winch question

[medic76]

Ok, so I finly sold the Harley today and the wife told me that once I sold it I could buy a winch. my question is has anyone used the smitty built winch the price is right but I have not heard of any one using them and or how good they are
thanks
Bill

[metalcd]

it really depends on how much winching that you actually plan on doing. if it is going to be for emergency extractions of yourself then you should not have a problem, but if you plan on using it to pull you up and over obstacles all day long then you might want to consider something with a little better reputation and durability.

[cknx77]

I know that I can recommend the Warn 9000i.....Don't have experience with anything else. If I manage to burn up the Warn I'll go to one with the air compressor built into the winch!! Too bad about the Harley but that gives you more time to go 'wheelin!! Here is an 8000 lb Warn for sale and "on sale" on the Quadratec site for $569.99. Quadratec also has a military discount.....

[Hitechredneck]

If your looking for a good priced winch that has a GREAT rep. that many have done lots of long hard pulls on. look into the superwinch ep9.0i. great place to pic one up for a good price is www.rokmen.com (i think they have a military discount if you call) hope this helps. just trying to give you options. I have heard to many mixed reviews on the smitty built for to sink my money into one. Just remember one key point when buying a winch. They are not there to look cool or just to say you have one. You need one you KNOW 100% will work all the time. Cause when you are you are using it you have already done all you can to get yourself unstuck you sure dont wanna be stuck with a 80lbs paper weight hanging off the front of your rig. When it comes to winches and ALL safety and recovery gear. you get what you pay for.

[Truck]

Ok, so I finly sold the Harley today and the wife told me that once I sold it I could buy a wench. Bill

I thought you were supposed to have wench when you had a Harley...

Truck

[notarubicon]

I had a smtty built on my s10 back in highschool and it is good for emergency not for hardcore winchin over obstacles

[supr_fly03]

Yeah I will jump on the band wagon here, if you intend on hitting the hard trails or you wheel with friends that get hung up allot or stuck, then get something else, a good Warn is worth its weight in gold and Superwinch or T-Max is just as good. I got a T-max 9000 with wireless remote for the wifes Jeep on sale for $600. I know from experience that my Warn is good. (dont listen to the na sayers out there about the power plant) I once winched a stuck full size bronco with two broken axles out of a nasty mud hole with about 10 70ft back to back pulls. Never over heated and never quit pulling. Oh and I have a Sears Platinum gel cell battery and my volt meter never went below 10 volts. (I highly recommend one)

[korisu56]

Ok, so I finly sold the Harley today and the wife told me that once I sold it I could buy a winch. my question is has anyone used the smitty built winch the price is right but I have not heard of any one using them and or how good they are
thanks
Bill

Since you asked about the Smittybilt one, I'll be the only one to stand up for it . Ask the guys on here that have had to wheel with me, when I need it it's usually for a good damn reason. Hasn't let me down yet. It's a slow winch, but the newer version is a lot faster. PM JeepJohn84 for some of the newer specs. If you're worried about failure, spend a little bit extra and get a snatch block. I've pulled out a grand wagoneer, jk's stuck to the frame, myself when I snapped my axle up a pretty decent grade hole. It was about a foot and a half straight up so we had to pull the jeep at an angle.

If you don't wanna break the bank on a winch and you're just a weekend wheeler, smittybilt could be for you. Works great for me and a few other guys on here.

[georgia]

4WheelDrive.com has the Smittybulit on sale for $299.
Yeti and I were lookin into gettin one.

[JeepinSoldier]

The Smittybuilt appears to be a good, low cost winch for occasional pulls. Your winch is a critical peice of safety gear. While the most expensive does not necessarily mean its the best, I would purchase a brand with a proven record.

I recommend either the Warn or the Superwinch. An 8,000 lb should be the minimum for a Wrangler. A 9,000 lb or higher rated winch will pull the same load with a lower amp draw on the electrical system - and allow you to recover heavier vehicles if you anchor the Jeep.

With any winch you buy, you should get a good acessory kit with gloves, tree strap, choker chain and snatchblock in order to use the winch to its full capability.