Off-road equipment and accessories manufacturer Warn Industries’ new range of re-engineered Zeon winches, which are powered by a redesigned planetary gear train and series wound motor, was launched in April.
The new automotive trans- mission system enables faster, quieter and increased pulling power for the winch, notes manufacturer and distributor of automotive products Control Instruments Automotives (CI-A).
The winch has been well received by the 4 × 4 community and the company has sold more than 100 Zeon winches since the product was introduced.
It has taken Warn three years of research and development to produce the new range of winches.
“The long-term plan for the winch is to standardise its design to reduce the number of parts our service centres need to stock. Therefore, not only is the burden of excess stock eliminated but also the investment needed to buy that stock,” says CI-A product manager Leonard Chester.
A convertible control pack provides various winch-mounting options, with a sealing and corrosion-resistant finish. The range is available with pulling capacities of 3 630 kg, 4 540 kg and 5 440 kg.
“The new winch is a significant upgrade, as it has a faster and stronger motor. It is also appealing to the eye and complements vehicles such as jeeps and various off-road and sports utility vehicles,” says Chester.
He adds that the winch comes standard as a high-profile winch, with customers having the option of relocating the control box to create a low-profile winch. The winch also has an Ingress Protection 68 waterproof rating owing to a double lip seal on both sides of the winch’s drum.
“The drum is no longer spot- welded and is a one-piece unit, which is manufactured from aluminium. This makes it lighter and [reduces] the overall weight of the winch,” explains Chester.
Further, he notes that the drum is compatible with synthetic and steel cables and does not require modification to accommodate either cable type.
“CI-A plans to attend future trade shows, promote direct sales to customers and advertise the product through various traditional ways, such as the print media,” says Chester.
“Consumers need to look at the application of their winches and avoid buying the smallest and cheapest options. The consumer also has to ensure that the parts are made of high-quality material. Cheap winches are made of cheap parts and it is usually those parts that fail under heavy loads,” cautions Chester, adding that consumers also need to consider the quality of after-sales services.
The biggest challenge that the company faces is ensuring that consumers understand why they are paying a premium for the Warn brand.
“The product is usually blamed for failures when the wrong winch has been selected. Consumers need to understand that they have to buy the correct winch for an application,” says Chester.