At 15,000 lb the argument for synthetic rope stops being about convenience and starts being about consequences. A 7/16" wire rope under that load stores an enormous amount of energy, and everyone who works around winches has heard what happens when one lets go. The M15-S puts 80' of 3/8" Spydura Pro on the same large-frame Heavyweight chassis instead: heat-treated for tensile strength, sleeved against the heat the drum generates on a long pull, and terminated in an alloy EPIC hook. It carries the same 4.6 hp series-wound motor, the same 315:1 three-stage planetary gearbox and the same best-in-class cone brake as the wire-rope M15. It just fails safe rather than dangerously, and it weighs a great deal less in your hands.
What's Included:
- Warn M15-S winch with 15,000 lb rated line pull
- 80' of 3/8" Spydura Pro synthetic rope with temperature-resistant sleeve, factory spooled
- Alloy EPIC hook
- Aluminum hawse fairlead, 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
80' of Heat-Treated Spydura Pro Synthetic Rope
Spydura Pro is Warn's higher-specification synthetic line. It is heat-treated to raise tensile strength and runs inside a temperature-resistant sleeve where it wraps the drum, which is where heat from a long, heavy pull concentrates. On a 15,000 lb winch, that sleeve is doing real work, not marketing.
Fails Safe, Not Dangerously
Synthetic rope carries almost no stored energy under tension. If it parts it falls to the ground instead of recoiling, which at 15,000 lb is the single strongest argument for it. It is also light enough to walk out by hand across a recovery site without turning that into the hardest part of the job.
Alloy EPIC Hook
The M15-S ships with Warn's EPIC hook rather than a plain latched hook. The forged alloy body and the wide throat are sized for the loads this winch generates, and the latch geometry is designed to stay closed under side load rather than working itself open.
15,000 lb on Large-Frame Winch Mounts
The M15-S uses the same large-frame Heavyweight architecture as the wire-rope M15: high-strength carrier plates and heavy-duty drum supports engineered around the gear train stress a 15,000 lb pull produces. The rating follows the structure.
315:1 Three-Stage Planetary and a Best-in-Class Cone Brake
A 315:1 reduction is what lets a 4.6 hp series-wound motor make 15,000 lb of line pull, and the automatic direct-drive cone brake holds the load on the drum rather than relying on the gearbox to creep. Between them they cover the two things that matter at this capacity: making the pull, and not losing it.
Pull-by-Layer, Published
15,000 lb on layer one, dropping to 12,273 lb, 10,385 lb, 9,000 lb and 7,941 lb as the drum fills. With 80' on the drum this build spends more of its working life on the lower, stronger layers than the 90' wire version does.
Argent Gray, and Built in the USA
Argent Gray powder coat over the large-frame chassis, designed, engineered and assembled in Clackamas, Oregon, and covered by Warn's limited lifetime mechanical warranty with a limited seven-year electrical warranty.
Fitment & Compatibility
| Vehicle Class |
Fit |
| One-ton trucks, F-350, Silverado 3500, Ram 3500 |
✓ Yes, the M15-S's intended application |
| Three-quarter-ton trucks, loaded or towing |
✓ Yes, and the right call if the truck works hard |
| Three-quarter-ton trucks, light duty |
✓ Yes, though the M12-S covers it for less money |
| Half-ton trucks and full-size SUVs |
● Over-specified. The extra nose weight is rarely worth it |
| Jeep Wrangler, mid-size 4x4s, ATV and UTV |
✗ No. Use the VR EVO, ZEON, VRX or AXON lines |
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, putting 15,000 lb at home on rigs up to roughly 10,000 lb. It uses the industry-standard 10" x 4.5" bolt pattern, but at 24.08" long it is a large-frame winch, so the mount must be 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: M15-S
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Part Number: 97730
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Rated Line Pull: 15,000 lb (6,804 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: 315:1
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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: 80' of 3/8" Spydura Pro synthetic rope, heat-treated, with temperature-resistant sleeve
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Hook: Alloy EPIC hook
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Drum Diameter and Length: 3.5" / 8.2" (9cm / 21cm)
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Line Speed, No Load: 22.2 ft/min (6.77 m/min), 67 amps
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Line Speed at 15,000 lb: 2.48 ft/min (0.756 m/min), 460 amps
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Pull by Layer: Layer 1: 15,000 lb · Layer 2: 12,273 lb · Layer 3: 10,385 lb · Layer 4: 9,000 lb · Layer 5: 7,941 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: 012748977308
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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. Choose the position of the removable control pack before routing anything, then run the 2 gauge leads to the battery clear of exhaust, steering and suspension travel. At this capacity, a corroded or undersized connection shows up straight away as lost pulling speed, so check every high-current terminal. Cycle the clutch and run the winch both directions under no load first.
Resources
Everything you need for your Warn M15-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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