Winch suggestions

bushhog750 · Feb 17, 2014

Currently have a Warn 8274 with in cab controls. Im cutting the frame off my jeep and tubing the front and want a lower profile winch. You guys have any suggestions on picking a new one. I would like to be able to wire it to in cab control like my 8274. Thought about the smittybilt 8or 10k but had a few tell me they didn't like them. Just needs to be lower profile than the 8274 and not trying to break the bank spending 11-12 hundred on the new Warns. Any suggestions?

muddinmetal · Feb 17, 2014

bushhog750 said:
Currently have a Warn 8274 with in cab controls. Im cutting the frame off my jeep and tubing the front and want a lower profile winch. You guys have any suggestions on picking a new one. I would like to be able to wire it to in cab control like my 8274. Thought about the smittybilt 8or 10k but had a few tell me they didn't like them. Just needs to be lower profile than the 8274 and not trying to break the bank spending 11-12 hundred on the new Warns. Any suggestions?

If I were trying to save $ I'd go with an Engo or Smitty, but what about the cheaper (but still over priced) Warns?

bushhog750 · Feb 17, 2014

Yeah I thought about the cheaper Warns. but I haven't done much research on them to see if I can wire them to in cab control or not. Im pretty positive I can get the smitty wired to in cab control also. Im really just trying to see what people have and how they like them. Ive always been a Warn customer but I have seen thru the years there are other good brands beside them that are cheaper.

muddinmetal · Feb 17, 2014

bushhog750 said:
Yeah I thought about the cheaper Warns. but I haven't done much research on them to see if I can wire them to in cab control or not. Im pretty positive I can get the smitty wired to in cab control also. Im really just trying to see what people have and how they like them. Ive always been a Warn customer but I have seen thru the years there are other good brands beside them that are cheaper.

You can wire any winch to cab controls

bushhog750 · Feb 17, 2014

muddinmetal said:
You can wire any winch to cab controls

I didn't know this. I wasn't able to get my 8274 to do it until I switched it to the big amperage contactor box. But I didn't put much effort into trying it before that either.

TBItoy · Feb 17, 2014

I've had good luck with a few XRC8 smittybilts.

And yeah, you can wire any winch to in-cab controls. I also like to add a second winch control switch to the front of the vehicle.

I find that wiring up your own controls fixes most problems that people have with "cheap" winches.

The cheap winches definitely have shitty contollers compared to Warns.

bushhog750 · Feb 17, 2014

TBItoy said:
I've had good luck with a few XRC8 smittybilts.

And yeah, you can wire any winch to in-cab controls. I also like to add a second winch control switch to the front of the vehicle.

I find that wiring up your own controls fixes most problems that people have with "cheap" winches.

The cheap winches definitely have shitty contollers compared to Warns.

I like the XRC8. I may go that route.

FullMetalFabworks · Feb 17, 2014

bushhog750 said:
Currently have a Warn 8274 with in cab controls. Im cutting the frame off my jeep and tubing the front and want a lower profile winch. You guys have any suggestions on picking a new one. I would like to be able to wire it to in cab control like my 8274. Thought about the smittybilt 8or 10k but had a few tell me they didn't like them. Just needs to be lower profile than the 8274 and not trying to break the bank spending 11-12 hundred on the new Warns. Any suggestions?

We have been a dealer for Bulldog Winch for a couple years now and think they have some of the best affordable priced winches on the market, and Bob at Bulldog is good people and trys to give back to the sport where he can. Take a look around their site www.bulldogwinch.com and see if you see anything that strikes your interest and shoot us a pm with your mailing address/zip or give us a call at 909-792-9777 and I will get you a quote on whichever models you're interested in, we get some pretty killer deals through them so you will more than likely be surprised at what we can get one to your door for. Most of their winches have a wireless option too if that's something that interests you as well. Let us know.
Thanks,
Andrew
Full Metal Fabworks

TBItoy · Feb 17, 2014

FullMetalFabworks said:
We have been a dealer for Bulldog Winch for a couple years now and think they have some of the best affordable priced winches on the market, and Bob at Bulldog is good people and trys to give back to the sport where he can. Take a look around their site www.bulldogwinch.com and see if you see anything that strikes your interest and shoot us a pm with your mailing address/zip or give us a call at 909-792-9777 and I will get you a quote on whichever models you're interested in, we get some pretty killer deals through them so you will more than likely be surprised at what we can get one to your door for. Most of their winches have a wireless option too if that's something that interests you as well. Let us know.
Thanks,
Andrew
Full Metal Fabworks

how much is a comp winch?

bushhog750 · Feb 17, 2014

TBItoy said:
how much is a comp winch?

I just sent them a PM TBItoy asking the same thing.

bushhog750 · Feb 17, 2014

He said $1,000.00 shipped to my door on the comp winch.

drkelly · Feb 18, 2014

I bought the Smittybilt XRC8 Comp winch for my Samurai because I wanted something cheap and light. I've had it a few years or so now, and so far so good. It doesn't get worked very hard though considering the weight of my Samurai. There have been many threads on PBB about this winch. Most people are satisfied. I've got a remote switch wired up in the cab. I wasn't out for the fastest winch, but after seeing how slow my buddies Harbor Frieght 8,000 lb winch was, I did decide to do some homework before buying one.

Model, Speed (ft/min)
8274, 73.4
HS9500, 62
M8,000, 42
XD9000, 38
XRC8, 37.2
REP8,000, 36
M12,000, 30
LP8,500, 18
PEC8,000, 13
HF8,000, 13

LP = Superwinch model
PEC = Milemarker
HF = Harbor Freight on that last one.

This was the cheapest place I could find it at the time:
http://4wheelonline.com/Smittybilt_XRC_8_Comp_Series_Winch.132694.445380

grcthird · Feb 18, 2014

Get a Warn atv handlebar switch and mount it in the cab, comes with harness, match the colors up at the control box, stupid easy, switch is about $45. Part # 64851

Mine in the Toyota

CJ8lvr in his scrambler.

bee513 · Feb 18, 2014

i have had real good luck with smitty xr8 for 4 years now the only problem i have had it would jump out of engage smitty was real good bout just sending me new parts i think this may of been a common problem with older ones i think they work the bugs out of them never had any problems since then i would buy another in a heartbeat just buy the warrant

onepieceatatime · Feb 18, 2014

Ive had real good luck at finding used Warns for cheap. Just got a 9.5ti for $450 and before that I got a XD8000 that hadn't even been opened yet for $400. Look on craigslist, some people buy high dollar winches thinking theyre going to be some hardcore wheeler and end up having to get rid of them and don't know how to market them so you can get them cheap. They may be used but Warn's are better built with better parts and they're easy to find information and parts for.

jimbo92 · Feb 20, 2014

I have bought an xd8000i that needed new battery cables for 100, an xd9000i that needed a remote for 100 and another xd9000i for 150 that needed a remote. The deals are out there

bigsilly · Feb 20, 2014

As said above, look at the Bulldog. I had them on my comp rigs and they got used. The comp winch is very fast and will pull great. Bob is as good as they come. He goes above and beyond to take care of his customers.