Smittybilt X20 winch opinions

My current winch is one of the older X20 8k winches, its worked perfectly every time I've needed it, which has probably been about 10 times in the past several years.
 
One of my concerns about Smittybilt's winches is replacement parts availability. Case in point, Smittybilt couldn't provide a replacement part for a fairly new winch still under warranty. They ended up having to send a replacement winch instead. That sounds great until you think about what they would do after the warranty expires. I'm definitely not a fan of Smittybilt.
 
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If this isnt well liked what is? Most likely won't see more than a handful of use per year
For light usage where you're never going to be in a remote area where you might actually have to depend on it to get home it'd probably be fine. Personally I'd rather buy a used Warn than a new Smittybilt or store brand winch.
 
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If this isnt well liked what is? Most likely won't see more than a handful of use per year
What is, will be a Warn. No doubt their higher level winches are good, but you have to be honest with yourself. Is the winch mostly for looks, but also possible occasional use, or will you be a hardcore user of it.

If you will rarely use it, a good Warn is expensive. If you use it a lot, a Smittybilt "could" be a let down.

Some don't like to believe that my Smittybilt soft top is WAY better than my previous much more expensive Bestop, but it is. Not everything Smittybilt is automatically inferior to the "better" brand.
 
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I personally run a Warn but I have several wheeling buddies who use the X20 for years now without issue. I wouldn’t hesitate to run one if given the opportunity
 
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I never needed my winch for about a year and a half. Then I needed it for two self recoveries on trails with zero chance of help.

Another couple of months later on a trip used it 8-10 times for others as well as myself.

Don’t plan on not using a winch.
 
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I gave a friend who works in a junk yard my older Smittybilt 9.5k lb winch. He just used it to pull a 26k lb truck out of mud where it was sunk in up to the axles. He had it on the front of his F350, the back end of which he had chained to a tree. He was amazed.
 
I’ve been on this same question for a while now. First jeep and have never used a winch before but I am aware that the m-8000 may be the best one to get but that synthetic price tag is over double the x2o’s and I don’t know if the warn would be worth for the stuff I will do with the jeep.
 
I have a couple year old X20 10K and it has served me well. Here is the deal though. When I "go wheeling" I'm with people and we're in parks, mostly. I don't have the luxury of BLM land and the vast openess out west. So, I went with the Smittybilt because if it DOES fail, I can depend on others, if for nothing more than a ride.

If I lived out west I would have a Warn Zeon. Its that simple for me.
 
have had the x20 for 3 yrs used it several times only small problem I've had is the battery in the control died but not a huge deal just used the cord hell i even used it to hang a butcher 4 deer last fall (shoulder is fucked up couldnt pull rope to hang them
 
I have a couple year old X20 10K and it has served me well. Here is the deal though. When I "go wheeling" I'm with people and we're in parks, mostly. I don't have the luxury of BLM land and the vast openess out west. So, I went with the Smittybilt because if it DOES fail, I can depend on others, if for nothing more than a ride.

If I lived out west I would have a Warn Zeon. Its that simple for me.
Thats essential how I’ve felt but the only things out here I do that isn’t a park I am with others who can recover me in the worst case scenario. I also do see many of the x20s out here in Washington and haven’t heard anything bad about them; mostly good.
 
I've used mine quite a bit in the little over a year I've had it. No issues and I love the wireless function. Better than having it dangling inside my door.
 
I have a smittybilt xrc 9500. Not sure what differences there are between the x20.

It came with a sheet instructing the buyer to spool it out and pull it back in something like once a month. I didn't, and now it's nearly impossible to free spool. It feels like the grease in the planetary has turned into chewing gum so I'm in the process of researching what sort of grease I should replace it with to keep it from happening again.