"Cheap" Warn vs "Top end" Smittybilt winch questions

ChiliDawg said:

You're on to something. I may have to start up my own brand.


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WJCO said:

How much you willing to pay? I've got one left.

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wayoflife said:

As I had mentioned, the WARN 8074 that came on the 1974 CJ5 that I recently bought STILL WORKS. Over the last 43 years, the previous owners had wheeled the shit out of this Jeep and laid it on it's side more than once. They had also used its winch so much that deep groves were cut into the hawse fairlead. STILL WORKS.

I personally know people who've had their Smittybilt winches fail on the first real obstacle they've needed it to work on. I have seen ENGO only work spooling out when we needed it to spool in. I have seen Quadratec winches work sometimes and not others. None of these problems had anything to do with moving parts that wear out over time but rather, were issues with stupid things like shoddy solenoids or faulty wiring in the motors or even water in the waterproof controller box. For me, it's about quality control or the lack there of.

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BananaJeep said:

I hear ya. Although I'd put up the argument that just about anything made 40+ years ago was probably built better than a lot of the crap we have today :rolleyes2:

That 8074 is awesome. I have a buddy who is rebuilding a 8274 to put on his TJ Rubicon. Cool stuff!

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wayoflife said:

:cheesy: Whoa there buddy, no need to get your panties in a bunch. I've never met you in person and I would never assume that I know more than the next guy. You just seem pretty sure of yourself and so I can only be left to assume that you're speaking from experience that I don't have. I'm glad to hear your winch has been working for you and I sincerely hope that it will continue to do so.



Not sure what "numbers" you'd be referring to. Me, I can only go off of what I have personally seen.



Yeah, I suppose that would work out great if you were in a position where pulling you backward was an option or where someone could actually work their way around in front of you. Of course, this is to say nothing about you being in a position where your help would have been the best option but had nothing to offer.



I realize that it helps you to sleep better at night making this into a "brand" thing but it really isn't or at least, not to me. Peace of mind comes from knowing what I have now WILL WORK when I need it just like it has again and again over the last 10 years. Hell, just like the 43 year old winch that's on my old CJ still works to this day. It's not like I haven't run other "brands" in the past, it's just that I have found ones made in the USA work reliably and consistently.



Ummm, you live in the State of Nevada, a place where you can literally get out to a place 100 miles from the nearest anything and with very little effort and in a day. You don't need to be playing on crazy big obstacles to put yourself in a life or death situation.

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wayoflife said:

There's a lot of truth to that. It's crazy how over built things were back in the day. Still, the PowerPlant that's on Moby is 10 years old now and while I have had the belt on the compressor fail a few months back, the winch itself it still chugging along great (not like I ever use it) and the belt was still covered under warranty.

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WJCO said:

How much you willing to pay? I've got one left.

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HardRockRubicon said:

Thanks for all the responses and advice. I especially like the one about not skimping on safety equipment. This made me realize that I have never skimped on anything else on my jeep so why start now. I have also always bought American when that was a choice and have often paid more to do so. So I have decided to bank my current budget amount and add to it until I have enough to get one of the Warn Zeon models. I expect since I am holding out for now I will wait until I can get the 10-S or 12-S. Thanks for pushing me back in the right direction.

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HardRockRubicon said:

Thanks for all the responses and advice. I especially like the one about not skimping on safety equipment. This made me realize that I have never skimped on anything else on my jeep so why start now. I have also always bought American when that was a choice and have often paid more to do so. So I have decided to bank my current budget amount and add to it until I have enough to get one of the Warn Zeon models. I expect since I am holding out for now I will wait until I can get the 10-S or 12-S. Thanks for pushing me back in the right direction.

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SergJKURhino said:

I have Smittybilt X2O Gen2, 10k, steel cable. Works perfectly, plenty strong, good features, & looks good. At the $390-ish price point (the $549.99 price you're looking at is overpriced...look on ebay), I can replace it with a brand new one w/out shedding a tear if I need to.


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OverlanderJK said:

I love this mentality. I will remember this when I am 100 miles from civilization and stuck in the desert, with no cell service and no internet access. It should be no problem ordering another one.


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SergJKURhino said:

I don't go on challenging trail runs alone. So if my winch were to fail while on one, there is an entire group with me to assist. So yeah...it won't be a problem ordering another one when I get back home.

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HardRockRubicon said:

Thanks for all the responses and advice. I especially like the one about not skimping on safety equipment. This made me realize that I have never skimped on anything else on my jeep so why start now. I have also always bought American when that was a choice and have often paid more to do so. So I have decided to bank my current budget amount and add to it until I have enough to get one of the Warn Zeon models. I expect since I am holding out for now I will wait until I can get the 10-S or 12-S. Thanks for pushing me back in the right direction.

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piginajeep said:

Late to the party, but when the fuck did smittybilt ever make anything top end!

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wayoflife said:

If you lived in the east coast where all they have are off road parks with trails that meander back and forth, I could maybe understand this mentality. However, I see you live in the west, a place where we have tons of trails that, depending on where you're jammed up, there may not be an easy way to pull you back or get someone up around and in front of you. Or, if you just happen to be the guy in the best position to help someone and if your winch gives out, it can be extremely difficult if not impossible to get someone to take your spot. In short, having a winch fail could still very much be a real problem even if you're with a big group with plenty of winches that do work, you've just never been in a position to know as much.

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