Warn Zeon Vs Zeon Platinum Winch Review 2022

Last Updated on August 4, 2022

Warn winches are pricey compared to other brands, I agree.

However, when you are out in the boonies and it’s your only lifeline, money is not an object. You’d want a winch that will save your bacon without failing. And a Warn winch will work every time, period.

The reliability and peace of mind they give is totally worth the money.

Anyway, Warn Zeon vs. Warn Zeon Platinum is not a matter of debate. It’s more about what you need.

Both Warn Zeon series and Zeon Platinum series offer high-quality, heavy-duty winches of different load capacities.

Zeon Platinum is more advanced than the Zeon series, it costs more too.

Let’s talk about some of the key differences between these two series first.

Warn Zeon Series Vs. Warn Zeon Platinum Series – The Core Differences

• Warn Zeon Platinum pulls at least 20% faster than the Warn Zeon.
• Zeon Platinum costs much higher than the Zeon series.
• Zeon platinum winches are more durable (at least twice) than the Warn Zeon winches.
• The Zeon platinum offers a signal enhancing kit that locates the remote antenna in the engine bay and lets the antenna reach a higher level. The Warn Zeon doesn’t provide such a kit.
• The Zeon platinum series winches come with an advanced wireless remote to serve multiple purposes. Whereas, the Warn Zeon offers only a corded remote control. You can buy a Warn wireless remote control separately, though.
• Warn released a total of 3 load capacities of winches for the Zeon series (12,000 lbs, 10,000 lbs, 8,000 lbs), but for Zeon Platinum, you have only two load capacity winches (12,000 lbs, 10,000 lbs) to choose from.

 

We’ll talk about the particular winches with all the upsides and downsides of each of the models under these two series now. Firstly the Zeon series then the Zeon Platinum series.

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Warn Zeon Series Winch Review

So far, Warn has released three winches of different load capacities under the Zeon series.

Let’s find out the standard features, benefits, and pitfalls of these winches:

• Installing the winches is a breeze in a reasonably quick time.
• You can pick from either steel cable version or the synthetic rope version for each of the load capacity winches.
• A high-quality corded (12’) remote control comes with the kit (the same one comes with each unit) that works without any error.
• For enhancing security during winching, an automatic mechanical cone brake is in place.
• All the models have a gear ratio of 162:1, and 12V DC series wound motor.
• Zeon series winches are IP68 rated, meaning they are completely protected from water, dust, or any other outside materials.
• To ensure a smooth winching experience, the winches are equipped with a 3-stage planetary gear train and a free-spooling lever clutch.
• The overall build and black powder-coated finish of the units are simply top-notch. The materials are corrosion-free.
• You have the liberty to mount the convertible control pack either to the winch or mount it remotely. This makes the installation process much hassle-free.
• The large diameter drum ensures less rope wear.
• All the units have an integrated anchor point that lets you replace the rope effortlessly.
• All the models of the Zeon series are quite fast and operate quietly. The series-wound motor and advanced planetary gear system make this happen.
• Regarding providing performance, power, durability, etc. Zeon series winches will beat those cheaper winches any day.

On the downside:

• None of the winches feature a wireless remote control. You can buy a Warn wireless remote and use it to control this winch, though.
• Pricey compared to other winches from different other brands. However, it’s quite a typical case for every Warn winch. Their quality and performance justify the bill, no doubt.

Now let’s learn some insights specific to the three Warn Zeon winches of different load capacities.

1. Warn 89120 Zeon 12 Winch Review

This is the highest capacity winch among the other two winches from this Zeon series.

It’s capable of towing anything weighing up to 12,000 lbs. That means, as per the industry recommendation, you should use it to pull anything keeping the gross weight up to 8,000 lbs.

The load capacity of this winch makes it a suitable one for recovering large vehicles like trucks, SUVs, Jeep, etc. In fact, you can use it to tow any vehicle keeping the weight limit into consideration.

This winch has an 80’ steel cable that goes smoothly through the 4-way roller fairlead.

You can also buy the high-quality synthetic rope (80’) version (Zeon 12-S) of this winch if you are fond of synthetic lines like me. It also goes smoothly through an aluminum hawse fairlead.

Everything else is the same in both steel cable and synthetic rope version, just the cable and fairlead type are different.

2. Warn 88990 Zeon 10 Winch Review

This winch has a weight capacity of 10,000 lbs so you should use it for recovering your vehicles, limiting the gross weight up to 6,666 lbs to ensure the longevity of the winch and to get the best performance.

Considering the load capacity, you can use this winch for towing vehicles like trucks, SUVs, Jeeps, etc. To pull a vehicle to the trailers, this is one of the best bets for you amongst the other units of this series.

This winch is equipped with heavy-duty 80’ steel cable and it goes through the 4-way roller fairlead. Whereas, the synthetic line version (Zeon 10-S) has a high-quality 100’ synthetic rope that goes through an aluminum hawse fairlead.

3. Warn 88980 Zeon 8 Winch Review

Warn Zeon 8 has a load capacity of 8,000 lbs. That means you should limit the gross weight of the towing vehicle/object up to 5,333 lbs.

The weight limit indicates that this unit is suitable for medium-duty jobs. Still, it’s an excellent option for recovering your SUVs, Jeeps, or any other 4×4 within the weight limit.

While this one is the 100’ steel cable version, at the same time, you can also go for the synthetic line version (Zeon 8-S) that offers the same length (100’) of line.

Luckily, Warn released another Zeon 8-S multi-mount version with the multi-mount carrier, and power lead with quick connect included.

That’s all for the Zeon series. Now let’s move to the Zeon Platinum series.

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Warn Zeon Platinum Series Winch Review

Under this Platinum series, Warn has released two high-quality different weight capacity winches.

Let’s dive right into the common features, upsides, and downsides of Warn Zeon Platinum winches:

• These are IP68 rated winches too. Meaning they are protected from outside material, including water and dust.
• Both the models are effortless to install.
• An advanced, up-to-the-minute wireless remote control comes with each of the units (more on this later).
• Zeon platinum winches are substantially fast in recovering the vehicles from severe conditions.
• The control box is relocatable and the relocation kit is included with the winch. That makes your life easy to mount the control box in the engine bay if required (for low profile applications or in-bumper applications).
• A signal enhancement kit comes with a package that helps to enhance the signal strength of the remote control.
• All the models are powered by a high-quality 12V DC series wound motor to provide ample strength and pace to the operation.
• A 3-stage planetary gear train is in place to make the winching as smooth as you would expect.
• An automatic mechanical cone brake is installed in each of the models of the Platinum series to increase your security during the operation.
• You can control the engaging and disengaging process using the advanced wireless remote control.
• All these winches feature large diameter drums that minimize cable wearing.
• These units are quite capable of handling medium to heavy-duty pulling jobs, and they are not loud during the operation.

On the downside:

• As usual, the price is on the higher side compared to other brands. Again, considering the quality, durability, and performance, it’s still worth buying them.

The advanced remote control offers to do several tasks using it including:

• Of course, you will be able to control the winching from a safe distance.
• It gives you feedback on motor temperature, clutch status (engaged or disengaged, light status, remote battery signal, and strength, vehicle battery strength, etc.).
• You can also engage or disengage the winch using this wireless remote control.

Let’s get some insights into the specific models of the Zeon Platinum Series.

1. Warn 92820 Zeon 12 Platinum Winch Review

Zeon Platinum winches are capable of towing up to 12,000 lbs of weight. You will want to keep the gross weight of the towing vehicle below or equal to 8,000 lbs.

Considering the load capacity, you can use this winch for any medium-duty to heavy-duty jobs. Meaning, you can recover vehicles like trucks, SUVs, and Jeeps, utilizing this winch.

Zeon Platinum 12 also offers both the synthetic rope and the steel cable versions.

This particular model is 80’ steel rope. Whereas, the Zeon 12-S is offering a heavy-duty 80’ Spydura Pro synthetic rope.

While the length of the lines are the same, the gear ratio is not.

The Zeon Platinum 12 features a gear ratio of 216:1, and the Zeon Platinum 12-S features a gear ratio of 162:1.

Zeon Platinum-12 features a mounting pattern of 12”. On the other hand, the Zeon platinum 12-S features a mounting of 10″.

2. Warn 92810 Zeon 10 Platinum Winch Review

This Zeon Platinum 10 winch has a load capacity of 10,000 lbs. That means, it’s better to keep the weight of the vehicle (the one you are going to pull using the winch) up to 6,666 lbs.

The load capacity is saying clearly that this unit is capable of handling any medium-duty jobs quite effortlessly. You can use this winch for hauling cars, trucks, jeeps, SUVs, trailers etc.

The Zeon 10 offers a high-quality 80’ steel cable. On the other hand, the Zeon 10-S offers 100’ Spydura synthetic rope.

Both the Zeon Platinum 10 and Zeon Platinum 10-S feature a 162:1 gear ratio.

The mounting pattern is not the same for Zeon Platinum 10 and Zeon Platinum 10-S. Platinum-10 features a mounting pattern of 10”, and the Platinum 10-S features a mounting pattern of 11”.

Final Thoughts

Like I said at the beginning, a winch is literally your lifeline on offroad. Yes, Warn winches surely cost more but they beat the hell out of other crap winches imported from China.

If you were unsure before if these are worth the money, don’t be. Their quality is unbeatable.

It’s better to spend enough on a Warn, rather than spending on several cheap winches which won’t last long. Overtime those cheap winches will cost you more.

Now, let’s decide which one to buy.

You already have read the pros, cons of both models. Warn Zeon Vs. Zeon Platinum shouldn’t be a moot point for you anymore.

It’s quite easy to answer now.

You can go for any of the series. Both are perfectly capable of what they are supposed to do. However, Zeon Platinum performs better and offers more features than the Zeon series winches.

With that said, Zeon Platinum winches also cost a little more than the Zeon winches.

So, if spending some extra money is not a big deal for you and you want the extra features, then go for the Zeon platinum winches. Otherwise, the Zeon series winches are good to go for most people.

By the way, the Warn ZEON & Zeon Platinum models are premium products, so their price is also high. If you are looking for more budget options then you should look at either Smittybilt or X-Bull.