Who has one and how has it performed?

I don't need a warn I don't have 1400 for merica that I Rarely!!!! Plan to use.

Now before a war starts I support buying USA. Worldly these days we are a cosmopolitan population that has its hands in everyone's nation
< cough> almost ok. I don't mind paying for a good winch( that China made) vs a great winch(USA) because my wheeling environment just does not demand my pockect book be stretched open. 800 $ for a good winch bumper & 12-1400 $ for a great winch. Sunbi### I'm not Trump rich. China might have a product that is inferior to a USA winch,but it's not the 1980s and a lot has changed. A modern cheapo winch is going to destroy and older ... gbusa.

I need practical ability for my needs and a rare ( never needed yet!) but available recovery winch thats not of total crap make is where I'm at.




For the experienced not the opinionated what should work for my needs and what can be said for the above selectionsea.

Thank you for your help

 

If your rarely going to use it, look into rough country's winches. Their other products aren't so good but I have used their winches and they are decent for the price. No issues.

 

Read this http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/12...inch-shootout/

 

The Engo winch held up well in that review.

http://www.extremeterrain.com/engo-1...D&XTID=J100118

This is the winch I'm using. The first pic shows the Bad Lands 9000, the gears went bad in that winch and it was replaced with the 12,000. Thank you Harbor Freight, no extra charge.

http://www.harborfreight.com/12000-l...ake-61256.html

 

I've had the smittybilt 9.5k xrc for almost 2 years now. I've had it submerged in muddy water for 20 minutes on two occasions and it still worked flawlessly. I also live in MN and had it on my jeep all winter long with no problems(rust has started on my cable but that's not the products fault). I would definitely recommend that winch to anyone I know.

 

I have both the Smittybilt XRC8 and the Badlands 9k. IDENTICAL copies of each other at the same price (under 300). Both are good and work well. The plus is, if it breaks, you're not out a ton of money.
On the Warn, the good thing about Warn is if something breaks, you can buy every part for it for cheap.

 

Have a look at the Superwinch Talon 9.5 mine works excellent and has been submerged many times, it really is waterproof.

 

That was actually my second choice from your recommendation but I figured I would break it somehow before I got it's worth out of it so I went with the cheaper smittybuilt, which I am glad I did... So far at least. Haha. I would say the best winch you can buy is the most you can afford. That goes for most parts we buy for our jeeps. That's one of the few lessons I've learned recently and won't forget it!

 

Is the superwinch still USA made? Even warn outsources to China at certain models.

 

Superwinch was never made in the usa,Its designed in the usa and uk but made in china.

 

But it unlike the other China brands you can get all the parts for if needed in the US and even rebuilt if you wish. Was also one of the very first to be waterproof and had a longer warranty than all the others by twice as long then 2 full yrs, all the others best was 1 yr including Warn.

 

Smity has a lifetime mechanical warranty and a 5 year electricall. That's fairly good isn't it?

 

Another vote for the Harbor Freight Badlands 9000lb. Been running it for 4 years now, been under water many times, be used under water several times and it keeps on ticking. You can but the extended warranty for about $50 and if anything happens to in in 2? years they just give you another one. I have 4 buddies running them on their XJ's and we haven't had a lick of trouble out of any of them.

 

I know for a fact 4WP doesn't hold the warranty. That's how I got mine. Pissed my buddy off so bad, he went to Morris 4x4 and got a new Warn instead. They do honor the warranty.

 

Very good to know thank you.