Winch
08-03-2018, 12:09 PM
#2
JK Jedi
I have the Smitty X20 10k with synthetic line. Have had it ~3 years. It's been a good winch that suits my recreational purpose. It does get used, and has performed well. It's a fair price point and is nice to have a wireless controller. Synthetic line is worth the cost IMO. I don't think you'll ever hear anyone bad mouth a Warn. They are nice and perform well, it's just harder for many to justify the price for limited use it may see. If you're going to be out wheelin' several times a week, maybe it's easier to justify.
08-03-2018, 01:19 PM
#3
Super Moderator
So I have a Warn VR series with synthetic. I've never had any trouble with it, but I acknowledge that it's a china-made product. It's been on my rig for 6 years, I've used it 2-3 times per year with no issues. All that said, I think that there are several winches in that same category that compete with the warn VR series winch. Like resharp said, if I were purchasing again, the important stuff to me would be synthetic line and a wireless controller.
08-03-2018, 06:38 PM
#4
JK Enthusiast
Just got my recent Harbor Freight magazine, they have their Badlands XR9000 for $279. I was considering snagging it at that price point and putting in the synthetic rope for $37. I know Resharp said any winch is better than no winch, and the amount of use mine will actually get is minimal at best. Does anyone know if the Harbor Freight units are worth it?
08-04-2018, 07:02 PM
#5
JK Super Freak
I've had my Warn VR-10,000 steel cable now for just over 3.5 years, use it a couple of times a year. Love it, never had a problem. Went steel cable cause everything else is already heavy as hell on the Jeep and I play in the rocks.
08-05-2018, 11:29 AM
#6
Just got my recent Harbor Freight magazine, they have their Badlands XR9000 for $279. I was considering snagging it at that price point and putting in the synthetic rope for $37. I know Resharp said any winch is better than no winch, and the amount of use mine will actually get is minimal at best. Does anyone know if the Harbor Freight units are worth it?
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08-06-2018, 07:30 AM
#8
Just got my recent Harbor Freight magazine, they have their Badlands XR9000 for $279. I was considering snagging it at that price point and putting in the synthetic rope for $37. I know Resharp said any winch is better than no winch, and the amount of use mine will actually get is minimal at best. Does anyone know if the Harbor Freight units are worth it?
08-06-2018, 06:55 PM
#9
JK Enthusiast
While some do, I don't buy the "any winch is better than no winch" (which I don't see Resharp saying in this thread....) I went with a Warn M8000 in much your same place because it's been around for forever, and I like to buy products that are proven with use. I don't think anything from a reputable brand will disappoint you, but I do think you'll be disappointed in yourself when you're saying "man I'm happy I saved $200" if that HF winch has shit the bed and you're buried up to the axles. Personally I wouldn't trust anything from Hazard Fraught to pull me and my expensive vehicle out of somewhere where you really need a winch. I sure as heck wouldn't buy their drills or impact guns, and I wouldn't expect the bigger item to be any better.
Thanks for your insight.
08-06-2018, 07:51 PM
#10
JK Jedi
I don't own a HF winch, and I would say you get what you pay for, but if you're stuck in a situation, I'll still believe that you have a fighting chance of a self recovery with a piece of shit HF winch on the front of your jeep than you do with no winch. I would also submit someone with knowledge of recoveries could do a better job with a HF at their disposal than someone that knows nothing about recovery can do with a Warn, so everything is relative.