Opinions and install info - Harbor Freight 12k Winch w/ 98-02 ARB Bumper 3413050 (5 Viewers)

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Is it normal for a new winch to be pretty hard to pull out and freespool? My driveway is still a sheet of ice, so I am sort of just slipping so that could be a factor lol....I haven't pulled it all the way out and tensioned it back in yet. Maybe a few runs in and out will help.

I need to get off the Google, I got sucked into a few of the Jeep forums , they say I should have opened it up and packed marine grease in there. They claim the HF grease is no good but too late now..... I'm just going to ride it out and see how it does.



PS - You can buy some spare parts for this winch like control box and other spares if needed on the HF website. I'm not sure what part would typically fail on a winch, control box? IDK...... Given these prices I don't think it makes sense to buy the 2 year warranty for $190 but I'm still debating that.
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Yes, it takes a little oomph to pull out the rope. I think you’re probably struggling due to traction issues, as noted. I wouldn’t throw the money away on the warranty.
 
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I have the owl expedition mount in my parts bin, you have inspired me to get and install a cutoff switch for my winch.
Will send pix when complete.

That YotaMD mount looks sweet!
 
geo5 said:
I have the owl expedition mount in my parts bin, you have inspired me to get and install a cutoff switch for my winch.
Will send pix when complete.

That YotaMD mount looks sweet!
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Yeah for sure, they both look like solid options. I already have my accessory fuse panel in the passenger side but it's nice the Owl mount has more space if needed.

Anything is better than zip ties for such a high amperage circuit. Hopefully Owl Expedition is still able to create this mount.
 
While I wait to finalize the electrical I'm going to shift over to some , teach me how to questions. I know there are a lot of resources out there and I'll do more homework but here's my current thoughts...


Freespool
> So I found some solid ground and pulled the line out a bit, it's really really hard to do. Not impossible but it takes a lot of force. Hoping this just gets better in time and it's not a s***ty Winch.

Tension / line spooling
> So how particular should I get about a perfect wrap of line? I assume the first wrap is most important and should be kept tidy. But as we roll more rope on, does it need to be like perfect or is it ok if there is some spacing? I know overlapping or criss crossing is no good but idk how perfect the spacing needs to be

It's also kind sketchy staring into the winch to make sure it's lined up while I suck rope in.

In the field
> I suspect I can get it just right while at home , but what about after an actual recovery? Do I need to take the time to get it all back perfectly or can I just suck it in and try my best .
PS- when running the winch the alternator does a good job of keeping up but but it does down under 13v when under load at times. I try to just give it a test now and then
 
After another couple pulls of the line and I just can't get this thing to come out any easier. It takes a good amount of force and body lean to get it out. It feels like IDK the brake or clutch or whatever is inside there is holding it up. I'm not pulling this thing out so will have to live with it.

If anyone out there has tips or experienced the same hard freespool let me know
 
Trapper50cal said:
The only thing I can think of to do is engage and disengage the clutch lever a bunch and get things moving in there....
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Right....Weird thing is, that lever is like buttery smooth. It moves really nicely, maybe too nicely? like it's not doing what it should be IDK

I saw one internet suggestion that said put it in freespool and tap the remote in/out but that sounds kind of stupid like something might break. Hoping it eases up in time, worst case I'll have to power out with the remote.

Don't worry, I called Harbor Freight just to ask if others have complained of this. He said, and I quote " you should be able to just spray it with some WD40 " too funny.
 
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My comeup 12 definitely has resistance when freespooling, I have to lean into pulling a bit especially the first 10-20ft of line

Edit- I am not going to douse it with WD40
 
Good to know, I wont pass any judgement yet. Maybe it's just built so damn good everything needs to break in a bit. Or maybe the grease is overpacked in there causing some hard gear spin.

Either way, life goes on....

- Right? WD40 what? lol yeah lemme just spray it all down and that should fix it. It was such a funny redneck response. He claims they sell 100+ of those winches a month, which seems far fetched too but who knows.
 
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I would respool the line completely under some load. You’re supposed to do that anyway with new winch line. Then check if freespooling gets easier. If not, the brake might be dragging too much.

Generally for winches, you don’t power out for long distances. You can overheat the brake drum/disc. Not all winches work the same though. Check your manual.
 
hoser said:
I would respool the line completely under some load. You’re supposed to do that anyway with new winch line. Then check if freespooling gets easier. If not, the brake might be dragging too much.

Generally for winches, you don’t power out for long distances. You can overheat the brake drum/disc. Not all winches work the same though. Check your manual.
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Good advice, after some reading I have seen several comments about not using power to get the rope out because of what you mentioned.

Well shoot, yesterday I hooked to a tree and pulled the rope in under a decent amount of tension. I think I did a decent job but It's still super hard to pull out.... not impossible. I was thinking I should get down to the last wrap and then try to freespool with less rope on the drum, just to see if it's any easier or the same. If it's the same, it makes me think it's internal.

lots of comments on the interwebz about grease being packed too tight causing the issue across multiple brands. But IDK to me that translates to more water proof so just deal with the hard line pull.

It wouldn't bother me as much if I wasn't paranoid it was something defective or possibly not put together right. Harbor freight purchase paranoia


Time will tell if it gets better or s***s out. I'm going to try another few pulls and respools this weekend.
 
The SuperWinch I have had on the front of my J€€p was initially a pain in the butt to free spool. I initially installed it in winter and cold temps made it worse. It seemed to loosen up after free spooling it in summer. Today (18 years later) it pulls out no problem.
 
Mike NXP said:
Good advice, after some reading I have seen several comments about not using power to get the rope out because of what you mentioned.

Well shoot, yesterday I hooked to a tree and pulled the rope in under a decent amount of tension. I think I did a decent job but It's still super hard to pull out.... not impossible. I was thinking I should get down to the last wrap and then try to freespool with less rope on the drum, just to see if it's any easier or the same. If it's the same, it makes me think it's internal.

lots of comments on the interwebz about grease being packed too tight causing the issue across multiple brands. But IDK to me that translates to more water proof so just deal with the hard line pull.

It wouldn't bother me as much if I wasn't paranoid it was something defective or possibly not put together right. Harbor freight purchase paranoia


Time will tell if it gets better or s***s out. I'm going to try another few pulls and respools this weekend.
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You’ve mentioned it’s still pretty cold up there. Cold grease can make everything pretty stiff. You could try a heat gun on it and see if it makes a difference, or just be patient and wait for it to warm up.
 
Well shoot, sticky cold grease was wishful thinking. I went back outside today to give it a pull. I have to tug as hard as I can, and I get a few inches at a time. No way is this practical in a recovery situation.

After hooking up to a tree and beginning to winch my rope back in I realized, s*** I'm set to freespool but the winch works and operates like it's engaged. Bah! I only ran it that way for a few seconds before checking my rope spool and realizing the handle was still in freespool

So it sounds like whatever is supposed to disengage, is not disengaging. I have enough space in there to pull the gear cover off but I don't think I'd ever get it back together without removing it, and my bumper.


*** anyone ever take a winch apart to fix the engage / freespool handle? Any ideas? Soak it in wd40 ;} jk
 
After some time with the 1-800 harbor freight support and a few other calls it sounds like something is broke and they want me to remove and replace it .

Here we go, should be easier second go around ...I'm gunna try another few rounds and see if not gets any easier
 
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Mike NXP said:
After some time with the 1-800 harbor freight support and a few other calls it sounds like something is broke and they want me to remove and replace it .

Here we go, should be easier second go around ...I'm gunna try another few rounds and see if not gets any easier
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That's frustrating...and you know it's a mentality not an informed decision. They'd rather just take another shot at it, rather than solve it. Saves them time in the long run.
 
Trapper50cal said:
That's frustrating...and you know it's a mentality not an informed decision. They'd rather just take another shot at it, rather than solve it. Saves them time in the long run.
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I hear that, in their defense its expected at this price point..I see a lot of Warn forums with similar problems. They seem to have rapid tech support but the reality is it cant be diagnosed or fixed unless I remove it......

Im trying to stay hopeful that it'll break in but I just ran out another full length of rope and it's torture .I couldn't even pull then last wrap at all.....Im not a big guy but damn I'm not that weak.
 
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