Ok, I’m finally looking into a bumper to mount my winch, an old Ramsey 9000 rep, I’m wanting a low mount inside/ recessed mount. I know you get what you pay for and I’m not looking a a cheap way out but I don’t want to spend a grand on one either.
I guess more that asking what brands people like, I’m looking more for brands to stay away from, or what is liked about different brands

 

Rugged ridge had the old XHD style that was pretty solidly mounted. You could remove the winch without taking the bumper off. I moved to a knock off stinger for a while and just using those 8 bolts across the front, you could get the frame horns to move. After that, I went to the Genright (clearance, before they started branding everything) and it's been solid for how it mounts and what it does. I know you mention that you get off the beaten trails, you might want one mounted a little more solidly than just the 8 across the front.

 

Gosh, I haven't looked at front bumpers in a long time. I was gonna say a Smittybilt XRC isn't a terrible option, but dang, for another $120 you up to a PSC Bruiser bumper with recessed winch, and you get a lot better bumper. I've always felt a front bumper is one of those items you can get by with just about anything. The issue with cheap off-name bumpers is primarily going to be fit and finish. Guessing you don't want to block that radiator any more than necessary and that is why you're against a simple winch plate on your factory bumper.

 

A lot of not just going with a winch plate is looks, I just don’t like the way they look, and I like a lower mounted winch, that way it pulls up instead of pulling the bumper down and forward, higher mounted winches work well when pulling someone else out, but being in a 2 dr jeep I don’t have enough weight to do much pulling anyone else out,
im probably putting too much thought in on it

 

I like low mounting as well, less tendency to twist under load and more air through the radiator. Been using a RR XHD for many years and it fits the bill.

 

I'm running the RR XHD also. They've apparently gone through a few revisions since I put mine on in 2008, but it's been a solid bumper for me.

 

RR xhd is ordered, I like that the fog lights are close to the original spot, not a heavy bumper, the winch weight and bumper shouldn’t make the front end drop as much as some of the others

 

I think you'll be satisfied with it, it's a stout bumper for sure and served me well when I had it.

 

I figure I may add a bracket from the bottom of the winch plate back to the frame, will do some figuring when I bolt it up on what it may need

 

So the Genright magic happens where they bolt the bottom of the bumper to the crash bar and in to the top of the frame. They also slide a tray in for the winch that locks/ bolts to the inside of the frame rail. You may be able to use some similar fasteners and bolt to the crash bar and the frame- I don't recall how close that bumper sat to the crash bar. I didn't have much movement in mine though, it was the stinger bumper where it would flex the frame horns on those 8 bolts alone- just by leaning on it.