Cheap winch?

[ward adams]

Is it wise to cheap out on a winch? The warn is $500 more than the same Milemarker or Ramsey winch.

[JeepinMass]

Is it wise to cheap out on a winch? The warn is $500 more than the same Milemarker or Ramsey winch.

when buying a winch you have to be realistic with what your needs are. If you hit some tough trails and wheel a lot then save up and get the better winch. If you are a weekend wheeler on moderate trails and will most likely use it once or twice a year then you can get something a bit cheaper. There is nothing wrong with either of those choices, IMO.

[ward adams]

I am 50/50 with my rig. It is bone stock now but I am working on it. Hard to know what to upgrade first.

[RedneckJeep]

You can get the Warn M8000 for 499 and 9 bucks shipping.

[Woods]

Is it wise to cheap out on a winch? The warn is $500 more than the same Milemarker or Ramsey winch.

Warn and Ramsey winches are pretty much the same price. Both made in the USA. I'm not sure about Warn, but I know that Ramsey has a limited lifetime warranty. I'm fairly certain that all of the other brands are made in China. Determine how important is it, that your winch works when you need it? Then make your decision.

[07JKRUBI]

I went cheap with my four wheeler winch and used it four times and replaced it four times:naw:, all by the manufacturer of course. I refused to go cheap on my JEEP winch, a little bit extra money for piece of mind is well worth it for me.:yup:

[DUCKS FAN]

I went cheap with my four wheeler winch and used it four times and replaced it four times:naw:, all by the manufacturer of course. I refused to go cheap on my JEEP winch, a little bit extra money for piece of mind is well worth it for me.:yup:


What brand was your "cheap winch"?

[07JKRUBI]

It was a Tusk, rated at 3,000 pounds.

[ward adams]

Ramsey, or mile marker.
I will get the warn since looking into it more.
I plan to get that bitch stuck up to the doors, so i am gonna need a good winch.

[JeepinMass]

Here is the winches in hell article

http://www.moabjeeper.com/articles/general/listing.cfm?articleID=353

[TBJK]

Yeah i have a mile marker si 9500.Turns out it's made in china(unhappy about that) I paid 600 for it with tax and I got the free 2000lb winch(to be used for hard top lift).Plus the shipping was free.Haven't mounted it yet I will post later after mounted and used on how I like it.

[Geeper4x4]

A winch is a pretty significant mod and you should weigh the cost and use of the winch for your needs. I looked at my likely uses and the weight of my 2door and how often I would really use the winch. The Smittybuilt is a good choice for many, the Warn m8000 is also a great choice for a little more money. I weighed all of the variables and decided on the Superwinch EPi 9.0. I am happy with my decision. Here are some of the reasons I choose the Superwinch but your needs might dictate something else.

Reasons for the Superwinch. $560
Low Price for a High end quality winch,
Fast line speed- Powerful - Waterproof Contactor- Low Amp Draw - External Brake Great for Synthetic line -Great Warranty -Snatchblock - 125ft. cable - well built thimble


Warranty and Solenoid details:

"The Best Winch Warranty in the Winch Industry:
Limited Lifetime on winch mechanicals, 3 years on the switching solenoid, and 1 year on the remainder of winch electrical components
Superwinch builds exceptional quality, and value into every product we build. It was the development of the EP series that has brought our company to a new high in value and has prompted us to increase the warranty on the EP series, among others. EP winches have features that our competitors cannot match, even at nearly double the price!

Our exclusive solenoid, with its silver-alloy contact pads, thick copper buss bars, and submersion-quality sealed construction, make it clearly unmatched in the winching industry. It is simply the most reliable solenoid in the industry, so thousands of off-roaders can now enjoy the trail, worry-free. Our confidence in this product allows us to extend the electrical warranty on these solenoids to 3 years. Spare solenoids are not needed with a Superwinch EP or any of the other Superwinch products that carry this exclusive component."

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h112/old15bravo/IMG_3061.jpg

[Brad2893]

I got a decent deal on a new Warn xd9000i for about $880US the other day in Seattle. Didn't have to pay duty, either. Much better than what they charge north of the border.

[RedneckJeep]

Ask yourself, "When I get my Jeep stuck, am I gonna stick it CHEAP?" Chances are, you're gonna be stuck up to the axles. That should answer your cheap winch question.

[ward adams]

SWEET RIDES GUYS!! yA I THINK I WILL SAVE FOR A LITTLE LONGER AND GET A WARN. I AM GONNA BE DOING SOME REAL OFF ROADING WAY IN THE MOUNTAINS AND NEED ALL THE HELP I CAN GET. I JUST ORDERED A PULL PAL, WHAT A COOL TOOL IF YOU WHEEL ALONE!
OMY 4HI

[Big Clint]

Here's a video of me this past Saturday. The front drivers' side was buried past the 35" tire. It was quite a long pull before I really got traction enough to not require the winch. I have the Smittybilt XRC8.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMl2P3Q-ZUc

The majority of the time you really just need a helping hand and 8k is plenty for a 1 foot pull over a rock, get you un-high centered, etc. It is when you are really stuck in sucking mud that more strain is put on the winch and it becomes critical. This is definately the hardest pull I have done with this winch and it didn't let me down.

If you wheel alone, I'd say invest a little more and make sure YOU can get YOU out of the situation. If you wheel with friends, maybe you save a little...realizing they have winches also, and that a smart person reaches for the recovery strap first before hooking up the winch.

[ward adams]

Awsome vid man!!!! Send me more please. I got chills with that! Do you have lockers?

[RedneckJeep]

SWEET RIDES GUYS!! yA I THINK I WILL SAVE FOR A LITTLE LONGER AND GET A WARN. I AM GONNA BE DOING SOME REAL OFF ROADING WAY IN THE MOUNTAINS AND NEED ALL THE HELP I CAN GET. I JUST ORDERED A PULL PAL, WHAT A COOL TOOL IF YOU WHEEL ALONE!
OMY 4HI

I think that's a smart choice. I was gonna go Smittybilt, but when the time came, I just couldn't do it. The Warn was only 168 bucks more, so there really wasn't a choice.

[Big Clint]

Awsome vid man!!!! Send me more please. I got chills with that! Do you have lockers?

No lockers...Standard loaded Sahara package...I'm asked all the time if I have lockers. Being new, I guess it still turns all the wheels without question. I'm betting with more miles and more trails behind me, a need for lockers may come into play.

[jkkat]

At the time these were done i was useing the 8000 Lb winch offered at Costco which was made by Champion and it worked ok, It was slower than heck and i ended up having to rebuild it twice. But you go due stuff like this, a GOOD winch IS needed.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff229/JKkat/th_Jan192008-VID00004.jpg (http://s243.photobucket.com/albums/ff229/JKkat/?action=view&current=Jan192008-VID00004.flv)
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff229/JKkat/th_Jan192008-VID00005.jpg (http://s243.photobucket.com/albums/ff229/JKkat/?action=view&current=Jan192008-VID00005.flv)
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff229/JKkat/th_Dec292007-VID00003.jpg (http://s243.photobucket.com/albums/ff229/JKkat/?action=view&current=Dec292007-VID00003.flv)
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff229/JKkat/th_Dec222007-VID00002.jpg (http://s243.photobucket.com/albums/ff229/JKkat/?action=view&current=Dec222007-VID00002.flv)

[2k2wranglerx]

what i've run in order of how i liked them (included what i paid for them)

Warn 8274 (came on jeep) best winch i've EVER run or used.
Tabor 9k (400 bucks)
Magnum 9,000 (399 bucks)
Warn M8000 (purchased used)
Smittybuilt SRC8 (299)
Ramsey REP8000 (came on jeep) these run like 8-900 bucks new! what a ripoff! it was SLOW!!!
Milemarker 8000 lb winch (i actually broke the case on this winch, it was a piece of crap)

my .02 take them how you want.

[ward adams]

To bad I don't have more $. I would do it up really pimp!
I'd rather be winching than working!

[RedneckJeep]

To bad I don't have more $. I would do it up really pimp!
I'd rather be winching than working!

Do tell....how do you "pimp" a winch? I just gotta see this.

[Ewok]

Do tell....how do you "pimp" a winch? I just gotta see this.

X2 on that!:D

[riverzendz]

Do tell....how do you "pimp" a winch? I just gotta see this.

I don't know if I want to see that! :rotflmao2:

I'm running a Tabor 9k. It's relatively inexpensive, rated at 9000lbs, and made/warrantied by Warn.

Haven't had to use it yet but I'm not concerned about it when that time does come.

[Big Clint]

I know how to pimp a wEnch, but not a wInch. Do tell.

The only other thing that comes to mind is before I bought mine I was considering mounting the winch (as opposed to mounting the wEnch) on a mounting plate that attaches via the reciever hitch. I was thinking that I could get a front mount reciever hitch and be able to use it on both the front and rear of the vehicle. The concept is simple, but when you start thinking about the weight of the mounting plate, the winch, and all the stuff you'd be carrying around, it becomes 150+ pounds. It also isn't practical for rock climbing or mudding...Consider that when you get stuck you would have to manipulate that weight around and be able to remove it from your rear storage and place it in the reciever. And if you thought ahead enough to attach it before getting stuck and needing it, it would kill your approach or departure angle. It's an easy enough concept and you could pre-wire both ends of the vehicle with a quick connect, but it just isn't practical for a hilly environment that Jeeps typically traverse. I have started to see rear bumpers that will house a winch, but that's for the rich and famous. If I need to go backwards, I'm using the winch on the front of my buddy's rig.

[ward adams]

Ya I thought of that but it would be very low and draggen in the mud. The Warn dual power plant is a Pimp winch! Some things you can't cheap out on like lifts and tires and winches.

[Frog Rubicon]

Mile Maker is good.

Also, you can find used Warn at low prices. Example: I found my Warn 9.5 on Ebay for 500$ shipping fees included.

If you have a stock bumper, don't forget that mounting plates are very expensive!

[Cappi's JKR]

A winch is a pretty significant mod and you should weigh the cost and use of the winch for your needs. I looked at my likely uses and the weight of my 2door and how often I would really use the winch. The Smittybuilt is a good choice for many, the Warn m8000 is also a great choice for a little more money. I weighed all of the variables and decided on the Superwinch EPi 9.0. I am happy with my decision. Here are some of the reasons I choose the Superwinch but your needs might dictate something else.

Reasons for the Superwinch. $560
Low Price for a High end quality winch,
Fast line speed- Powerful - Waterproof Contactor- Low Amp Draw - External Brake Great for Synthetic line -Great Warranty -Snatchblock - 125ft. cable - well built thimble


Warranty and Solenoid details:

"The Best Winch Warranty in the Winch Industry:
Limited Lifetime on winch mechanicals, 3 years on the switching solenoid, and 1 year on the remainder of winch electrical components
Superwinch builds exceptional quality, and value into every product we build. It was the development of the EP series that has brought our company to a new high in value and has prompted us to increase the warranty on the EP series, among others. EP winches have features that our competitors cannot match, even at nearly double the price!

Our exclusive solenoid, with its silver-alloy contact pads, thick copper buss bars, and submersion-quality sealed construction, make it clearly unmatched in the winching industry. It is simply the most reliable solenoid in the industry, so thousands of off-roaders can now enjoy the trail, worry-free. Our confidence in this product allows us to extend the electrical warranty on these solenoids to 3 years. Spare solenoids are not needed with a Superwinch EP or any of the other Superwinch products that carry this exclusive component."

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h112/old15bravo/IMG_3061.jpg


I agree with you on this one :thumbsup:. I got the same winch coming in the mail.

I also did a lot of research, and I came to the same conclusion...For me, this is the best winch for the money.

Tony-