Winch vs Winch

[xaza]

I just recently opted for a Smittybilt winch. Was looking at Badlands winches and the Q series winches from Quadratec. Without a doubt looking at specs and pricing made the others look good. I made my decision because I do want winch to be reliable. It sits there all year waiting to get used being abused the whole time. Even though I now have what I believe to be a reliable winch I still carry 2 cumalongs. It has been my experience with HF that some things are a great value and others are just cheap. I do have an open mind and all great companies started as new companies, looking forward to more extensive testing

[Robert B]

since my dad has been more into jeeps now that he has one i have noticed that among the large number of magazines we have now on jeeps parts Quadratech seems to be over priced on just about everything made by everyone .........may not be true for everything or everyone but just looking at the same parts they are usually more so if you like what they have see if u can buy it elsewhere my neighbor has a smitty winch ..unused but it wound in just fine

[Java]

Thanks for posting this! I've got a HF winch on my list, and I'm going to pay the extra for the two year warranty. Every review I've read of the HF winches is positive. It's still 1/3 the price of Warn with the warranty and you can walk into the store for a replacement. I have a HF Highlift jack that I paid $35.00 for with a coupon, I had the same one on my last Jeep too, they work great. it is identical to the HiLift stamped model, I rebuilt my last HF one with a HiLift kit. When I bought the suspension for my Jeep I ordered two kits- the Old Man Emu for about $800.00 and the Rough Country for about $300.00. I put them side by side and returned the OME; they were basically identical, the RC springs were nicer, and RC is actually made in the USA. Branding and positioning aren't worth paying for, IMO.

[Rick]

Robert B previously posted:

[Robert B]

thats good rick as that is the model he got for his little jeep so it should be real easy on the winch

[The StRanger]

I have a Badlands 3,000 on the trailer and I havent had a problem with it
It pulled Pa Pa Smurf up with a dead engine ...
But... If it comes to pullin me out of a ditch or spendin a cold night on the side os a ditch
I want a provin name !!!!

[glacierpaul]

I can vouch for Rick's winch, pulled his truck thru 3-4' of snow for a ways. But I was worried about the situation we were in and that winch (hell it could have been any winch) failing. Still it worked like a charm.

[Rick]

glacierpaul previously posted:

[Fordguy77]

While the parts all come from the same manufacturer, that does not mean they are cast, forged, or made of the same materials. It is rather common, back when we still had a tool forge in Colorado springs, snap-on, craftsman, and Williams all came out of the same plant, but that doesn't mean that they were all created equally. Also not all warn winches carry across, and some of the other winch product lines are still rather american, at least in certain product applications. Just goes to show research before you buy. But never forget just because the origin is the same, the same doesn't hold true for quality.
Ie Craftsman Vs Gearwrench
Snap On Vs Blue Point
and so on.
On a side note the closest thing you can get to an "American Made Winch" is a Ramsey

[scout man]

well, not really weighing in on this issue, but I will tell you what. I bought the smittybuilt xrc8 recently and there were a few things that seemed excessively cheap on it. The hook barelly fit over the spindle, and the first time I dropped the controller it shattered! I toss my warn one on the scout around like its a tennisball and I never have a problem with it. This one fell off my lap from a seat position and broke into three pieces. But hell, as long as it pulls my truck I will get over it! Still only cost me half as much as a warn and is really just there for those oh-sh*t moments.

[Rick]

scout man previously posted:

[glacierpaul]

Fordboy77 previously posted:

[ExplorerTom]

Ran into a guy on Twin Cone this weekend. He also had a Badlands winch on the front of his Jeep. I asked him how he liked it and he mentioned (without any word from me) that the Badlands and Warn are identical. He said he has used it a couple times without issues.

Just FYI. Was it anyone on here?

[glacierpaul]

xaza previously posted: