Sponsored

Another which winch thread

kkipp9

Member
First Name
Ken
Joined
Mar 24, 2019
Threads
4
Messages
23
Reaction score
15
Location
Sunbury, Pennsylvania
Vehicle(s)
2018 Wrangler JLU
Occupation
Military
I am new to Jeeps and I need some advice on winches. I have already decided on a 10k pound with synthetic rope.

I have my choices narrowed down to three.
Warn Zeon 10-S
Warn VR10-S
Quadratec Q-Performance Stealth

My question is which one? Obviously I want the most for the least amount of money. Are they all waterproof like the stealth? Durability? Any pros and cons would be great.

Thank you.
Sponsored

 

RubiSc0tt

Well-Known Member
First Name
Scott
Joined
Jun 12, 2018
Threads
56
Messages
1,355
Reaction score
1,688
Location
Upstate NY
Vehicle(s)
2019 JLUR in Punk'n Orange
Build Thread
Link
Occupation
Turn Wrenches/ Write code
I am new to Jeeps and I need some advice on winches. I have already decided on a 10k pound with synthetic rope.

I have my choices narrowed down to three.
Warn Zeon 10-S
Warn VR10-S
Quadratec Q-Performance Stealth

My question is which one? Obviously I want the most for the least amount of money. Are they all waterproof like the stealth? Durability? Any pros and cons would be great.

Thank you.
My preference has been, and always will be one of the big 3: Warn, Ramsey, or Superwinch. My experience with all of them has been great. I grew up on ATV's, my dad had several Warns and a Super Winch, and a Ramsey on his ATV's. I have friends who run Superwinch (front/rear on a trail only CJ 7, and a street/ trail TJ), and a couple Ramseys and Mile Markers and they've never failed. I've had a Warn XD8000i I bought second hand in 2007, it's been on my 2 daily driven TJ's and is likely going on my JLUR eventually until I can swing for a 10K (Not doing much wheeling these days with a brand new Jeep, crazy work schedule, and a 2 year old). My pick was going to be the Warn VR-10S because every review I read of the VR series said it was the best bang for the buck winch. If I recall correctly one of the key features was that it was waterproof. That would be my pick. When I can allocate funds for a 10k winch AND my potential for trail time goes up, That's probably what I'm getting.

That said, I've had friends who run cheaper winches (Quadratec, Barricade, Smittybuilt) and the quality has gotten better over the years. Would I run one on my own rig? Hell no. But, I do understand they have a place in the market.
 

rustyshakelford

Banned
Banned
Banned
First Name
Brett
Joined
Sep 14, 2018
Threads
41
Messages
2,430
Reaction score
3,016
Location
Navasota, TX
Vehicle(s)
2019 JLUR-8 speed 2020 F-350
Not one of your options but we have two smittybilt x20 syn rope. North ridge has them on sale for $420 free shipping. It’s an unreal deal for a great winch. We love ours.

Brett
 

cbrenthus

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 2, 2018
Threads
10
Messages
801
Reaction score
1,086
Location
FL
Vehicle(s)
'19 Mojito JLUR
My previous post may have involved a beverage ;) But, I can also say that I had a cheap winch on my JK, mostly for looks (I had a gift card to a store and had to buy something) and IMO did not last long at all. I used it several times to winch my boat trailer into place, and one day was using it to pull the trailer without a boat on it and it started smoking and died. It was a really hot day, even for FL, but still. If I was getting a winch for actual recovery, I might look into bigger names, but also my experience is 10 years old so things may have changed.
 

Sponsored

Bearded_Dragon

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2017
Threads
13
Messages
1,042
Reaction score
1,218
Location
FL
Vehicle(s)
2018 Mojito! Rubicon
VR10 is NOT submersible and isn't as sealed as a Zeon. Quadratec's Stealth only has ONE year electrical warranty vs Warn's 7 year.
 

ECHO

Well-Known Member
First Name
Craig
Joined
Feb 11, 2019
Threads
4
Messages
424
Reaction score
552
Location
Pennsylvania
Vehicle(s)
2-Door JL Rubicon - Black
Occupation
Retired Air Force - Currently in my Dream Job
Either WARN will get the job done and done well!!
 

TheEddie

Well-Known Member
First Name
Eddie
Joined
Mar 6, 2019
Threads
10
Messages
166
Reaction score
114
Location
Colorado Springs
Vehicle(s)
2021 JLUR 4XE
My preference has been, and always will be one of the big 3: Warn, Ramsey, or Superwinch. My experience with all of them has been great. I grew up on ATV's, my dad had several Warns and a Super Winch, and a Ramsey on his ATV's. I have friends who run Superwinch (front/rear on a trail only CJ 7, and a street/ trail TJ), and a couple Ramseys and Mile Markers and they've never failed. I've had a Warn XD8000i I bought second hand in 2007, it's been on my 2 daily driven TJ's and is likely going on my JLUR eventually until I can swing for a 10K (Not doing much wheeling these days with a brand new Jeep, crazy work schedule, and a 2 year old). My pick was going to be the Warn VR-10S because every review I read of the VR series said it was the best bang for the buck winch. If I recall correctly one of the key features was that it was waterproof. That would be my pick. When I can allocate funds for a 10k winch AND my potential for trail time goes up, That's probably what I'm getting.

That said, I've had friends who run cheaper winches (Quadratec, Barricade, Smittybuilt) and the quality has gotten better over the years. Would I run one on my own rig? Hell no. But, I do understand they have a place in the market.
The Warn VR is a Chinese winch that competes with the cheaper brands and is of similar quality. The only plus I see is a longer electrical warranty, but I think it suffers compared to the Quadratech Stealth in the remote (not wireless), waterproofing (not IP rated), and looks categories (cheap plastic solenoid cover).

I've been between a VR and a Stealth and I think it'll be a Stealth in the end. You can knock ~$100 off the price as well with the forum discount to put the syn 10k at $500 or less, great deal.

I had a Superwinch TS9500 (Chinese) on my JK and it looked great and worked well until the solenoid got wet and started to stick.
 

RubiSc0tt

Well-Known Member
First Name
Scott
Joined
Jun 12, 2018
Threads
56
Messages
1,355
Reaction score
1,688
Location
Upstate NY
Vehicle(s)
2019 JLUR in Punk'n Orange
Build Thread
Link
Occupation
Turn Wrenches/ Write code
The Warn VR is a Chinese winch that competes with the cheaper brands and is of similar quality. The only plus I see is a longer electrical warranty, but I think it suffers compared to the Quadratech Stealth in the remote (not wireless), waterproofing (not IP rated), and looks categories (cheap plastic solenoid cover).

I've been between a VR and a Stealth and I think it'll be a Stealth in the end. You can knock ~$100 off the price as well with the forum discount to put the syn 10k at $500 or less, great deal.

I had a Superwinch TS9500 (Chinese) on my JK and it looked great and worked well until the solenoid got wet and started to stick.
Per the Warn website:
https://www.warn.com/vr10-winch-96810

Specs:

  • Black Tactical Look Puts You At The Head Of The Off-Road Pack
  • 10,000 lb. capacity
  • Waterproof Albright® Contactor Control For The Ultimate In Reliability
  • One-Piece Tie Plate Replaces Tie Rods For Added Strength And Rigidity
  • Convertible Control Pack Allows Upright Or Low-Profile Winch Mounting
  • Durable Steel Rope
  • Powerful, Efficient Series-Wound Motor
  • Best-In-Class Load-Holding Cone Brake For Superior Control
  • Designed, Engineered, And Field Tested By Warn Engineers in Clackamas, OR
  • Limited Lifetime Warranty
Emphasis is mine. I've always sworn by my Warn winches. I did a quick search and did see that the VR series are MANUFACTURED in China, which is unfortunate, but I'd still chance a Warn based on my own experiences as I'm pretty sure most other low to mid tier winches are also manufactured overseas (but would have to really dig for sources as I did a quick look up and could not find anything conclusive). Also worth mentioning: The Zeon series is manufactured outside of Clackamas OR (but is more expensive), where Warn is HQ'd.

Not looking to get into a pissing match here, just interested in more info behind your explanation/ reasoning. I'm still going about my research before buying anything and if there is a better overall deal (Read: Cheaper, safer, more durable, faster line speed, etc- I don't care about looks), maybe I should look into it.
 

TheEddie

Well-Known Member
First Name
Eddie
Joined
Mar 6, 2019
Threads
10
Messages
166
Reaction score
114
Location
Colorado Springs
Vehicle(s)
2021 JLUR 4XE
Per the Warn website:
https://www.warn.com/vr10-winch-96810

Specs:

  • Black Tactical Look Puts You At The Head Of The Off-Road Pack
  • 10,000 lb. capacity
  • Waterproof Albright® Contactor Control For The Ultimate In Reliability
  • One-Piece Tie Plate Replaces Tie Rods For Added Strength And Rigidity
  • Convertible Control Pack Allows Upright Or Low-Profile Winch Mounting
  • Durable Steel Rope
  • Powerful, Efficient Series-Wound Motor
  • Best-In-Class Load-Holding Cone Brake For Superior Control
  • Designed, Engineered, And Field Tested By Warn Engineers in Clackamas, OR
  • Limited Lifetime Warranty
Emphasis is mine. I've always sworn by my Warn winches. I did a quick search and did see that the VR series are MANUFACTURED in China, which is unfortunate, but I'd still chance a Warn based on my own experiences as I'm pretty sure most other low to mid tier winches are also manufactured overseas (but would have to really dig for sources as I did a quick look up and could not find anything conclusive). Also worth mentioning: The Zeon series is manufactured outside of Clackamas OR (but is more expensive), where Warn is HQ'd.

Not looking to get into a pissing match here, just interested in more info behind your explanation/ reasoning. I'm still going about my research before buying anything and if there is a better overall deal (Read: Cheaper, safer, more durable, faster line speed, etc- I don't care about looks), maybe I should look into it.
I'm not saying the VRs are bad winches, they have good reviews, almost as good as the Smittybuilt X20, ha.

I would just suggest to look beyond the name as there are some competing winches that offer more for the same or less money.

Quadratech Pros:
IP67 rating meaning the winch is fully waterproof and submersible. (more than just the contactor)
Aluminum solenoid housing (lower profile also)
Wireless remote included
Illuminated spool for night use (who cares, but its a feature)
Removable clutch lever (who cares, but its a feature)
https://www.quadratec.com/p/quadratec/q-performance-stealth-winch
 

Sponsored

urr2slo

Well-Known Member
First Name
Rick
Joined
Jan 12, 2019
Threads
7
Messages
78
Reaction score
150
Location
Phoenix
Vehicle(s)
Denali Duramax, Chevy Camaro, Jeep CJ7, C7 Corvette, MB S63
No one mentioned Bull Dog winches, I've had great experience with them.
 

Redneck_Jedi

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2017
Threads
26
Messages
928
Reaction score
1,132
Location
Currently Roaming
Vehicle(s)
2019 Jeep Wrangler Sport S 2 Dr.
Vehicle Showcase
1
I would probably go with a WARN. However, If you're on a real tight budget, Harbor Freight has their 12,000lb Badland ZXR Winch on Sale for $299 or the 9,000lb version for $249 with their emailed coupon. I'm sure the quality isn't near one of the Major brands, but their winches and light bars have been getting some decent reviews.
 
Last edited:

AndyJeepJL2019

New Member
First Name
Andy
Joined
Jun 26, 2020
Threads
0
Messages
4
Reaction score
1
Location
Pennsylvania
Vehicle(s)
Jeep JL 2019
I am new to Jeeps and I need some advice on winches. I have already decided on a 10k pound with synthetic rope.
I am new to Jeeps and I need some advice on winches. I have already decided on a 10k pound with synthetic rope.

I have my choices narrowed down to three.
Warn Zeon 10-S
Warn VR10-S
Quadratec Q-Performance Stealth

My question is which one? Obviously I want the most for the least amount of money. Are they all waterproof like the stealth? Durability? Any pros and cons would be great.

Thank you.
I was thinking of the Warn VR a couple years ago but i got a great deal on the Zeon so i took the plunge :jk: .
Sponsored

 
 



Top