place by my apartment (toms 4x4 superstore) has a rough country 9500 lbs winch just like the one in the link below for $270, seems pretty low and i know you get what you pay for but i thought rough country was a pretty good brand, just wondering if anyone has used this before, i dont go off roading all to much as my jeep is my DD so it will just sit on the bumper for the most part but id like it to work if i ever do need it, thanks!
Interested in this answer as well. I've heard someone refer to rough country as cheap chinese crap before on this forum somewhere I believe. Not that it should matter bc people say the same about smittybuilt and that hasnt hurt their sales.
ya ive seen some pretty cheap smittybilt XRC8 winches on here but met a guy with one at a car show i brought my camaro to this weekend and he said hes used it 4 times and it worked every time, little slow but worked
The big question to ask yourself is, can you find parts/dealers for that brand for when it does break. That is the biggest reason Warn is so popular (aside from their excellent quality). Even in a small town like the one I'm in right now, I can find a Warn dealer/repair tech. As long as it can get YOU out and you can fix it when it breaks, the brand is up to you and your wallet.
true, never thought about it that way, can order parts online and cant be much harder than rebuilding an alternator or magneto lol, not that mags are difficult at all think im going to buy it when my new bumpers get here on the 7th from truckcustomizers.com, will have to go get stuck to test it out and let you know how it does lol
Parts for one? You could buy 4 more for the cost of a Warn. Unless you plan on using it everyday you should be fine. Of course, the one time you do get stuck and need to use it Darwin will be your spotter....
LOL, no kidding. I loved my old Warn but I got it used w/o cable from a guy who just wanted it out of his garage. My military paycheck doesn't support my desire for a Warn, unfortunately.
Of course, the one time you do get stuck and need to use it Darwin will be your spotter....[/QUOTE]
hahaha! true, im definetly going to get it on the 7th been on google for a few hours looking up reviews, have only found a few bad ones, and they were all that it showed up broke in the mail but got fixed quickly by RC, im buying mine local so shouldnt be a problem
X2. For both US financial and quality reasons, I am not in favor of buying any Chinese made winch.
If it's not a Ramsey, Warn, Tabor, or Superwinch's X9 or S9000, it's made in China. Chinese winches include Chicago Electric, Smittybilt, Champion, Bulldog, Rough Country, any Milemarker electric model, Superwinch except for S9 and S9000 which are both US made, and many others that are now being advertised more and more.
If you can't afford a quality winch like from Warn, Ramsey, or one of the two U.S. made Superwinch models, just save up longer or buy a used model that is in good condition. I'd rather buy a used Warn winch that is in good condition than a brand-new Chinese winch.
But if you're not shopping based on ideals and think you may need a winch at some point but can only afford to spend 300 bucks I say go for it! I bet the buy American folks have a samsung or Sony television the Chinese product is being bought a an American store with American employees so support those Americans too
"If it's not a Ramsey, Warn, Tabor, or Superwinch's X9 or S9000, it's made in China. Chinese winches include Chicago Electric, Smittybilt, Champion, Bulldog, Rough Country, any Milemarker electric model, Superwinch except for S9 and S9000 which are both US made, and many others that are now being advertised more and more."
lol all the above chinese ones are what fit my budget, i will prolly never use it, jeep is my DD so i only go wheelin once every 2 months or so and it is usually a pretty easy trail so only time id use it is to pull someone else out if i might happen to see someone stuck
That's a great way to send more $$$ to China instead of keeping it in the U.S. and encourage more American factories to lay off more of their American workers. Oh well.
Like I said it's being bought and sold in an American store that has American employees this is about a winch working properly not your ideals... And I'm sure you have plenty of products that are not American made anyway. If he rarely uses a winch why spend 900 bucks on one??? That's ridiculous.
Sorry to read that's how you feel but, I guess, that's how you feel. Trying to justify a Chinese winch by saying it is sold in an American store is weak IMHO.
At least for me, I support our American manufacturing industry whenever possible. Especially when buying items I have a choice on buying American or not. I will simply save my pennies a little longer if the American product is more expensive. Not to mention the better quality I believe I will be getting in return.
To show I put my $$$ where my mouth is, I had a completely fixed and very limited budget from which to build up my replacement Jeep after my last Jeep was stolen earlier this year. I had only so much insurance $$$ in my account and rather than go cheap with a cheap Chinese winch and have enough $$$ to buy additional items like an air compressor, new recovery straps, etc., I elected to go with a Warn winch instead and hold off on buying the other items I needed but couldn't afford at the time. That wiped out my Jeep account so now I am picking up used recoverys straps, borrowing a C02 tank from a friend since I can't afford an air compressor, and other items as I can afford them on an ongoing basis.
My friend said that about his RE lift "only going to use it once in a while for trails". Let’s just say he's learned his lesson. Buy the superior product and do yourself a favor in the long run.
Look through your house and see how many things are made in China. Look at everything from dinner plates to your interior lights to your TV and audio equipment. That "only buy American" slogan is just not relevant or possible anymore in today's time. Many American products have parts in them that were manufactured in another country.
I say decide on your needs, research multiple winches and pick the best one that fits your needs and budget. I have a Smittybilt 8000# winch on the front of my Jeep and haven't had trouble with it. I've recovered myself once and also pulled a half buried 05 VW Passat out of a snowdrift for fun. The thing yanked it right out of there.
Warn products are top-notch, don't get me wrong here, but to break your budget just to buy it because it's American is pretty naive IMO, especially when my Smittybilt runs and pulls just fine.
Of course it is still possible in today's times. It is up to YOU, no one is twisting your arm to buy that Chinese winch. I said buy American "when possible", I did not say "only buy American". OF COURSE some items in our homes are imported.
But I will damned sure buy American when possible. In the case of a winch, it is certainly possible. Like I said, if your budget doesn't allow for a new American made winch, you can certainly find them that are used.
As said before, I'd rather buy a used American made product than any new product made by Chinese workers who are working for peanuts. All foreign purchases do is hurt the American economy and our American employees... our very own friends and neighbors in other words.
I'd rather have a few less bucks in my account and keep Americans employed than send any more $$$ to China than I have to. Too bad more here don't have a similar attitude, we'd all be in better financial shape.
I do understand your point of view and do respect it.
As far as I'm concerned, there is many more factors to the failing American economy. I digress, I don't want to turn this into a political debate.
I'd be right with you but the fact that the huge price difference in the two brands is, IMHO, ridiculous. My Smittybilt, and many others, have pulled right with a Warn and for a quarter of the price. Now you can say the Chinese are working for peanuts, pennies, etc. but that's irrelevant to the fact does Warn REALLY need to charge upwards of $1,000 for a winch when the foreign product is doing the same thing for $399? I think there is a little "prestige factor" spilling over on the price. It sounds better to say I have a Warn instead of a Smittybilt. Just like I have Snap-on Tools instead of Craftsman. It's a total rip-off as far as I can see and Craftsman is made in the USA (3/4's of it is anyway) and they are still 30-60% cheaper than the same tool with a Snap-on or Mac logo on it.
If everybody wants everyone to buy American, how about the American company's make it a little more affordable for the average man?
And just for the record, I do buy American as much as I can, but sometimes it breaks my bank a little too much to do so.
Just for future reference...Warn has more options than 1000-1500 dollar winches. They have a plenty capable winch available on the market for 539 dollars, the M8000. Its a little easier to justify 539 for a Warn than 399 for a chinese brand with a COMPARABLE price...
Like ive been saying all along I agree that if it's your daily driver and once every 2 months or so you go offroading and you want to have a winch as a safety net just in case so you can get your jeep out to make it to work on monday then buying a 300 dollar winch just makes sense. I'm going to buy the smitty built xrc 10 in a couple weeks I think. I have had no issues with any of the smittybuilt products I own and I like them a lot.
You're talking to a former United States Marine, Disabled American Veteran, who is in the NY/ NJ Dockbuilders and Pile drivers Union... so how about Go f@ck yourself!
I am still saving up for a Warn but I did want a winch for just in case. What I did as where I ride is flat ground but will hold water, lots of clay, was buy a 1200lbs. atv winch. I got it at wally world for $50 as it was a discontinued item.
It isn't great and only used it once but it is better than nothing where I ride, wouldn't work up hill or anything. It will also be a nice tension winch if needed when I do get a better lift and winch, I'm gonna use it on the rear.
I figure if I make a plate to fit a receiver hitch I can take it on and off. It also comes in handy with moving tractor parts and such, as well as pulling fences.
I'd be careful around that little winch. No telling what will break off that thing and come flying at you when it's pulling 2000# more than it should handle.
Well there you go. Get the M8000, save some money, and let the government send money to China instead of you. And you're buying it from an American store with American employees so now everybody is happy with your new winch.
the sad thing is your right. :banghead: Maybe some of that American money will go to Libya for when we try to start rebuilding them before we help ourselves.
You're talking to a former United States Marine, Disabled American Veteran, who is in the NY/ NJ Dockbuilders and Pile drivers Union... so how about Go f@ck yourself!
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