As part of a new segment, Legacy Classic Trucks Owner and President, Winslow Bent, will be answering questions from clients. The first question involves the winches the Legacy Power Wagons incorporate. 

Why doesn't Legacy Classic Trucks use the original Braden winches on Legacy Trucks?

A: There's actually a number of reasons we've decided to switch winches on our trucks. 

The first – safety. The Braden MU-2 winch has unfortunately killed a lot of people. Most recently we lost the President of the MVPA. For the year following his death, we began to offer the Warn 16,500 lbs winch at cost to members of the MVPA. While nothing of course looks cooler than a Braden, they are obsolete and foreign to many of our clients. 

The second – compatibility. The PTO winch only works with manual transmission Legacy Trucks. 

The third – operation. A Braden winch can be tricky. Growing up I generally worked the clutch from inside the cab as my father handled the cable. We took down many trees and stumps this way. Nowadays, I find that I am generally on my own in the forest and really like to be able to control the whole operation from the front of the truck. To be a little nostalgic, I also put winch control switches into the cab so that it can be run like an old timer. 

The fourth – independence. If the engine is not running, your PTO winch is not working. Every time my cable comes out for "self-recovery" it seems to involve me being in a stream or mud-bog of some sort. This proved very true on my first trek down to Costa Rica in the wet season. 

The fifth – the rear winch. I prefer to have both front and rear winches. By having them both electric, I can control them both at the same time. This is great for setting up a rigging to flip a truck back on its wheels in Moab, for example. It is also nice for when I use one winch as an anchor and the second winch for a pull or re-direct. 

In summation, I have only built two Power Wagons with MU-2 winches. Both of these clients simply thought it looked cool, but would never use them. If clients really want a step-up, we offer a wet kit for the NV4500 and Allison transmissions. This will allow you to run a modern Braden, as well as high-flow implements like snowblowers and augers. 

Have a question of your own that you would like answered? Please shoot us an email at any time. We look forward to hearing from you!