Which Wench is Wecomended

Ok,,,, bad play on words but,

I got an unexpected bonus in the form of a check from a previous employer for unpaid overtime I was due. My wife insists I use it on the Jeep in order to be ready for trail running in the spring.

So, which is the best bang for the buck option? I know I could easily drop 1000$ on a high end Ramsey or Warn, but I will likely not be using the winch in severe conditions on a regular basis, so Im considering my options.

Has anyone had experience with the T-Max winch or the Black Mountain Winch from Collins Brothers? What about Superwinch?
I do not mind spending a bit more for quality and dont want somthing thats only going to last a year or so.

I am looking for somthing in the 9000 to 10500 pound range, and gimmicks like wireless remote are meaningless to me, I want strength, reliability and cost effectiveness.

Thanks in advance for ideas, opinions and advice.

 

I believe you have confused Wench and Winch. If you buy a WENCH for your Jeep, your wife may throw a coniption fit.

As far a winch is concerned, a magazine recently did a side by side comparison and real world test of winches in Moab. Can't remember which one it was.

Me personally... I want something I know will not fail me whenever I need it. I picked up a good used warn 8000i for $400. Never had a single problem with it and I use it normally at least once everytime I take it out to recover other people.

EDIT: Found it Moab Jeeper Article on Winch Comparison

 

I'd try and find a good used Warn like Hudsonhawk said if possible. One of the best electric winches available. Failing that, a friend of mine sells T-max and he is real honest on feedback to me about warranty issues. He's had very few issues from customers in an area where winches get a hard workout....
I have not personally used one as any electric I purchase/use is a Warn because of the failures I've seen from the other manufacturers....

 

x2
I am running a Warn 9000# winch and it has never let me down. I look at a winch like this. I don't always need it but when I do I am glad it is reliable. My Dad runs another brand electric and sometimes it will overheat and shut down. I have never had a problem with the Warn.

 

Sorry, the misspelling was intentional.
T-Max is one of the ones at the top of the list, but I will be researching more before buying. Reliability and cost are the primary factors, and I know they are more often than not incompatable with each other, but there are good products for a fair price available. I might consider used, but I prefer not to buy someone elses problem, and there is no way to know how hard a part has been used/abused. Plus, I like having a waranty.

 

I used a Ramsey 9000# winch for several years. It would lift my CJ7 . . . all of it . . . up a waterfall or pull a Ford out of the sand without a hitch.

I've seen a lot of Chinese winches fail and would be wary of the cheaper ones.

 

Interesting topic. Just to get this out of the way, I opted for a 8k winch from Costco. Integrated, waterproof solenoids, series wound motor, came with a winch plate, and a snatch block. Costco's warranty is that if I'm unhappy with it, for as long as I own it, Replace or refund. As everyone I wheel with has a winch, and they don't get used all that often, the $300 invested seemed about right for my situation. Looks wise, the thing is IDENTICAL to the integrated Superwinch. It has a cheesy remote, however. So far (about 2 years) not a problem with the thing. A little slow compared to a Warn, doesn't bother me.

In doing my research before purchase, I was amazed to find how many winches are "Chinese". Even if the winch is ASSEMBLED in the US, they all seem to use parts mfg'd anywhere from China to Mexico. I would suspect that Warn and the other high end companies specify (and test for) higher grade parts, even if the parts are manufactured elsewhere. Combine that with more careful assembly (?) and MUCH better marketing, and it will probably go a long way towards the higher price.

Was the premium worth it for my situation? Nope. Costco warranty pushed me over the edge. But like I said, I don't wheel alone, so if my winch doesn't work, someone else's will.

My Chinese winch has never let me down yet when wheelin', my brain, however has dropped a cog a time or two....

Just another viewpoint.

 

I also have an 8000i hanging off the front of my jeep. I bought mine new, found it on sale for a bit over $500 with free shipping. I don't think they make the 8000i anymore though?

 

4wd is selling a smittybuilt for 299 here
http://www.4wd.com/search.aspx?PN=1&kw=Winch+Deals

however, I was at sams club the other day and they had a 10k for around 400 that included a receiver mount, snatch block, and pre-wired quick connects. Told the wife to have santa bring me that one

 

I don't know, I saw "wench" and "best bang for the buck" in the same post and haven't been able to think straight since...

 

I've got one of the original MileMarker 12k electrics (swapped from my fullsize rig.) I burned up the load holding brake during a brain dead maneuver, which they promptly fixed for free, and haven't had any other problems with it. I know MM has changed the design a lot since then and may have lost their reliability. My winch is actually made ty T-Max and seems to have just as good of internals as Warn (I have had them apart side by side.) The biggest reason I bought it was that it was on sale for $500 including a 12k snatch block that I have used a lot. So far, I'm happy with the purchase as it has pulled my 7000 pound rock crawler out when it was wedged solid between large rocks with the tires off the ground, and has pulled me out of the exit to Independence Trail in Colorado twice with no issues (10 foot high waterfall in two steps), as well as recovery of other people's rigs on many other rockcrawling trips.

 

I bought a warn 8000i for $250 dollars. Found it in the classified section of our local newspaper. It even came with the mounting plate, wheel chalk, and a tree strap. Personally I like warn winches, being that I've heard alot of other people speak good things about them, and I am very pleased with the one that I have.

 

Ok,, so what are the thoughts on the Warn value-series Tabor 9k winch? Some of the stats on it, such as ratio & hp are not listed by online dealers. This looks like a strong option, as does the T-Max 9500.

 

we have a tabor 12k on our TJ. it doesn't do bad for the price, but given the choice again, id buy something with a little more quality. the biggest problem with it is line speed and room inside the drum. you pretty always need to watch the coiling on it, its no 8274 and be prepared to stop winching and recoil a bit of it. its line speed is better then a hydraulic in low but again compared to the 8274 on our 72' its night and day. if i were on a budget and didn't need the winch too often you could get away with it. myself, i do allot of winching outside of wheeling and i'm not impressed with the quality, im not sure i would buy it again. its also loud as hell

 

After a lot of research and shopping around I just bought a Smittybuilt XRC-8 new on ebay for less than 390$ (thats including the shipping) Im pretty happy with the specs of the winch (5.5hp, series wound motor,roller fairlead included) and I saved enough to but the mounting plate as well as a good accessory kit.

Will let ya know how it preforms once I have the need to use it. My "Project & To-Do list for Christmas vacation seems to be growing at an exponential rate)
Thanks for all the advice.

 

wow!,, breath slow , i like the idea of the wench also.

 

I will have to agree with the Sam's club winch. I think it is a good deal for the money. I would have bought one by now but I am trying to install a pto winch right now so I can't find a use for another one. fdpwr2a

 

You got that winch at the right time, cuz they changed there policy now because people were taking back stuff from YEARS ago... haha lucky you. And yes, i work at Costco =D

 

The XRC-8 arrived last night via Fed-Ex, and 20 minutes later the UPS dude dropped off the Tomken Machine winch plate, so Im set for the install once I get the power steering in.

The winch appears to have great quality control, fit and finish. I seems very much on par with more expensive and "popular" winches on the market. I'll let ya'll know how the mounting goes as well as the results of any testing/usage.

I remember reading somwhere that it's necessary to "pre-stretch" or "break-in" tha cable first by finding a good level or slightly inclined area, unspooling all but 5 or so wraps of the cable, anchoring it and re-spooling it with the vehicle in neutral. Is this a good idea or required?