Which winch is preferred?

C

Charles Stanley

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Hi, Im looking at putting an electric winch on my TJ. Of course, I've heard that Warn is the undisputed leader, but I'd like to hear from people who use winches like the Engo SR9S ( 9,000lbs) or Smittybilt X20 (10,000 lbs) on practice.
And of course, I would like to know if you would prefer a synthetic line?
It is very interesting why the phrase "synthetics is not for everyone" exists.
I would be grateful for your help!
 
Engo is a decent product. Smittybilt is the brand people love to hate, but many owners of Smittybilt winches report no problems with them.

I currently own a Warn M8000 winch with synthetic line. It replaced a Smittybilt winch with wire rope installed by the previous owner of my jeep. The Smittybilt winch worked fine for me, and it continues to provide good service for the member of this forum to whom it was sold. My reason for the change was my personal preference for Warn winches, not that there was anything wrong with the Smittybilt.

Synthetic winch line is the way to go for self-recovery if you can afford it. It isn't necessary, but it is easier to handle and safer for the occasional user.
 
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Warn has pretty much set the standard, That’s what is on my Jeep. With that being said there are many winch manufacturers that are reputable, look at consumer reports or manufacture ratings.

As for lines, both steel and synthetic have their place. Synthetic is much safer for most pulls as the energy from the tension dies out much quicker in the event the line brakes. Steel is better if your line has to rub agains sharp or jagged surfaces.
 
I'm currently looking for a winch at 4WheelOnline to install next month. A couple of friends suggested getting Warn winch as well because they think it's the most reliable option. I'm planning to stick with their suggestion, but I'm still checking more feedback regarding that winch.
 
Charles Stanley said:
Hi, Im looking at putting an electric winch on my TJ. Of course, I've heard that Warn is the undisputed leader, but I'd like to hear from people who use winches like the Engo SR9S ( 9,000lbs) or Smittybilt X20 (10,000 lbs) on practice.
And of course, I would like to know if you would prefer a synthetic line?
It is very interesting why the phrase "synthetics is not for everyone" exists.
I would be grateful for your help!
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Winches and by extension winch lines are only as good as the operator. Synthetic line is safer from a recoil failure standpoint but is susceptible to cuts and abrasion.
 
I have the smittybilt xrc 9500. I'm a casual winch user, which is another way of saying it's not a regular part of my wheeling experience - if I pull line it's because something didn't go as well as I expected.

The grease that comes in it is trash. You'll eventually end up cleaning it out and regreasing with something quality. If you find a good price on a warn and it's within 200 bucks of what you'd pay for a smittybilt, I'd go for the warn. But for $400, I'm ok with spending a couple hours bringing it up to where it should have been.
 
I'd prefer to run a warn. Unfortunately my budget landed me a harbor freight winch. It's been 7 or 8 years now and I just can't kill the damn thing. I try to stick with the 45 seconds of winching few minutes of cool down it says in the manual but at this point I just run it to see what it can handle. No issues yet even running original grease and electronics. But if you have the money definitely buy a warn. It looks cooler and won't let you down.
 
joe98tj said:
I'd prefer to run a warn. Unfortunately my budget landed me a harbor freight winch. It's been 7 or 8 years now and I just can't kill the damn thing. I try to stick with the 45 seconds of winching few minutes of cool down it says in the manual but at this point I just run it to see what it can handle. No issues yet even running original grease and electronics. But if you have the money definitely buy a warn. It looks cooler and won't let you down.
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I'm curious. Is it the Badlands Apex 12000? Wouldn't mind trying it with one of the 25% off coupons.
 
I lied, guess it ends today. Posts on facebook show people getting one in store for 300 but I dont know how that math has been working out
 
I run HFT wrenches and their torque wrenches and like them but I've never had any good luck with any of their electrical products. I personally consider a winch to be an emergency use item and won't skimp on buying once that won't make me worry and/or worry 'I hope it holds up through this surprisingly tough recovery'. As a pilot there's a saying that at 10,000' at night and your engine starts sputtering, you'll regret every decision to have gone cheap with anything. For that reason I will run nothing but Warn.

There are of course some other good winches but an additional couple hundred bucks for Warn will be long-forgotten not long afterward. Save up a little longer if you must, just don't go cheap because you want a winch mounted now and you're too anxious to wait until you can afford something better.

Not to mention I'd rather be giving my $$$ to the good people of Clackamas Oregon where Warn's manufacturing is located than anyone in China.
 
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KingCarGuyZ said:
Cough cough VR series Cough cough 😁
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Yes that's where Warn has their VR series made which is why I won't recommend that particular model of Warn winch. Warn only sells the VR series so it can have a chance to at least somewhat compete with the cheap Smittybilts and HFT Badlands winches. Their other winches appropriate for Jeeps are manufactured in Clackamas.
 
Jerry Bransford said:
Yes that's where Warn has their VR series made which is why I won't recommend that particular model of Warn winch. Warn only sells the VR series so it can have a chance to at least somewhat compete with the cheap Smittybilts and HFT Badlands winches. Their other winches appropriate for Jeeps are manufactured in Clackamas.
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Absolutely, just some mischievous part of me had to point that out.

personally I run a shittybuilt X20 10K. It was cheap and gets the job done.

If I wheeled/lived somewhere where help was more than and hour or 2 away. Then I would have a warn. Can’t beat there relatability, and the fact that they still make parts for winches that are older than I am.

For me, winch is a convenience item, it makes it to where I can wheel on my own or try a harder trail in relative safety. But if it fails I still have friends that will come bail me out and razz me about it forever.🤷🏻‍♂️ Really it comes down to how much are you willing to pay, like usual, Jerry’s right. You “should” have a warn. But I’m a cheap bastard, and even I wouldn’t run a hazard frought. Smittybuilt is less than 50 bucks more, and has a waaaay better track reacord, at least with the guys I wheel with.
 
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Another cheap option if on a budget is an LP 8500 by Superwinch. Can be had for $300 or in some cases less. I picked mine up NIB off craigslist, other than being slow it has worked pretty darn well and I use it multiple times a year.
 
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J&M’s ICON said:
Warn has pretty much set the standard,
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Warn is popular in the US. They are popular recreational winches. They really haven't set the standard, they are just well regarded. There are many other "gold standard" winches if you compete, or use a winch commercially. Most tow trucks I've seen are running a Ramsey industrial PTO of some sort. Warn makes similar but I never see them. Camel Trophy type competitors run a Gigglepin or similar. Warn inspired by configuration but about where it stops.
 
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mrblaine said:
Warn is popular in the US. They are popular recreational winches. They really haven't set the standard, they are just well regarded. There are many other "gold standard" winches if you compete, or use a winch commercially. Most tow trucks I've seen are running a Ramsey industrial PTO of some sort. Warn makes similar but I never see them. Camel Trophy type competitors run a Gigglepin or similar. Warn inspired by configuration but about where it stops.
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I stand corrected then, I should have chosen my words more correctly!

I guess the point I was trying to make was Warn has been around a long time and make what I believe to be a reputable product (IMO).

I’ve had several on many different toys, ie; Jeeps, ATVs, trailers, ect., and never had any problems with any of them.

Thank you for the information!
 
J&M’s ICON said:
I stand corrected then, I should have chosen my words more correctly!

I guess the point I was trying to make was Warn has been around a long time and make what I believe to be a reputable product (IMO).

I’ve had several on many different toys, ie; Jeeps, ATVs, trailers, ect., and never had any problems with any of them.

Thank you for the information!
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The euro rally type offroaders giggle at our use of the Warn stuff. But, they are more about winch competitions than we are.
 
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