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Best winch for my money

27K views 299 replies 39 participants last post by  Indy 
#1 ·
I've been looking around for a good winch for my tj so I can get myself and others out of what could be some serious problems. So in your opinions, whats the best winch for the money and durability on the market?
 
#2 ·
Warn will likely be the overwhelming reco here, but "for the money" has different implications to me.

I understand the Engo tested VERY high, second only to the Warn, and for les than a third of the price. I would have gone that route, but got gifted a Smittybilt Xrc8, which 4WP blasts out at $250 on their big sales. $300 regular price, Engo can be had at even a better "regular price" deal at $289 shipped, right here on the site, if memory serves.

I've only had my Smitty for less than 1 year, but I've abused it pretty good, still pulls.
 
#3 ·
Get the Harbor Freight winch. I ran it for many years and only broke it because my own stupidity. I let the cable get spooled to high in the center and snapped the cross bars. They replaced it free under warranty. Sold that one to a friend who used it for 5-6 years before it died

Sent from my phone where grammar isn't easy.
 
#4 ·
Get the Harbor Freight winch. I ran it for many years and only broke it because my own stupidity. I let the cable get spooled to high in the center and snapped the cross bars. They replaced it free under warranty. Sold that one to a friend who used it for 5-6 years before it died.
no kidding? I heard they were crap :dunno:
 
#6 ·
Stick with warn and super winch. Warn is expensive no matter which one u buy. Super winch is comparable quality but has cheaper options. Take a look at the tigershark series from super winch. Only draw back is that it is not recommended to use synthetic line. Which can be a sell point or not for you. A well taken care of steel cable will last forever but a synthetic line is recomended for replacement every year or so. They will dry out over time. Invest in somwthing that will last you the life of your vehicle rather than buying something for 300 dollars now and have to replace it bc it didnt last. I paid around 500 for my tigershark 9.5 superwinch. A couple hundred more and youll have a cheaper investment

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#7 ·
Warn and superwinch are in thier own class.....so top 5 in a cheaper class doesnt mean its quality

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#14 ·
hated my superwinch X9

I was meh on my M8000. thought it was overpriced

I LOVED my 8274 with a 9000 lb motor

I didn't like my 8000 lb ramsey

I loved my warn 9.5Ti

I have an integrated warn 9.5 on my TJ now and it's ok. it's pretty hammered though.

I ran 2 XRC8's and an XRC9. had an issue with a winch hook up on one XRC8 and smittybuilt was great about it. and the comp line seemed decent on the other one I ran. they were fine for the $.

I blew apart my milemarker 8000...

I think that's all the winches I've run...
 
#15 ·
hated my superwinch X9

I was meh on my M8000. thought it was overpriced

I LOVED my 8274 with a 9000 lb motor

I didn't like my 8000 lb ramsey

I loved my warn 9.5Ti

I have an integrated warn 9.5 on my TJ now and it's ok. it's pretty hammered though.

I ran 2 XRC8's and an XRC9. had an issue with a winch hook up on one XRC8 and smittybuilt was great about it. and the comp line seemed decent on the other one I ran. they were fine for the $.

I blew apart my milemarker 8000...

I think that's all the winches I've run...
Holy smokes, that's a lot of winches! :D
 
#16 ·
Man a lot of misinformation in here.

OP, how many times do you wheel? How many times do you find you getting stuck or friends getting stuck? What type of terrain do you wheel? Whats your budget?

I've been around several winches and have had two myself, so here is from what I've seen.

I was given a cheap Chicago (Harbor Frieght) 10,000lb winch. It was slow and loud. I mean slow. But it worked every time and pulled whatever I needed.

I bought a used Warn (model number in my Sig) from a friend. I love the line speed, it's dependable, works like it should and given that I've used slow line speed winches, I'd prefer a faster winch. The Warn also doesn't heat up as much as the Chicago did.

I've seen the Smittybilt Winch in action numerous times on two different vehicles. They work like they should and I saw one failure while winching. However I also saw a Warn 8274 failure on a cold snowy night before. Solenoid went out in it.

All mechanical things will break eventually. I'd buy a used Warn again in a heart beat. I'd also look into a SuperWinch as the one I saw in person, I liked the line speed as well.

Pick a winch to fit your budget, goals and use. Also remember you'll need other recovery gear, snatch blocks, tree saver, d-rings, chains, etc etc.

I use a steel cable right now but much rather prefer a synthetic line. The whole safety thing is big for me. With my steel cable I have a ARB blanket I put over top to dampen any breakage force and I make others stand away. I'll switch lines eventually.

I also prefer a Integrated Solenoid type winch.

I wouldn't cheap out on a winch though, I wouldn't by Warns cheaper line, I wouldn't buy SuperWinch cheaper line. Smittybilt I'm so so on them, they work but the one failure I saw and from hearing others on the trail report failures I wouldn't run one. But a winch is better than no winch. Look for a nice used Warn before buying a cheaper one if you can help it.
 
#39 ·
Man a lot of misinformation in here.

OP, how many times do you wheel? How many times do you find you getting stuck or friends getting stuck? What type of terrain do you wheel? Whats your budget?

I've been around several winches and have had two myself, so here is from what I've seen.

I was given a cheap Chicago (Harbor Frieght) 10,000lb winch. It was slow and loud. I mean slow. But it worked every time and pulled whatever I needed.

I bought a used Warn (model number in my Sig) from a friend. I love the line speed, it's dependable, works like it should and given that I've used slow line speed winches, I'd prefer a faster winch. The Warn also doesn't heat up as much as the Chicago did.

I've seen the Smittybilt Winch in action numerous times on two different vehicles. They work like they should and I saw one failure while winching. However I also saw a Warn 8274 failure on a cold snowy night before. Solenoid went out in it.

All mechanical things will break eventually. I'd buy a used Warn again in a heart beat. I'd also look into a SuperWinch as the one I saw in person, I liked the line speed as well.

Pick a winch to fit your budget, goals and use. Also remember you'll need other recovery gear, snatch blocks, tree saver, d-rings, chains, etc etc.

I use a steel cable right now but much rather prefer a synthetic line. The whole safety thing is big for me. With my steel cable I have a ARB blanket I put over top to dampen any breakage force and I make others stand away. I'll switch lines eventually.

I also prefer a Integrated Solenoid type winch.

I wouldn't cheap out on a winch though, I wouldn't by Warns cheaper line, I wouldn't buy SuperWinch cheaper line. Smittybilt I'm so so on them, they work but the one failure I saw and from hearing others on the trail report failures I wouldn't run one. But a winch is better than no winch. Look for a nice used Warn before buying a cheaper one if you can help it.
I have actually never run besides dirt roads and probably wont do major runs till i get a good lift kit and even then nothing extreme. Id say a good price range for me would be 200-450.
 
#17 ·
biffgnar said:
Where did you hear this about synthetic line?
I contacted Superwinch about using synthetic line on my Tigershark 9500. They said because the load holding brake is inside the drum, that the drum would heat up and could possibly melt the synthetic line while powering the winch out under load. I then contacted Masterpull. Masterpull said their basic line with the Kevlar heat guard would be fine.
 
#34 ·
I have yet to see a super winch I would spend money on. I have seen several in the corner of freinds shops broken with no parts available.
If you want to spend less then $400 buy a harbor freight. Slow but extremly reliable.

If you want to spend $500+ buy a used warn 8274 and make sure it has the new style solonoid pack on it. If not buy the new pack and put it on so you dont have any solonoid failures.

If you want to spend more then $1000 buy any warn that fits your needs.

If you want to spend $3000 buy a new 8274 and put the giggle pin dual motors on it.
 
#48 ·
I live next door to a Tow Boat US guy with several boats that do recoveries every day and they only run synthetic rope, if its good enough for them... As for the winch I like my Warn XD9000i just fine, got it used and partially dissassembled for $280, threw probably $40 in parts at it and it works like a champ.
 
#51 ·
Wonder what the in service life is, of that rope on the tug?
Wouldn't mine have'n a 100' or so length of syn rope, as a winch cable 'extension' that I can keep in a bag.
BTW, my son sez they only use steel cable because the unloaded syn rope goes crazy in the rotorwash even when weighted. The steel cable just 'hangs'.
LG
 
#60 ·
Neither here nor there, but integrated solenoids just means they incorporated a little aluminum box on top of the winch to house the same solenoids that are in the ugly thing hanging off the side of the non integrated versions. Not really any more or less simple once you've taken both apart.
 
#61 ·
Have you ever had/used synthetic rope or a winch?
-----------------
ZJILLA'S JEEP
Recovery
rear tow hook
-----------------
I've been using the same synthetic rope for over 8 years without issue...
yes. and i apologize i havent gotten around to upgrading my rear recovery points on my jeep i purchased a year ago. my current jeep is new to me and in time it will have what it needs. just kinda hard to ship a 100lb rear bumper to an APO box....much less a welder. Im not intrested in buying a welder locally i cant use in the United States without a re wire. You know nothing about me or my history with off roading, muchless what vehicles I have run or anything to that nature. So flaming about a rear tow hook is muchless unprofessional on your part. That is awesome that your rope has lasted that long. I`m not going to ask how much youve used the rope in the last 8 years, so im not coming off as flaming back on your 8 year old rope or winching/recovery experience (like you gathered-all by my one rear tow hook on the JK that you assuminglly think is the only vehicle i have upgraded and preformed recovery procedures with).

back on topic....

To the OP,
Everyone has different opinions. Soak up as much information as you can and just make an educated purchase to what fits your needs. :tea:
 
#93 ·
yes. and i apologize i havent gotten around to upgrading my rear recovery points on my jeep i purchased a year ago. my current jeep is new to me and in time it will have what it needs. just kinda hard to ship a 100lb rear bumper to an APO box....much less a welder. Im not intrested in buying a welder locally i cant use in the United States without a re wire. You know nothing about me or my history with off roading, muchless what vehicles I have run or anything to that nature. So flaming about a rear tow hook is muchless unprofessional on your part. That is awesome that your rope has lasted that long. I`m not going to ask how much youve used the rope in the last 8 years, so im not coming off as flaming back on your 8 year old rope or winching/recovery experience (like you gathered-all by my one rear tow hook on the JK that you assuminglly think is the only vehicle i have upgraded and preformed recovery procedures with).
All I know about you is what's in your profile and there was nothing unprofessional in my question to you. There was also no flaming in my question to you.

I've lost count of the number of times that my rope has been used.

I've never seen synthetic rope "dry rot" and with the age and use that mine has seen, I would be interested if you could post something pertaining to that...

"The synthetic ropes are not generally affected by mildew or dry rot, and can withstand long periods of wetting without any noticeable loss of strength or change in appearance." http://kickinteractive.com/dc/units/1_1/synthetic.html
 
#62 ·
Have you ever had/used synthetic rope or a winch?
-----------------
ZJILLA'S JEEP
Recovery
rear tow hook
-----------------
I've been using the same synthetic rope for over 8 years without issue...
yes. and i apologize i havent gotten around to upgrading my rear recovery points on my jeep i purchased a year ago. my current jeep is new to me and in time it will have what it needs. just kinda hard to ship a 100lb rear bumper to an APO box....much less a welder. Im not intrested in buying a welder locally i cant use in the United States without a re wire. You know nothing about me or my history with off roading, muchless what vehicles I have run or anything to that nature. So flaming about a rear tow hook is muchless unprofessional on your part. That is awesome that your rope has lasted that long. I`m not going to ask how much youve used the rope in the last 8 years, so im not coming off as flaming back on your 8 year old rope or winching/recovery experience (like you gathered-all by my one rear tow hook on the JK that you assuminglly think is the only vehicle i have upgraded and preformed recovery procedures with).

back on topic....

To the OP,
Everyone has different opinions. Soak up as much information as you can and just make an educated purchase to what fits your needs. :tea:

All ive gathered out of this syn line and steel cable debate that this thread has turned into is that steel cable is heavy to drag out......isnt that what your spotter or passenger is for anyway>?;)
 
#63 ·
Dragging a steel line out shouldnt be a problem if u do this for a living.......

Sky Vehicle Automotive lighting Gesture Astronomical object


Sorry its off topic but im proud

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#64 ·
I've seen 2 synth ropes break and I've seen 1 steel line break (failed at the crimp).

i'm sold on synth after that. even if I have to replace it every so many years. still well worth it. even with line weights hanging on the steel cable, it was VIOLENT.

the synth line letting go was no big deal.
 
#66 ·
If a synthetic line breaks, it's a lot easier to do a trail repair to be able to use it again. Not so easy on a steel line.

But since this is a WINCH thread and the OP has a budget of $450 or less, I say browse Craigslist to see what you can find. I picked up my used Warn for under $300 (but I knew the guy) Mine was in great working order and could easily go for $600 used.

Just because you have a $450 budget doesn't mean you need a winch now, you could save a little more.

The slow winches usually last for a long time. That Chicago winch that was given to me is an older winch and still works like it was brand new. Same with a Harbor Freight winch a friend has, he's never had a problem. But thats my experience and we winch when needed but we don't go around looking to winch everyone and their brother. The cheaper winches will take longer and usually get pretty hot from extensive use. So think about endurance as well.

I've seen a Smittybilt die on the trail from a bad solenoid after being only 2yrs old. But any winch can die at any time. I like supporting American made companies as much as I can but I've found used parts before from friends/online that I'll run aka my rear tire carrier I have.

I just feel during the time of need, you want a winch you feel trusted on. Never know when it's 10 degrees snowing and you are stuck on the side of a mountain or in a ditch somewhere and need to get home. Make sure to read up on reviews on every winch you are thinking about getting.

Remember the extra cost as well. Winch plate or winch bumper. Recovery gear. Safety gear.
 
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