Harbor Freight winches
- Thread starter JCW
- Start date
WJCO
Meme King
I know it's quite a read, but check this thread out and see if you want to hold to that statement.
https://wayalife.com/showthread.php...-quot-Top-end-quot-Smittybilt-winch-questions
https://wayalife.com/showthread.php...-quot-Top-end-quot-Smittybilt-winch-questions
Snboarder113
Hooked
I’ve had my 12k badlands for years without a single hiccup. On my second cable for it now. It’s a little slower but I’ve never had a single issue with it. In fact my friends warn m8000 died trying to get someone out of a mud hole and mine did it no problem, not saying that it’s better just pointing out the rhetoric of warn will always work and never die is a bit on the optimistic side- unmaintained is unmaintained no matter what the brand. I’m sure this is not a popular opinion around this forum though. Between me and friends we’ve got 4 of them, one switched to synthetic, and have put them through paces all still going strong. FYI the 9000lb version sucks. If you get one mount the solenoid box somewhere under hood, the plastic fade and crack when exposed to sunlight. I’ve been happy with the $20 snatchblock as well but rarely use it.
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notnalc68
That dude from Mississippi
jtpedersen
Caught the Bug
There are a number of folks in my local club who've gotten theirs at HF. A few have seen a fair amount of use. The group's pretty active on FB. If they were deplorable, I'm sure someone would be unwinding a spool over it
. Mileage varies but if having a winch is important to you, and, the choice is HF or not having a winch at all...
Jaybird 11
Caught the Bug
I have a harbor frieight winch. 8000lb. It does ok. If i had it to do over I would have saved 300 more $ and got a warn.
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BaddestCross
Active Member
I have the 12k Badlands from HF. It's slower than some, but it hasn't failed me yet. Not sure if the lighter duty ones are the same, but the 12k has the brake and the spring-loaded guide to keep the line from exploding into a rat's nest without any tension on the line.
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Build Thread - Adventures of Fiona - https://wayalife.com/showthread.php?t=47407
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Build Thread - Adventures of Fiona - https://wayalife.com/showthread.php?t=47407
JCW
New member
JCW
New member
There are a number of folks in my local club who've gotten theirs at HF. A few have seen a fair amount of use. The group's pretty active on FB. If they were deplorable, I'm sure someone would be unwinding a spool over it
My struggle is HF is under $300 and every warn I find is over $1,000.
-JCW-
TrailHunter
Hooked
Have you ever considered the fact that you may not even need one? No better way to save money than to not buy things you don’t need.
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The Badlands winches are popular because of price. They do work but have solenoid issues that most people bypass by using the wireless remote kit (that also adds a weird delay sometimes) and they are known to be slow. However, they are also known to work when needed.
If your price point is $300, there are several other mfg's that are supplying 9,500 lb winches in that price range including Smittybilt and even Warn has a fairly new budget line. The best I can tell they are basically all the same offshore winch with very few differences in stickers and remote designs.
You are the only one that knows your real budget. Just because someone else thinks that they needed to spend $1000 on a winch does not mean that you have to also. You also need to factor in how much you honestly plan on using it and what you will be using it for. Most people can get away easily with a $300 winch and never have an issue with it. If you buy a $300 winch and push it to it's limits and realize that you really do NEED something more, then sell the cheap winch and upgrade. With proper rigging and well thought out driving lines I doubt you will need the upgrade anytime soon.
If your price point is $300, there are several other mfg's that are supplying 9,500 lb winches in that price range including Smittybilt and even Warn has a fairly new budget line. The best I can tell they are basically all the same offshore winch with very few differences in stickers and remote designs.
You are the only one that knows your real budget. Just because someone else thinks that they needed to spend $1000 on a winch does not mean that you have to also. You also need to factor in how much you honestly plan on using it and what you will be using it for. Most people can get away easily with a $300 winch and never have an issue with it. If you buy a $300 winch and push it to it's limits and realize that you really do NEED something more, then sell the cheap winch and upgrade. With proper rigging and well thought out driving lines I doubt you will need the upgrade anytime soon.
WJCO
Meme King
Welcome to Wayalife.
Jaybird 11
Caught the Bug
Gadget
Caught the Bug
Just consider that you get what you pay for, 17 years ago I bought a Warn 9000 that was over my budget, but the deal was too good to pass up. Today it's on its second Jeep and second cable still going strong and trouble free, I'm probably biased but there really is only one brand I trust. I've seen Ramsey fail, I've seen a milemarker go so slow that people were falling asleep on the trail. I have no experience with Smittybuilt, Engo, Badlands or the Quadratec brands, I am curious to see if any of these would last that long. For everyone that uses them I hope they do.
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Snboarder113
Hooked
This statement makes me think you don’t understand how electricity works. The wireless remote receiver for a badlands winch plugs into the same spot that the regular wired remote plugs in. You’re still using the same solenoid to power the winch, you can’t just “bypass” the solenoid with a remote.
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I would be the first to say that ANY winch can fail if it isn't maintained and most China winches won't fail right out of the box. The problem with China winches is that they lack quality control and even if only 1 in 100 were made poorly, I don't know if I want to be that one to be mine. In my limited experience wheeling and using winches, I have personally seen plenty of China winches work just fine and without any issues BUT I have also seen my fair share of them fail when they really needed to work most. I cannot say the same about WARN.
DWiggles
Caught the Bug
This right here! and when I have seen Chinese winches fail, it is almost ALWAYS when the owner needed it to work the most. That is the biggest problem with the china winches, they work FINE *UNTIL THEY DON'T* Nope, If there is 1 place to spend money on a jeep you wheel, it is recovery for sure. No matter how much money you could have "saved" It's all gone and then some when you can't get your jeep off the trail... :twocents:
You dont need a $1K warn, a VR series starts at only ~$500
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Most people can get away with a $300 winch because they will NEVER use it - EVER. And, that's not a bad thing. For the most part, so long as you make sure to go wheeling with friends, pick good lines and use a spotter, a winch can completely unnecessary on most trails.
The best way to save money is to just not buy something you don't really need.
Unfortunately, the VR series are made in China and because of it, I've tended to not recommend them. That being said, as of last year, WARN has moved all their manufacturing into a specific plant that they control and upped their warranty considerably.