I have had it a few years now and lately it wants to free spool. I pulled all the cable off and let it wind back on tight and it helped but last night it would not catch at all. Has anyone else run into this? Its mounted on the bottom so fluids have fallen onto winch.

It could be something is worn out in it or it could be just gummed up, it sounds like. I use a hoist on my machines not a winch and its always at the top so they don't get splattered, thus I never had this trouble... but you got nothing to lose by putting it on a bench and taking it apart some to see what the trouble is. May just need a good cleaning and a spray of WD-40 to get it back in good shape. (then a good splatter guard, )

I'd like to add that I would not use WD-40. Short term use is ok. Long term it will gum up everything. We saw it routinely on firearms coming in for repair. All of our owners manuals specify NOT to use WD-40 internally on moving parts. When the rifle fires on closing the bolt that's not a good thing. Examinations always showed that the sear was stuck down and the owner used WD-40. Rem Oil was recommended. Has a rust inhibitor, Teflon, and a carrier that evaporates off later. Leaves a dry, lubricated, somewhat rust preventing coating.

Good to know. You wouldn't want it any more sticky, if that is the trouble to start with.

David Morris, what did you find out if anything?

I can't remove the hoist without tipping my rig over. Unfortunately I have no room in my shed to tip it over without a big cleaning project. The problem is intermittent, I pulled a coon in half the other night and have done 3 coon since with little trouble. You can hear the brake kick on several seconds after it stops turning ,so I am leaning towards it being gummed up , the first year I had to use it outdoors, so it has seen some moisture, and crud.