Price: $400.00
Pros: Easy to install
Cons: Solenoid exposed to environment
Recommended? Yes

Comments: Good product. easy to install. only issue is that the solenoid is exposed to the elements.

Price: $40.00
Pros: Great look, never failed me.
Cons: The hardware on the control plugin popped out, simple fix, but still a sign of cheap manufacturing.
Recommended? Yes

Comments: Over all, great, especially for the price i got it from a fellow Jeeper, i recommend.

Price: $399.00
Pros: sO FAR IT'S BEEN GREAT
Cons: HEARD BAD STUFF ABOUT IT
Recommended? Yes

Comments: NO PROBLEMS WITH IT YET, USED IT A FEW TIMES AND WORKED GREAT!

Price: $229.00
Pros: Not expensive!! Works just fine. Pulls strong. Real strong. Came with mounting plate and iron hawse. Everything you need to get going minus the safety gear.
Cons: A little slow pulling, but I am not in a rush to recovery.
Recommended? Yes

Comments: I am on a budget. Warn owners do not understand that we can not all afford a Warn winch. Sure I would have loved to, but for 229.00 from Horbar Freight (with 20% coupon from popular mechanics), I have a 8000# recovery device that is much safer then a come-a-long! People will get on about how cheap it is, or how unsafe, but they are wrong. So far. Just take care, maintain, and follow directions for use. RESPECT the winch, and it will get you out/home.

Just do not forget the coupon! It is worth buy a Popular Mechanics if you do not subscribe.

Price: $200.00
Pros: A cheap winch for the budget minded
Cons: Its cheap
Recommended? Yes

Comments: So far so good with this winch. I wouldn't trust it to save my life or anything but there is a little peace of mind having it.

Price: $125.00
Pros: Cheap, Reliable.
Cons: Heavy, Slow.
Recommended? Yes

Comments: Everyone knows this winch. It's cheap and probably pulled someone you know out of the mud at least once. It is the slowest winch on earth. It comes with everything you need to install and use it. Not really much to say about the winch, it works when it needs too and doesn't impress anyone at the same time. If it said Warn on it and pulled faster I'd rate it 5 stars.

Price: $260.00
Pros: Cheap, easy to rebuild (if you can get the parts), Shuts off if motor gets to hot.
Cons: hard to get parts, slow spool, known fault with solenoid box, they don't make the REW8000 anymore. Harbor Freight switched to "Badlands" brand and the parts are not interchangeable.
Recommended? Yes

Comments: Ah, the Harbor Freight Chicago Electric 8K winch. I was able to pick it up pennies and I thought it was a good deal. If figured I would wheel it until it burned out or broke down, then I would get a Warn or Ramsey. That was 2003. Today it is 11/2009 and the thing is still kicking. Still slow spooling but it has never quit on me. I replaced the solenoid box once. That was after 6 years of hard wheeling, up hill pulls, rain, water crossings. So I figured I got my moneys worth of that box. Swapped in a MileMarker (good source for parts/made in same China Factory) solenoid and the thing just won't quit. I am still planning on replacing it someday, but not until it dies out. So the way things are going this might be a while.



Edit - Update - This winch has been going on 7 years strong. 9/21/10. It has been rebuilt once using Milemarker parts that were a direct fit. It keeps going and going, slow as but still keeps cranking. I have pulled myself out of jams, pulled other Jeeps, Suzukis, full size rigs, I just can't seem to get it to quit.

Edit - Update - As of 5/2011 The winch keeps running. Milemarker solenoid has proved to be more durable than the old CE version. After a recent trip I sunk it and was winching submerged. Still worked great. After the trip I noticed some cable damage so I threw that cable in the metal scrap pile. I'm going to switch to synthetic winch line now. I figure I can move the synthetic line over to a new winch if I ever blow up the motor or the clutch.

Finding parts (even through a milemarker source) has become more difficult. Ebay is your best bet for replacement parts, and they are likely semi-worn out and taken off a different winch.

Harbor Freight no longer stocks the CE 8000# version. They have switched to the "Badlands" winches which look nicer, but have heard mixed reviews on.

This is where buying a Warn winch really shines. Parts are more easily available for rebuilding and repairing. Trying to continually rebuild and repair these throw-away Harbor Freight winches is a loosing battle.

Update 8/1/2011: Winch still running great. Overheated it twice on the last wheeling trip in Wisconsin. Winched several Jeeps out of jams but didn't end up winching myself anywhere. Winched a JKL and a WJ. Am Steel Synthetic line performed great. Winch is still slow but still clicking away. It is almost 10 years old now and has had a hard life. I must have gotten a good one.

Price: $300.00
Pros: Solid winch but slow.
Cons: It loud and not friendly with water. I used mine on my f150 and my tj pulled both well until i drowned it in a deep hole. Up until then it rocked. The winch died unfortunetly when i was sideways-ish on a muddy snowy crest...only 10 feet from the top... bad part is a yota yanked me out...
Recommended? Yes

Comments: Good and bad i put the story in the wrong box and im lazy right now...lol sry guys!

Price: $250.00
Pros: Works great. Has pulled out a few vehicles on the trails and is a great tool.
Cons: None. Some say the line is slow. Slow is better than not moving at all when someone is stuck. Line speed is fine for me.
Recommended? Yes

Comments: Great product for the money and works well for me when I need it.

Price: $150.00
Recommended? Yes

Comments: so far so good! i haven't had any problems with it so far. a very good winch for the price i paid ($150) new in the box from a pawn shop. even came with a universal winch mount.