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Anyone use Harbor Freight Winch?

27K views 34 replies 30 participants last post by  alby13 
#1 ·
#7 ·
I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole. There are plenty of things that will work fin for you from Harbor Freight, but that shouldn't be one of them.
Here is a winch shoot out, the one from Harbor Freight didn't even work out of the box. Why put something that you are gonna depend on that you know will let you down? You can get a much better winch for not much more.

Massive Multi-Winch Shootout - Four Wheeler Magazine
 
#18 ·
That doesnt prove anything the winch never functioned, any tests where they used it? People use these all the time with no issues and for 50 bucks you get a 2 year no questions asked return warranty for a new one. any tests where it runs anyone?
 
#10 ·
Check out the engo on this site, its 289, better brand than HF for winches, was tested and proved, and has plenty of power for our jeeps.
What is the engo, looked but not sure what Im looking for
 
#11 ·
I buy things once in a while from Harbor Freight, with the perception that it will work for the one time I am buying it for and that is it. I only buy tools that I will probably only use once, so a cheap a$$ chinese tool will do. I would not buy anything from them that I would be using on a regular basis. Look at the engo winch that Chris at Jeepaddons is offering as a vendor on this forum. IMO
 
#12 ·
#14 ·
read the test on winches here http://www.wranglerforum.com/f123/e...for-only-289-with-free-shipping-102100-7.html the harbor freight failed right out of the box,,, on a side note i bought the engo 12k winch,, works awesome i love it,,, on another note i have a HB 3 miles from the house,i checked out the HB winches,, look cheeply built jmo.


Look cheeply??? :rofl: The Badlands are identical to your Engo.;) I have the Badlands 9k winch it is absolutely identical to an Engo. Same motor, gearbox, frame, fairlead, and remote. I'm not at all saying one is better than the other. Engo, Mile Marker, Badlands etc. all come from the same factory overseas. Different prices reflect the different licensing rights of a brand name. KIA/Hyundai effect.

As for the Badlands not working out of the box...:rolleyes: That doesn't mean every single one will be the same. Mine works just fine.
 
#13 ·
been usin one for about a year. recovered other vehicles 7 or 8 times and recovered myself once. the clutch lever feels really mickey mouse, but it hasn't bound or failed yet. The control box is mounted under the hood by my fuse block, so I sorta cheated a little in the durability department (it's what usually fails, and it's much more protected from the elements than most). It's hidden inside the bumper, so it gets completely inundated in mud pretty often, and hasn't had any issues due to it, so it's holding up fairly well for being cheap... It won't pass any speed winching competitions, but it always gets the job done, and if you go by mr sinisters' get you out of a jam once criteria, it's more than paid it's way ;)
 
#21 ·
One of my coworkers just returned one he bought. Shoddy craftsmanship, the selector on the winch itself isn't work, remote was sometimes unresponsive. He had it mounted less than a day before taking it back and getting a Warn M8000 in it's place.
 
#22 ·
i have used one. I put one on my first wrangler (RIP). It was uncovered and stayed on the front of the jeep for a good 2 years. Rained on, got dunked under water and mud regularly, and used countless times.

That sucker was LOUD and it was SLOW...but it worked every time that i needed it to. When i blew the motor on the jeep, that winch still worked ;)
 
#27 ·
"Chi Com Freight " Winches

I have a friend in Iowa, he does farm equipment repair and has a big HD trailer. He mounted a "Chi-Com Freight" winch on it to help load tractors and other equipment. He says his works fine, no trouble so far and he's had it for a couple years.
I think it's a hit and miss thing. Sometimes ya buy a good one, sometimes ya don't. Test it good before you take it out and maybe have to depend your life on it..
Thats the problem these days...."The Price sure looked good so I bought one".

Try to support American business as much as possible, I know it's hard, I'm just sayin....Can't buy Jeep Parts if your out of work or the parts company closed it's doors..... JMO "BH" :popcorn:
 
#28 ·
If you use it once doesn't work

The idea that it may be cheap but if it gets you out once it is worth it doesn't play out. The reason is, that for that to be the case, it left you stranded the 2nd time.

The first, and foremost, requirement for a winch is that it works every time!
 
#30 ·
i know people who had used the old versions of the winches but the new versions are completly different and the line speed is fast on the 12k model, i read a review from offroad mag that said it was competing with the big guys but priced at the bottom guys, i havent seen the 12k work yet but I havent seen anything negative from people using the new badland version. It is wound different then the old ones isnt noisy and has a great line speed. Just curious what the article proved if it never had a functioning unit, I google it and find many folks having theres for a while and loving them, does anyone here have any experience with the new versions? or is it all the old stuff? check this http://www.off-roadweb.com/tech/111...ching/index.html?r=19104_4398154&#ixzz1bFbjF8
 
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