Warn????

verdesard0g

Adventurist
I recently called warn customer service and asked about the rating on their equipment. I asked if the stamped rating was max breaking strength or working load limit. All the guy could tell me was that whatever was stamped on the equipment was what the maximum it was designed to work at. I asked about max breaking strength and Wll he said they don't use that! WTF?
No more Warn stuff for me!
 
IMO breaking capacity is an average figure can be defined as the average force given to a product tested by the manufacture, my winch is a cheaper made 12,000lb winch, slow in pulling but never failed me yet but what I have spooled on the drum is 75ft of 3\8" Master Pull Classic Synthetic I believe they have a great product & their website only list the breaking strength not the working load limit. I notice this goes for other recovery gear: shackles, straps & so-on. From what I've read & understand I am no pro @ vehicle recovery, working load limit is founded on a straight line pull scenario & again this what I understand is every effort should be made to abide by this standard when rigging for vehicle recovery. BUT! in some cases this can not be done in every recovery situation so sizing up the task & assembling appropriate gear for a successful recovery.
 
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There is no standard for rating vehicle recovery winches. None of them use any safety factors at all. Just look at the cable sizes compared to the rated capacity of the winches. I agree with you that its not ideal, but its the same for every brand. Warn is no worse than any other in that regard. If you won't use a particular winch for that reason, then you probably just won't use a winch at all.
 
I recently called warn customer service and asked about the rating on their equipment. I asked if the stamped rating was max breaking strength or working load limit. All the guy could tell me was that whatever was stamped on the equipment was what the maximum it was designed to work at. I asked about max breaking strength and Wll he said they don't use that! WTF?
No more Warn stuff for me!

Warn sells MUCH more these days than just winches. Their line has expanded greatly in recent years to include Warn branded things like screw pin bow shackles, tree straps, hooks, steel and synthetic line etc etc

What "equipment" were you asking about specifically?
 
Warn sells MUCH more these days than just winches. Their line has expanded greatly in recent years to include Warn branded things like screw pin bow shackles, tree straps, hooks, steel and synthetic line etc etc

What "equipment" were you asking about specifically?

Snatch block, I did see in the package of one marked with 18T a tag with the following info: max load 36000 LBS max winch capacity 18000 LBS. So I see they are marked with max break strength. It is advertised as 9T so it's safe I guess. Confusing for novice users.
The customer service guy couldn't tell me WLL for anything. He told me they don't use max break, safety factor or WLL ratings.
He only asked what winch I would be using a snatch block with, and could only tell me what what block I could use with what winch. Just no real info available from customer service.
 
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I'm gonna guess that the average winch buyer hasn't got a clue about Working Load Limits or Safety Factors. He just want to know "How much can I pull?" If Brand W advertises their WLL, and Brand S advertises the maximum weight it takes to break their winch, line, snatch block, whatever; then Brand W will be at a major sales disadvantage.

I admit that it would be nice if the technical support people could answer those questions when somebody who understands these things calls in and asks. But I'll bet it only happens once in a blue moon.

I suppose the only way we'll ever see "TRUE" numbers is if a Consumer Protection Agency requires the packaging to be marked. First, they're going to have to define what safety factor they want used in calculating WLL. 4, 5, 6? I think at one time or another I've seen all three numbers thrown around.
 
My concern has always been the line itself. The steel cables that come with Warn, and every other vehicle recovery winch I have looked at, have breaking strengths (not WLL) pretty close to the rated capacity of the winch. You can mitigate that with synthetic line which will usually have a much higher breaking strength (and thus safety factor), or by rigging a snatch block to reduce the strain on the cable, but you're still often working without a net.

But strength isn't everything. I see a lot more broken synthetic lines than I do steel cables. I chalk these up to abrasion, user error, lack of maintenance, etc..., but more breaks is more breaks. That doesn't change the case for synthetic, ease of use, lower weight, etc... just something to think about when you are trying to decide if something is rigged safely.
 
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