A Winch with an Air Compressor - Who'd of Thought?

When Warn first announced it's two new PowerPlant winches that incorporate an air compressor and winch together in one unit, I thought that they were an answer to a question no one asked.  Plus, I thought the PowerPlants looked pretty big to be installing on a Jeep or other utility vehicle.

I've been converted.  The PowerPlant HP's powerful 4.6 hp motor with 156:1 gear ratio runs the winch at respectable speeds - almost 30 fpm under no load.  When pulling a Jeep up a ledge, the speed is fast enough to allow us to actually drive the vehicle as the winch pulls, a major plus when you don't want to be hanging over a cliff for very long.  The air compressor is superb.  I have a portable 12 volt compressor that puts out a respectable 3.0 cfm at 0 psi, pretty fast for airing up tires in the backcountry.  The PowerPlant HP's compressor puts out 12 cfm at 0 psi!  It's speedy.  

JK Wrangler owners found out quickly that there is little to no room under the hood for mounting 12 volt air compressors.  You can mount one inside the Jeep, but it takes up needed cargo room.  The PowerPlant HP puts the compressor and winch together, making a clean, easy to install package. The admittedly large size doesn't look so bad now that we've seen them mounted on vehicles, although the PowerPlant's dimensions sometimes makes them impossible to mount on/in some bumpers. My Hansen Offroad JK bumper has a cut out for a winch, but the PowerPlant doesn't fit.  Many JK bumpers allow a PowerPlant to mount completely between the frame rails, minimizing its vertical "footprint".
 
If you think this is blatant advertorial for Warn, think again. Warn doesn't advertise in our magazine (silly Warn). A good test to use when finding out what editors think the best products really are, especially in a field such as this where most of the products are good, are to look at what they put on their personal vehicles. I put a Warn PowerPlant HP on our 4WD&SU magazine JK Unlimited and would use one on my own vehicle if it fit. It doesn't, so I'm keeping my Warn 9.5xp on that Jeep.