Winches..Whats the best deal?

[Dolamite]

I have a 9,000 # Badlands winch on my CJ. I know it isn't top quality, but it has gotten me out of a few jams that would have otherwise left my Jeep in the woods overnight. Harbor freight also offers the remote winch switch for the Badlands winches. I highly recommend spending the extra 35 dollars for this as well.

 

[Hedgehog]

My first 12,000 lb. Badlands winch failed spectacularly, smoke, fire, dead short with red hot cables. All my fault. I wired the thing wrong and tried a quick test without installing the breakers. That will NEVER happen again. Harbor Freight took it back without a word. With the second one wired up correctly it pulled the CJ buried to the axles, way out in the desert, from a patch of flour sand, quick sand for vehicles, on the very first trip out. Paid for itself right there. Yep, I'd like a big money winch .... occasionally I haunt Craigslist for winches ..... Someday I'll find one. Until then I believe the Badlands winch will serve me just fine.

 

[mriplaybass]

My first 12,000 lb. Badlands winch failed spectacularly, smoke, fire, dead short with red hot cables. All my fault. I wired the thing wrong and tried a quick test without installing the breakers. That will NEVER happen again. Harbor Freight took it back without a word. With the second one wired up correctly it pulled the CJ buried to the axles, way out in the desert, from a patch of flour sand, quick sand for vehicles, on the very first trip out. Paid for itself right there. Yep, I'd like a big money winch .... occasionally I haunt Craigslist for winches ..... Someday I'll find one. Until then I believe the Badlands winch will serve me just fine.

The only reason that there is only one laughing icon is that I have to save the other for myself! I can't remember how many times I have asked myself after doing something similar, "did you learn anything?" Gives me an idea for a new thread...

 

[Lumpy Grits]

I must say. Than when I saw the deal about put'em under water. That lost me as none of them are certified as submersible.
LG

 

[Lumpy Grits]

My first 12,000 lb. Badlands winch failed spectacularly, smoke, fire, dead short with red hot cables.

Pictures-PLEASE

 

[koda]

Last Rubicon trip I was with 6 other rigs, 4 of them had Smittybilt winches, none of them more than a year or two old. 3 of the 4 failed during the trip.
Lifetime warranty doesn't mean much when you're out in the middle of nowhere and it dies.
My very old Harbor Freight winch died on that trip as well.
After seeing that many Smittybilt's fail on one trip I went with a Warn M8000, couldn't be happier.

 

[PaRenegade]

What "failed" about them and what generation winch were they?

 

[Hedgehog]

Lumpy - Wasn't a picture taking moment. Scared me almost to death. The thing went POP, things started to hum, wires started to smoke. I ran to the tools grabbed the wire dykes tried to cut the cables..... No can do with those tiny wires .... the wires got not only hot but red hot all the way to the battery. I grabbed the wrench and tried to loosen the clamps. ... FIRE ... at that point I tried the dykes again, but closer to the battery. As luck would have it the battery clamp melted and fell apart. OMG! SAVED! .... Oddly enough the battery is still going strong!

Now the winch has circuit breakers and a BIG ol' high amp shut off switch under the hood.

 

[Woolyworm]

Last Rubicon trip I was with 6 other rigs, 4 of them had Smittybilt winches, none of them more than a year or two old. 3 of the 4 failed during the trip.
Lifetime warranty doesn't mean much when you're out in the middle of nowhere and it dies.
My very old Harbor Freight winch died on that trip as well.
After seeing that many Smittybilt's fail on one trip I went with a Warn M8000, couldn't be happier.

Wow! 6 rigs burned up 4 winches - maybe you guys were in over your heads???

My SB has made some unbelievably tuff pulls and never whimpered. On the harder ones I've kept pouring water over the motor to help keep it cool.

Agreed on the warranty and warn winches are obviously a good winch.


Wooly

 

[jzak]

I got a Smittybilt XRC-9.5K for $300. I'm sure you could get a Harbor Freight one for cheaper, but try getting it fixed with that Chinese warranty.

I haven't used it too much, but so far it's held up great, and the reviews online are amazingly positive. Not sure about using it every day in Moab, but for occasional use, i think it's the perfect winch for the money.

http://www.amazon.com/Smittybilt-97...qid=1458923576&ref_=sr_1_fkmr1_1&sr=8-1-fkmr1