Winch w/o custom bumper possible?

[nanuk]

Haven't looked at one of the HF winches in quite some time, but the last time I did it looked amazingly like my Ramsey REP 9000. Even the decal looks similar.
I'm wondering if it is like Wal-Mart and similar branded items. Tylenol for example, made by Tylenol branded Wal-Mart, only cheaper.
It was the first winch I ever had and is still kicking after over 10 years. BUT, I wouldn't give up any of my 8274's for one!
I'm betting that Ramsey probably makes it, but I have been know to be wrong once or twice.

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

Haven't wired it up yet, but here are some pix of what I have done so far

 

[calfj60]

looking cool....gonna start on mine someday...

 

[sandcruiser]

that looks great!

what is the weight of that plate? If less than 50#, it might even make sense to bring one down from the USA instead of trying to get one built down here....

Good work!

 

[Jeeper]

Looks professional Snake Eater (like all of your projects!).

How is the access to the clutch lever on the winch? Did you use the Harbor Freight mounting plate or a different one?

Thanks!

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

Looks professional Snake Eater (like all of your projects!).

How is the access to the clutch lever on the winch? Did you use the Harbor Freight mounting plate or a different one?

Thanks!

Thanx man


With the lever on top, the only way to get to it is with bumper insert removed, but with the lever rotated to the front, I'll be able to pull and turn with the insert still in place

Haven't decided yet, but I might leave it as is just to make it a little harder for the neighborhood hoodlums to access

And yes, it's the same HF winch plate I posted earlier


On a sidenote, the holes to mount the winch were pre-drilled and spot on

 

[SpillmanCruiser]

looks nice. If you don't mind me asking, what'd you pay for that there superwinch? Can't find price on their website.

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

looks nice. If you don't mind me asking, what'd you pay for that there superwinch? Can't find price on their website.

$539.99 + 9.95 for shipping @ WD

EP9.0 Winch

I was actually dead set on a Warn M8K, but after reading how the EPi9.0 did against Warn's 9.5xp in a MoabJeeper artcle (Winches in Hell), I figured it was definitely worth the extra few bucks (especially since it come with a 20k snatch block)

 

[Pair_of_Eees]

Some more feedback on the HF winch. A friend of mine has an 8K Mile Marker and it looks 100% identical to my HF, even down to the black and orange rubberized remote control with a button on each side.

Some here have speculated that the same manufacturer may make all (or some) of these various brand winches, but despite the similarities, I would doubt it. What Harbor Freight (and their Chinese manufacturers) seem to do is CLONE an existing proven design. I've got a 5KW diesel generator at home that looks like a 100% clone of a Yanmar design. I've had and used it for years with no issues.

You'd think that there would be legal issues (patent infringement) with employing this strategy, but obviously that does not stop them, or maybe they change small things in the design to stay legal (I doubt it). From a user's perspective, I feel like most of this cloned stuff IS halfway decent, after all its based on a design that works. It mostly just leaves quality of materials and build quailty on the table as possible issues. Either the stuff is not that bad or I've been lucky...