I can get a great deal on a Ramsey REP 8.5e. I will be mounting it on my 3rd gen 4runner. http://www.ramsey.com/winches/rep85e.html Is 8500# enough? Will I hate the line speed (15 fpm, no load)?

 

"General" winch rule-of-thumb for off-roading.

Winch should have a load rating 2x the weight of the vehicle. Line or cable should be 2x the load rating of the winch.

So for the 8500 your rig shouldn't weigh more then 4250 and your line or cable should have a minimum load rating of 17,000.

This is just what most 4x'ers I know go by but I'm sure there will be differing opinions.

I like a little more wiggle room so with the rig weight of 4200, winch at 9500 and line at 21950. I feal covered for just about any situation.

 

15 fpm sounds slow to me. At only 2000lbs load that will probably drop down to about 6fpm. But if the price is worth it to you then go for it.
Also, keep in mind that the max force the winch can apply is only produced when the cable is on its first layer of the drum (the inside layer, not the outside one) so you will only get the 8500lb when the cable is payed out to its last 10-15 feet (or whatever).

 

Looking at the specs of quite a few other winches, the rep8.5e is slower under load but only by about 2 fpm. Alot of winches drop speed quickly (no load to 2k) (62-16.3, 35.4-19.7, and 38-14.4) The 8.5e is 15-12. I'm starting to think about spending more (twice as much) and getting the Ramsey Patriot 9500. I'm aslo looking for the best price, if anyone knows of a good place.