Cheap winches

waywardtravel · **Posted:** Tue Dec 14, 2010 11:52 am

Has anyone tried an inexpensive winch like a smittybuilt. I just bought one for rear bumper use or just re-sell once imported to Panama.

DirtyKK · **Posted:** Tue Dec 14, 2010 6:02 pm

ive got one and my friend just bought one also. mine still works after a good soaking also. the smittybilts are suppose to be hit or miss on quality. although ive heard if you do have an issue they have excellent customer service.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Tue Dec 14, 2010 6:06 pm

Better look at those hooks on those winches,they send them mostly with 1.5 ton hooks(8k winches),major safety issue.That is some customer support :shock:

,cheap for sure.

JeepinJarhead03 · **Posted:** Tue Dec 14, 2010 7:24 pm

I've seen 1k+ price tag winches burn up on the 4th pull and i've seen winches under 400 bucks work daily for over 5 years

get syn line and a good hook regardless of which you get, add it into the price tag if it doesn't come with line, some of the MM winches and such come with syn

don't buy into the whole "faster line speed" mumbo jumbo.. all that does is burn winches up

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Tue Dec 14, 2010 8:37 pm

JeepinJarhead03 wrote:

don't buy into the whole "faster line speed" mumbo jumbo.. all that does is burn winches up

Not so,the faster it is the less stress it puts on the winch and your vehicle,less run time equals cooler running and less stress on yoru battery.

JeepinJarhead03 · **Posted:** Tue Dec 14, 2010 8:55 pm

Depends on HOW they manage the line speed

Majority of winches advertised with "high line speeds", in the 500-900 range, achieve it through higher gearing, putting higher strain on the motors

Difference in run time between standard speed and high speed winches for the same average length pull is rather minimal

So unless you're saying ALL high speed winches are easier on the winch, and easier on the battery and less prone to failing.. which i seriously doubt you'd be saying..

then you can agree that you need to check the SPECS on the winches and compare to known quality winches before making a purchase.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Tue Dec 14, 2010 9:03 pm

JeepinJarhead03 wrote:

Depends on HOW they manage the line speed

Majority of winches advertised with "high line speeds", in the 500-900 range, achieve it through higher gearing, putting higher strain on the motors

Difference in run time between standard speed and high speed winches for the same average length pull is rather minimal

Not true,well at least for WARN's.

My 9.5xp has the fastest line speed under load for any WARN winch(longest duty cycle also),runs a 6hp motor with 156:1 planetary gear set.The WARN 9.5ti which has the same pulling power as the 9.5xp uses a 4.6hp motor with the same 156:1 ratio but with a much slower line speed.

JeepinJarhead03 · **Posted:** Tue Dec 14, 2010 9:07 pm

Not really trying to debate specifics on a current winch vs. something else

however read the above, pretty sure you'd agree that specs need to be considered rather than just line speed

I've seen plenty sub-par winches with close to Warn high planetary speeds and they all turn into little molten pieces of trash

second consideration, quality of the gears and planetarys, seen plenty of those bust into trash well below the rated pull

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Tue Dec 14, 2010 9:14 pm

JeepinJarhead03 wrote:

Not really trying to debate specifics on a current winch vs. something else

however read the above, pretty sure you'd agree that specs need to be considered rather than just line speed

I've seen plenty sub-par winches with close to Warn high planetary speeds and they all turn into little molten pieces of trash

second consideration, quality of the gears and planetarys, seen plenty of those bust into trash well below the rated pull

Yeah so basically you are stating what some of us have known for years..................

"You get what you pay for"

JeepinJarhead03 · **Posted:** Tue Dec 14, 2010 9:20 pm

Here I'll repeat myself

I've seen just as many 1k+ price winches pop as I have cheaper, and all were used on the same vehicles, doing the same thing:

Pulling cars around a car lot in and out of shop bays

After several grand worth of wasted winch investments, two of the cheaper models are still working to this day after 4+ years and one controller replacement

So no.. that's not what I'm saying

Know what's in the winch, is what I'm saying

Sometimes you get what you pay for. Sometimes you get what your ASKING for with blind belief of money versus a brand.

DirtyKK · **Posted:** Tue Dec 14, 2010 9:36 pm

for what its worth the OP asked if anyone has used a Smittybilt winch. not which winch is best. TJKJ is right about the smittybilt winch having a 1 1/2 ton hook on it, at least mine does with the synthetic winch line. either get a different hook or just use a d ring on the loop.

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Wed Dec 15, 2010 2:01 am

RECON makes a mighty fine winch... just sayin'

cj7jeepguy · **Joined:** Tue May 06, 2008 7:32 pm **Posts:** 27

I agree with the heat comment. Heat is what did my cheap Chicago winch in (after 5 years) . I pulled a tractor out of a pond it was digging (straight line) ( I was strapped to a tree). It was on its belly in mud. I did get it out but the next time I went to use the winch it did nothing. I tore into it , found the glue that held the magnets on had melted , released the magnets and they were cracked. I feel if I would have taken a break and let it cool it would still be working. I wouldn't be afraid to buy another. I would spend the extra 50 bucks for the 2 year replacement warranty that harbor freight offers .

waywardtravel · **Posted:** Wed Dec 15, 2010 11:12 am

Thank you for the responses. I'll try it out. I will add some points All winches die. Hydraulic is probably best but also has down falls and never let your winch sit for extended periods of time..

audiboy86 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 15, 2010 12:00 pm

I know of only one person to ever install a hydralic winch on a KJ and i believe it was a WARN. I know it took him quite awhile to get all the parts together and to get it plumbed up. But i think after he got all the bugs worked out of the system it worked great. If only i could remember his ID.

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Wed Dec 15, 2010 1:59 pm

RECON is the only winch on the market that has certification as to it being waterproof... It's an mighty fine winch... I know a guy.

KJWildman · **Posted:** Wed Dec 15, 2010 3:50 pm

JL Rockies wrote:

RECON is the only winch on the market that has certification as to it being waterproof... It's an mighty fine winch... I know a guy.

I'll bet this "guy" has loads of badassedness and pimpination just oozing everywhere!!! :ROTFL:

steve03sport · **Posted:** Wed Dec 15, 2010 3:59 pm

lol you know a guy huh...... does this guy give L.O.S.T discounts lol

STINGN · **Posted:** Wed Dec 15, 2010 6:57 pm

tjkj2002 wrote:

JeepinJarhead03 wrote:

Depends on HOW they manage the line speed

Majority of winches advertised with "high line speeds", in the 500-900 range, achieve it through higher gearing, putting higher strain on the motors

Difference in run time between standard speed and high speed winches for the same average length pull is rather minimal

Not true,well at least for WARN's.

My 9.5xp has the fastest line speed under load for any WARN winch(longest duty cycle also),runs a 6hp motor with 156:1 planetary gear set.The WARN 9.5ti which has the same pulling power as the 9.5xp uses a 4.6hp motor with the same 156:1 ratio but with a much slower line speed.

I had the Warn 9.5ti on the Range Rover...and like jeepin said, sometimes the higher quality winches could go on the 4th pull, funny he said that because I was pulling out a defender out and that was maybe the 5th time I used it that summer (th summer I got it) and it made the scariest noise, it was usually pretty quiet, but it knocked a few times and then the line stayed taught...but wouldnt pull...one of my LR guys took it apart and it looked all mangled up. But Warn has good customer service, they replaced it for me, i just had to pay to ship mine back.

tommudd · **Posted:** Wed Dec 15, 2010 7:05 pm

KJWildman wrote:

JL Rockies wrote:

RECON is the only winch on the market that has certification as to it being waterproof... It's an mighty fine winch... I know a guy.

I'll bet this "guy" dreams that he has loads of badassedness and pimpination just oozing everywhere!!! :ROTFL:

corrected it :ROTFL:

Cheap winches

Who is online