Which winch should I buy

[islandtees]

I can't help but notice that you bring an unusual amount of negativity with ALL of your posts. I'm guessing that you only post on things that
you don't like(which appears to be everything) and post nothing about what you condone.

Back on topic...I had a Warn RC9500 that was really tough. It's only drawback was that the line was a bit shorter, but that thing was fast!

I have noticed this too that all his posts seem negative.
I have the Zeon 12S and have no problems with it.

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[WXman]

I can't help but notice that you bring an unusual amount of negativity with ALL of your posts. I'm guessing that you only post on things that
you don't like(which appears to be everything) and post nothing about what you condone.

Back on topic...I had a Warn RC9500 that was really tough. It's only drawback was that the line was a bit shorter, but that thing was fast!

I don't know which part of my post (which was 100% factual and helpful) you construed as "negative", but I suppose if that's what you're getting out of it maybe you're reading it with a negative mindset.

 

[Goin2drt]

I am surprised no mention of Smittybuilt whatsoever. I am leaning that way, but again no expert here.

 

[WXman]

I am surprised no mention of Smittybuilt whatsoever. I am leaning that way, but again no expert here.

Engo makes a great winch too. It was one of the only ones that didn't break internal parts during the torture testing, and it's a fraction of the cost of the big name brands.

 

[Bearman95]

If you think you might actually need a winch then get a Warn Zeon. If you want one to just say you have one then get one of the winch’s made in China and save your money. I have a warn Zeon 10s platinum.

 

[stuckinohio]

here is the link to the winch review everyone is citing.
http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/129-1107-massive-multi-winch-shootout/

 

[wibornz]

I am no winch expert. With that stated, years ago, I bout a 12,000 rated champion winch from Sam;s Club for 289.00 dollars.It was a whole kits, even dad a snatch block. I used it quite a bit with my old TJ. So after about 1 1/2 years, the motor died. Fuck it is out of warranty, but I call the company anyways. I tell them that it is out of warranty and the motor stopped working and asked about how to get a replacement motor.. Their reply was unbelievable. The service girl said, "We will just send you a new one." I again stated it was out of warranty and she said we are are a company that stands behind our product. and that it should have lasted way longer so she just shipped me a new motor out for free, Paid the shipping...everything at no cost to me. It was a simple 5 minute job to switch the motor over.

Like I said,I am no winch expert, the Campion winch did fail, but the company was awesome and took great care of me as a customer.

 

[Goin2drt]

If you think you might actually need a winch then get a Warn Zeon. If you want one to just say you have one then get one of the winch’s made in China and save your money. I have a warn Zeon 10s platinum.

Sorry but this makes zero sense. I am confident no one wants a winch to just say they have one. Most people either want a winch and need one because they use them all the time. Others want a winch "just in case". They hope they never have to use one but if they do, it will be an emergency and they will need something to get the job done. Getting a cheap winch from China may not work that one time they need it. Horrible advise IMO.

 

[Bearman95]

Don’t Let your confidence overwhelm you! Some people will buy a winch just as they do off road lights, for the Bling Just so they have something that looks good! Sorry you think this is horrible advice and sorry that you can’t see what I’m saying. We each have our own opinion and you are welcome to yours! Have a great day and God bless you brother.

 

[mwilk012]

Don’t Let your confidence overwhelm you! Some people will buy a winch just as they do off road lights, for the Bling Just so they have something that looks good! Sorry you think this is horrible advice and sorry that you can’t see what I’m saying. We each have our own opinion and you are welcome to yours! Have a great day and God bless you brother.

This is true, and while it's a bit silly, people can spend their money on whatever they please. For that situation, I'd recommend a warn VR 10-S with a new fairlead, as the black cast iron one is a bit boring if you're not going for the blacked out edgy teenager look. And, if you ever do need to use it, it will do the job just fine. Obviously it's not as tough as the zeon or platinum series, but it looks similar, fits well, and is a good starting point.

 

[TJEli]

I went Zeon 10-S. I am allergic to wireless remotes on winches for some reason. Here is my $.02. Take it or leave it. I had a 9.5Ti on my TJ that got used a LOT and it never let me down. I don't plan to do the same things with my JL but if I am on the end of a winch line I want to make damn sure I can trust the winch. $600 more for a GOOD winch is well worth it to me when it might be holding my $55K jeep from rolling or worse.

-Eli

 

[Jeepsk8]

I'm not anti Warn, they have made winches for a long time and they are battle tested. They also have one of the better warranties on the market. That said, there are a few companies out there that have the same reputation for dependability and durability, Ramsey and Superwinch for example. Do some research and you'll see that Warn winches overall cost more to purchase. It really kind of depends on intended use and budget. Get at least an 8K (absolute minimum) winch for a 2 door and a 9500 for a 4 door, shop for the main players in the industry (already mentioned) and decide on warranty.

All that said I have a Superwinch Tiger Shark 9500SL synthetic line. Haven't needed it for recovery yet, but I yanked a bunch of bushes out of the ground with it.

 

[fat_head]

I bought mine from Harbor Freight. I'm not impressed with fancy labels for bragging rights. I have a winch in case I need it but plan to not put myself in a scenario where I do.

 

[Outwest970]

here is the link to the winch review everyone is citing.
http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/129-1107-massive-multi-winch-shootout/

FYI, I personally wouldn't trust this review (from 2011?). Are there any other more recent comparison reviews?

 

[stuckinohio]

FYI, I personally wouldn't trust this review (from 2011?). Are there any other more recent comparison reviews?

I know what you mean. I see they announced Warn as the winner when it had parts breakage and couldn't continue. This happens to the be test that everyone refers to.

I looked and looked for comprehensive reviews that compare multiple winches and only found a couple. For whatever reason I didn't feel great about them or they didn't review winches that I was even looking at.

There are several solo winch reviews but that only helps when you get the field narrowed down, and even then it's hard to tell if they are honest and legitimate reviews... Personally, when I see a retailer doing reviews on anything that they sell, I feel it is hard to trust them because I automatically assume the review is biased.

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