I was told the old Warn 8274 winch is the go to for winches. If I can't find a good used one what should I get and why?
Check this thread out:
What is the best winch for my Jeep Wrangler TJ?
I highly recommend either the Warn M8000 or the Smittybilt X20 Comp. I run the latter, and I've had zero issues with it as well. Despite being Smittybilt, it's actually a very nice winch. I know a lot of people who do some very serious hardcore wheeling. They've put that winch through hell and back, and it holds up just fine.
Don't write it off just because it's Smittybilt. I'm telling you, it's actually a very good winch. People will tell you it's made in China (which it is), but the majority of the electronic internals for Warn winches are made in China as well, as is virtually every other electronic in the world as well, including your smart phone.
I would never recommend a Smittybilt product such as sliders or tire carriers, but I have no problem recommending their winch whatsoever. As I mentioned, it's actually a really nice winch, for a great price too.
But if you want the Warn name and reputation, the Warn M8000 is by far the most popular choice for our TJs.
I have the m8000 from the PO. I want a synthetic line and was thinking about selling the m8000 and getting the warn vr8S. Would it be better to refurbish my m8000 and clean it up for synthetic rope?
I have a M8000 and added synthetic line to it. Piece of cake.