WARN’s AXON 5500- All You Ever Need
In most cases, you will not need to use your winch but it only takes one case to appreciate how you need your winch the most…
Overall Quality
Durability
Weight
Wire Speed
| Part | Weight (lbs) |
| AXON 5500 (Wire Rope) | 25.8 |
| AXON 5500 (Synthetic Rope) | 21.1 |
If you haven’t noticed lately, we’re a big fan of WARN products. No, we don’t use our winch particularly often but we certainly would never leave for a trail ride or race without it. The piece of mind offered by a winch is insanely valuable, to say the least. It’s a very cheap ‘insurance’ policy and a surefire way to build your confidence on a challenging ride. Something many people forget, however, is the abuse that a winch faces: it sits on the front of the vehicle, enduring waves of dust, dirt, water, the elements, everything. Many winches are capable of pulling your vehicle but very few are capable of lasting the rigors of offroading. Most will succumb to corrosion and mechanical deterioration due to poor workmanship and off-shore/outsourced construction. Wouldn’t that be a bad day if, at the point where you were incredibly stuck needing your winch the most, the winch failed to operate properly. WARN products are made right here in the USA (in Oregon)- they’re the epitome of durability and will garner much respect perched atop your trail or race rig.
As an additional characteristic, installation of this winch could not be easier due to the integration of the contactor with the motor. All you need to do for install is connect directly to the battery and run a very simple, provided, switch.
-Draco Motorsports
Quality and Weight
- Weight: 25.8 Pounds (Synthetic Rope Version: 21.1 Pounds)
- Sealing: IP68
- Tie Plated Structural Bracing
Compared to other winches on the market, the AXON is superior in weight savings. Given the power-to-weight ratio of this unit, the AXON dwarfs the capabilities of much larger units. For additional weight reduction and added safety, consider running the synthetic rope. It’s much easier to work with, just be sure to use additional straps for securing to rocks and trees to prevent damage to the winch line. For those who aren’t aware, IP68 pertains to an items ability to prevent the ingress of solids and moisture. IP68 is the highest accolade for testing- it means that the winch is entirely dust tight (for 2 to 8 hours) and is protected against complete water immersion (pressurized) for long periods of time (over 1.5 hours). Don’t settle for less- you absolutely need a winch that is this robust. Compared to the VRX series of winches, the AXON is tie-plated as opposed to using tie-rods. If you expect to do challenging rock crawling trails, where ample vertical pulls are necessary, this structural addition is a necessary consideration.
Overall
It’s no surprise why the best of the best in offroading run WARN products. The winches are incredible and the company behind it is even better. All WARN winches are fully rebuildable and come with multiple warranties to the original purchaser as a guarantee of excellence. Our only complaint is that the AXON 5500 has the slowest wire speed of all the powersport winches that WARN offers- otherwise, this component is an absolute beast. As a general rule of thumb, your winch capacity should be, at an absolute minimum, 1.5 x vehicle weight. We’ve seen individuals run 3500 lb winches on their UTV’s but this is not at all recommended. Stick to a 4500 lb winch at a minimum- run a 5500 if you like to do challenging trails! The difference in winch capacity is VERY noticeable. Bigger is better.
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Greg Torney View All
Driver of the #428 Draco Motorsports Polaris RZR. Co-Driver for the #804 Can-Am X3 during King of the Hammers. Ultra4!!
Torney Race Concepts 