Need advice on what winch to buy

Guy's,

I need help from you all with what winch to buy.
I have made my mind up on one of these three winches.
Cost is a factor.

#1) Smittybilt XRC8 @ 4wheelparts $314.99 (free shipping)

#2) Superwinch EPi9.0 @ 4wheelparts $566.99 (free shipping)

#3) Warn M8000 @ Winchdepot.com $522.94 (includes shipping)

Tell me which winch you would get, and let me know why.

Thanks in advance.

Dutch

I have the XRC8 - it does what it needs to do. (Have used 4x so far.)

Don't expect it to look very good for very long. The bolts rust within a few days, the stickers have all peeled off for the most part. The 'paint' fades within a couple of months, and the logo emblems on the solenoid crack and fade.

It's been on the jeep since March.

I'm about to take mine off, sand it down, use spray-on bedliner, and replace all the hardware with stainless steel. The solenoid will be re-mounted under the hood, and I'm going to run the controls to the cabin. I would suggest doing the same if you go with this winch, and you care about the aesthetics at all =)

I don't know anything about the other 2 tho.

!c

Everything JKdrone said about the XRC is dead on.

I knew about the rusty bolts when I bought it, so I replaced with SS bolts before I put it on my jeep.

My logos on the solenoid- one has been gone for months, the other is cracked and fading and looks like crap. Luckily the thing sits so low in my bumper that it's not very easily seen.

I've had mine since March too.

I've been looking at winches also and the XRC8 is on the top of my list also. Mainly because of the price but also because of the size, I don't want anything too big.

Good luck.

Good topic

Seems the more I research on this topic, the less I know.

"you get what you pay for" comes to mind.

Then you hear about the $300 winch that lasts forever and never breaks.

This is kinda like a Ford vs Chevy argument. Never ends

Somebody let me know if you ever figure this one out

The problem with the XRC8 is that it has slow line speed. However, not that I plan to get stuck that often,so line speed is not the top of my list.

Warn has the limited lifetime warranty, and I have heard nothing but good things about their customer service.

The Superwinch EPi9.0 came in second on a test at MOAB and had very high ratings.

But are they worth the additional $200+?

Waiting to hear what others have to say about the other winch's. You guy's aren't selling me on the Smittybilt. :yammer:

Well I'll start by saying I've had my Warn xi8000 for about 11 years, had it on 3 different Jeeps, and winched a LOT of shit! I decided to spend the xtra cash and go with a brand that was tried and true. I have never had a problem with mine other than the paint fading after about 6-7 years. My logo still looks kick ass :nahnahna2: . Obviously your looking at a different model, and I believe you would need to compare line speed, gearing, etc. Also, PM Cody (Renee's) since he has had problems with his XRC. Some say "I'll only use it a couple of times, so it's not like I'm working it all the time". I don't know the ytrack record of the other 2, but I know that when I plug mine in no matter the conditions, it's gonna work.

I also am aware that Warn makes less expensive lines like Tabor and several others. The deal with that is maybe you're just not paying for the name, but I think they are replacing some of the parts for lesser quality ones. You can't make the same product, and charge hundreds less just because you're calling it something different.

:bump:
need more feedback. Anybody have the Superwinch?

Hope this helps.

Joe, thanks for the info. I ended up buying the Warn M8000 and hope to have it installed this weekend, if it gets delivered on time.

Dutchboy101 wrote:

Joe, thanks for the info. I ended up buying the Warn M8000 and hope to have it installed this weekend, if it gets delivered on time.

PM me when you get it, I'd like to see it installed.

Sounds like you are handy on the electrical side. You could help me install it!!!
I'll make sure we'll have plenty of beer for that day.

I am hoping it is going to be here by the weekend.

Dutchboy101 wrote:

Sounds like you are handy on the electrical side. You could help me install it!!!
I'll make sure we'll have plenty of beer for that day.

I am hoping it is going to be here by the weekend.

PM me, I will be glad to help you. I'm free this saturday if you get it. Any light beer will do.

i voted other. i picked up a tabor 9k because:

1) cheaper than a Warn
2) made by warn
3) about the same price as superwinch
4) cheaper than Warn
5) "better quality" than smitty built

My M8000 :drool3: arrived today. :punk:
Joe, you still up to helping a hand on Saturday?
Just tell me when you want to start?
Noon, or later, sounds best for me, than I won't feel guilty to start drinking a beer. :smilieinabottl

Anybody else want to come and work on the jeep is welcome. I'll make sure the BBQ and beers are cold.

Dutchboy101 wrote:

My M8000 :drool3: arrived today. :punk:
Joe, you still up to helping a hand on Saturday?
Just tell me when you want to start?
Noon, or later, sounds best for me, than I won't feel guilty to start drinking a beer. :smilieinabottl

Anybody else want to come and work on the jeep is welcome. I'll make sure the BBQ and beers are cold.

I'm ready, noon sounds good to me. PM me with your address.

PM with address sent.

I installed my winch with the help of JK_Joe. Joe came up with a great idea on how to mount the solenoid that I wanted between the grill and the radiator.
I didn't want that fugly box on top of the winch and I think it looks a lot better where I placed it. (sorry no pics, Joe and I were to busy drinking beer).

Anyway, just wanted to say thanks to Joe for helping me with the installation.

See you guy's on Sunday.

that's where i was gonna mount mine, but i couldnt get those damn plastic expanding nut things out. really pissed me off to the point i just mounted it on top of my winch.