Mile Marker Electric Winch Review E12000 & E9000 models

 

Competition is a great thing – really. Whether it’s two competitors dukeing it out on a rock course, or more than one manufacturer making a similar product – competition drives the opposing forces to do or make something better, faster, stronger or even less expensive– which of course is a great thing for the consumer. This brings us to the review in hand, the Mile Marker electric E12000 and E9000 winches.

For years, Mile Marker dominated the hydraulic winch industry, while Warn and Ramsey ruled the electric lineup. Only the last year or so have some new players, such as Mile Marker and T-Max enter into the electric winch market. This very competition has turned the tides for those of us who have always wanted a winch for our rigs, but chose to invest our hard-earned clams on products that net us more traction, more articulation or more bling.

For the cost-conscious, weekend wheeler, a winch is something every 4-wheel drive should have-but it’s a lot like a first aid kit-you hope you will never have to use it. Since most winches only get used a handful of times throughout the year, the “cost-per-pull” doesn’t provide a big return on your investment. In short, if you spread the cost of a name-brand, $1,000 winch over a year in which you only use 5 times, it’ll cost you about $200 per use. That’s a lot of dough, so does it justify spending big money on a big name, or is it worth taking a look at the newer, more competitive (read: less expensive) winches in the market?

The point we’re driving at here is this. Should you purchase a winch that is ultimately less expensive (overall, and ‘per-pull’) so that you can put your savings to good use somewhere else? Or does the old adage of “you get what you pay for” ring true here?

Perhaps the answer to the question lies in the specification charts, or you can read our product review and test findings, and see more great action photos.

 Mile Marker E12000 & E9000 Specifications

 

E12000 E9000
 

Features
Limited 2 year warranty, 3-stage planetary gear system for fast line speed, Freespooling. Automatic load-holding brake. Power In and Power Out. Roller fairlead. 12 Ft Handheld Remote Switch. 
Technical Specifications
Part Number 76-50050C
Gear Train Planetary -265:1
Overall Dimensions {LxWxH} 21.3 in x 6.3 in x 8.3 in
[542 mm x 160 mm x 218 mm]
Motor Series wound, 5.5HP
Cable 3/8″ x 100′ (14,400 lbs. nominal) Galvanized
Aircraft Cable With Replaceable Hook.
 
Total Weight 100 lbs.
Bolt Pattern 10″ x 4.5″

 
Performance Specifications
Performance of 1st cable layer
Line Pull
Line Speed (approx)
Current (amp)
Lbs. Kgs. FPM MPM  
0 0 21.3 6.5 65
2000 907 11.5 3.5 126
4000 1814 9.4 2.85 175
6000 2722 7.9 2.4 230
8000 3620 6.5 2 280
10000 4532 5.7 1.75 355
12000 5440 4.4 1.35 400

Line pull and cable capacity by layer
Lbs. Kgs. Ft M
1/12000 5440 16 5
2/9210 4170 42 12
3/8030 3640 72 21
4/6894 3125 94 28
 
 

Features
Limited 2 year warranty, 3-stage planetary gear system for fast line speed, Freespooling. Automatic load-holding brake. Power In and Power Out. 12 Ft Handheld Remote Switch. 
Technical Specifications
Part Number 76-50040C
Gear Train Planetary
Overall Dimensions {LxWxH} 21.45 in x 6.00 in x 6.38 in
[530.86 mm x 152 mm x 162 mm]
Motor Permanent Magnet (12 V), 4.5HP
Cable 3/8″ x 100′ (14,400 lbs. nominal) Galvanized
Aircraft Cable With Replaceable Hook.
 
Total Weight 82 lbs.
Bolt Pattern 10″ x 4.5″

 
Performance Specifications
Performance of 1st cable layer
Line Pull
Line Speed (approx)
Current (amp)
Lbs. Kgs. FPM MPM 12V 24V
0 0 10 3.0 35 30
2000 900 8.8 2.7 85 60
4000 1810 7.3 2.2 130 110
6000 2710 6 1.8 200 160
8000 3620 5 1.5 260 240
9000 4086 4.3 1.3 300 280

Line pull and cable capacity by layer
Lbs. Kgs. Ft M
1/9000 4086 15 5
2/7300 3318 38 11.5
3/6200 2818 64 19.5
4/5400 2454 95 29
5/4200 1900 100 30.5

 

 

 

Test Results – Mile Marker E12000 Electric Winch

 

Location:
Central Indiana – running creek bed with soft sand and a clay bottom
The torture(d) rig:
A Ford Explorer buried into the riverbed’s soft sand and sticky clay as deeply as possible. (We managed to get the sand and clay past the frame and surrounding the lower parts of the transmission and transfer case, so we consider this quite stuck.)
The test rig:
Our ’74 FJ40 project rig with a MileMarker E12000 winch and Optima yellow-top battery
The plan:
See if the 12,000-pound pulling capacity winch would retrieve the stuck vehicle, or conversely stall, break, or overheat.

The ‘Playing Field’ (a.k.a. The Product Review Process):
We buried the poor Explorer beyond the frame so that two tires (one front and one rear) were suspended in the water, but not on terra firma. The composition of the soft, top sand layer combined with the lower sticky Mid West clay provided a really good suction effect. The goal was to get the Explorer as stuck as possible, so that even a tractor couldn’t get it out, as you can see from the pictures on the right.

With the Explorer completely stuck in the riverbed, we move our project Land Cruiser behind the vehicle (about 40 feet) and, by using our twin-stick Dana 300 transfer case, spun the front tires to sufficiently bury them (to secure the vehicle).

We then spooled out enough winch line to secure the winch line hook to the Class IV receiver hitch on the Explorer. Raising the RPM’s slightly, we then began the extraction process.

The entire extraction process lasted about 7 minutes, which consisted of approximately 6 total minutes of pulling time. During the extraction process we were able to stall the winch for a period of 1 minute and 40 seconds until the [stuck] vehicle started to give way. During the period of time the winch stalled, it did NOT overheat, break, shut down or show any signs of ‘giving up the ghost’, it just simply reached the capacity of pulling power, which with the amount of winch rope still on the drum, we roughly calculated was about 10,000 pounds of pulling power.
NOTE: We did contemplate using a winch block pulley to effectively double the winch’s pulling power, but we considered the winch rope is only rated for 14,400 pounds and didn’t want to risk breaking the cable and injuring someone or something.

The verdict:
  • The MileMarker E12000 winch performed admirably and as advertised.
  • Installation of the winch is standard and easy to accomplish. Wiring, mounting and securing the winch is standard fare. NOTE: We did have to purchase a winch mounting plate from a competitor because MileMarker didn’t sell them at the time we received the winch.
  • Putting the winch into ‘full stall’ did not cause it to overheat or break in any way.
  • Line speed (both loaded and unloaded) was faster than we anticipated, and slightly better than average.
  • The winch controls are different from most with a side-by-side ‘rocker’ style button. It took a few minutes to get used to the controls, but now I prefer the rocker-style switch mechanism. The 12-foot long winch remote cable is plenty long and reached into the driver’s compartment with a foot or so to spare.
  • Fit and finish of the winch is below average. In short, the winch looks very industrial, but doesn’t do anything to compliment the front of your rig. If you are looking for a winch to ‘look good’, then you’re better off buying something else. If you’re looking for a winch that performs well, and want to save some money doing it, then look no further than the MileMarker E12000 or E9000 winch.

    Long-term Testing Update:

    After 1 year of light to moderate use, our findings are:

  • The winch gears in both winches have become noisey with a moderate grinding sound
  • The E12000 winch has gone through 2 control / relay boxes
  • The E9000 winch has gone through 1 control / relay box  
  • The E12000 winches clutch handle is becoming difficult to engage / dis-engage

    In conclusion, our findings are that these are inexpensive winches designed for infrequent use. While they provide good pulling power to their advertised strength, there is a question of longevity.

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    Mile Marker
    1450 SW 13th Ct.,
    Pompano Beach, FL 33069
    Phone: 1-800-886-8647
    Email: info@milemarker.com
    Website: www.milemarker.com

    About Rick Webster

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