra-ae.com/eng/dc_motors.php). I would look at replacing it if in doubt and if the existing motor is not fully sealed.

It will pull .... a lot.

[Terrys]

I see you have it mounted upside down. Have you noticed any issues with lubrication? I hadn't thought of that, but it would make mounting easier in some situations.

Tom, The two gear boxes are seperate, and have tappings on top and bottom, making the vent, and drain plugs interchangeable. You probably already saw, but I took the relay pack off too. It's mounted up inside the breakfast, and the pickle connector mounted to the top of the breakfast too.
That one is a 10K also. The 8 and 10 are the same, except for motor size, and the 12 uses a different worm housing. I don't find the worm drive any slower than the XD9000, In fact, It may be a tad faster. Certainly quieter, and the motor doesn't get hot after a long pull.

[antichrist]

Ah, I never looked at the housing that closely, or at least not with the idea of flipping it in mind.
I removed the two vents on mine and replaced them with barbed fittings and ran a vent line up to the engine compartment. I'm not sure how likely they are to suck in water when submerged, but didn't want to take a chance.


It is 12volt operated.........Does that mean that it possibly is not from a rollback?All the rollback winches I've seen were hydraulic.

I would think that a rollback life would possibly be easier. Pulling a car on to a truck typically isn't hard work for a winch, even if it is several a day.
In any case, it really depends on the price as all the parts are available.
FWIW, I didn't hesitate to pay $200 for my RE10000 sight unseen (I did see some photos, but didn't see it in person).