I am new to the winching world and I am wondering when purchasing a winch how many of you all take the warranty into consideration when purchasing? I have noticed Warn and Ramsey offer lifetime warranties whereas milemarker, superwinch and others offer a 1 or 2 year warranty.

I feel that a winch is an investment and I dont want to dump money into something that might not work after the warranty expires.

Thanks

 

Warranty means a great deal for me. Even a limited lifetime warranty tells me that the company is confident in the quality of their product. More and more companies (in general) are only offering 90 day warranties on products. I think that says something too.

 

whenever you see lifetime warranty, one should look at the fine print. It's usually more of a gimmick than anything else since most of those companies can refuse warranty work for whatever reason they see fit...

 

From the Warn warranty on the PowerPlant:

1. Limited lifetime for mechanical parts.

2. One year limited for electronics, drive belt and piston seal.

3. Wire rope, finish not covered.

4. Must have original receipt (for lifetime coverage?) that shows serial number. Interesting: The only receipt I have is the packing slip--no serial number.

5. Will not be honored if unit has been damaged by "improper service". The Owner's Manual says the unit does not require lubrication for the life of the unit. Unless it's submerged: "If this occurs, a qualified service center must complete service ... If the control pack is submerged, it must be replaced."

6. Applies to original purchaser only.

Bottom Line: Warranty is one of the last things I consider. They are needed so very rarely and, as has been pointed out, there's too much room for the company to wiggle out of honoring it. Except Craftsman tools. I love Craftsman handtools.