Anyone know anything about the Hickey Sidewinder winch?? There's a guy around here selling one I was thinking about picking up, thought I'd see if anyone had used one and what the verdict was.

I actually still have one. It was initially mounted in a 1976 Blazer. Over time the leaf springs in the front broke down due to the weight. I took it out and installed a three leaf spring system and never put it back. Ended up getting a mounting kit in the early 90's for a 76 F-250 and will be getting around to mounting this winter or spring once I finish my MBA.
The Hickey is actually a very strong pulling winch, and I never powered it out. It is a real slow pulling unit, but it will continue to pull as long as it has juice. I am fortunate as I purchased a rebuild kit in the 80's. The last owner was not Advanced Adapters. They sold it to another person in Paso Robles California and he ended up going out of business. Depending on the year of the model for sale, the motor for the winch may be 1940's military surplus. You can still get it rebuilt if you can find a good starter rebuild shop. I will be checking with a local business in Silver City, New Mexico for the rebuild, and if not I know of another person in Greenlee Arizona who definately can do the job. He rebuilt a Landrover starter for me some years back. I still have a copy of the schematics and may have a copy of the owners manual on hand. Let me know if you need more help.

I have a sidewinder mounted on a CJ-5.

Pulls great. I have had the Jeep and a trailer full of wood and stuck more than once - and the winch has pulled us right out. The worst stuck was a full trailer and Jeep, mud to the floorboards and a dead battery. The only way I could get the winch to pull was to keep my finger on the "in" switch and turn the key - with each key turn the winch pulled in a few inches at a time.

But it got us out!

:beer
Bill

Land Rover,

I could sure use some help or info on the sidewinder winch by Hickey. I have been trying to get some simple straightforward info on testing the unit by directly attaching jumper cables to the three posts on the motor.
I do not know the correct sequence in attaching the clamps to these posts. Perhaps your wiring diagram or owners manual might explain this in detail.

Thanks,
West Coast

Lotsabroncos,
Did you get any info on your sidewinder winch???
I am at a standstill until I can get infor on the basic testing of the forward and reverse operation of the unit.

West Coast

You have posted multiple times about this winch and have been told how to test it. Not only that but everyone has told you it uses the same motor setup a the Warn #8274 winches do(3 post) so even if you could find nothing about the Hickey why not look up a Warn #8274?

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/578817/fullsize/winch-diagram.jpgSet the motor or complete winch on a bench or your floor.
1) Hook a negative jumper cable to the motor case.
2) Run a small jumper wire from terminal A to F1
3) Touch your positive jumper cable to F2 (the motor should spin)
4) Run the small jumper wire from terminal A to F2
5) Touch your positive jumper cable to F1 (motor should spin in opposite direction as it last did

I got 2 hicky sidewinders i want to run them front and rear! just gotta get around to mounting them and such


Ray