David13

That may well be a better idea, Retro, if I can get in there to mount it. I also didn't like the idea of mounting it to the plastic at the trunk area. If I can get it up there by the steering I won't have to drive all over the state looking for wire. I'll post about the continuing saga, but maybe later as I have a ibt of a cold at this time. And cold weather out doesn't help it. dc

Yes, that is definitely a nice looking bumper. Myself, I just went with the official Honda rear bumper It was a bit expensive, over $200, I think, but I did get a discount on it. I did not go with their front bumper, which I thought added very little to the bumper that came on the Rancher 420. But there was basically nothing on the back, so the bumper was a nice addition. However, I haven't had anyone run into me, and haven't backed into anything yet, so I don't know how well it would work. dc

Well, Shadetree, I have no real idea as to how it is possible that the Warn wires won't reach. All I can tell you is ... they don't. I can get out there with the camera and take some photos that might explain it. But I can give a narrative here. First, I mounted the winch in the front, on the KFI bracket, at the front and center, behind the bumper with the bracket onto the end of a center portion of the frame. There is tubular frame on both sides leading to the rear, this again the 2019 Honda Rancher 420 (I think). Running the wires from the winch, down the side of the tubular frame, either outside or inside the tubular frame, the wires reach to just about the seat area, almost to the edge of the battery. Thus, to go to the trunk or tool box further back they are somewhat less than a foot or two short. Thus I'm looking for the same wire to cut to exact length. As to the explanation, I don't know. They say that things are bigger in Texas, and maybe then, they are smaller down there in Arkansas. Maybe that is the explanation, that you have installed on smaller ATVs, and/or maybe I got a Texas ATV over here in Utah. And that explains it. I do know that I have been informed that the Rancher 420 got bigger in 2014/2015. They went to the same frame or chassis as the Foreman, or something like that. Anyway, I'll try to get some photos to show it, which may explain it. Thanks for your comments. dc

All my trips so far (one year into it) have been 4 to 6 hours. But none the less, I usually take with me all those things except the tent and sleeping bag. I have yet to get to that, but I will. And I bring it all back. The only thing I don't bring back that I take is a sandwich. I usually eat that, but usually don't even get to the chips or candy bars. Oh, water, I do drink water all along the way. Yes I have two large Kolpin boxes, one front, one rear. And they usually are full. Also I pick up trash on the way back in, so I usually have a bag of aluminum cans, bottles, empty water bottles, and maybe some cardboard containers. That way the forest, trail, etc is in (somewhat) better condition than when I went out there. It's amazing how little regard people have for the beauty of the natural world that they would throw their trash out there like that. dc

I ordered a bag of 40 8mm, Moto something or other brand. Exact OEM and all that. On the new application, I didn't want to stretch out the hole and use the 10 mm, so I just ordered the 8 mm. But I think you are right, as they get older and looser, probably the 10 will be the solution. Now if I can find some wire. Thanks dc

I'm mounting my Warn winch on the 2019 Honda Rancher. I want to put the controller in the trunk or back tool area. The wires from Warn are not long enough to reach back there. I tried Home Depot and Napa auto. Home Depot has 8 gauge but it's very stiff wire. The wires that came with the winch are quite flexible. Soft, really, but stranded copper. Napa has somewhat softer but still stiff enough. And ideas where I can get the same wire Warn supplies with the winch? Thanks dc

I'm all in favor of going out and having a little fun, but i'm beginning to think some of you carry it all just a little too far. But then, I don't drink, so that may change the equation a bit. I have yet to get stuck or even see anyone stuck. Tho' I did see a bow hunter with his pickup (large) with (large) camper shell wtih 4 flat tires in the middle of the trail. And I have installed the winch, not the wires yet, so ... it's a new year. dc

Well it turns out that the Honda snap tabs I have are 10 mm and they fit the car, the Honda car, but the atv uses 8 mm so I had to order some. Partzilla had them for $.45 each, but I found some aftermarket on Amazon for 40 for $5.95 so I ordered those. I have both after market and official Honda on the 10 mm size and found they are the same. And when they come in a pack of 10 or 40 if they are bad or defective or break, one can just replace them. dc

Well, time for another episode in the continuing winter long saga of putting a winch (Warn) on the 2019 Rancher 420. I got the KFI bracket. Rocky Mountain ATV MC still hasn't given me a refund on the Warn bracket. I talked to them 3 times and they keep asking me for the hardware, which, 3x I told them I returned it with the bracket, which I did. I'll see what they say tomorrow. After about 6 or 8 tries, I lost count, I got the KFI bracket on and bolted down. I had to take off some of the black plastic grill below the headlights but then half put it back in before I put the bumper on, with the bracket and winch bolted onto the bumper. To get it all together I had to squeeze the winch down somewhat smaller, so I hope it still runs that way. Without the squeezing down it would not all have fit into the limited space there. I have two bags of the Honda snap tabs, those usually break after one use. Fortunately I have quite a few of them, as several broke taking off the front plastic. I still have to figure out what to cut the plastic with on the brush guard. That has to be cut around the winch, it won't squeeze any smaller to get around that. I don't know what to use to cut it. Maybe a Dremel or an angle grinder. Any suggestions on that would be appreciated. Then it's trying to run the wires. I think I will follow the advice here and elsewhere and mount the controller in the back. I'll have to get some wire tabs and cut the wire as the wire is too long to go one foot to the battery from the back, it's 4 feet long. The controller wire may be too short. I'll see. I do not like the way the switch is meant to mount on a double bracket on the handle bars. Maybe I can mount it downward, instead of upward, or even use a different switch, maybe mounted onto the plastic somewhere. That can go last. I didn't like some of the hardware that came with the winch so yesterday I was out shopping for nuts and bolts that I liked. Today was a nice sunny day of low 40s. But now we are going to be under 32 degrees for at least a week. Someone said it will start getting nicer on February 15. We have passed the shortest day, so now the days are getting longer. And I'm starting to think of summer weather on the trails, or maybe motorcycle riding. I think I will devote most all weekends to trail riding, tho'. That's what I got an atv for. But it's a long way off. Last year I didn't get to the top of the mountains til late May or June, I haven't even started on the motorcycle forks. But there's still time yet. dc

What I did was go into the nearest dealers and ask for the out the door price. I didn't want the base price, the msrp price, just the total, all included out the door price. And when I got that from one which was $600 less than the other, I went with it. I had 2 dealers nearby, 50 miles each in different directions. So that was a toss up but the $600 difference made the decision for me. Also a purchasers discount for anything else bought at the dealer. I do my own service so that meant nothing. But I suppose either one would do good service. I suppose I could have done better by going to the big city, but that's 100 to 150 miles. I was going to go with the Pioneer 500 but a neighbor let me drive his and it was ... too noisy. And I'm real happy with the Rancher 420. dc

Well, today I got out to try again to mount the Warn winch on the Warn mounting bracket, using a long box/open end to come across the winch to hold the bolts going up on the end of the frame into the Warn mount. It won't work. I got the winch in, the bumper back one, and all bolts lined up, but there isn't any room to put the wrench in and across to the bolts. So it all came off and I'll send the bracket back and get or try the KFI. I notice a video where they put a Warn winch on a 2016 Rancher, but it's obvious that it's a different bracket. He calls it a Honda/Warn winch. So it looks like Warn sells a different bracket for the Honda sold Honda/Warn winch and their own bracket. But I think also there may be some differences in the 2017 and the 2019. Unless that lousy video is just phony and he really doesn't tighten those mounting bolts down like that. dc

I think I paid $226 for the Warn 2500. Mount plate was $86 both with free shipping. I only heard bad things about the Harbor Freight winch, that it failed first time they used it. And saw videos about them failing online. Mine mounts to the frame at the back, and to the bumper on the front, so half and half. But it looks like it will be solid enough. I don't think I'll get to use it much. But who knows. Maybe with a winch I'll go ahead and get stuck a lot. dc

I think he meant Ojibwe. When I was a kid in Michigan in the center of town there was an Ojibway Island. Just a park in the middle of the town. It was pronounced there as oh JIB way. I always thought it to be an Indian name akin to Chippewa. dc

Don't the loggers just stand on the ground and cut the tree down? That's the way we did it when I went into the mountains with my wood burning friends. dc

A year or two ago I was having dinner with some friends when one man, Ted said he was going to cut down the tree in his front yard. Another lady heard him and got set off, saying he couldn't cut a living tree, etc, that it was all wrong. He said he would do what he wanted. It sounded funny so I thought I should get involved. The story was, many years ago, (30 or 40) when his house was his mother's house, he had a living Christmas tree and he was planting it in the front yard. His mother yelled out the front door "don't you plant that tree in my front yard, it will block my view of the church across the street". He yelled back, it's just a little tree, it won't block your view. Well now, 30 or 40 years later, the tree is a monster and blocks his view of the church across the street, which he doesn't like, just like his mother. So I went over with a wood burning buddy (cost of propane was too high) and my friend said, "tell him we will cut it down and do all clean up for $200. I called Ted and told him $200 and he gasped as if I had said $2,000 or $20,000, and said he would borrow his son's chain saw and cut it down himself. Ted is 76 at that time. The next thing I heard is Ted is in the hospital. He fell out of the tree while he was cutting it down and shattered both his hips where they couldn't do surgery and he had to be off his feet for 6 months til he healed. So he was in a hospital bed or rest home bed for 6 months. When we talked to him he said he was doing better every day and did fully recover after some time.. He did finally admit that it would have been better to just pay us the $200. He might be 76 but some guys just have to learn the hard way. Or, 30 or 40 years ago, if his mother says don't plant that tree in the front yard, just take it behind the house and plant it there. There was another guy in the same neighborhood who apparently did the same thing, cutting a tree and fell somehow (they don't know how as they just found him laying on the ground) and was very badly injured. He only recovered enough to be released to a wheel chair, then passed away as the result of his injuries and complications. And he was 10 or more years younger than Ted. A good question is, what were these guys doing up in the tree to cut it down any way. dc

There is a Christmas tree farm behind my house, and a large field. The field is the basic home of about 20 deer. They are all bedded down near the Christmas trees this morning. 26 degrees. Too cold for them so far they aren't up. It's a beautiful sunny but short day today so I need to go for a drive to the big city. Two more days and then the days get longer. And I start thinking about summer. We had a little snow this year, but it's long gone, just some still on the mountain tops. I haven't started up any of the trails, it's too cold out there for me. But I'm going to see if a buddy will be taking his dogs out on the trails Saturday morning, if I can go along. We'll see snow then at the higher elevations. Another day to give thanks to God for being alive. (Like every day). dc

I have one shed like Shadetrees for the motorcycle. My plan is to get another one for the atv. As far as tools I don't think I will ever have enough. One tool I had that I left behind in Los Angeles was the 12 ton press. I see some of you have the 20 ton press. I had the Harbor Freight 12 ton, and I think I want to get another one of those, but I'm wondering if it is big enough, or if I should get the 20 ton. The 12 ton seemed to be enough for wheel bearings, etc. What would I need the 20 ton for? Thanks dc

I'm about 15 years older than you. I have a new atv so I almost feel left out about doing work on it, as it doesn't need anything other than usual maintenance and a winch. And I don't want to ride in winter. My motorcycle is 10 years old so I'm starting to get a little work to do on it. My car doesn't need much either, tho' it's old. So if anything I'd like more wrenching to do. More projects. But the others are right, you have to stay active. Sitting around doing nothing will kill you. As to the hands glucosamine chondroitin helps with the soreness stiffness in the hands. A lot of mechanics use it, or anyone who works with their hands and it can help a lot. There are a lot of other vitamin and mineral supplements too that may help with that. But that's between you and your doctor but your best health is good nutrition. For me there's no question that the vitamin and mineral supplements are what keeps me going and no doctor has ever told me that. In fact I have heard of doctors telling people to avoid those things. I suppose they don't want anything cutting into their business. But I know what's right and what has worked for me. I have a new house also, so nothing to do there. I work part time at physical labor (25) hours. But I could still accomplish a lot. I'm happy to take my time installing the winch, as when it's done I've got nothing else to do. A challenge is always good for me. I like being able to find out the answer or the part or the tool. You are young yet. But do it the way you want to do it. Maybe you just need a vacation. Sit on the beach for a few days to figure it out. But you have a long way to do yet. So line it up so it suits you best. And feels right for you. dc

I do suppose that if I did need the winch, say last summer, I would have liked to have it. But I wonder how long I would have waited until someone else came along ... with a winch. My experience as a kid was that rope is not very strong but cable was. So any pulling out of a ditch that we did, we wanted cable, not rope. But I know today they have much stronger rope. And new rope is always stronger than old rope. I ordered 4 tow straps or tree savers and they are all fabric. But again the stronger fabric of today. This atv is for recreation for me. It will probably never see a day of work. So if there is an issue, I'm just along for the ride, one way or another. Some people say the adventure begins when something goes wrong. dc

The Warn winch comes with a roller fairlead. Also cable, which I prefer. No plow. We just don't have that much snow here. At least for the least few years. The truth is, I probably won't use this winch much at all. I was out on the trails every week last summer and never had an opportunity to use a winch. Just a lot of people telling me I should have one, and once that one opportunity comes up to use it, I'll appreciate it. I have a friend in a Toyota FJ and he's out on the trails all the time, stuck 3 times in 7 years. And one time where no trees were to pull onto. He carries a shovel and digs himself out (so he says, I haven't seen it, and I been out with him a lot.) dc

At the moment I'm only having a problem with the Warn mount plate. As I say that's because they use bolt holes onto the frame, at the top, which the KFI has tabs that bend over the sides and over the holes where the bumper bolts in. Those are just far more easily accessible. Thanks dc

Another episode in the continuing saga of trying to install the winch. Having ciphered out the issues at least of the winch mount I tried to mount the winch. I found that the winch cannot be on the Warn bracket until the bracket is installed. Then, because the Warn uses the holes in the top of the frame for mounting, unlike the KFI which uses the side holes, along with the mount of the bumper bolts, that the mount had to be mounted before the winch was placed into the mount. Then I found some difficulty in getting the bolts to insert upright, which they must do to clear the bumper bolts coming in from the side. Then I found it to be impossible to get a socket on the bolt head of the plate mounting bolts facing upward. So I determined that was why Rocky Mountain atv mc had sent me a mount that had been returned to them from a previous buyer. Mainly it looked like it wouldn't work and I'd need to get the KFI bracket. But watching the official Warn video, the one of low quality, I see he mounts the bracket loose, puts in the winch and tightens all down by placing a long 12 mm box end wrench from the other side onto the bolt head. I should go back and do a loose mount to see if indeed that would work to tighten the mount bolts down after the winch is in place. But, since my longest 12 mm is 5" and it would take one more than 5 1/4" to reach across the bracket, I ordered one online. One which is 7 5/8" long which ought to be long enough to reach across and hold the bolt head while tightening the nut above. So, when I get the wrench I'll see if it works, or I do have to return the bracket.. I have found a store with no. 6 and 8 wire, so if the wires won't reach to the tool box I can make some longer ones. Also putting the contactor/controller in the back tool box means the switch wire has to go all the way back there. I don't know if that's long enough. I may just mount the switch near the back of the seat somewhere, anyway. It's nice that I have all winter to do this as it looks like it may take all winter. dc

LIKE Or Like Or like. I'll try to see if it comes up on the latest thread and try a screen shot. dc