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To Winch or Not to Winch, That Is the Question

4.9K views 30 replies 27 participants last post by  kmburns49  
#1 ·
My wife and I really enjoy trail riding in our RZR 570 LE, but we're not really into mudding or rock climbing, which brings me to my question. Is a winch a necessity for our riding style? I do have a 36" Hi-Lift Jack on board with a couple of tow straps, but no winch. I'd be interested in hearing your opinions.
 
#2 ·
Do you ride solo?

If so i wouldnt leave home without a winch.

I havent even used my winch on my XP yet, but i know its there if need be.

The investment in a winch is a small one compared to other things (under $500 easy) and it should last for a long time.

Its also a good safety thing. If you get stuck and a buddy is yanking on you and something breaks and hurts somebody that is a bad situation. In general with a winch the recovery is slow and easy and less likely to damage property or equipment.

If you do get a winch, make sure you get the rope. Much safer :D

Just my 2 cents.
 
#3 ·
I wouldn't even buy an RZR without a winch. There is no way in hell you are going to move that beast if you get buried. You never know what a trail is going to bring. Put me down as a YES you must have a winch.
 
#5 · (Edited)
I have a 570 too and didn't want to add a bunch of weight to it (everything adds up - and mindful of the power-to-weight ratio), however when riding solo I tipped on its side and couldn't get it back upright myself. Fortunately I was able to get a couple of friends to come out and give me a hand. Since then I carry a rope come-a-long with 100' of rope which would make it a non-issue. Maybe weighs 10 lbs and stores up nicely in the front of the bed between the cage uprights. Also carry a tow strap and some snatchblocks and shacles. Maybe slower than a winch, but can be positioned anywhere that is advantagous and is MUCH lighter.

http://torcarr.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=14
 
#6 ·
Winch comes in handy for all sorts of things. Even if you get hung up trying to climb over a log and you are by yourself you will have a hard time getting over it without a winch.
 
#7 ·
No way you cam move a 1100 lb machine stuck in the mud by yourself, or with a couple friends for that matter. A winch was the first thing I bought for my 800 and just did again for my XP. You can pick up a viper for less than $300, that's a nice little insurance policy.
 
#8 ·
I would say a winch is a necessity on your machine but you can probably get away with a come-a-long and a strap. I keep one as a back-up in case my winch fails.
 
#9 ·
I do a lot of solo riding right now just because my work schedule is different than all of my buddies who ride. After getting stuck and having to call for help on my first solo ride, I decided I was buying a winch. It saved my butt Tuesday evening. I don't do a lot of mudding or rough riding either but many areas are deceiving. We've had a lot of rain lately and what looked like a regular sandy stretch buried me up quick. Luckily my winch worked flawlessly on it's first real test and I continued my ride. It's the best investment I've made on my RZR.
 
#11 ·
Not even a question for me. If you go off road, you have a winch. I can think of 100's of reasons for me to have one and 0 reasons not to. I have my winch with 50ft of rope, an extra 50ft winch rope with eyes on each end for an extension, and good strap with me at all times.
 
#15 ·
I'd say a winch is a wise investment. If you wait until you need it you are too late. Might come in handy to save your butt when out alone, pulling out a buddy, yanking a fallen log off the trail........ but most of all is PEACE OF MIND!!!!
 
#16 ·
A winch is one of those things that you don't need...........until you REALLY need it! And if you don't have it, you're screwed. And if you're by yourself, you're REALLY screwed. As long as you stay in your driveway and your backyard you'll be OK without it; just don't head-out cross-country, especially alone. My two-bits..........

Cheers
 
#18 ·
I would say a winch is a must! Its a saftey item in my book!

You wear a seatbelt right??? Well you dont plan on getting in a wreck but its there for you to use if you do...

you dont plan on getting stuck but a winch is there if you do.

Purchase one! Its a good investment.
 
#19 ·
I'm not a mudder and I've used mine more times then I can count.. Infact I'm on my second rope and my winch is on its second RZR.. I'm pretty sure the 570 has the same reverse chain the XPs have.. If so what happens if your on a narrow trail and your buddy in front of you gets stuck? A lot of times you can't just turn around and pulling him out in reverse is a very bad idea.. We had this happen just the other day. I've also been hung up at the tops of hills before and had to winch up.. If no one is in front of you and you are stuck blocking the trail its not like your buddies can get in front of you to pull you up.. Many reasons other then riding alone to have a winch IME.. But yeah if you stay on very easy trails and never ride alone you probably won't have to have it..
 
#22 · (Edited)
Get a good winch. But most importantly, learn how to use it properly and safely. Practice with it at home before you need it, rather then find out it doesn"t work when you most need it.
The big name winch companies have tutorials on safe winch practices on thier websites,and winching practices come with their winches, review them.
The straps, shackles, snatch block and controller all fit neatly in the front compartment too.(under the hood)
Learn how to properly spool the cable/rope back onto the spool as you're winching. And rewrap it neatly after a pull so that it isn't all "birds nested"and impossible to pull out next time.
 
#24 ·
As I am getting older and now blind in one eye, we use the winch to pull the RZR into the toyhauler or the back of the truck.

Once in and tied down, we pull the winch cable tight enough to pull the front end down an inch or two...as our Warn winch is gear drive, and basically self locking...the RZR ain't goin nowhere!!!

I like that!

Pirate
 
#25 ·
Finally after three years of riding, I now have a winch. Asking myself why I didn't do this years ago. Makes life so much easier. Would not have had a walk out from riding in the snow this spring. I use it atleast once a week on the farm too now. Most expensive fence stretcher beside my RZR. giggle.
 
#26 ·
--

I've used a winch to get out of quicksand, get out of a snow bank, pull someone back on the trail, pull several people stuck in mud, pull logs from a trail, and pull an old mining shack upright so I could reinforce it so it wouldn't fall over.

--
 
#27 ·
I've got 1500 miles on my RZR S and have never gotten stuck. The S is wide and high enough that it can straddle all the ruts from over ATVs.

My Rhino got stuck all the time.

I use it 2 - 3 times a year on my 1up ATV when it gets center hung.

I wouldn't leave the trailer w/o a winch, especially on a 50" RZR.


What are you guys using for your 50' extension rope? sounds like a great thing to have. I came close to needing that once when I got stuck.