Should a company with a long-standing history be held in higher regard than the new kids on the block? Should we demand more from them just because they have time on their side? We’ve pondered these questions many times while deciding whom to give our hard earned cash to for a sale. It would seem we have been let down in the past with purchases made from outfits with long-standing names only to find out that we had been duped. Somehow, the suits and number crunchers in the upper offices occasionally find a way to water down just about anything. Undiscouraged, we put our trust in yet another name, this one with 70-years under their belt, and we are pleased to say that our Ramsey Patriot 9500UT didn’t disappoint.
Ramsey used the same recipe to design the Patriot winch as many other companies with famously long lasting and beloved items. First they created an uncompromising, world beating product for the masses with internals as reliable as an anvil. Ramsey then only changed said design through the years as proven materials and technologies provided. That’s right, this is how the Dana 44, small block Chevy V-8 and Reese’s peanut butter cups became some of the names we love and trust. Mmmm….
Our Patriot 9500UT may look like the same Ramsey units that have been produced for years, and you would be right. The only external difference being the “UT” designation, which tells us that ours came with the semi-automatic clutch system; it also came with a wireless control option for those sticky situations we manage to get ourselves in. Our unit has 9500 lb of pulling force on the standard 105-ft of aircraft cable and is ready for business as the thick, durable power coated finish means it will be around a while. We could go on beating a dead horse about installing it, but with a roller fairlead sporting the normal bolt spacing along with the 4.5X10 winch base pattern, we’ll skip it for now.
Wiring up the wireless remote was a simple procedure as well. The remote and controller can also be purchased separately for the Ramsey line of winches or other brands. The “brain box” of the wireless controller plugs into the same outlet on the winch the included wired remote control goes in. From there, find a secure, dry place to mount the relay box and attach the supplied ground. We found a place right beside our under hood fuse box to screw it down. The only other piece of equipment for the wireless remote is the antenna. This means a clear signal will reach the winch from 30-m every time. Trying to find a place on this rig that had not already been littered with trail scars and dents was a feat in itself. Luckily the magnetic base means that if we do manage to smack it off on the trail, it can easily be reattached. We let My-Little-Pony Apple-Jack watch it for now.
Here at 4WDrive we have bolted up and tested more winches then we care to remember and have read warnings on other brands about kicking or using excessive force on clutch levers. The Patriot needs no such warning and its silky smooth operation speaks volumes to the design and manufacturing involved in an upper echelon winch. Ramsey went one step further and designed a seldom talked about semi-automatic clutch system too. This gives the option of engaging the clutch after being in free spool mode by simply jogging the winch line in with the remote. If you’re a competition guy, think about how much time this would save your spotter by not having to run back to the winch after spooling cable out. For wheelers like us who constantly forget to engage the clutch after hooking up the line, it’s one less thing to get laughed at for around the fire.
What Ramsey brings to the table is a proven design, by a company who cares about who buys its products and understands the end users demands. Our Patriot isn’t going to win any styling awards with plastic wings or flashy paint jobs and it was never meant to (thanks for that). Buying an off-road tool like a winch is an exercise in trust; you have to trust the company that made it, trust that it will get you home at the end of the day, and know it will do so every time, trust us!
