Rare use winch...Suggestions Please

[TexomaFJ40]

I am looking into winches for my FJ40 for limited offroad use. I would like a Warn, but for how little I will use it, have no intention to spend the money. I was looking on Ebay and there are 9500# winches for $350 and was wondering what you guys thought about the quality of the winches. The largest use for this winch will be pulling out buried snowmobiles, stuck ATVs, and a few trees up embankments for firewood. Any luck with off brand winches?

 

[nuclearlemon]

is it brand name or no? for 459, you can get ramsey...

 

[TexomaFJ40]

I've seen it with a Rand stamp on one, however, several of the other listings do not not have the "Rand" stamp and look and spec identicle. $450 plus shipping is too much if I can get a winch that works for $325.00

 

[Jetboy]

You might keep looking, because if the new ramseys are selling for 450 then you should be able to find a used one for 300 or less. I picked up two warn 8274's for $275. One had a broken gear that I got from warn for about $45 (they were different years and the drive gears were not interchangeable). and the other had brake problems, so I used it for parts. So anyway I would say do some garage sale shopping and see what's out there. Also call arround to the off road shops and see if they have any used ones around.

 

[skyshark186]

Also remember. How much of a pain is it to have a non functional pos strapped to the front of your truck rather than paying 100 bucks more and getting something that will last. My theory is if your gonna spend it, spend it once.

 

[Poser]

8274 or 8274-50....


Anything else is simply a trinket...and will only lead to sorrow.


Good luck!


-Steve

 

[woody]

IMO, the 8274 is by far the greatest winch ever made...but...

I've never been disappointed with any of Warn's products....for a less-expensive unit, check the M8000.

Other manufacturers, especially those that rebadge them with their own label, also substitute crappy plastic parts in critical areas....saving $200 now may mean spending it again in 2 years when it breaks.

 

[poseidon]

I know you get what you pay for but a guy in our group said that he was having decent luck with a cheepy that Harbor freight sells for about $300. May want ot look into it if you are set on a cheepy. lts easier to have someone to argue with at a real store than ebay seller if it fails to work out of the box.

E

 

[e rock]

I know you get what you pay for but a guy in our group said that he was having decent luck with a cheepy that Harbor freight sells for about $300.
E

There are quite a few people around here that use those. Mostly it's the high school kids running hacked-up XJ Cherokees, but the winches seem to do the job. One guy I kinda know uses his a LOT (read: can't drive for shiat) and has gone through several replacement ropes (his winch technique is suspect also) with no complaints about the winch other than lack of speed.

When they're on sale, I think they're $299 and come with a mounting channel IIRC.

I'll stick with my 30+ year old warn.

 

[Steve C]

It may not be too macho, but the applications described could be done by a boat trailer winch.


http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...10001&classNum=760&subdeptNum=642&storeNum=17

 

[timbercruiser]

There are quite a few people around here that use those. Mostly it's the high school kids running hacked-up XJ Cherokees, but the winches seem to do the job. One guy I kinda know uses his a LOT (read: can't drive for shiat) and has gone through several replacement ropes (his winch technique is suspect also) with no complaints about the winch other than lack of speed.

When they're on sale, I think they're $299 and come with a mounting channel IIRC.

I'll stick with my 30+ year old warn.

A guy in my club uses the Harbor freight unit. It looks exactly like a ramsey. He's had no trouble with it.

They were just on sale for $250 last month. (8000#)

 

[HI^C]

magnum are on sale, plus on ebay cheap, the lower level warn. really cheap if you know people, lol.

 

[TexomaFJ40]

The Harbor Freight maybe the way to go then. I don't use it for crawling, well, not the stuff I do, and it is main use will be pulling dumped over snowmobiles out of the yard.

....Maybe for pulling my wife's suitcases up to the house when snowed in...the uses may be endless. However, if it is on the front of a Jeep, that's the way to go. It would be better if it was on the front of a H2, as often as they get stuck--the winch better work!

 

[TexomaFJ40]

HI^C....I'll have my people contact your people...It's all hush-hush