Does anyone know anything about winches?

2107 Views 36 Replies 14 Participants Last post by Axle Rose, 12 d ago

shark fisherman

Discussion Starter · 2 mo ago

My warn winch is very old and I want to replace it with a new one. I watched a video on YouTube recently, but I still haven't figured out what winch to buy. I want to buy a cheap and easy-to-use winch. I recently saw this video, does anyone know how about the winch of the open road brand? he looks really cheap

If someone who knows this brand of winch can introduce it to me

Thank you in advance

21 - 37 of 37 Posts

total newb

· #21 · 2 mo ago

Best price i found for the bushing kit is amazon.

I accidently ordered them from amazon and summit and they both came in the same warn packing.

WARN 8680 Winch Service Kit with Bushings, Seal, and Thrust Washer for M8274 Lower Housing Assembly https://a.co/d/4HnKcMu

doyll

· #22 · 2 mo ago

Seems all brands have good and bad reviews. Often negative reviews are result of user / installer errors causing winch failures, not the quality of winch. About half of the dozen or so winch using people I know with winches have Badlands.

None have had any issues with their Badlands winches.

But one guy had his brand new Warn fail first time it was needed. He shipped it back to Warn and they said it was manufacturer's defect. They then told buyer his warranty was void because he did YouTube videos and was using winches in them. As YouTube pays peeps for their video views Warn told him winch was being used commercially so warranty was void. In other words, if you post videos of your wheeling and are using a Warn winch don't expect Warn to honor their warrantee.

And when he said "Okay, please return my winch". Warn said "Send us a pre-paid shipping voucher and they would send him his winch. Needless to say he's not using Warn winches any more.

Several of the most popular YouTube off-road recovery YouTubers run Badlands / Harbor Freight winches with no issues.

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NorCalJalopy

· #23 · 2 mo ago

doyll said:
Seems all brands have good and bad reviews. Often negative reviews are result of user / installer errors causing winch failures, not the quality of winch. About half of the dozen or so winch using people I know with winches have Badlands.

None have had any issues with their Badlands winches.

But one guy had his brand new Warn fail first time it was needed. He shipped it back to Warn and they said it was manufacturer's defect. They then told buyer his warranty was void because he did YouTube videos and was using winches in them. As YouTube pays peeps for their video views Warn told him winch was being used commercially so warranty was void. In other words, if you post videos of your wheeling and are using a Warn winch don't expect Warn to honor their warrantee.

And when he said "Okay, please return my winch". Warn said "Send us a pre-paid shipping voucher and they would send him his winch. Needless to say he's not using Warn winches any more.

Several of the most popular YouTube off-road recovery YouTubers run Badlands / Harbor Freight winches with no issues.

Do you want to support an American company that supplies American jobs and will help continue our way of life in off roading or would you rather support a Chinese company that makes stuff the cheapest way possible with no stake in our freedoms off road?

If you or a buddy flipped a rig and it landed on someone, you have to upright it ASAP… you willing to trust a Chinese winch?
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

doyll

· #24 · 2 mo ago

NorCalJalopy said:
Do you want to support an American company that supplies American jobs and will help continue our way of life in off roading or would you rather support a Chinese company that makes stuff the cheapest way possible with no stake in our freedoms off road?

If you or a buddy flipped a rig and it landed on someone, you have to upright it ASAP… you willing to trust a Chinese winch?
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Are WARN winches made in China?

Warn's non-VR winches are assembled in Oregon with some globally sourced parts. They continue to manufacture substantial parts of their winches at the Oregon factory, like machining cases and gears. The Warn VR line is fully made in China.

www.roundforge.com

Are Warn Winches Made in the USA?

Times are a-changin' and you want to know if Warn products are made in the USA. It's a little complicated, so read here to find out.

www.roundforge.com

.

As much as I would like to support American made products the simply reality is most use foreign made parts, often employ undocumented workers, use every loophole they can to avoid paying taxes, etc.

Caterpillar Inc is a good example of this. When they made record profits and American employees wanted their fair share the company broke their union and lowered their wages.

We can go on about "cheapest way possible|" as much with American made as foreign made.

How much has Warn done to support our off road freedoms? I don't know, but I don't think it's much.

And it's not just Chinese. It's Korean, Canadian, Mexican, etc.

What makes you think "American made will have it upright any quicker than imports? I've used lots of different kinds of equipment for many different countries and found imports to be as good as domestic.

All this said, I try to go American made whenever it's reasonable.

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NorCalJalopy

· #25 · 2 mo ago

Never sa

doyll said:
Are WARN winches made in China?

Warn's non-VR winches are assembled in Oregon with some globally sourced parts. They continue to manufacture substantial parts of their winches at the Oregon factory, like machining cases and gears. The Warn VR line is fully made in China.

Are Warn Winches Made in the USA?

Times are a-changin' and you want to know if Warn products are made in the USA. It's a little complicated, so read here to find out.

www.roundforge.com

.

As much as I would like to support American made products the simply reality is most use foreign made parts, often employ undocumented workers, use every loophole they can to avoid paying taxes, etc.

Caterpillar Inc is a good example of this. When they made record profits and American employees wanted their fair share the company broke their union and lowered their wages.

We can go on about "cheapest way possible|" as much with American made as foreign made.

How much has Warn done to support our off road freedoms? I don't know, but I don't think it's much.

And it's not just Chinese. It's Korean, Canadian, Mexican, etc.

What makes you think "American made will have it upright any quicker than imports? I've used lots of different kinds of equipment for many different countries and found imports to be as good as domestic.

All this said, I try to go American made whenever it's reasonable.

I never said go warn…. That’s the typical go to when some tries to make a claim when going American. I have an alert made winch that’s made in so cal that isn’t a warn.

When I was mentioning a flipped rig I wasn’t referring to speed, but reliability and ease of mind you have the best possible recovery or emergency equipment.

I guess maybe I’m wired differently than some?

NorCalJalopy

· #26 · 2 mo ago

doyll said:
Seems all brands have good and bad reviews. Often negative reviews are result of user / installer errors causing winch failures, not the quality of winch. About half of the dozen or so winch using people I know with winches have Badlands.

None have had any issues with their Badlands winches.

But one guy had his brand new Warn fail first time it was needed. He shipped it back to Warn and they said it was manufacturer's defect. They then told buyer his warranty was void because he did YouTube videos and was using winches in them. As YouTube pays peeps for their video views Warn told him winch was being used commercially so warranty was void. In other words, if you post videos of your wheeling and are using a Warn winch don't expect Warn to honor their warrantee.

And when he said "Okay, please return my winch". Warn said "Send us a pre-paid shipping voucher and they would send him his winch. Needless to say he's not using Warn winches any more.

Several of the most popular YouTube off-road recovery YouTubers run Badlands / Harbor Freight winches with no issues.

Since you mentioned the Badlands, they’re made in China like I was mentioning. A shit ton of. You tubers run Patagonia tires as well. Only two type of people run those besides you tubers.
Just because someone else does doesn’t mean you should. A lot of those you tubers are sponsored by hb and such. Matt from yt talks about how he got special mods done by the badlands winch people.

teddyfrank20

· #27 · 2 mo ago

doyll said:
All this said, I try to go American made whenever it's reasonable.

x2. I’d love to buy a domestic made, fair quality warn for a solid price. Unfortunately the inexpensive winches they sell are (in my opinion) just another average Asian made winch. But marked up because it says “warn” on it.

The domestic made warns are another story, but they’re so damn expensive it’s not worth it to me. I could buy 2 badlands or smittybilts for the price of one domestic made warn.

doyll

· #28 · 2 mo ago (Edited)

teddyfrank20 said:
x2. I’d love to buy a domestic made, fair quality warn for a solid price. Unfortunately the inexpensive winches they sell are (in my opinion) just another average Asian made winch. But marked up because it says “warn” on it.

The domestic made warns are another story, but they’re so damn expensive it’s not worth it to me. I could buy 2 badlands or smittybilts for the price of one domestic made warn.

Problem is "domestic made Warn" is not all domestic parts! Warn assembles some in USA but many components are out-sourced to off-shore manufacturers. They don't say how much of Warn 'American made' winch is foreign parts, I'm guessing at least half.

Warn isn't even an all American company! Warn is owned by LKQ Corp headquartered in Chicago operating in Europe, Tiawan and North America. In fact they are 20 other countries with 1950 location of which only 350 are in USA. LKQ stands for Like, Kind and Quality .. isn't that making copies?

shark fisherman

Discussion Starter · #29 · 18 d ago

I have purchased the OPENROAD winch because they are now on sale for Father's Day for only $399, which is a bargain!

shark fisherman

Discussion Starter · #30 · 18 d ago

shark fisherman said:
I have purchased the OPENROAD winch because they are now on sale for Father's Day for only $399, which is a bargain!

openroad4wd.com

Crazy Father's Day Deals

OPENROAD winches waterproof levels are IP67. OPENROAD 4X4 winches are the best off-road partner. Explore our flagship series: Heat winches & Panther winches. OPENROAD ATV winches help you unstuck mud. Black Friday sale, starting now.

openroad4wd.com

openroad4wd.com

NorCalJalopy

· #31 · 18 d ago

shark fisherman said:
Crazy Father's Day Deals

OPENROAD winches waterproof levels are IP67. OPENROAD 4X4 winches are the best off-road partner. Explore our flagship series: Heat winches & Panther winches. OPENROAD ATV winches help you unstuck mud. Black Friday sale, starting now.

openroad4wd.com

Go get stuck 8 times and winch yourself out. Report back. Thanks!

tmarie

· #32 · 13 d ago

Old Warn fan here... fix the Warn. Do it right the first time and you don't have to keep replacing it.

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Reactions: 1

teddyfrank20

· #33 · 13 d ago

Since fist posting on this thread I’ve used my smittybilt 5-6 times, so far no issues other than the cable is a bitch to deal with and heavy as hell, switching to synthetic before too long

Reactions: 1

NorCalJalopy

· #34 · 13 d ago

teddyfrank20 said:
Since fist posting on this thread I’ve used my smittybilt 5-6 times, so far no issues other than the cable is a bitch to deal with and heavy as hell, switching to synthetic before too long

Freedom winch line is my choice. I’ve had the same one for a year. It stays in the sun and gets abused. Still hasn’t let me down.

Reactions: 1

Axle Rose

· #35 · 13 d ago

NorCalJalopy said:
Freedom winch line is my choice. I’ve had the same one for a year. It stays in the sun and gets abused. Still hasn’t let me down.

You know what they say, freedom ain't cheap.

total newb

· #36 · 13 d ago

Axle Rose said:
You know what they say, freedom ain't cheap.

Its freedom isnt free you stupid twat.

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Axle Rose

· #37 · 12 d ago

total newb said:
Its freedom isnt free you stupid twat.

View attachment 3129983

That's a direct MORR quote.

21 - 37 of 37 Posts