Has anyone tried the Chicago Electric 8000# Winch?
Harbor Freight has them for $299. My first instinct says cheap junk, but what if it worked really well?

Does anyone have one of these???

You get what you pay for...

HS9500i Baby!!!!!! :D

..I would trust my Hi-lift over that thing!

Gots a credit card? get it, test it out, if you like it, keep it, if not 30 day return policy :)

never seen that in the catalog, got a link?

You get what you pay for....

Originally posted by Benny Boy
You get what you pay for...

HS9500i Baby!!!!!! :D exactly! 8274-50:flipoff2:

Winches do break...I just broke some internal pieces in my Superwinch on my trailer! Believe me the winch on the trailer does not get abused. Parts are only a phone call away. Make sure you can fix it if it breaks.

Jason :)

the real question os how much do you plan on using it? I have a cheapy REP8000 ramsey and have never had any problems with it. I dont use my that much though. Dont need it :D If you plan on using your winch alot id get a warn or ramsey pro winch otherwise a cheapy would probably be fine for the occasional use.

it is a ramsey with bushings instead of bearings. save your money though

Originally posted by wild1
exactly! 8274-50:flipoff2:


You wanna put a 8274-50 on a multimount then be my guest.

If I had a cruiser or a jeep, 8274-50 all the way!!!

Originally posted by Gordon
it is a ramsey with bushings instead of bearings. save your money though

I actually thought it looked like a Ramsey, which is what got me wondering about it. I thought it might make a good winch for the rear. Wouldn't get used much, though it would suck to have it puke while in use.

I am well familiar with the "get what you pay for" motto. Sometimes, though, when you don't have to "pay for" advertising, you get the same product for less. ANy of y'all tried "Crispy Hexagons" cereal? :D
Sounds like this isn't one of those cases.

Thanks for all the replies.

Originally posted by Gordon
it is a ramsey with bushings instead of bearings. save your money though

If that is the case, then it seems like $30 in sourced bearings and you have a Ramsey Winch.. but cheaper :p

IMHO, it would make a good rear or second winch I think.... I am waiting for someone to get one and actually try it out so the speculation can stop :p

I personally know 2 people that have the Harbor Freight winch. They both are happy with it. Neither do a lot of winching and it has never failed on them yet when they do need it. The Ramsey with bushings statement is true.

I also thought HF was no longer selling them???

Talking of Cheap winches, are the Ramsey 8000 any good?
They are on sale right now for $499.
I really don't do much winching, but then again I don't have a winch right now.

$9.99 from Harbor Freight on your door!

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/30300-30399/30329.gif

Originally posted by 84xtracab
$9.99 from Harbor Freight on your door!

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/30300-30399/30329.gif

Thats overkill
I just send my wife out there with a rope ... she's the one who wants to get home before dark!

Originally posted by Dick Hertzer
Talking of Cheap winches, are the Ramsey 8000 any good?
They are on sale right now for $499.
I really don't do much winching, but then again I don't have a winch right now.

I have had one since around 1996 or 1997 - never let me down a single time. Slower than the newer Warn or Ramsey winches, but is still a good, reliable winch.

Originally posted by DRM


I have had one since around 1996 or 1997 - never let me down a single time. Slower than the newer Warn or Ramsey winches, but is still a good, reliable winch.

yup me too.. I got mine back when Rossler was selling them for 399.00 :D I have never had any probs with mine at all...

Ramsey is a good winch - Slow as hell but pulls closer to its rating than a Warn does

Warn is a good winch - faster than a ramsey, some of them by alot (2.5 min to get 125' of cable on a 9500i) but don't pull as quiet as much as they are rated for but close. (Personal experience, love my hs9500i, and it took A LOT of abuse to burn it up, more than abuse than I see in competitions)

Superwinch - never heard a good thing about them

Milemarker - good winch as long as you know your engine will always be running when you get stuck. pulls forever and strong, about as fast as a ramsey

Harbor Freight - BWAAHAHAHAHA!!!! Let's not go there. If the quality of the winch matches some of their tools.... well then no winch is better than having one. :flipoff2:

Great! I've been wanting a winch, but couldn't see spending a bunch of money for something that I have been able to do without so far. Luckily, I have always been w/ someone that had one when it was needed. I figure that a winch is like an insurance policy.

Originally posted by 84xtracab
$9.99 from Harbor Freight on your door!

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/30300-30399/30329.gif

I had one of those cheapo come-alongs. It failed while I was trying to pull my Toy out of a ditch (broke through ice). The release lever broke off, so there I was, stuck, my come-along jammed, and a chain stretched across the road, 1 ft off the ground. Good thing it was a "closed" road! I ended up using my hi-lift to overpower it apart. Ended up walking 12 miles home, got my car, came back and got my tools out of the truck, then came back with a friend the next day to drag my truck out of the ditch. Only time I've ever left my truck. I'm going to get a More Power Puller to serve come-along duty, it's built like a hi-lft, and around $120 with a 40ft range.

Superwinch....cant go wrong...I have the x9 and its Never let me down..I use it extensivly for logging, pulling vehicles up canyons, over rocks and save many people yearly on the con and I know they appreciate it also! Its been with me 8 yrs now and still runs like new...I dont need fast as I always respool after a pull and dont like to just pile it up as 96% of winch users do.
Now you have heard something good about Superwinch twaldher!:D :D :D

I'll sale you my 12000lb winch that needs a new motor. (I got the part # even.

Its looks like a rag tag piece of Shitzzzzz but its a work horse!

300 buks OBO.... you pay shipping

the Ramsey look alike from harbor freight is actually a refurbished Ramsey 8000. A friend of mine is a regional rep for Ramsey, and as I recall, the winches they are selling are ones that customers have declined to pay repair charges on, or are warranty returns. they are then rebuilt and sold to harbor freight. also, they sell discontinued models.

www.thinkjeep.com has the new Milemarker electric 8000# winch on some promo sale. $399 I think. I'd trust that over the Harbor Freight thing.. at least you could get parts for it if need be..

So how does this Milemarker $399 compare to the Ramsey 8000 $499