Quality of Winch?

[Kaw-Liga]

I was just looking through eBay and came across these winches for sale. "Gorilla Winch" is the brand. They have 8,000; 10,000; and 12,000 pound versions. ranging from 299.99$ for the 8; 339.99$ for the 10; and 359.99$ for the 12. This gets you two remotes and the winch and cable and all, the price is great, but my question if in regards to the quality. They advertise a 6 month no questions asked warranty. Should I suck it up and buy one(I think I'd get the 12 cause its such a good price and I play in the mud and feel I need more power) What do you all think? I searched "warn truck winch" and these winches showed up. Only other thing is the auctions end in one and one half days so I have to think fast here.

Rob

 

[Kaw-Liga]

Thoughts, opinions(I know you get what you pay for-but I don't wanna pay 500-800 for a winch), previous knowledge of the company or the winch itself?

Rob

 

[SpareParts]

They probably don't make the winch themselves. I would say for the money, as long as you didn't make a habbit of using it all the time, you would be fine. I have a MileMarker 12,000 SE that I have used quite a bit and had good luck with. They are, as with all cheaper winches, alot slower. They do usually pull pretty good.

Just my 02.

David

 

[mtfit]

I am not taking that chance of it not working when I need it, their is a reason Warn cost a whole alot more.

 

[Kaw-Liga]

Those are both good thoughts. My bronc is a daily driver that sees the woods as much as possible(maybe once every couple months) just sand and mud. I've gone two+ years that I've owned the bronco without a winch so having one(even a cheapy) would be better than where I'm at now. I've never had serious problems getting unstuck(never go out alone) but figure that 12,000 pounds of pulling power(even if it is SLOW) would be better than getting yanked out. It probably wouldn't even be used everytime I do get the chance to go out, still thinking.

Rob

 

[TIGERNUTZ]

If you get a winch you will suddenly be needing it a lot more often.

 

[kontinu]

I would also say , any winch is better than no winch. I have a mile marker 12000lb and I use it a lot. It's slow but if I never had a fast winch then i'm not really missing out. I got mine shipped for $518 from winchdepot.com about 2 years ago and probably have about 50+ pulls on it.
If you buy a cheaper winch just don't wheel like you have a winch.

 

[lonesouth]

I would also say , any winch is better than no winch. I have a mile marker 12000lb and I use it a lot. It's slow but if I never had a fast winch then i'm not really missing out. I got mine shipped for $518 from winchdepot.com about 2 years ago and probably have about 50+ pulls on it.
If you buy a cheaper winch just don't wheel like you have a winch.

X2 they even threw in a free receiver shackle. Used mine so far to free myself, free a sod fork lift and fell a few trees. No sense spending 800 for a warn unless you really care about speed. Plus mine came with 3/8's cable as opposed to 5/16(think these are the right cable diameters, whichever it is, i got the bigger.)

 

[sprinksbeme]

I'd like the confidence of the name brand makers Warn, Milemarker when I find a side hill that is looser than expected or have my Bronco hanging by a cable going up a rock face I don,t want to find out that the reason my winch cost so little is because the motor is no the same quality or the cluch used wont hold.
Also the winch is only part of the system, If your winch atached to the bumper is all hanging on the factory frame ears you are going to be stuck in the mud waiting for someone else to throw you a cable. Mud IMO is the worst to free yourself from. Don't get a false since of security to save a couple hundred bucks. A New #8000 pound warn or milemarker can be had for $600 or less on sale, and a $50 snacth block can yeild you 16000# of pull.
Marty

 

[texashcane]

I have a "Champion" from Sams club that I basically got for free. I got a four year warranty on it, so I 'm still using it. It's painfully slow, but it's gotten me out of a few situations. I would say I've used it 12-15 times over 3+ years. I honestly wouldn't pay the $299 for it on my own. I'll eventually go with a Warn or something similar. The cheap winch will end up on the trailer down the road.

 

[OX1]

I was just looking through eBay and came across these winches for sale. "Gorilla Winch" is the brand. They have 8,000; 10,000; and 12,000 pound versions. ranging from 299.99$ for the 8; 339.99$ for the 10; and 359.99$ for the 12. This gets you two remotes and the winch and cable and all, the price is great, but my question if in regards to the quality. They advertise a 6 month no questions asked warranty. Should I suck it up and buy one(I think I'd get the 12 cause its such a good price and I play in the mud and feel I need more power) What do you all think? I searched "warn truck winch" and these winches showed up. Only other thing is the auctions end in one and one half days so I have to think fast here.

Rob

There have been a couple thread on pirates about cheap winches (mainly harbor freight). Many have broken them after one pull, but their warantee policy is pretty good and they do offer extended warantees. Others ahev used them with decent success, but I'd guess those poeple were doing lighter pulls). I would not recommend them for mudding as that is usually the time you will tax a winch the most (and often if you play a lot in the mud).

I have a 12K warn on my fullsize mudder and it pulls like a MOFO. But even with warns quality, water and/or mud did get inside the winch and after sitting for a while, the brake ended up seizing to the hosuing and then next time I powered out the winch brake broke.

I think the ideal winch for mudding would be ramsey's worm gear. No brake needed and much larger gears, unlike the planetary winches (although it is slower than warns 12K) or a factory PTO setup.

I had ordered one of the new smittybuilt 8K winches for 299$ for my trailer, but cancelled the order as they are not delivering for quite a while. I did find both of these local and at least they are a decent brand, should be able to get parts 5-6 years form now if need be (my biggest concern with no-name winches). Not bad for $400/480

http://www.ok4wd.com/index.php/catalog/product/ramsey_rep_85e/

http://www.ok4wd.com/index.php/catalog/product/ramsey_rep_95e/

 

[TIGERNUTZ]

I did find both of these local and at least they are a decent brand, should be able to get parts 5-6 years form now if need be (my biggest concern with no-name winches). Not bad for $400/480

http://www.ok4wd.com/index.php/catalog/product/ramsey_rep_85e/

http://www.ok4wd.com/index.php/catalog/product/ramsey_rep_95e/

Anybody have any feed back on these two winches?

 

[OX1]

Anybody have any feed back on these two winches?

Only thing I could find. When/if I get one, I'm going for the 9500, it has a series wound motor vs the perm magnet of the 8500.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=531173&highlight=Ramsey+8.5e

 

[Steve]

Moabjeeper magazine recently did a side-by-side test of several winches. Some surprising results, and some not so surprising. I have a Warn on the front of mine and won't use anything else.

Click for full winch test article.

 

[SpareParts]

Thats a good article. Not that I'm hung up on MileMarker, but I would have really like to have seen it finish. Just as a comparison, I understand their rules and I guess that is what counts, not breaking down. In the real world, it would be a warranty issue and may never reaccour. Hopefully you would test it out before you head out to wheel.

David

 

[Russ]

In my experience, a tool never dies when it just finished it's job. It's always in the middle of really needing it.
I bought a plasma cutter for $500. It works great, ,,.. WHEN it works. I was lucky enough to buy it from a company w/ good customer service. It's been replaced twice under warenty no problem.
BUT, both times I was without the unit for 2 weeks. Both projects stoped dead in their tracks for 2 weeks.

You can get a Warn m8000 for $550 here.
http://www.winchdepot.com/winchDetail.asp?partNumber=26502

 

[feitctaj]

Anybody have any feed back on these two winches?

I have had my Worm(Ramsey) drive for 16 years, and have made at least 35 pulls with it , Speed makes no never mind to me, I feel that I have till the winch gets me out. It has never murdered a battery
I forget about mine cause It has never given me grief.
I chose the Worm drive for reliability, and it has payed off

 

[SaddleUp]

Thats a good article. Not that I'm hung up on MileMarker, but I would have really like to have seen it finish. Just as a comparison, I understand their rules and I guess that is what counts, not breaking down. In the real world, it would be a warranty issue and may never reaccour. Hopefully you would test it out before you head out to wheel.

David

It wasn't the typical Milemarker winch though that was tested. I.E. It is not the same winch many of us have been pushing hard for 2 or 3 years now with no problems. Well, allmost none. I've had to tighten up the connections in both the controller and the solenoid pack but otherwise it has never failed me even after pushing it hard.

 

[SpareParts]

I agree, I pushed mine pretty hard at the FlatNasty trip. I had my Big Bronco there and ended up winching probabaly 700 ft. up and out of a trail. I stripped a front stub shaft, the incline was probably around 35 - 40 deg. This is probably the hardest I have worked it but have really only stopped it once, pulling a 80hp. tractor hooked to a 16x80 mobile home that was high centered. Don't ask!! I have the MileMarker 12,000E.

David

 

[OX1]

It wasn't the typical Milemarker winch though that was tested. I.E. It is not the same winch many of us have been pushing hard for 2 or 3 years now with no problems. Well, allmost none. I've had to tighten up the connections in both the controller and the solenoid pack but otherwise it has never failed me even after pushing it hard.

Is this the one?
http://www.winchdepot.com/winchDetail.asp?partNumber=7650150
By the time I ad tax to the ramsey 9500, I am at 513$. Another 40$ and I'm at this milemarker. May be too much winch for a multimount, but I can beef up the multimount if needed.