The Best Winch Brands to Get You Out a Bad Situation (Photos)
By Donna Rodriguez

 

Warn is definitely number 1. I'm on number 3 now and they take everything you can give 'em. Other than burning out a solenoid on an X8000i back in '99 (which I really put through hell), they've worked flawlessly.

I did take a chance between #2 & #3 and purchase an LP10000 from Superwinch. It sat on my bumper for 2 years before I needed it and barely under load moving a tree, it immediately burnt out. It barely moved 2" and then nothing. Now I have VR10000, which is what I should have had from the beginning. I was told to stay away from Superwinch by another who had a bad experience with them, but I didn't listen. I haven't run into anyone yet who has had success with them. I'm sure they are out there, but I'm surprised they are so high on the list.

I'm surprised that Engo and Come-up weren't on the list....

 

 

Pretty slick spool....

 

I've got the Warn Zeon 10S on my JKUR is has worked flawlessly.
My other half has an Engo 10,000 on her Tacoma and it has also worked flawlessly for three years running.

 

I had to paint the 25+ year old winch after rebuilding it so I color matched it to my Jeep.

 

It looks brand new....

 

Thanks,it looks brand new because I love doing that kind of work !

 

OK, So after reading the only 8 comments you all agree on Warn Winches. I have there manual hubs on my ford and I have never had an issue after they were installed so I was leaning towards this company already. I wanted to consult the masses due to all the new companies out there IE... Smitty built, bull dog. and I have heard of them but not a long time for winches. thanks for confirmation. I do have a question as to the pull. short of the military I don't get the opportunity to use civilian winches and most of ours are 25k + and are hydraulic(mostly over kill except for up-armored Vics that have rolled over). so my question to you is what is the best weight to purchase for mainly trail light rock crawling rigs. and is the old saying "Go big or go home" apply with this.

which size?
synthetic rope or wire rope?

 

You can't go wrong with a Warn winch, and you'd be hard pressed to find anyone say anything bad about them. That said, most of us can't justify the premium cost for something that will be seldom used on a recreational basis. If I was using my winch daily for extreme things, I'd probably have the highest quality name brand on the front of my jeep, but I can't justify that for my use. I have a Smittybilt X2O 10k with synthetic line on my 4dr. It has served me well for several years now, and has gotten plenty of use. It has great waterproof ratings and a nice wireless feature. Is it the best winch out there? No, but it's a nice middle of the line winch with a synthetic line and nice features at a decent price of ~$530'ish. If budget is not an issue, get a Warn. If you're a little budget conscious there are several out there that will get the job done without the pretty W on the front. I'd shoot for a 10k lbs with your 2dr, and definitely with synthetic line.

If you want to dangle your jeep off the side of a sheer cliff....definitely get a Warn.