"Cheap" Warn vs "Top end" Smittybilt winch questions
- Thread starter HardRockRubicon
- Start date
Ddays
Hooked
WJCO
Meme King
DWiggles
Caught the Bug
Guy at the mall: "hey bud, what kind of winch do you have"
You: "Its a Warn VR Series"
Guy at the mall: "Oh, nice! I hear Warn makes one of the best! :thumb: nice jeep"
Guy from the mall after walking away: "what a bad ass jeep"
OR
Guy at the mall: "hey bud, what kind of winch do you have"
You: "Its not a Warn"
Guy at the mall: "Oh, but I heard Warn makes one of the best?"
You: "yeah, they do, but this is just as good. it hasn't failed me once"
Guy from the mall after walking away: "I wonder what other cheap chinese crap plagues that jeep"
If you were buying a winch because you need it, IMO recovery gear/WINCH would NOT be where i choose to SAVE money... this decision would be EASY.
Fast forward to 12:33
You: "Its a Warn VR Series"
Guy at the mall: "Oh, nice! I hear Warn makes one of the best! :thumb: nice jeep"
Guy from the mall after walking away: "what a bad ass jeep"
OR
Guy at the mall: "hey bud, what kind of winch do you have"
You: "Its not a Warn"
Guy at the mall: "Oh, but I heard Warn makes one of the best?"
You: "yeah, they do, but this is just as good. it hasn't failed me once"
Guy from the mall after walking away: "I wonder what other cheap chinese crap plagues that jeep"
If you were buying a winch because you need it, IMO recovery gear/WINCH would NOT be where i choose to SAVE money... this decision would be EASY.
Fast forward to 12:33
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Mountainjk10
Caught the Bug
ChiliDawg
New member
Of all the reasons I can think of why you should buy one brand over another - what some guy at the mall thinks about it has got to be the least important.
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GraniteCrystal
New member
Resale value could play into it. I know I'd be more skeptical of buying a used Jeep if he put a Smittybuilt on the front because makes me think he cut corners elsewhere as well.
If you're on one it forever though, this doesn't matter like you say.
ChiliDawg
New member
You never get your money back out of your investment when you sell it anyway.
Personally I think if you've got the money and want to buy the brand name, go for it. But I wouldn't steer anyone away from a Smittybuilt because "it's not cool." It's a winch. It's a utility item. And they work. Most of the bigger price tag on a Warn is paying for the brand name. JMO.
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Ddays
Hooked
In 70 degree weather at an offroad park with lots of guys around its a utility item.
Stuck in the snow by yourself miles into a trail that utility item now becomes a safety item.
It all comes down to what you are willing to take a chance on. If you will never be in a life threatening situation with your rig go for what you feel best. I'd just rather
err to the side of caution for a few more hundred bucks.
BananaJeep
Caught the Bug
I'll add my input to this:
If I could afford it, I would buy a WARN. But, there's so much other stuff I can spend that extra money on I couldn't justify the WARN so I ended up with a Smittybilt XRC9500. I also don't do any major rock crawling, just little basic stuff and a few ledges here and there. It has worked extremely well for me so far. I say go for the Smittybilt if you only take your Jeep offroad once in a while, but if you find yourself on the rocks once a week or more, a WARN is probably a good investment. Whatever you do, I'm sure you'll be happy! Good luck :thumb:
If I could afford it, I would buy a WARN. But, there's so much other stuff I can spend that extra money on I couldn't justify the WARN so I ended up with a Smittybilt XRC9500. I also don't do any major rock crawling, just little basic stuff and a few ledges here and there. It has worked extremely well for me so far. I say go for the Smittybilt if you only take your Jeep offroad once in a while, but if you find yourself on the rocks once a week or more, a WARN is probably a good investment. Whatever you do, I'm sure you'll be happy! Good luck :thumb:
NecessaryEvil
Caught the Bug
LOL! You make it sound like like we're talking about Walmart brand designer jeans versus a pair of Levi's. It is a winch - a "SAFETY" item and while I may not be as experienced as you, I have seen U.S. made WARN winches work reliably again and again and I have seen a ton of China winches that always seem to fail when you really need them to work most.
Funny, I've been to the WARN manufacturing facility in Oregon and watched how they are meticulously made from beginning to end by hard working Americans. It seemed to me that most of what I've paid for was quality materials and skilled labor but then, that's just my opinion. I haven't been to China to see how they make Smittyblit winches.
DWiggles
Caught the Bug
exactly. :cheesy:
In my opinion, I just dont understand why ANYONE would waste there money on inferior RECOVERY gear! I bought my winch for when I NEED it, not so it looks pretty on my bumper. clearly SOME people think its better to have "A" winch, rather than "A reliable" winch. I would rather wheel without a winch then wheel with the confidence of "having one" only for it to fail when I need it most... :idontknow:
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If we were talking about parachutes instead of winches, I'd have to wonder if we would even be having this discussion now.
I would argue that most people don't even need a winch at all especially if they wheel in off road parks with a ton of other guys.
Ddays
Hooked
LOL, what if they all get stuck? :thinking:
BananaJeep
Caught the Bug
The Hummer's will come rescue the Jeeps??? :icon_crazy:
ChiliDawg
New member
If they were all American made I'd agree with you but a lot of their winches are made in China now too as I understand so I think that negates that advantage.
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ChiliDawg
New member
exactly. :cheesy:
In my opinion, I just dont understand why ANYONE would waste there money on inferior RECOVERY gear! I bought my winch for when I NEED it, not so it looks pretty on my bumper. clearly SOME people think its better to have "A" winch, rather than "A reliable" winch. I would rather wheel without a winch then wheel with the confidence of "having one" only for it to fail when I need it most... :idontknow:
I'm not dogging your choice or winch. But mine works fine so I don't think it's a "waste of money." You are of course entitled to a different opinion.
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Negative. What you understand is incorrect. ONLY their VR line of winches are made overseas. As I specifically stated, "I have seen U.S. made WARN winches work reliably again and again" - essentially, EVERYTHING ELSE they make and they are the only winches I would recommend.