Winch recommendation needed for hidden winch mount

[kwelhand]

Just pulled the trigger on a Trail Tailor's hidden winch mount for 2014 LX570 specific model.
Now, I need a winch to go with my truck and searched the forum.

It looks like a lot of members are using $600 Harbor Freight BADLAND APEX 12K winch w/ synthetic rope or $600 Smittybilt X2O GEN2 10K or perhaps $760 Smittybilt XRC GEN3 12K (no wireless).
What would be the ideal winch for my Trail Tailor hidden winch system and our relatively heavy truck?
I've used the $600 Smittybilt X2O GEN2 10K on my previous GX470 build without any issue but the $600 Harbor Freight BADLAND APEX 12K winch seems pretty impressive as well.
My winch will be used to pull my truck out of Southern muddy trail or help recover other vehicles who needed the help.

Is 10K sufficient for our 6K+ LB truck or stick with at least 12K winch?
How's the quality of Harbor Fright Badland 12K winch? my build only used the premium parts so far and Harbor Fright name scared me a little.

Anyone with recommendation and also where to find the additional fairlead as a spacer for hidden winch mount?
Many thanks in advance.

 

[TimCFJ40]

Either a 10k or 12k winch would adequately work for these trucks, although you may find you need a snatch block to double pulling power on occasion. It's not a bad plan either way, as it reduces the load on the motor.

I have a Harbor Freight winch on mine (not even the apex, but the older 12k winch) that the previous owner installed, and it has worked fine the few times I have needed it. That said, I've always bought Warn myself. The biggest difference I think you'll find is parts availability in the long term. I rebuilt a 1988 Warn 8274 in 2020 for my FJ40, and had no issue finding any parts for it. That said, perhaps the newer Warn winches like the VR series are less serviceable (or maybe not worth it). I spent $400 on parts on the 8274, not sure I'd do that for a $600 winch.

I think all the choices you list would probably work for occasional use, and you'll likely find folks both happy with and unhappy with each of them.

 

[kwelhand]

Either a 10k or 12k winch would adequately work for these trucks, although you may find you need a snatch block to double pulling power on occasion. It's not a bad plan either way, as it reduces the load on the motor.

I have a Harbor Freight winch on mine (not even the apex, but the older 12k winch) that the previous owner installed, and it has worked fine the few times I have needed it. That said, I've always bought Warn myself. The biggest difference I think you'll find is parts availability in the long term. I rebuilt a 1988 Warn 8274 in 2020 for my FJ40, and had no issue finding any parts for it. That said, perhaps the newer Warn winches like the VR series are less serviceable (or maybe not worth it). I spent $400 on parts on the 8274, not sure I'd do that for a $600 winch.

I think all the choices you list would probably work for occasional use, and you'll likely find folks both happy with and unhappy with each of them.

Thanks! Very helpful advice.
I would love to get WARN but they’re sooo expensive

 

[TimCFJ40]

Thanks! Very helpful advice.
I would love to get WARN but they’re sooo expensive

The warn VR EVO series aren't terrible, but they are 30-50% more than the winches listed. I also usually take the winch with me to the next truck, so it's more of a long term investment. I had a 10 year old Warn M9000 that I regrettably sold with my last Tacoma, but the buyer gave me almost what I paid for it new to keep it, so away it went.

 

[Tex68w]

I'd go Smittybilt of those you listed. At least with them you have a no questions asked warranty and replacement through 4WP. The cheaper VR line Warn winches are Chicom built like most of the rest of the market so I wouldn't spend more to get one of those. If you're going to spend Warn money get one of their top tier winches, you should also consider Come Up as well.

 

[PhuckItImDone]

I went with the Ironman 12k synthetic in my TT. Two years in im still happy with the decision.

 

[tbisaacs]

You’ll get a lot of great advice here. I can tell you my $600 badland has literally saved my truck on more than one occasion. I’ve done maybe 10 pulls with it and it had always worked flawlessly. You’ll want to get a nicer cable end and fairlead though.

 

[grinchy]

I did some research earlier in the year. Ended up with an Ironman4x4 12k, but there are a lot of options in the $500 to $1100 range.

Builds - The Guzzler - 2009 LX570

Looking for 12k winches where the brake doesn’t heat the drum. usually Called out as gear brake, ratchet brake, cone brake etc. sherpa4x4 (entire line, Colt is 12k) novawinch 12500 pro runva 11xp and 13xp and xp premiums superwinch talon 12.5 Warrior samurai (runva us line by dk2) Come up seal...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[CharlieS]

I don't think there's a great answer to questions like this. It's a lot like the best tire or best oil debate.

I'd identify your price point, and the factors that are important to YOU, then evaluate the options against them.

I went with the Warn VR Evo 12S, since it met MY needs and price point.

Lots of people swear by the Badlands. Personally, I do not trust anything from Harbor Freight that will be involved in protecting or saving my life - no winches, straps, shackles, snatch blocks, jack stands, etc. Low end, one time use tools, disposable gloves, tarps, sure. Life safety, no way. You'll have a thousand people tell you that they run one, Matt from Matt's recovery runs one, their brother's uncle has sworn by one. You need to do what works for you.

 

[TeCKis300]

I agree with @CharlieS .

I would make a list of priorities and shop based on that. IMO 10k is sufficient with plenty of margin. I would not go without a wireless option for a modern day winch. The Warn VR EVO line is incrementally more, but look for sales that may be able to put it in reach.

 

[highfructose]

The cheap harbor freight zrx12000 winch, when you add synthetic cable, is something like 20 lbs lighter (80ish vs 60ish lbs)…and markedly smaller…than the apex. Costs like half the price too.

 

[grinchy]

Here is a long running thread covering which companies actually are honoring warranty claims.

Winch Warranty's - Who to Support and When to Walk, Warn,Runva,Ironman,Carbon,Tmax etc

Warn Industries Inc,Ateco Equipment,Smittybilt,TJM,Kingone,Ironman,Terrain Tamer, Mean Mother,T-Max, Aldi, Road Runner,Carbon etc " Lowmounts Only: Investigating the Get It Wet and the Warranty Is Void fine print covered by 90% of winch manufacturers,There is hope with 6 Companies below in...

4x4earth.com

 

[TeCKis300]

The cheap harbor freight zrx12000 winch, when you add synthetic cable, is something like 20 lbs lighter (80ish vs 60ish lbs)…and markedly smaller…than the apex. Costs like half the price too.

I didn't know the Badlands Apex weighed that much. The Warn EVO 10s weighs in at 60lbs. Then again, both HFs are 12k units. I don't have a number for the EVO 12s.

 

[grinchy]

The lightest 12k is the carbon at 51lb

 

[kwelhand]

@TimCFJ40 - I'm seriously inclining toward WARN.

@Tex68w - Thanks for sharing... Smittybilt 10K @ $600 seems like a decent choice.

@tbisaacs - been following your build thread... very impressive! love the Badland but didn't know they're that heavy

@CharlieS - I agree... Harbor Fright name still scares me.... decision decision!

@TeCKis300 - Thanks for your input regarding 10K. Some said 10K might be a little too much for our heavy rig and I wasn't sure. Love your WARN winch!

@highfructose - That is actually an impressive setup at much cheaper price. Can you change the fairlead after changing the rope type?

@grinchy - Most impressive winch list and data! helped me a lot and looks like you really DID your homework! thanks for sharing!

 

[kwelhand]

Thanks everyone for helping me.
Ended up with WARN EVO 12K synthetic.
It was $750 with $50 mail in rebate and it’s fairly light, too.
7 year electrical and lifetime mechanical warranty is a plus as well.
Almost pulled the trigger on Harbor Fright winch but the warranty is only good for 90 days

 

[CharlieS]

In case you haven't run across this rule of thimb yet, the winch capacity should be 1.5x the weight of the vehicle. Keep in mind, your built truck is going to going to weigh mire than a stock vehicle. The winch rating is for the last wrap against the drum, and you will likely find yourself in many cases where you are working at wraps further out reducing the actual working capacity. While you can use snatch blocks, double line pulls, etc to increase puling force, it reduces the speed of recovery, and adds additional tackle that increases potential points of failure and could become projectiles. Yes, you can swap out fairleads and swap steel for synthetic line, but it adds extra expense and in the case of new line, you'll need to learn/know how to safely install on the drum and re-terminate the working end (a very useful skill to have in general).

 

[MTNLIVIN]

Thanks everyone for helping me.
Ended up with WARN EVO 12K synthetic.
It was $750 with $50 mail in rebate and it’s fairly light, too.
7 year electrical and lifetime mechanical warranty is a plus as well.
Almost pulled the trigger on Harbor Fright winch but the warranty is only good for 90 days

that's a great deal, do you mind sharing the site you ordered it from?

 

[highfructose]

@TimCFJ40 - I'm seriously inclining toward WARN.

@Tex68w - Thanks for sharing... Smittybilt 10K @ $600 seems like a decent choice.

@tbisaacs - been following your build thread... very impressive! love the Badland but didn't know they're that heavy

@CharlieS - I agree... Harbor Fright name still scares me.... decision decision!

@TeCKis300 - Thanks for your input regarding 10K. Some said 10K might be a little too much for our heavy rig and I wasn't sure. Love your WARN winch!

@highfructose - That is actually an impressive setup at much cheaper price. Can you change the fairlead after changing the rope type?

@grinchy - Most impressive winch list and data! helped me a lot and looks like you really DID your homework! thanks for sharing!

I removed the big heavy metal fairlead and rope…used cheap aluminum fairlead bolted to my bumper and synthetic rope from Amazon. Much lighter, quite compact, and quite inexpensive. Only downside is a short duty cycle…this isn’t a winch to be running constantly…my suspicion is that it’s basically just a copy of a late 80’s or early 90’s warn. There are videos only of people taking them apart to grease them…so you can see what the insides look like.

They’re lightweight, compact, and can be had with synthetic cable and an aluminum fairlead for around $300. I was actually able to install it in my ironman bumper without removing the bumper…it fit through the top in between my grill and radiator…which means it’s relatively serviceable should an issue arise.

 

[robmobile73]

No matter what winch you get make sure that you coat the terminals inside the switchbox with grease on install. Inside the switchbox there will be your wireless module and solonoid switches with heavy leads going to the motor. The solonoid switches will likely have threaded copper studs that your winch motor leads attach to. If your wire end terminals are copper and your nuts are copper as well no real issue. If you have steel leads or steel nuts(even stainless) you are likely to have serious corrosion within 18 months if any moisture gets past the rubber seal on the control box. This can effect/stop your winch from working and it will happen when you need it. Happened to me. With "your hidden winch" setup (behind the bumper?) doesn't sound like something you can repair while stuck in a mudhole in the dark out in the middle of nowhere... I greased my connections inside the "waterproof box" thouroughly with waterproof grease to prevent this happening again.......................If you get a more expensive winch that is a better design all these things may be internal to the winch and more water resistant/durable.