I actually got the winch because of my wife; we had cut down a rather large 80 foot tall sycamore tree. I was using a cant to roll the logs and when I got 2 of the ten to the top of the hill to split I was whooped. The logs are about 3 foot tall and about 6 feet long real heavy suckers. Well, on the third log I stopped for a breather when it got away from me and rolled down the hill. At that point I was cussing waving my arms providing definitive gestures toward the log. Went in the house for a beer and da wife said what you need to help get the logs up the hill. True to my nature I said 4 wenches with big hooters or a winch. Well unknown to me she got a hold of my son who is in the ARMY and has a 95YJ painted in full WWII ARMY regalia and color really sharp and told his mom what to buy. Where I came home one day and the boss said you have a project the boxes are in the garage. Thinking to myself now what?
I installed a Ramsey 8.5 winch with 150 amp fuse block and HD solenoid with a nice rocker switch. I have never owned one usually used a come along and you don't know what you are missing until you get it. First the install went rather un-eventful the routing directions for the power cables were off the mark. So I ran them my way with wire loom. Ramsey sold a very inexpensive solenoid battery disconnect. It was pretty cramped under the hood so I mounted the solenoid to the side of the air box worked out well and even get it off to get at the shock.
Well, I pulled up one of the logs what a cake walk with the right tool. So being I wanted to give the winch a real test I hooked 3 logs together. I took a strain and man the TJs front went down a little and the logs were moving. WOW! Then out of the corner of my eye the TJ started to move forward Oh Crap! I have sandy soil around the house because I live near the Chesapeake Bay. Well broke out Big Blue my 98 RAM 4x4 weighing in at 5300 lbs empty. Back the Ram up to the TJ took several turns between the TJ and Ram tow hitches with a tow strap. Went back and the logs came up the hill like skidding on butter. Well have been cutting up the logs and splitting them up have over 5 cords with about 3/4 of the tree split.
So now when I go off road at least I have a winch thanks to a tree and da wife. The only bad thing about it is everyone who I have known with one the cable is always about 3 feet too short. No matter how many tow straps one carries.