Warn PowerPlant Winch - Winch Tech - 4Wheel & Off-Road Magazine

Not only does Warn have a new winch for the market, but also a brand-new Jeep Wrangler Rock Crawler bumper for the '07 JK.

Not only does Warn have a new winch for the market, but also a brand-new Jeep Wrangler Roc

Ever have one of those, "Why didn't I think of that?" moments? We did recently when we heard the first rumors of Warn's new PowerPlant winch with a built-in air compressor. It's really a logical marriage: A winch is a great tool that offers security, but isn't necessarily used every time you hit the dirt, but an air compressor is useful to air up tires after all trips to the dirt, mud, sand, or rocks, and both need to be wired into your vehicle's electrical system somehow. This is where the engineers at Warn took the lead and designed a new machine that is simple to install and, with the flick of a switch, goes from cable-winding rescue tool to tire, air mattress, beach ball, or raft inflation device.

And that doesn't even start to address the ways that this compressor can pay for itself as a mobile PowerPlant for pneumatic tools on the work site, the farm, or in the backyard.

The PowerPlant is offered in two configurations, an HP version with a 9,500-pound single line pull and 125 feet of 5/16-inch wire rope, and an HD version with a 12,000-pound single line pull capacity and 80 feet of 3/8-inch wire rope. Other than gearing and cable size, both machines are identical in size and configuration, and both are outfitted with a single-piston compressor offering 5 cfm of air at 90 psi, and a 1/2-gallon intercooler/reservoir. Warn's testing results showed a 35-inch-tall tire aired from 0 to 35 psi in roughly two minutes. As for price, the new PowerPlant is comparable to the classic Warn 8274-50 winch with an MSRP of $1,777, but we'd expect a street price to come in well below that.

Warn Powerplant Winch Aluminum Vented Cover

The PowerPlant is built around a 4.6hp series wound motor and weighs in at roughly 100 pounds, barely 10 pounds more than a similar 9,500-pound rated winch. That extra weight is seen when you remove the strong, vented, aluminum cover of the winch (left). Incidentally, that vented cover is designed to support up to a 250-pound man should he need to stand on the winch when attached to his 4x4, but also allows sufficient airflow for most vehicles. Atop the winch motor and spool rest the air compressor and extruded-aluminum 1/2-gallon tank. The tank helps reduce the heat of the air coming from the compressor while offering a small reserve, and can be drained to release any moisture should the winch take a swim.

From behind you can see the simple three lines that need to be installed for the PowerPlant to work. A power lead and ground run to the battery and the air inlet line and filter are routed up inside the engine bay or even to the cab for a clean supply of fresh air feeding the compressor.
From behind you can see the simple three lines that need to be installed for the PowerPlan
The PowerPlant comes with a new controller specific to this winch with a lateral toggle switch. A divot in on the right side spools cable in. The bump sticking out on the left is for spooling the winch out, and the small switch at the bottom is to turn the compressor on and off. However, the compressor will not run when the winch is running. In fact, between the winch motor and the cable drum or compressor is a small transmission of sorts to switch from the low-grunt gearing needed to pull your 4x4 from the mud to the high range needed to spin the compressor.
The PowerPlant comes with a new controller specific to this winch with a lateral toggle sw
In addition to the winch/compressor, the PowerPlant also includes a long nylon hose, some quick-disconnect couplers, a dual air chuck, and a tire gauge. There is also an air accessory upgrade kit with tire deflators and a heavy-duty tire inflator with a built-in gauge as well as 2 1/2- or 5-gallon auxiliary air tanks and plumbing kits. Plus should your locking differentials run off of air, Warn will offer the proper plumbing schematics to use the PowerPlant to actuate them and still use the winch.
In addition to the winch/compressor, the PowerPlant also includes a long nylon hose, some

Wondering how the Warn compressor compares to some of the others on the market? In laboratory testing Warn found the PowerPlant outpumps all but the largest compressors on the market. In this tailgate test filling a 5-gallon tank from 0 to 100 psi, the Warn unit was twice as fast as a similarly sized compressor that doesn't come with a winch.
Wondering how the Warn compressor compares to some of the others on the market? In laborat
Even with the addition of the compressor, the Warn unit still offers the reliable security for self-recovery with a 5.2 feet-per-minute line speed with 9,500 pounds of load, and 4.2 fpm with 12,000 pounds. However, this is not the machine for long continuous pulling without going to a double line pull due to the built-in thermal protection of the motor, which will shut down the winch for cooling under extreme conditions. This safeguard may slow some severe multipull recovery situations, but also keeps the motor safe for future work both in pulling cable and pumping air.
Even with the addition of the compressor, the Warn unit still offers the reliable security
If you were running tools off of your PowerPlant you would definitely want to have the additional air tanks to act as a reserve, and probably should go with the PowerPlant HD since its added winching capacity would work best on a large commercial truck. Though we wouldn't choose the PowerPlant to replace a medium-capacity job-site compressor, it would be handy should you spend lots of time away from a power source, or if you want to use power tools for field repairs of farm or construction equipment.
If you were running tools off of your PowerPlant you would definitely want to have the add

Now don't think the PowerPlant is all work and no play. Just by adding the appropriate fitting you'll be filling rafts, air mattresses, and pneumatic blenders for campfire margaritas. For all you sharp Toyota fans, Warn also has new FJ Cruiser bumpers that were outfitted on its unique Warn Red Cruiser.
Now don't think the PowerPlant is all work and no play. Just by adding the appropriate fit