P500 Just ordered- Pioneer 520 - Need recommendations

[menher]

Hi folks, I've just joined the forum and I'm excited to be here. Looks like plenty of valuable information and a great community.

Just to set the expectation when I ask a naive question - I'm not a particularly handy person and am very far from being mechanically inclined. My clients are happy that I'm an investment advisor and not a mechanic.

I just ordered a new Pioneer 520 and it should be here by early February. I look forward to using it for ice fishing and booting around the hunt camp.

I asked the representative I was dealing with about a recommendation for a winch to be ordered and installed prior to pickup. He sent a quote for one but it seems expensive. All the quote says is "Winch Kit (Honda 2500LB by Warn)" for $839.40 and another $244 for installation plus tax. My question is really about pricing. I also asked about a 3500# winch kit as bigger seems better if you're stuck, but he advised against it. Can anyone let me know if this is reasonable pricing wise or if I should be looking at something else?

From Ontario by the way.

I also ordered the 520 and the winch from my homda dealer was only 650 thats winch and bracket but I did order a top spare tire and stuff totaled 1900.

 

[NatureOne]

I have the 2021 P520 and I have a 4500 lb winch (Warn). Installed by the dealer. I believe a 3500 would suffice especially if you carry a snatch block. The snatch block doubles your pulling power. I think the price quoted to you is extravagant. A warn 2500 is available for around $300 CA. Even with a hundred and a half for a mounting plate comes nowhere near what your dealer is asking. I paid significantly less from my dealer for an installed Warn 4500 lb. If you are purchasing the Pioneer from this dealer he should cut you a deal. I would think twice before purchasing there. You could always purchase the winch separately and have a friend and or mechanic install it for way less than that.
Welcome aboard. You will enjoy the Pioneer.

 

[NatureOne]

I really like it. I do mostly abandoned rail beds here in Eastern Ontario. With the 26” tires I find the ride pretty decent for the short wheel base.

 

[NatureOne]

Hi , do you like the suspension on your 520?

I ride mostly groomed trails and rail beds and find the suspension good for a short wheel base. I ride mostly in Eastern Ontario and Western Québec

 

[Baddeck]

Hi folks, I've just joined the forum and I'm excited to be here. Looks like plenty of valuable information and a great community.

Just to set the expectation when I ask a naive question - I'm not a particularly handy person and am very far from being mechanically inclined. My clients are happy that I'm an investment advisor and not a mechanic.

I just ordered a new Pioneer 520 and it should be here by early February. I look forward to using it for ice fishing and booting around the hunt camp.

I asked the representative I was dealing with about a recommendation for a winch to be ordered and installed prior to pickup. He sent a quote for one but it seems expensive. All the quote says is "Winch Kit (Honda 2500LB by Warn)" for $839.40 and another $244 for installation plus tax. My question is really about pricing. I also asked about a 3500# winch kit as bigger seems better if you're stuck, but he advised against it. Can anyone let me know if this is reasonable pricing wise or if I should be looking at something else?

From Ontario by the way.

welcome to the group, we pay more for everything up here it seems. I just got a warn 4500lb kit for my 1000-5 on order was $1080 tax in and i was told four hours labour to install that they said they would split with me on so probably another $200. I’m in Nova Scotia, winch is in the garage and hopefully before long the pioneer will be to. I have had two previous warn winches and to me I would rather pay more for a quality product and have it installed by them rather then having a buddy wire something in wrong and potential void the warranty or burn my house down.

 

[Pedro]

Howdy from Texas.
I have a P500 with a 2500 lb winch, but also carry a short chain and snatch block, which I believe effectively doubles the power of the winch. You can't argue with physics!! Anyway, go buy a winch and install yourself, watch a few youtube videos first, and feel the satisfaction of DIY!!
Pedro

 

[Lodibuckhunter]

Hello from Ohio. Just a tip the Honda sxs store sells the viper elites and if your a hondasxs member they give you a deal. I think mine was 10% off or 50$ Off. Just request a quote first . I didn’t have over 400$ in a 3500 lbs. install wasn’t bad with all the helpful info on this site.

 

[sporttrac4x4]

Do it Right the 1st time and you will not have to do it again get 3000 pound or bigger. Welcome from Illinois

 

[snakeriver]

Welcome to the forum,. I personally have the 4500lb winch and am very happy with it.

 

[Jlojub]

Cabellas in Kanata Ontario has a 3200lb Warn winch for 319$ regular price. You would still need a mount kit but they are not that expensive. 839$ seems incredulous!!

 

[Boneanza]

SuperWinch on Amazon. 3500 pounds. $160. Get a snatch block also. It has pulled my 500 out of everything....

 

[JimmyA]

That is a High price for what you are getting! Checkout the club store for pricing. There are plenty of videos on Youtube of installing a winch. Good Luck and Welcome aboard from Northeast Texas....

 

[Aerolite]

Hi folks, I've just joined the forum and I'm excited to be here. Looks like plenty of valuable information and a great community.

Just to set the expectation when I ask a naive question - I'm not a particularly handy person and am very far from being mechanically inclined. My clients are happy that I'm an investment advisor and not a mechanic.

I just ordered a new Pioneer 520 and it should be here by early February. I look forward to using it for ice fishing and booting around the hunt camp.

I asked the representative I was dealing with about a recommendation for a winch to be ordered and installed prior to pickup. He sent a quote for one but it seems expensive. All the quote says is "Winch Kit (Honda 2500LB by Warn)" for $839.40 and another $244 for installation plus tax. My question is really about pricing. I also asked about a 3500# winch kit as bigger seems better if you're stuck, but he advised against it. Can anyone let me know if this is reasonable pricing wise or if I should be looking at something else?

From Ontario by the way.

Hi Steve,
I am just writing my first posts here tonight. I just took possession of a 520 last Wed. I live south of Ottawa. I am very handy, I build experimental aircraft for people, and have my own machine shop, but am still recovering from a bad motorcycle accident a coupe of years ago. I can't ride dirt bikes anymore so that is the reason I bought the 520, also for the utilitarian aspect of it. Because of my recovery, I just had my local dealer install the winch, plow, windshield and hard roof. He buys his winches and plows through other suppliers so pricing was reasonable. The total cost of a 4500 Warn winch with the install kits and labour was $800 Cdn. The KFI 60" plow with install kit and labour was $900. The 4500 winch was only $130 more than a 2500, and it came with a dash mount kit for the switch and also a remote with a 12 foot cable and kit to plug it into a spot under the dash. After a fair bit of research, these prices were were quite good. The Honda accessories are a lot more expensive here than in the US by the way. I was also advised by a few ATV friends to go with the 4500 winch, as pulling a loaded 520 out of the mud you could count on the 4500 to do a good job, and for the small price increase I decided it was a no brainer.
I have only put a 126km's on it so far but am very happy with it. We got 8 inches of heavy wet snow last Sat and I was amazed at how much snow that thing can push, it did a great job. Then on Sunday my wife and I went for a 70km trail ride in the snow and we had a blast, it performed really well.
All stock btw, for now, lol. I do want bigger and more aggressive tires to raise the ground clearance and go better in the snow and other seasons. So after people sounding happy with the Kenda's, today I ordered 27x11x12, and 27x9x12 Kenda Bear Claw HTR (Radials) with new steel rims with a 4+3 offset, (520 same as 500 with stock 5+2 offset).
Regardless of what you do ,I think you will be very happy with it.
Cheers,
Steve Busby

 

[HiFive]

SuperWinch on Amazon. 3500 pounds. $160. Get a snatch block also. It has pulled my 500 out of everything....

Agree I carry a snatch block too. Have not needed yet but, its there when I do!

 

[Aerolite]

Cabellas in Kanata Ontario has a 3200lb Warn winch for 319$ regular price. You would still need a mount kit but they are not that expensive. 839$ seems incredulous!!

I never thought to look at Cabela's for a winch. When I priced out the parts separately,( and I had decided I wanted a Warn 4500), the winch, mounting kit, rocker switch assembly for dash, and a remote, it all came to $739. Most of the item's were from Revco. So when dealer said $800 installed I just said go for it. Same with the plow set up.

An aside for the US folks, you have to remember that we do pay a fair bit more for stuff up here. We could order from the US, but with shipping and exchange it ends up not being that great a deal for us on a lot of things.
The other thing that I couldn't understand when I ordered my 520, was that we can only get it in Red in Canada, figure that one out?

 

[NTCPrezJB]

I never thought to look at Cabela's for a winch. When I priced out the parts separately,( and I had decided I wanted a Warn 4500), the winch, mounting kit, rocker switch assembly for dash, and a remote, it all came to $739. Most of the item's were from Revco. So when dealer said $800 installed I just said go for it. Same with the plow set up.

An aside for the US folks, you have to remember that we do pay a fair bit more for stuff up here. We could order from the US, but with shipping and exchange it ends up not being that great a deal for us on a lot of things.
The other thing that I couldn't understand when I ordered my 520, was that we can only get it in Red in Canada, figure that one out?

Red is the fastest color so they are doing all the Maple Leafs a favor on that part.