Engo Winches

Don't get me wrong. They are handy as hell for all sorts of things from pulling fence posts to jacking/holding bent up equipment in place for welding. Use them all the time around the ranch. Just don't want to pack one in the Jeeps. Winch/snatch block/bottle jack-a much safer route, not to mention more compact.

 

I think it may depend on terrain and area you travel. Around here on the trail you may as well leave the bottle jack at home. It certainly can be useful but a hi-lift is so much useful for what we do it's a much better tool for us.
The handle can be used to reinforce tie rods and other things if needed. I've even seen the upright part of the Jack used to hold a broken frame together. Have to change a tire or fix a flat in the middle of a rocky section of trIl? Hi lift shines because it has the travel needed to Jack the vehicle up (after stabilizing with a winch for safety). Just depends on your needs.

 

I picked up a complete warn m8000 with synthetic cable for $150 off CL a while back.
I need to put a new motor on it, then go thru it but it does look solid otherwise.

 

Not to knock the Engo, but it looks like all the other Chinese winches as far as the shape of the gear housing, motor housing, connection box, even the remote control handle. I believe the majority of the Chinese winches are made by the same company, including the smittybilts, harbor freight, etc. I suspect anybody that has a big enough order can get a line of winches made with their own label.

I own an 8000 pound smittybilt, got it on sale for $250 at 4wd parts a few years ago when they had a grand opening here. It looks exactly like the harbor freight and the Quadratec winches.

Ningbo Lianda Winch Co.,Ltd.

 

Supposedly the Chinese manufacturers share designs and identical looking products can come from different factories and be built to widely different standards.

Even though two examples of these winches look similar and use similar external parts, I believe it matters greatly what the purchaser's spec requires, and how well they QA what they get from their sources.

If Engo can manage the sourcing and they wrote their spec carefully and wisely, there's no reason to equate the Engo winches with the HF, IMO. If the Engo guys are scoundrels or idiots, then the two winches may be the same and they may have gamed the Four Wheeler review or the good result was accidental or something.

To me, it looks like the Engo guys know what they are doing and have a good spec, and they are selling these winches cheaply now to start up their business. There's always a risk as an early adopter, but the value is the reward. Warn has the name, and does not have to price below the market to establish themselves.

There is a 450% price premium of the Warn over the Engo. If the Engo product is good, that can't last. Part of that is the strong dollar, which will likely change. However, I predict that Engo will not make it at those prices... so if you are willing to take a little risk, might be time to buy one of theri winches.

 

But it is off topic section

 

Hmm. I think I suggested half of that equation .

 

I would say give the engo a shot. Try one out, if you like it, buy another, if not, either put it on the TJ or CL and get a warn.