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Also question for those of you who follow my build thread.
Looking to buy a winch in the not so distant future. I know, i know, most will reccomend buying a Warn. But if I can save a couple hundred bucks I'm all for it. Have a buddy who runs a quadratec winch and have had no issues with it in two years and countless recoveries of our buddies who get their full-size blazer's stuck. Im not convinced all Chinese winches are crap.
Anyone have any experience with the smittybilt X2O comp 10k?? Friends that have one? Used them? Owned them? Seen them break??
Ive done some research, I can get the smitty for $459 shipped with synthetic line and wired/wireless controller.
Otherwise looking at the gen 2 Warn VR-8s also with synthetic line. ($562) Or the 10k variant for $645. The VR series is Warns budget friendly line which is also mostly manufactured overseas.
I really don't have the experience because I'm not really a winch guy, but I have looked into them. You'll find some people who are unhappy with everything, but for the most part everyone likes the Smittybilt. Biggest complaint I've seen with that one is that the "wireless" function doesn't work all that well.
You'd most likely be happy with either. I think you KNOW you'll be good with the Warn winch, but probably no issues with the Smittybilt.
Lots of BLM land around here with open shooting. Ill bring some steel targets.
What the hell? Is this the wild west? I need to look up BLM land in Ohio. The only place I can go to shoot is a local indoor range. I've only shot outdoors once, and that was shooting clay pigeons with Boy Scouts like 25 yrs ago.
I'd love to "shoot steel." Anything but a damn paper target...maybe buy a zombie target for some variety...
Also question for those of you who follow my build thread.
Looking to buy a winch in the not so distant future...Ive done some research, I can get the smitty for $459 shipped with synthetic line and wired/wireless controller.
Otherwise looking at the gen 2 Warn VR-8s also with synthetic line. ($562) Or the 10k variant for $645. The VR series is Warns budget friendly line which is also mostly manufactured overseas.
Thoughts??
First: Those are all badass winches, and you'd be happy having any of them pull you out of a jam. Just like you said, people like "the name." But as long as that sucker works, and any of "the big ones" should work just fine - go for it.
Some bullets I've pulled from their info:
Both have Lifetime Mechanical, 5 year electrical warranty.
Warn weighs half as much (59lb warn vr8s vs 99lb smittybilt X20comp)
Warn is 90' x 3/8"
Smitty is 98' x 3/8"
Smittybilt is wireless, Warn wired controller
Warn pulls 8000lb at 4.8 ft/minute @457amps
Smitty pulls 8000lb at 8.8 ft/minute @320amps
Warn is Cast Iron fairlead, Smitty is Aluminum
After gathering this info, I vote Smittybilt. The Smitty is less expensive, and has way more features (stronger, faster, less power draw, wireless, longer line.)
Second: Those are pretty good prices. I work for an itty-bitty truck accessory place, and it is HARD to compete with the big boys.
PM if you want me to try and dig up anymore documentation for these things. And PM me if you want a WARN sticker - they just sent us a fat stack of them. Though, I'm sure you'll get one with your winch.
I really don't have the experience because I'm not really a winch guy, but I have looked into them. You'll find some people who are unhappy with everything, but for the most part everyone likes the Smittybilt. Biggest complaint I've seen with that one is that the "wireless" function doesn't work all that well.
You'd most likely be happy with either. I think you KNOW you'll be good with the Warn winch, but probably no issues with the Smittybilt.
Appreciate the input. Only one guy in out 4-5 rig crew runs a winch (the Tan XJ that I've posted some pics of) he's yet to use the winch to get himself un-stuck in just about 2 years now. It sees a lot of use recovering our buddies vehicles though. I vowed to not let him be the only one running a winch, these Blazer buddies of ours need to hop on board.
Originally Posted by MWMahoneyJr
What the hell? Is this the wild west? I need to look up BLM land in Ohio. The only place I can go to shoot is a local indoor range. I've only shot outdoors once, and that was shooting clay pigeons with Boy Scouts like 25 yrs ago.
I'd love to "shoot steel." Anything but a damn paper target...maybe buy a zombie target for some variety...
BLM basically administers 247.3 million acres of public lands, most of which being in the western part of the US. All that land is where people go for OHV areas, camping, shooting, etc. Dont get me wrong there are regulations and it is patrolled by BLM rangers occasionally, but if you aren't out there being an idiot they typically don't bother you.
Originally Posted by MWMahoneyJr
First: Those are all badass winches, and you'd be happy having any of them pull you out of a jam. Just like you said, people like "the name." But as long as that sucker works, and any of "the big ones" should work just fine - go for it.
Some bullets I've pulled from their info:
Both have Lifetime Mechanical, 5 year electrical warranty.
Warn weighs half as much (59lb warn vr8s vs 99lb smittybilt X20comp)
Warn is 90' x 3/8"
Smitty is 98' x 3/8"
Smittybilt is wireless, Warn wired controller
Warn pulls 8000lb at 4.8 ft/minute @457amps
Smitty pulls 8000lb at 8.8 ft/minute @320amps
Warn is Cast Iron fairlead, Smitty is Aluminum
After gathering this info, I vote Smittybilt. The Smitty is less expensive, and has way more features (stronger, faster, less power draw, wireless, longer line.)
Second: Those are pretty good prices. I work for an itty-bitty truck accessory place, and it is HARD to compete with the big boys.
PM if you want me to try and dig up anymore documentation for these things. And PM me if you want a WARN sticker - they just sent us a fat stack of them. Though, I'm sure you'll get one with your winch.
Thank ya mucho. Ill probably wind up going with the Smitty and see what happens. I always try to do as much research as possible instead of going in to a purchase blindly and regretting it later.
Know anyone with some property? Ohio is fairly similar to MI. We can shoot on private property all we like (within reason, obviously). I've only shot inside a couple times.
