I have a zeon 10s and love it, right now you can get an zeon 8 with steel cable for $750 after mail in rebate from warn.

Whatever winch you get make sure you have the gear to use with it, Snatch block, tree saver, d-rings.

 

All those cheaper brands are not US made. Even the lower end Warn is not US made.

 

I bought a Warn M8000s (with synthetic) for $803 shipped on Amazon. Made in USA and it gives me peace-of-mind. I don't plan on using it often, but when I need it, I want to be as confident as possible that it's going to work. To me, that's worth the extra money. YMMV.

 

There is many, many things we buy and use daily that aren't made here. Doesn't mean they are crap. I see both sides of the made in the USA argument. Same goes for the I bought a WARN cause I want it to work when I need it to argument, means nothing. The final decision on what you chose is yours.

Here is a little more info on ENGO. Check out their website and do some resea ch and decide what winch is right for you. Everyone will tell you something different here.

Engo USA -

 

I hear ya, Most of the parts I use at work are not made in US. Honestly it would be almost impossible to find electronic components not made over seas. I think some people really like to purchase US made to support our economy. I was not stating that paying the premium will always get you a better product. All the foriegn cars I owned were much more reliable than the US made.

I almost got an ENGO or Qtec, but I wanted a sealed winch and really liked the look.
I think the biggest issue with the lower end models is QC, but from everything I have read anyone with an issue with either and ENGO or Qtec winch out the box was met with excellent customer service.

 

You are right. We do use many items with out fail that aren't made in the US. I just need to find out what fits my needs. I am a proponent of spending a little more on a quality product, instead of going inexpensive (i hesitate to say cheap) and having to buy again. I like what I am hearing about Engo, and let's be honest, its not like I am going to be doing any expedition trips like Mark Doirion any time soon!

I think it is down to Engo and Warn. 7Kings do you have any problems with your 8K winch? I have heard that the JKU's should have a 10K winch.

 

I didn't say that it was crap if it wasn't made here, and I don't think anyone else did either. I do think that you generally get a higher quality product if it's made in the US compared to most Chinese manufacturers.

I don't understand your point about the reliability. If you're implying that a Chinese-manufactured winch that costs half the price of a similar Warn is every bit as reliable, I think you're out of your mind. Do Warn winches fail? Of course. Anything can fail. However, a company that has focused on quality and reliability as their reputation is not going to skimp on QA - it's too much of a risk to their bottom line. A company that is focused on producing the most affordable equipment possible, however, MUST cut expense somewhere, and that tends to be in the "softer" areas of manufacturing, such as QA. This is exactly why Quadratec and Smittybilt winches are so often reported as replaced immediately and without question when they fail under warranty - it's far cheaper for the manufacturer to replace those winches that do fail rather than expend the significant amount of dollars required to ensure that they don't fail in the first place.

I'm not saying that Engo or Recon aren't reliable winches (although I've read posts about problems with customer service). Overall, I've heard good things about both. I'm saying that, for my money, I'm going to stack the odds in my favor as much as possible.

I do agree with your statement that ultimately the OP must choose for himself. However, since he specifically came here asking for opinions...

 

Of the few failures I could find, Engo 100% stepped up to resolve the problem without hassle. I did alot of searching different forums before making up my mind.

 

I haven't had to do any hard pulls with it yet, but I don't anticipate any issues. GVWR (maximum rated weight) on the JKU is 5400lbs. Rule-of-thumb for sizing a winch is 1.5 * gross weight, which at maximum rated load puts it at an 8100lb winch. The M8000 is a little on the light side based on this calculation, but lots of people have pulled lots of JKUs for lots of years with these winches with no issues. If I ever get stuck bad enough that the winch can't pull me out on its own, I also carry a snatch block to double the pulling capacity. If that doesn't do it, I probably shouldn't pull any harder anyway or I'll be pulling the Jeep out in pieces...

 

I have had excellent results with my Mile Marker winch. They also make hydraulic winches for the military so they know how to produce a quality product. Parts support is great too from what I hear but that I wouldn't know because I've never had any issues.