What type of cable to you run on your winch?

[Tex68w]

My fathers barely used Warn 9000i just crapped its motor this week, he’s out of pocket for a new motor, it happens to all of the brands. I wouldn’t be suckered into Warn be indestructible regardless of their price point.

 

[kcjaz]

Sticking to a price point, yeah that's what i try to do......but.
So here is where I'm currently at. I've pushed the Smittybilt aside for the time being.
The Warn advertising message has rubbed off on me today, i just hear so many great things about the company and the customer service.
The higher end Warn's look great, but way outta my price consideration.

So, now I'm debating between the:

$849 - WARN 103255 VR EVO 12-S
WARN 103255 VR EVO 12-S

and the

$1245 - COME-UP – Seal Gen2 12.5rs
COME-UP – Seal Gen2 12.5rs

Completely get that the ComeUp is a higher quality winch (and quite popular on this forum), but just not sure if the extra $400 is money well spent for my very minor usage. The winch is really just an insurance policy for me if things go sideways as they sometimes do. I have yet to encounter trails that require winching to get through. But i do travel very far from reception with kids, and almost always just the 1 vehicle, so really just want the winch to be there for me when i inevitably do need it someday.

Well, sticking to a budget is something I say but struggle to actually do myself. I started by looking at Smittybilt X20 12K with steel cable and ended up with Warn Zeon Platinum 12-S with control box relo kit. Then the Flatlink cuz what else could you really put on a Platinum winch?

Don’t forget the recovery kit that you will also need to actually use your winch. That stuff adds up quickly and there is low end and high components there too. You probably need to be even more careful with rigging in terms of buying quality stuff with real capacity ratings. For that I would avoid the super cheap stuff especially for steel shackles and snatch blocks. Yes, you will pay more for a bow shackle that says Crosby on it but it won’t break and potentially kill someone either. Not worth save $20 on.

 

[grinchy]

It’s interesting how marketing / discussion / word of mouth favors different brands in different regions.
Here’s a fairly done comparison (the models are largely superseded now) but it definitely demonstrates how marketing doesn’t matter when the loads are controlled.

 

[DPA200]

Well, sticking to a budget is something I say but struggle to actually do myself. I started by looking at Smittybilt X20 12K with steel cable and ended up with Warn Zeon Platinum 12-S with control box relo kit. Then the Flatlink cuz what else could you really put on a Platinum winch?

Don’t forget the recovery kit that you will also need to actually use your winch. That stuff adds up quickly and there is low end and high components there too. You probably need to be even more careful with rigging in terms of buying quality stuff with real capacity ratings. For that I would avoid the super cheap stuff especially for steel shackles and snatch blocks. Yes, you will pay more for a bow shackle that says Crosby on it but it won’t break and potentially kill someone either. Not worth save $20 on.

Thanks good tips. We'll see where i land on the Winch, I imagine either of my top 2 contenders would be fine. If I was doing this as a stand alone upgrade I'd be more inclined to go big or go home. But, I'm just adding this onto a loooong list of other electrical upgrades I'm getting done, so i can't go big on each and every part of it. Quality Lithium and solar already added up real quick. Recovery gear I have some, but not for winching. Thanks though, I know that's not an area to skimp on at all. I plan to go all quality higher end stuff for anything related to potential high speed metal projectiles

 

[kcjaz]

It’s interesting how marketing / discussion / word of mouth favors different brands in different regions.

Yup. Try being the only Yoda in the boat ramp lot full of F150s owned buy UAW guys from the KC Ford plant.

 

[CharlieS]

Your goals are the same as mine were, and I cross shopped both of those winches. The Warn warranty and customer service reputation combined with a lot of satisfaction expressed by other end users swayed me.

Any of these winches would likely be fine in our situations. Heck, Matt’s Recovery uses the Harbor Freight Apex Badlands winch and he’s doing real recoveries daily!

 

[CharlieS]

My fathers barely used Warn 9000i just crapped its motor this week, he’s out of pocket for a new motor, it happens to all of the brands. I wouldn’t be suckered into Warn be indestructible regardless of their price point.

I’d just clarify that I never said Warn was indestructible, just that they have a good warranty (7 years), good customer service (I speak to people in Oregon when I call them and they are always friendly and helpful) and parts are readily available (I’ve read about other brands where you can’t get replacement parts, or the vendor is out of business, so you are on your own to source them). Maybe someone else said they were indestructible, but that wasn’t me, or my intent.

 

[CharlieS]

It’s interesting how marketing / discussion / word of mouth favors different brands in different regions.
Here’s a fairly done comparison (the models are largely superseded now) but it definitely demonstrates how marketing doesn’t matter when the loads are controlled.

Yes, it is interesting. I watched that video when I was shopping, but their winners (I won’t spoil the punchline) aren’t available (at least not readily) in the US, and they don’t seem to have in-country commercial operations, so all interaction (warranty, support) is with far off vendors in distant countries. That made them slightly less viable an option for ME (not saying it isn’t the right choice for others).

I’d enjoy a similar test for winches available in the US.

 

[Tex68w]

I’d just clarify that I never said Warn was indestructible, just that they have a good warranty (7 years), good customer service (I speak to people in Oregon when I call them and they are always friendly and helpful) and parts are readily available (I’ve read about other brands where you can’t get replacement parts, or the vendor is out of business, so you are on your own to source them). Maybe someone else said they were indestructible, but that wasn’t me, or my intent.

I wasn't implying that you did, I was simply warning the OP not to get wowed by marketing and branding as even Warn fails. At the end of the day I could care less what he buys, they are all about equal in this price point and segment.