Anyone who has re-spooled 125' of 3/8" wire rope onto a Heavyweight winch by hand understands why the M12-S exists. Same large-frame chassis, same 4.6 hp series-wound motor, same 261:1 three-stage planetary gearbox and the same 12,000 lb rating, but the drum carries 100' of 3/8" Spydura Pro synthetic rope instead. Spydura Pro is heat-treated for tensile strength and runs inside a temperature-resistant sleeve where it passes the drum, which is the part of a synthetic rope's life that gets hottest and wears fastest. It weighs a fraction of steel, it does not store energy under tension, and you can coil it without gloves.
What's Included:
- Warn M12-S winch with 12,000 lb rated line pull
- 100' of 3/8" Spydura Pro synthetic rope with temperature-resistant sleeve, factory spooled
- Aluminum hawse fairlead and alloy hook, as shown in Warn's product photography
- Remote switch with 12' lead
- Removable contactor control pack with Albright contactor
- 2 gauge, 72" battery leads
- Warn operator's manual and mounting hardware
Features
100' of Heat-Treated Spydura Pro Synthetic Rope
Spydura Pro is Warn's higher-specification synthetic line, heat-treated to raise tensile strength and fitted with a temperature-resistant sleeve at the drum end. That sleeve matters more than it sounds: on a long pull, the drum and brake generate real heat, and heat is what degrades ordinary synthetic rope from the inside out.
Safer, Lighter Line Handling
Synthetic rope carries almost no stored energy under load. If it parts it drops rather than recoiling, which is the main reason recovery professionals moved away from wire. It also weighs a fraction of an equivalent steel cable, so re-spooling by hand after a recovery stops being the worst part of the day.
12,000 lb on a Large-Frame Heavyweight Chassis
The frame is the reason this is a Heavyweight rather than a big number on a light winch. Large-frame architecture, heavy-duty drum supports and carrier plates sized for the gear train stress a full-capacity pull generates, which is what lets it take repeated 12,000 lb recoveries rather than one heroic one.
261:1 Three-Stage Planetary Gear Train
A 261:1 reduction turns 4.6 hp into 12,000 lb of pull. It is a deep ratio that trades line speed for torque and for a gearbox that is comfortable holding a heavy load, which is the right compromise on a truck winch that gets used for long recoveries rather than quick tugs.
Pull-by-Layer, Published
12,000 lb on layer one, then 10,054 lb, 8,651 lb, 7,592 lb and 6,764 lb as the drum fills. With 100' of rope this build sits lower on the drum than the 125' steel version at the same working distance, which quietly helps your effective pull.
Automatic Direct-Drive Cone Brake
The cone brake holds the load on the drum instead of leaning on the gearbox to back-drive slowly. When you stop mid-recovery to re-rig on a slope, that is what keeps the load where you left it.
Removable Control Pack, Argent Gray, Built in the USA
The Albright contactor pack lifts off so you can relocate it when a bumper or grille leaves no room in the stock position. The winch wears an Argent Gray powder coat and is designed, engineered and assembled in Clackamas, Oregon, with Warn's limited lifetime mechanical warranty behind it.
Fitment & Compatibility
| Vehicle Class |
Fit |
| Three-quarter-ton trucks, F-250, Silverado 2500, Ram 2500 |
✓ Yes, the M12-S's intended application |
| Full-size half-ton trucks and large SUVs |
✓ Yes, comfortably over-specified |
| One-ton trucks and heavily loaded rigs |
● Workable, but the M15-S or 16.5ti-S is the better match |
| Jeep Wrangler and mid-size 4x4s |
● Overkill on capacity and heavy on the front axle. Consider the VR EVO or ZEON line |
| ATV, UTV and powersports |
✗ No. Use the Warn VRX or AXON line |
Fit guidance: This is a universal-fit winch, not a vehicle-specific part. Size it by weight: a rated pull of at least 1.5 times gross vehicle weight is the working rule, which puts 12,000 lb at home on vehicles up to roughly 8,000 lb. It bolts to the industry-standard 10" x 4.5" pattern, but at 24.08" long it is a large-frame winch, so confirm your bumper or winch plate is rated for a Heavyweight-series unit. A winch-ready bumper or dedicated winch plate is required; no mount is included.
Specifications
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Model: M12-S
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Part Number: 97720
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Rated Line Pull: 12,000 lb (5,440 kg) single line, first layer
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Motor: 12V DC, 4.6 hp series wound
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Geartrain: 3-stage planetary
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Gear Ratio: 261:1
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Brake: Automatic direct-drive cone
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Clutch: Rotating ring gear free-spool
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Electrical Controls: Removable control pack with Albright contactor
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Remote Control: Remote switch, 12' (3.7m) lead
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Rope: 100' of 3/8" Spydura Pro synthetic rope, heat-treated, with temperature-resistant sleeve
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Drum Diameter and Length: 3.5" / 8.2" (9cm / 21cm)
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Line Speed, No Load: 30 ft/min (9.1 m/min), 67 amps
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Line Speed at 12,000 lb: 3.9 ft/min (1.2 m/min), 440 amps
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Pull by Layer: Layer 1: 12,000 lb · Layer 2: 10,054 lb · Layer 3: 8,651 lb · Layer 4: 7,592 lb · Layer 5: 6,764 lb
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Overall Dimensions: 24.08" x 10.53" x 9.79" (612mm x 267.5mm x 248.7mm)
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Mounting Bolt Pattern: 10" x 4.5" (254mm x 114.3mm)
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Battery Leads: 2 gauge, 72" (1.83m)
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Recommended Battery: 650 CCA minimum for winching
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Finish: Argent Gray powder coat
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Country of Origin: USA
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Shipping Weight: 102 lb
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UPC: 012748977209
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Warranty: Limited lifetime mechanical, limited 7 year electrical
Installation
Type: Bolt-in to a winch plate, winch-ready bumper or winch carrier, plus a battery connection · Time: About 1 to 2 hours with the mount already fitted · Tools: Socket and wrench set, torque wrench, and a second person or a hoist, because the winch is heavy · Difficulty: Intermediate
Bolt the winch to a plate or bumper rated for a large-frame Heavyweight winch on the 10" x 4.5" pattern and torque to Warn's spec. Fit the hawse fairlead so the rope runs through it without touching an edge, and check the aperture for burrs before the first pull, because a sharp edge is what destroys synthetic rope. Decide early where the removable control pack will live, and route the 2 gauge leads to the battery clear of exhaust, steering and suspension travel. Cycle the clutch and run the winch both directions under no load before the first real recovery.
Resources
Everything you need for your Warn M12-S Self-Recovery Winch, in one place.
Warranty, Shipping & Returns
Warranty. Warn limited lifetime warranty on mechanical components and a limited seven year warranty on electrical components.
Free shipping. This item ships free to the lower 48 states. Because it is an oversized item, it ships by freight and typically arrives in 3 to 7 business days.
Inspect on delivery. Please inspect the packaging before signing. If you see any damage, note it on the delivery receipt and contact us right away, and we will make it right.
About Warn
Warn Industries has been building vehicle recovery gear in the Pacific Northwest since 1948, when Arthur Warn started out converting surplus military Jeeps for road use with a locking hub of his own design. The hubs turned into winches, and the winches turned Warn into the name that off-roaders, ranchers, utility fleets and search-and-rescue crews reach for when something has to come out of somewhere it should not be. The Heavyweight series is the top of that line, and Warn designs, engineers and assembles it in Clackamas, Oregon.
What separates Warn from the price-led end of the winch market is that it treats a winch as a safety device rather than an accessory. Series-wound motors, real cone brakes, sealed contactor control packs and gear trains rated for the number printed on the box are the reason decades-old Warn winches still pull. It is also why Warn publishes full pull-by-layer and amp-draw tables instead of a single headline figure, and why the mechanical side of the warranty runs for the life of the product.
Prestige Truck is an authorized Warn dealer. Every winch we sell is new, factory-boxed, covered by the full Warn factory warranty, and supported through Warn's own dealer network.
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