Champion 10,000lb or Warn M8000 Winch? (1 Viewer)

[rdang]

I'm on a bit of a budget but would really like to make my next purchase a winch. I don't do a ton of hardcore wheeling or a lot of wheeling (which will change) for that matter - I just would like to have a winch for those "just in case" situations. Which may be once or twice a year I would even use it if that.

Costco has the Champion winch for about $400 bucks and it's rated at 10,000lbs. I've seen used Warn M8000 for about the same cost... am I better off getting a smaller, used Warn or a bigger, new Champion?

Considering the weight of the 80's, I don't know if the M8000 would really be all that effective... and on the same note - "You get what you pay for" comes into play.

Thanks for the input guys.

 

[Romer]

If you have the cash, go WARN better quality and you want to count on it working when you need it

 

[cody c]

ive got the costco one, i still need time to mount it and use it though so no first hand experience yet.
A friend bought one a while back and asked the person at costco if they had any returns or problems with them, they said out of the few pallets they sold they only had one returned, and that was because they were after a different product. There is a write up on a BC 4x4 site about them you could probally google.
They arent WARN quality, but they are $400 and not $1000. You get what you pay for generally, but if your not winching or wheeling too hard il sure it will do.

 

[Brian894X4]

Assuming I looked up the right winch, it's not only made in China....it's made by a Chinese company.

NINGBO YINGZHOU DONGFENG POWER TOOL FACTORY.

That's a huge red flag for me.....literally. Here's a couple of that company's websites. http://www.cnwinch.com/car_winch_sic10000.htm and another... http://www.allwinch.com/

A couple of comments I read about the Champion winches are that they are permanant magnet motors, they make less power, slower line pull and possibly higher amp draw.

I've also read that this same company NINGBO YINGZHOU DONGFENG POWER TOOL FACTORY makes the winches for Harbor Freight and Mile Marker. If you look at their above site you can see they list both Mile Marker and Champion and their winch brands....damn, Mile Marker is owned by a Chinese company? What is the world coming too?

The damn Chinese have a nasty trick of naming all their products and companies sold in the west with english sounding names.

An 8000lb winch should be perfectly fine. For light off road, most of your pulls are going to be short and quick anyway and you can always doubleline. Make sure what cable you get is rated for that. A lot of 8000lb winches have cable ratings less than 16,000lbs.

I run a basic Warn 8000lb winch, but like you, I rarely need it.

 

[chtucker]

An 8000lb winch should be perfectly fine. For light off road, most of your pulls are going to be short and quick anyway and you can always doubleline. Make sure what cable you get is rated for that. A lot of 8000lb winches have cable ratings less than 16,000lbs.


All 8000lb winches barely have cable rated for 8,000lbs. A warn 9000 is loaded with 5/16". 5/16" is only rated for 10,540lbs and 3/8" is only rated for 15,100..

If you were to ever put 7/16" on a 8000lb winch like you suggest, you probably wouldn't get 45' on it.

http://www.truckntow.com/productspecs/WireRope.pdf

In a double pull situation, the line is only taking 1/2 the load, hence 5/16" works on a 8000lb winch. What you really need to worry about is the attachment points on the stuck vehicle...and your anchor point

 

[D'Animal]

Buy a used WARN

 

[rdang]

Thanks for the input guys - yeah, I've read a lot about using anything other than Warn and how most are opposed to it and others can live with non-Warn brands... either case, no one has really ever had either fail on them.

Yes, the Champion is slow and made by a Chinese company... I'm cool with that. Yes, the Warn is probably way better in terms of quality and performance... I'm cool with that too.

I just want to know if getting a used M8000 would get me out of a jam (mostly mud here in Alberta) or if I would be better off spending the money on the Champion 10,000lbs.

IF money was not an issue (and I probably speak for the majority of us), then the Warn 12,000lb would be sitting on the front of my 80... but like most of us, we are mostly broke and try to make a few compromises where we need to just to keep our 80 on our driveways.

So again, if everyone thinks an M8000 is enough to pull an 80 out of deep mud every now and then, or up a slippery hill... then I'm comfortable with getting one. If people think an 8000lb winch is just not enough for a 6500lb truck and would honestly feel more comfortable with a cheap 10,000lb winch... well, post it.

 

[chtucker]

When you want/need a winch to work it needs to do its job...

Just don't get too far from a tree

Then don't break the cable trying to side pull

Then don't forget to call for help

Yes it snowed on 6/4/2008

I would buy a Warn or a Ramsey

 

[WES1977]

did you see this tread?

https://forum.ih8mud.com/camping-gear-recovery/234774-sale-warn-winch-m8000-others.html

 

[jasonmt]

did you see this tread?

https://forum.ih8mud.com/camping-gear-recovery/234774-sale-warn-winch-m8000-others.html

Shipping/Brokerage/Exchange is going to kill any savings...


I would go for a used Warn, a 9.5Ti went for $650 locally a few months ago and my personal favorite in the 8274 is going to have a 75' range when double-lined and still pull 10k faster when compared to the Champion which only spools 85' of cable anyways.

 

[rdang]

Yeah - those awesome prices do not apply to us folks up here in Canada. We usually don't get the free shipping and when you add duty on the price... it just isn't THAT good .

did you see this tread?

https://forum.ih8mud.com/camping-gear-recovery/234774-sale-warn-winch-m8000-others.html

 

[rdang]

Also - remember that I would be looking at a USED warn, I do know know how much it's been abused prior to purchasing it and it should be considered that it has a chance to fail (however unlikely) as a NEW Champion.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

If the Olympics are an indication of things to come, the Chinese products will be dominating in the near future.

As of today, the Chinese have 45 gold medals to our 26. They only trail us by 3 medals total 79 to 82.

Don't be too condescending on the Chinese products...they dominate in a few areas and others are getting better and better.

I would go for the Champion just because in your case you only use it once or twice and you need the power to pull you out.

 

[chitown40]

Why not a Summit brand (rebadged T-MAX)? Their 10,000LB winch works just great and it's a steal around $540.

 

[d0ubledown]

if youre comparing a used warn to a new champ..id go for the new champ. with costco's return policy...if it dies out on ya, take it back and get a new one. over the counter, no questions asked, even years later. many off bc4x4 have had much success with the champs although i remember reading it was the 8000lb winches that had the warn internals, and not the 9.5's IIRC. not as fast as a warn, but pulls solid.

buying used for something such as recovery, you'd better make sure its up to par...even do a rebuild whether it needs one or not just for the sake of knowing its as good as new.

i recently discovered that you can fit a champion (or any other integrated winch) in the 80 arb. you just need an inch or so spacer to clear the bumpers tapered leading edge...

another alternative is warns tabor 9k. warn internals

 

[C6H12O6]

This is coming from somebody without a winch, but...

Cheap winches never fail when you aren't using them. You have pretty much said you only plan on using the winch occasionally and when you really need it. Do you really want to roll the dice with an unproven, offshore winch? There is a ridiculous amount of testimony here on 'Mud about the dependability of top-quality winch brands like Warn. Sitting on your bumper, out in the elements of a wet BC, how is the Costco cheapie going to hold up? Cheap seals allow water into the motor, bearings, etc., and cheaper wiring and electronics won't be noticeable until you need the winch and it doesn't work.

 

[rdang]

I agree that it's going to suck if the Champion fails when I need it... but it's also going to suck if the M8000 doesn't have enough pulling power to pull me out.

I completely agree with C6H1206 in that the seals on the Champion may not be top quality, I was wondering about how the more cost effective winches hold out in rain and snow seasons, this is where it makes sense to invest the money.

Again, to stay within budget - a used M8000 costs more than a new Champion - I'm still stuck as to which one will work best for my needs. Is there anyone that has used the M8000 on their 80 to pull them out of deep mud? Let's be honest here, the 80 is not going to get stuck in little puddles - when it does get stuck, it will be stuck good.

 

[FJBen]

My friend has a cheap knockoff...the harbor freight winch. 50% of the time it works 100% ;p and thats the truth. I don't trust that winch at all...and I really don't trust the fact that it's a 9K winch like it says. It's slow and really struggles on his Jeep TJ.

I'm guessing that the Warn 8000 will probably outpull that champion winch...AND actually work.

In my order of preference...I'd go

Warn
Ramsey
T-max

 

[eleblanc]

Lots of people up here has bought champion from costco. The problem with people wanting a winch not on a big budget, is no mather what they buy, they all think nothing can stop them anymore in the trail (and this is the case even with people with good warn winch). Anyhow you have no idea how many guys i've went to recover with a failed champion. IMHO a chamion is for those how wants to have winch and Warn and ramsey for those who wants to use a winch.

Unforunately they do not last. Doesn't mather if you use it 2-3 times a years or not, in 5 years at a bad moment it will fail you when you are alone. I'd go over a used M8000 with a pulley anytime, it is a no brainer IMHO.

I've heard they are improving, still they take longer to fail.

Or look into T-max winch from australia.

I had my warn for 15 years and this year i've open it up for the first time....just because it needed some grease And i've went through 3 sets of 3/8" 150' cable.

 

[45Kevin]

Ditto on the warn.

For the same reason you bought a used LC instead of a new Kea Sportage.

No matter what the return policy at Cosco is, if it croaks you will still need to walk 5 -10- 15 miles out of the woods to get a (possibly) functional replacement.

Buy the warn, open it up and clean it, replace anything if needed, and wheel with confidence.