Size of winches

Iv had a search on the forum but couldn't really find what I was looking for. What sort of size winch best suits the jim is it just the bigger the better of can you get away with small and compact. It's a completely new area for me so be gentle.

Useful to have, but as Lambert says, not really needed unless you are wanting to go to competitions (many of which wont allow a winch anyway, and you could get a lockrite fitted for similar money and better overall effect).

But I cant talk, I have a 13500lb orange winchmax one bolted on mine

Synthetic rope is important and much safer (even the chinese stuff is safer than a steel rope). Cheaper winches (like my winchmax) tend to go for headline pulling power specs, when really I think speed is more important. Look at the gearbox ratio in the spec of the winch. my winchmax is 265:1 and fairly slow with it, Goodwinch have 175:1, so much faster at a similar load rating.

Batteries - for an occasional backup winch I would be simply using the stock battery. Dual batteries are for competition use really.

Expanding on this topic, I was wondering about any thoughts on the Winch-in-a-bag or other portable-type winches. I don't really want to fit a permanent winch on to my Jimny (and it will clearly be on the wrong end for whenever I get stuck or need to use it ), and they seem handy to have in the boot when going off-roading. I am not intending to do anything heavy with them, but it would mean some light off-roading at the weekend would be possible without a second car ready to tow each other when needed. I have been cross-axled on embarrassingly small bumps that only needed a few inches of movement to get going again, and having that fallback would be great.
It also means it can be used to recover any friend's car as well in many combinations, so it would do a few of us who get together in different combinations.

Has anyone tried the portable winches with good or bad experiences?

Nick

In all honesty it would be pretty much as nick was saying it's more for getting my self out of the brown stuff it I was just pottering down lanes on my own as I don't have any one to go out with (cue the violin) i hadn't thought about one of the hand type that there would probably be the better cheaper way to go

I had to Google the hi-lift winch attachment - a variation of the hand-winch, but scarier as Lambert said! I have used a hand-winch for pulling an immobile car a short distance, but it is hard work and pretty slow, so the electric option is probably too much for me to resist, especially if I am labelling it a hobby and not work

Nick

I don't fancy a huge winch....so I have a 4000lb winch inside the car which locates into a receiver.
And 2 arb lockers.....not had any trouble green laning or in the snow......always a landrover around if I get stuck.