Winch recommendations

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tommybahama

New member
Hey yall looking into buying a winch. Which brand do yall recommend over the others lookin into getting at least a 10,000lb for my JKU Rubicon. I want the synthetic rope. The brands I am looking at are smittybilt, warn, and badland. Let me know what you got if you have ever had problems so on.
 
jedg

jedg

New member
tommybahama said:
No that they have had problems or anything like that.
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Perhaps it was the VR series you heard those things about? I think (but not sure) that the VR series has had problems.

That being said, I own a VR10000 and have had no problems with it. I bought it before I really knew much about winches other than you want a warn.
 
Wardell

Wardell

New member
I'd recommend going with Warn too. They're the best winch company in the business, very reliable and they come with a good warranty. You're best to stay clear of their VR winches (they may be cheaper, but they're made in China and just aren't the same quality as their other products), but their Zeon 10-s should be exactly what you're looking for. It's rated for 10,000 lbs, comes with synthetic line, and it's even waterproof. The only catch is that it has a centred setup, so you need a bumper or winch mount that is designed for that.

I haven't heard of Badland before... it may not mean much but if they were any good I'd think they would be a bit better known. Smittybilt is junk though, so I'd strongly recommend against getting one of those.
 
rogerk93

rogerk93

New member
Warn is the best on the market but it is expensive. I have the smittybilt x20 12k synthetic rope. $700 is more reasonable. it is really good and line speed is pretty fast compared to others. I had a problem upon installation but 4wheelparts switched it out for me.
 
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tommybahama

New member
Thanks guys really appreciate it. My bumper is set up to hold whatever. So i think i may just wait and buy a warn when i can.
 
Rox Star

Rox Star

New member
I have a Warn Power Plant. It is a winch and air compressor combo. Just spent $500 rebuilding it (contactor was shot...part of the 'bad news' you refer to). To be fair tho, the winch's first couple of years were spent in MN so rust/corrosion/bad football was partially to blame.

My other Jeep has a Bad Land (Harbor Freight) winch. Cycle times are very poor. You winch for 60 seconds and then wait 5 minutes for it to cool down. Winch 60 seconds and then wait 5 minutes for it to cool down. But then again, your stuck so you got plenty of time on your hands!:cheesy:

Get the Warn. Watch the forum for a used one if you are on a budget. Just my thoughts
 
wayoflife

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
tommybahama said:
Hey yall looking into buying a winch. Which brand do yall recommend over the others lookin into getting at least a 10,000lb for my JKU Rubicon. I want the synthetic rope. The brands I am looking at are smittybilt, warn, and badland. Let me know what you got if you have ever had problems so on.
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Why "at least" a 10,000lb? It's all you need and anything more than that won't make a difference. If needed, you can always replace your steel rope with synthetic. As others have mentioned, I would recommend you get a WARN that is not in the VR series.

tommybahama said:
Kinda on a budget too.
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If you were buying a parachute, would you be looking for one on a budget? Unlike a bumper or lift kit, a winch is a piece of personal safety equipment and I would recommend you buy one with that in mind.

I have also heard bad things about warn. Has anyone had issues?
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Such as?
 
Gadget

Gadget

Caught the Bug
I have a 15 year old Warn XD 9000i that is now mounted on its second jeep. Still works great and is worth every penny it cost, I understand the budget but there are certain parts you shouldn't get the budget version of. Spend the money for the Warn you won't regret it.
 
BigBoy

BigBoy

New member
tommybahama said:
Kinda on a budget too. I have also heard bad things about warn. Has anyone had issues?
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Really?? You would doubt Warn, a leader in the industry, but wouldn't doubt shittybuilt or a harbor freight Chinese POS? Some things just aren't worth buying the cheap option on. Recovery gear is one IMO. If you're on a budget, save up until you can afford to get a Warn if it's something you're actually going to use. If you're just going for looks, well, still get the Warn.
 
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tommybahama

New member
No i abuse my jeep. But have run with enough people who have had winches. So as i was saying to the others Ill e d up saving for one.
 
Wardell

Wardell

New member
I think that's your best bet. Save up, buy once and cry once. At least that way it'll only be crying when you look at the receipt, and not when a poor quality winch inevitably fails when you need it most and you're left stranded on the trail.

By the way, Warn has a rebate on now that gets you a free medium duty recovery kit. It's a better deal than when I got my winch back in April (it was up to $150 depending on what winch you got, but this kit is worth $200 and is the same for all their vehicle winches) and gives you something you'll probably buy anyway. Even though I still don't have my winch mounted yet, the tow rope from the kit I bought has already made the difference between getting a buddy of mine unstuck when his Superwinch failed or driving out to get help.
 
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