Ok so it’s time to purchase a winch. I’ve been searching far and wide, and have finally narrowed it down to the Smittybilt XRC8 Comp v the Recon 10500. Both have synthetic line and I’d like to go that direction. Please share any opinions or experiences with either, as I can’t make up my mind.

 

I am sure there are plenty of people on here who have the Smitty and love it. I only speak from my personal experience with them. It lasted all of two minutes on the first pull and was fried. I don't know anything about the other you mentioned.

 

There's a reason that these winches are inexpensive--they just aren't built as well as more expensive winches. However, most folks don't report having the problems that Stong Bad experienced. The bottom line is that with these cheap winches getting a bad one or a good one is a crap shoot. I helped Snowbilt install a Recon on his Jeep a few weeks back and he's used it a time or two and likes it a lot. I don't think you'd go right or wrong to get either one.

 

I have the xrc8. I recommend if you plan on using a winch frequently, you should spend a little more money and get a better one. If you are going to use it rarely to occasionally, then it should be fine. I've used mine a few times with no problems to pull other people out, but I don't think I would trust it if I were on a serious run and had the only winch.
Of course, if it saves you from one off road recovery by a towing company, it's paid for itself

 

Thanks for the advice. its my first winch...and hopefully my only winch, so I don't want to end up stranded with a fancy hood ornament that doesn't work.

 

I am so biased on winches that I should not even reply. I believe this is one piece of equipment that you hope you will never need. That said, do you want to risk a situation where the winch does not perform, and your left possibly by yourself in a place that you cannot recover the vehicle from? I have purchased enough items in my life to realize that no matter how good it looks, one company cannot make an equivalent item for 30 to 50% less than another and stay in business. I know it is hard to pull the trigger on an expensive winch, but the piece of mind in the back country is sure worth it to me. I run a Warn 9.5ti and love it. I put my own synthetic rope on it.

 

Go with a Superwinch EPi9.0s, it is a great winch and it has never failed me. I had the Smitty and it did fail me on the trail on my 4th pull.

 

Wow. Thanks everyone for the posts about Smitty. I was going to get the xrc8 with synthetic....but after hearing that it died in the 4th pull or even 2nd pull...I'd say warn is the way to go.

 

Just a comment because I know nothing about winches but do some come with a manual crank option? Seems like it would be a good idea.

 

My 2 cents (about all it's worth).

Nearly every low end winch comes from one factory in China. They simply cosmeically mod the looks. Higher rated winches on the cheap end are the same winch, but with a lower gearset. They pull VVVVVEEEEEEERRRRRRRYYYY SSSSSLLLLOOOOOOOWWWWWLLYYY.

I run a warn powerplant 9500 on the front of my JKU and I run a T-max 9000i on my TJ. the T-max includes a wireless controller which I love. Both run rope and not wire and both work outstandingly. I have a ton of pulls on the T-max and it keeps chugging along. Warn is American and T-Max is Australian, though their low end winch comes from what factory? The same one as the other cheapos...