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winches
8K views 101 replies 23 participants last post by  CZDiesel 
#1 ·
Looking to buy a winch thats a good one and a fair price. Any suggestions on make, site, model?
 
#10 ·
I personally wouldn't even consider a Smittybilt winch. I might consider Smittybilt floor mats, seat covers, etc. but I'd never consider them for something that might make the difference in getting home in time for dinner or not. My personal opinion is that much of their stuff is low quality, and all of it is imported.
 
#15 ·
Im with the others here... If there is one piece of equipment you should not skimp on it should be recovery equipment, especially your winch. There are other places to save but if you find yourself off the side and need to pull vertical you want the best winches doing it! Id look at Warn and COMEUP if I were you
 
#33 ·
Im not implying that other high end winches would fail and as you see I stated that. Warn makes a fantastic product and has earned their reputation. But to say that there are not other winches that are of the same quality and compete with them is not true and does not help other people when they come here for guidance.
Im not sure if you were there in person to see the COMEUP demonstration? I volunteered for Stay the Trail so I watched the Jeep go up before anybody got there and I watched it come down after everybody had left. And so you know that demonstration was put on by COMEUP. The owner himself flew in from overseas and put on the demonstration. He had the Jeep on the line continuously for close to ten hours raising it and lowering it over and over again with the Jeep never coming off the line until the end of the day. The COMEUP winch was a SEAL 9.5RSI and yes it is of the same quality as a Warn. If you were there and talked to COMEUP you would have learned a lot about winch design and construction as he took his time to explain everything that COMEUP puts into their winches.
If you'd like you should come wheel with me and friends and you can see it work first hand. That is what JF should be about right? Meeting new people, making friends, learning new things, getting new perspectives... Not childish attacks on myself or some company
 
#41 ·
A) dragging a jeep up and down multiple times a day is still so far within the rated service factor of a 9500 lb. winch as to be ludicrous. That's still nothing to anybody that knows anything about winches.
B) I've been to a heck of a lot of product "exhibitions". If you listen to the reps there, every feature they've got on their product is always the best thing since water was invented. Sooner or later, you just get a little jaded to the sales pitch. Talk to us after one of these has been dragged through the mud for 20 years. Real-world use trumps sales fact sheet every time.. The rep that Warn has built for themselves has been built over fifty years plus. You don't get to say that a product that just hit the shelves is "of the same quality" just yet...
C) China. Reverse engineering for the win, huh?
 
#34 ·
It would be cool to see winches taken apart to see what kind of materials are actually being used. I just totally dissembled and rebuilt my Warn, I saw only quality gears in there. If a winch is built right, I think hanging a Jeep for 10 hours is no big deal, and proves nothing. I think a test of time and usage is more of a testament of how good a winch is. How about a winch off? actually pulling a vehicle over and over up a hill, side by side with other winches. Now that would be a good test, not just suspending a jeep, that's ridiculous side show crap meant to pull in the unaware. My old Warn came off a tow truck, do you think it ever got used ? Do you honestly think an average Chinese winch would be up to that task? I don't
 
#35 ·
I don't understand why anyone would care if someone wants to ask a question in this forum that is probably buried in the data base. I've tried searching the data base and it basically sucks. Ask away jeep forum participants...this is a friendly forum and there are a bunch of nice jeepsters out there willing to help and answer questions.
 
#37 ·
What winch to buy?

I have an Engo. Cheap, but it looks like it was built ok. If WARN are, for the most part, made in USA....that's great. I just didn't have 1500.00 to lay out on a winch like Warn. Guys in this forum who are true offroad junkies probably know best what to use. Difference between them and me is that they are more professional and I'm just a rookie. Experience is the best teacher anyway.
If you want cheap, Engo is probably a good bet. Don't know how long it will last, but in my case, as long as it lasts at least once, it will have paid for itself.
Good luck...Warn is a great winch.
 
#38 ·
I'll throw my knowledge in on winches since I've owned more than more than most of you and rebuild and sell them for extra jeep cash.

I bought my first used warn 8274 for $300 bucks. Yes the one they sell for 1800$ now. Very similar everything, except it was a 1982 model and it has lived on 2 jeeps of mine now, been rebuilt for $300 and synthetic added now, and a modified set of controllers, all in for ~$900 but at a as you need it upgrade. Add in a mount and fairlead and your set. My second 8274 was a factory installed one on my 1979 chief, still work flawlessly pulling a heavy jeep/truck on 38s out of whatever it was needed to. Now, I just bought another 8274 last week (1995 model) for $300 and it works great, just needs a plate and to be mounted.

So don't tell me about your new winch and the one pull you did this weekend and how good it is. Do some research and learn the name 8274. It is the best winch on the market, fastest line speed (I think warn just produced a rock crawler specific winch that mind match it) on the market, gear driven with a external break, oh and has been being made since 1974 with very little changes.

The only winch I would even consider besides a warn is a Belleview 5687 which is the grand daddy to the 8274 because warn bought the design from them in the early 70s. Much larger gear but the motor was a one way... Well I'm working on one of those and am going to toss a warm 10k motor on (2 way). That would be a fun replacement for a 8274.

So, my point if I have one is that there are cheap solutions to this problem and there are good solutions for cheap. Please don't get them confused. And learn your equipment either by rebuilding it or actually using it a few times before going out.

One last note, biff, I don't believe you have to use a winch twice while going out... I believe you need to pick trails more suited for your still level because no one likes a guy that holds everything up because he constantly is winching. And if you are, you better know your equipment well.



 
#39 ·
One last note, biff, I don't believe you have to use a winch twice while going out... I believe you need to pick trails more suited for your still level because no one likes a guy that holds everything up because he constantly is winching. And if you are, you better know your equipment well.
If I'm using my winch on an obstacle, so will many of the other people I'm with. All our jeeps are pretty well built (my profile is current) but we choose to challenge ourselves. Maybe you'd consider us all "that guy". But its a choice we make. We'd rather push ourselves on some challenging stuff and have to work at it, then just have a stroll in the park. Sometimes you make it. Sometimes you need to winch. We know what we are getting into and all know how to do safe and efficient recoveries and the group that goes out self selects for that.

I am considering getting this though to modify my Superwinch: http://gigglepin4x4.net/2up-twin-motor-winch-adaptor-420-p.asp. A true Gigglepin (which are basically modified 8274s) is an amazing thing to see in action. For anyone who's never seen one in action think about winching at 4-6 MPH. While not turning my Superwinch into that the ability to run dual motors is pretty cool. I actually have a couple spare motors lying around. The adaptor plate does cost more than my whole winch did originally, but its a fraction of a real Gigglepin. Do I really need it? No, but it falls into the category of something I think is cool that I'll do because I can.
 
#77 ·
My 8274 was made in 1977, replaced a few solenoids, still working.
This is the old WARN !!

Today we know everyone goes offshore. Warn offers 3 comparable winches of $800.00, $1500.00 and $2200.00

I really want to buy made in USA !!
I want to buy the WARN reputation !!
I am willing and can pay for a winch will last 40years.

Unfortunately WARN refuses to tell me which winch will do that.
I hear horror stories from people who have had one fail in the first year.
And I hear accolades from those who bought one and say...
"It worked great both times I used it"!!!!

WARN PLEASE do some marketing.
Your silence makes me believe everything you do is now OFFSHORE and your expensive winches are just adding to share holder dividends.
 
#45 ·
The harder the trail you do, the more you're pushing yourself, and the more you're pushing your Jeep, the sooner you'd discover that it's not unusual to have to winch your Jeep multiple times in a day. And if you came out here to the southwest to where it's mostly either mountainous or deserts full of deep canyons, rocks, etc. and not mostly flat as it is there in Louisiana, the more likely you would be to need a winch. Wheeling conditions are very different there in the south where you wheel than they are in the west and if you wheeled in our conditions, you wouldn't be so quick to criticize our more frequent need for winching.
 
#48 ·
Really? It is just flat here so I must not know what I'm talking about. Good to know that you know as little about LA wheeling as I do about knitting. :nono: Once again, I was just referring to not liking the guy that holds the group up.

Wasn't this discussion about winches at some point?
 
#63 ·
I have an old Ramsey that is at least 30 years old. I opted for that vs. a new Chinese one since my budget was 300 bucks. So far so good but I've only used it a few times. It gets a ton of compliments though.
 
#65 ·
Yep - it's a 2000/12 which I believe Is a 8000 lbs worm gear model. I think I paid 225 for it two years ago with a fabricated mount. It's a beastly thing that looks great on my YJ.

I want to open it up and inspect the gears and parts for any rust or what not but I'm afraid. ...if it ain't broke don't fix it kind of thing. I chAnged the oil on it and as best I can see the internals look good.
 
#67 ·
BTW, I like the new stickers I put on my winch, they are factory stickers.To leave off all the stickers would look like it isn't finished. Just my opinion. Also, I see the same thing in all the forums I visit. People know Warn is best but don't want to spend the money.I buy cheap when it is appropriate.I don't want to wonder if my cheap winch is going to save me and my Jeep when hanging off a ledge.Investing in your self is always a good way to go. If you plan on keeping your Jeep for any length of time time, buy a good winch, it will pay for itself as the years go by, by being able to buy parts and fix it if need be.I was dismissed when I said buy used and rebuild. I got my Warn winch for free. Beat that with your Chinese winch !Wait, don't do that, it will break ! LOL !:cheers2:
 
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