Going out in the open gives you that freedom that you can conquer everything and that no one can stop you. The boundless horizon speaks a language that quenches your soul and renews your energy. Until you fell into a ditch and your off-roader got stuck. Good thing it didn’t topple over at least! Right? I know it’s embarrassing. But it becomes more embarrassing if you don’t have the means to get out of that ditch! Now, before your next adventure, make sure that you have decided between Superwinch vs Warn.
Ditches will always be ditches. They will be there ready to trap you and get you stuck! But with a winch, you can manage to recover and get out of that sticky situation. But you know what, if you are thinking about Superwinch and Warn, you are on the right track.
These are two of the best winches available in the market that have an excellent towing capacity. They are known for top-notch quality, excellent customer service, and amazing aftermarket services.
Table of Contents
History of Winch
Before winches where invented, what do you think people do when they get stuck? I think they prayed hard that someone would pass by who has some kind of rope and a strong enough engine to help them pull out the stuck vehicle!
But don’t get me wrong. It’s not like winches are something that is recently invented. There are accounts that point out that winches were being used since 480BC! So, this tech is quite old. But, we have improved it a lot since then.
Today, winches are not manually operated and can be driven by a wide range of methods. Winches could either be manual, hydraulic, pneumatic or driven by a combustion engine. However, the most popular winch for outdoor and vehicle use is hydraulic winch. It would be too much of a hassle to bring a pneumatic winch when off-roading because you would need an air compressor to use it!
Now, let’s take a look at two of the most popular brands of winches in the market and see which of them has better performance.
Superwinch VS Warn
Superwinch has more than 45 years of experience up to its sleeves. Believe it or not, Superwinch started as Ford Motors Company. Fred Tolsdorf has a pretty simple idea. He loves engineering, and he wants to make the best of his abilities. With this in mind, he simply built a winch, and it ended up with amazing quality. They started catering yacht and other boat equipment and pursued smaller models that are fit to recover vehicles from ditches.
On the other hand, Warn is an equally amazing manufacturer of winches. They are twenty years ahead of Superwinch and basically building winches before the latter put up a company. This Oregon-based company is one of the preferred brands of hobbyists and the military. Arthur Warn, the founder of this company, is a dedicated man that paved the way for the modern winches. He started inventing and revolutionized winches during his time.
To clearly see which one is better for you, let’s take a look at some of the important features that you need for your activity.
Capacity
When choosing a winch, the first thing you should answer is how heavy your vehicle is. Winches can pull you out of muds and ditches. However, a winch that cannot support your vehicles gross weight would not budge. So, before anything else, check your vehicle’s weight and add the weight of all the upgrades you had. Remember, bigger tires and steel bumpers add substantial weight to your vehicle’s gross weight.
As a rule of thumb, it’s important to get a winch that has a capacity of at least 150% of your vehicle’s gross weight. Twice your vehicle’s weight would make sure that no matter how heavy your vehicle, your winch can pull you out.
Steel Cable Vs Synthetic Rope
Another factor you should consider when choosing a winch is the cable material. Both steel and the synthetic rope has its pros and cons. Steel cables have unmatched durability and tensile strength. However, in the unfortunate event that steel cable breaks, it becomes dangerous. When steel cable snaps, the loose ends become projectile strings that can cause major injuries. Imagine the potential energy this cable has before it breaks. This poses a danger to the operator.
On the other hand, synthetic ropes are far safer and recoil in a predictable linear fashion when it snaps. However, it has a lower tensile strength and load capacity. Synthetic ropes are often effective on lighter off-road vehicles.
Quality of Make
Many manufacturers claim to have the toughest and most durable types of material that they use for every product. They heavily advertise about the capacity and durability. However, not every company has a name that backs up their claims.
Superwinch and Warn are two of the most reliable winch manufacturers in the market that you can rely on. They have been in the business for long and have proven that they make high-quality winches using top-notch materials.
Superwinch and Warn Winches
Over the years, both manufacturers have designed and reinvented winches to adapt to the varying needs of hobbyists, enthusiasts, and the military. Here are some models of Superwinch together with their Warn counterpart models in greater detail. Let’s have a look at both ends of the spectrum from a standard capacity to extremely high capacity!
Superwinch LT4000 (2000lb Capacity)
For ATV enthusiasts, this model will give you enough pulling capacity of 2000lbs. On average, ATVs weigh around 1000lbs. This winch will be able to pull your ATV from holes, ditches, and muds without a problem. The pulling capacity of this winch is double the gross weight of your ATV. That’s a lot of surplus pulling capacity.
You can rely on the heavy-duty latched hook inserted on a thimble attached to the steel cable. It has a 5/32inch wire rope that spans 50ft. It has a 1HP motor that runs on 12V battery. This unit has a solenoid brake that automatically disconnects from the circuit when the engine is turned off to conserve your battery.
This model is fairly light at 14 lbs which makes it a great portable winch. It comes with a limited one year warranty in case you encounter faults and problems under recommended use.
WARN 89020 Vantage (2000lb Capacity)
Warn’s Vantage 2000 is Superwinch’s LT4000 counterpart. It has the same pulling capacity that can rescue your ATV from a ditch.
has a 2000lb pulling capacity with an enclosed motor that is sealed from the harmful environmental elements. For a vehicle weighing a thousand pounds, this device would safely pull you without worrying about failing.
It is equipped with a 50foot 5/32 steel cable that is made with top-notch materials. It has a 0.9HP motor that also runs on 12V DC car battery. It’s slightly lighter than Superwinch’s counterpart model and makes it a better portable winch. However, it’s double the price of Superwinch’sLT4000.
Superwinch Winch Tiger Shark (17,500lbs)
Superwinch boasts their top of the line series that has up to 17,500 capacity. The Tiger Shark series is made with top quality materials that won’t give up on you in tough situations. It’s available in 9,500, 11,500, 13,500, 15,500, and 17,500lbs. How heavy is your vehicle? I think Superwinch can accommodate your ride!
It has high-end safety features that you won’t find on the entry level winches. It is equipped with a sealed solenoid break that is protected by a circuit breaker to prevent further damage to the unit in case the circuit shorts. With a whopping 6.5HP motor, you are sure that you will be out that ditch in a jiffy!
It has a half inch diameter steel rope that spans 90feet that you can rely on. It weighs 150lbs and comes with a 2-year warranty.
Warn Zeon Platinum (16,500lbs)
Although the highest capacity of Warn’s Zeon Platinum series is 1,000lb short of the Tiger Shark, still, you have yourself huge capacity. Its lack in capacity is compensated by a high-speed motor that has a faster rate of pulling capacity.
It’s also equipped with safety features that decrease the likelihood of the winch failing. The state-of-the-art cone brake holds advertised capacity without failing. The internal parts are housed in a weatherproof enclosure to extend its life.
It comes with their patented Spydura® Synthetic Rope that can withstand 16,500lbs of load capacity. Although the half inch diameter of Superwinch’s Tiger Shark series is astounding and is highly unlikely to break, the Spydura® is a safer choice in case it breaks. It will not send dangerous strings of projectiles if it breaks.
Conclusion
When you go to the wild without a winch, it’s like inviting nature to ensnare you with perilous quicksand and ditches! Bring a winch whenever you go off-roading to make sure that you will be able to recover yourself! If you look at Superwinch vs. Warn, they have a wide array of reliable winches available.
Both have great craftsmanship and amazing quality. The entry levels are quite affordable and can serve its purpose well. For heavy applications, Superwinch offers a model that has an outstanding 17,500lb capacity! Although Warn’s top model is short by 1,000lbs, it comes with a far safer Spydura® Synthetic Rope.
