Has anybody on here had any luck with the cheap Amazon winches?  I just picked up a 12000lbs viper recovery from a company called motoalliance.  Looks like it has a decent warranty.  I bought it to pull trees up to the road for firewood.  We shall see i guess.  Ill post an update once i get some use out of it.  Merry Christmas everyone.

 

I have the cheap 12k harbor freight One with wireless remote, and works great. 

Not the same as the 12k I have on my trailer Desert Dynamics but worth the money

I have an engo that hasn't let me down

My M12000 warn is a pulling beast but will struggle with pulling large trees up to the road, mostly if they get into into a bind or the big limbs dig into the ground. I use mine quite a bit with firewood.

but other than that a great tool to have, just slow and easy and don't over work them

 

I really don't see much difference power wise between warn and the cheaper china brands, I got friends that run smitty built and super winch, but warn does have really good customer support, Which is nice I guess if you spend 1500 bucks on a winch, I did burn out a motor a few years ago, still cost me 400 bucks for a replacement motor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 5, 20195 yr by 01cummins4ever

I had a 16000 ramsey winch back in the day, it was a beast, cable that was on it snapped when I was pulling a bronco out of a steep ditch sideways. We had no other choice, luckily it shaped when it was getting on more level ground. No one was in it and both tires were flat and rolled off the rims on the side towards my truck, btw this was mounted out my off road monster truck, that had 2.5 ton Rockwell axles with overson shafts and lockers thing was cool. I was against a tree with front bumper and when pulling my rear-end came off the ground few feet, hado so much tension. Then I put a rope that I believe was rated at 30000 and it did snap avantualy too. That was a nice winch, heavy and expensive. 

Now I got a 12000 from Harbor freight that I only used few times, it seems to work great if you give it a break on longer pulls. Same a above I got the remote that makes it very nice, can't beat it for the price and how often I need it. I also don't have it mounted permanently, I hate that idea, maybe when I get week and can't lift it any longer I'll leave it be. When I made my front bumper I put a receiver in it so I can use the winch and ran cables front and back, makes it more useful. We've been stuck in my step dad's toyota 4rnnr by the river and only trees were behind us, it was great being able to pull ourselves backwards. Using harbor freight 12000. I did build him some nice bumpers and all around nerf bars, he loves it, more than once slid against a tree and didn't damage anything, a little black paint fixes it. He's in he's late 60s and usses that thing almost every week in summer or when it snows in winter. 

Sorry got off to pick a bit.

Btw I never installed the overload bar that came with that winch, used it without it for years, then decided to put a resettable 150 amp breaker and it poped way to easy, may need to try 200 amps. 

20 minutes ago, Dieselfuture said:

I had a 16000 ramsey winch back in the day, it was a beast, cable that was on it snapped when I was pulling a bronco out of a steep ditch sideways. We had no other choice, luckily it shaped when it was getting on more level ground. No one was in it and both tires were flat and rolled off the rims on the side towards my truck, btw this was mounted out my off road monster truck, that had 2.5 ton Rockwell axles with overson shafts and lockers thing was cool. I was against a tree with front bumper and when pulling my rear-end came off the ground few feet, hado so much tension. Then I put a rope that I believe was rated at 30000 and it did snap avantualy too. That was a nice winch, heavy and expensive. 

Now I got a 12000 from Harbor freight that I only used few times, it seems to work great if you give it a break on longer pulls. Same a above I got the remote that makes it very nice, can't beat it for the price and how often I need it. I also don't have it mounted permanently, I hate that idea, maybe when I get week and can't lift it any longer I'll leave it be. When I made my front bumper I put a receiver in it so I can use the winch and ran cables front and back, makes it more useful. We've been stuck in my step dad's toyota 4rnnr by the river and only trees were behind us, it was great being able to pull ourselves backwards. Using harbor freight 12000. I did build him some nice bumpers and all around nerf bars, he loves it, more than once slid against a tree and didn't damage anything, a little black paint fixes it. He's in he's late 60s and usses that thing almost every week in summer or when it snows in winter. 

Sorry got off to pick a bit.

Btw I never installed the overload bar that came with that winch, used it without it for years, then decided to put a resettable 150 amp breaker and it poped way to easy, may need to try 20d0 amps. 

well I got old and leave the winch on my truck, I also am able to put the winch on the rear receiver and have some welding cable and with anderson connectors to mount on the rear of the truck.

30 minutes ago, Dieselfuture said:

maybe when I get week and can't lift it any longer I'll leave it be. 

That already happened to me too..   

Man, it's like a geriatric ward around here.

I have been looking at those amazon winches. I had a warn on my old CJ7 but I dont want to spend big money on something that wont get used regularly. These are two i was tossing around

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FU5QL1Q/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=ACUHLP5MR9DM8&psc=1

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K150X3I/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

2 hours ago, dripley said:

Man, it's like a geriatric ward around here.

Hey you guys, guess What?..... Dripley started up a slew of all female retirement homes and calls each one ' The Chic Chalet'. 

Edited December 6, 20195 yr by JAG1

4 hours ago, dripley said:

Man, it's like a geriatric ward around here.

                                                                         Who are you calling geriatric?

                   

 

1 hour ago, JAG1 said:

Dripley started up a slew of all female retirement homes and calls each one ' The Chic Chalet'. 

                      

           

  

I've seen @Ed ke6bnl's truck when I was camping last October.  It is one nice clean rig.  

I just picked up a 12k harbor freight winch, got a nice deal on it too.  Someone forgot to remove the Black friday sale tag so I got it for $110 less than usual which was $10 cheaper than the 8k winch. 

They Work great get yourself a wireless remote when on sale

Edited December 7, 20195 yr by Ed ke6bnl

Dammit I was eyeing that winch at harbor freight. 

 

How old is old?