New line of winches on the market. Any thoughts?

[bhicks]

Rough Country just released their line of winches a month or two back and their prices are really good. I'm looking since Father's day is coming up and it's time for a winch. Any vendors out there know about their quality? Since their so new, there are very few reviews out there. Any guys buy one and have personal experience. The $300 price tag with free shipping (on a couple sites I found) for a 9500 lb winch with wireless remote seems too good to be true. Please don't turn this thread into a "Warn" is the best campaign or "I'm the devil" if I look at a foreign made product. I'm just trying to get some facts and opinions out there on this specific new product. I was told that Rough Country bought up t-maxx winches (which seems to get great reviews) but I havn't found anything to verify that. I will post their steel line winch and synthetic line winch.

http://www.roughcountry.com/winches/electric-winch_rs9500.html

http://www.roughcountry.com/winches/electric-winch_rs9500s.html


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[WebDog]

I have no personal experience with the winch, but I do a lot of research on the subject.

From what I can tell they are made by the same manufacturer of Mile Marker and Smittybilt winches (they just slap logos and stickers on them and put them on a boat). I have put my Smittybilt though hell and back and it still runs great.

The RC winch is probably fine in quality, and will do its job. You just have to remember it may or may not outlast an American made winch. For the money I have no problems running a cheaper import winch because if it lasts 5 years I figure I got my monies worth.

 

[bhicks]

Just got more info. If you are a Jeepforum member then RC will take another 10% off their $299.95 price which brings it down to $269.95. It brings the synthetic rope winch down to $404. I got this prices from Todd at Rough Country. You can also order it through Jeff as well. They both can set up the discount. They didn't even ask about if I was a paying Jeepforum member. I just told them I am a Jeepforum user and they applied the discount. I'm even more interested in this winch now. Looks like I now need to sweet talk my wife into getting it for me for Father's day.

 

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

Warn is the best, And you are the devil.

That is all.

 

[bhicks]

From what I can tell they are made by the same manufacturer of Mile Marker and Smittybilt winches (they just slap logos and stickers on them and put them on a boat).

I'm pretty sure the Harbor Freight winches are also coming from that same factory because the pics of their winches on the HF website look identical to the Mile Marker winches and a few others.

 

[HandBuiltXJ]

I am sold, but their site says they are on order for 31May....

 

[bhicks]

I got the green light from the wife last night so I will be putting in my order soon. They are back ordered for a few weeks but that's no big deal. For the price, I don't mind waitinig. It seems that I will be the guinea pig and be the 1st on here to try this product. I will put it through some tests once I get it and report back.

 

[r33pwrd]

Warn is the best, And you are the devil.

That is all.

Probably the only thing I will agree with you on :cheers:

 

[jonzer12]

I have a cheap superwinch lp8500. Although it works great as I have been getting more and more into wheeling I have been in a position a few times now where winch is litterally all that keeping the rig and me from a serious tumble. These experiences have left me wishing perhaps I would have bought a better winch.

 

[bhicks]

We will find out soon if low price means low performance. I need to move some large boulders around my property and I will be using this winch to move heavy objects over long pulls and repeated use over multiple hours. I also need to move a bunch of rail road ties. I also plan to run it on some hard trails and winch at every opportunity (probably even when it's not needed) just to see if/when it overheats and how it's line speed reacts to repeated use of heavy loads. I wont be doing a side by side comparison with another winch, just a real life application test with some simple results.

 

[2stix]

this is going to be interesting. cant wait to hear the results. by the way, what are you going to do with all those railroad ties?

 

[Yamadevil]

sounds like it will be a good winch. i am with Max on the cheaper price being fine for as much use as it will get is worth it

 

[bhicks]

this is going to be interesting. cant wait to hear the results. by the way, what are you going to do with all those railroad ties?

I'm building a retaining wall off the back of my lot. I currently just pilled up a bunch of rocks and back filled it in to level my land but the fill dirt I built up behind the rocks is starting to filter down and through the rocks causing me to continually have to back fill it in. My hope is that the RR ties will prevent that. Time will tell. I used RR ties to do most of my landscaping so they will fit right in. The difference is that this time I wont have to break my back carrying those things around. The winch and strap will do the heavy lifting and moving.

 

[Wiser]

I've got the harbor freight roadshock 8k lb. It's a pretty good winch for what it is. slower than a warn but gets the job done. I have a few buddies that run them on their buggies for years and no problems. I bought the 2 year warranty, so I'll probably go get a new one for the he'll of it. I've noticed that harbor freight only carries the 9.5k and up so I might pay the difference to get a stronger duty winch. I too haven't really used it so I can't hoot and holler about it but I do feel confident with it.

 

[Skwerly]

I'd run one.

 

[bails85]

rough country has done alot of work to build up their reputation in the past couple years. that being said i dont think they would start marketing a p.o.s. winch to set them back. its not a warn but it will work for the average weekend warrior. and im sure that they will tell you that over the phone when you call to order one. every rc guy i have ever spoken to on the phone has always been a straight shooter.

 

[cashless]

it looks like the same Chinese company, makes them for everybody...they just change the stickers...I would just get the Harbor freight one with the 2 year plan...if it breaks you go down to HF and get a new one...dont know RCs return on its winches,would suck to ship back on your dime....I run a older HF winch. Used it with out problems.

 

[bails85]

i beileve that their return policy would be right at the top. this is one thing they are known for. not that i think rc is the best but i have always had good experiences with them and i havent been able to say that about too many others. i looked at the hf winches as well. i dont really care who makes it. if it will do what i need it for then i am happy. shit for the price you really cant beat it. now if i paid the money for the warn and it died on me i might be a little upset. but in all honesty when you buy something that is medium quality you kind of know what to expect. and sometimes you really do get your monies worth and sometimes you just have to cut your losses.

 

[bhicks]

it looks like the same Chinese company, makes them for everybody...they just change the stickers...I would just get the Harbor freight one with the 2 year plan...if it breaks you go down to HF and get a new one...dont know RCs return on its winches,would suck to ship back on your dime....I run a older HF winch. Used it with out problems.

I'm pretty sure it has a 3 year warranty. I will have to call back to verify, but I'm rather confident that's what they told me when I called.

 

[01erionracing]

it looks like the same Chinese company, makes them for everybody...they just change the stickers...I would just get the Harbor freight one with the 2 year plan...if it breaks you go down to HF and get a new one...dont know RCs return on its winches,would suck to ship back on your dime....I run a older HF winch. Used it with out problems.

That's why I got the HF winch but I might replace with synthetic cable soon. They now carry 12k lbs Badland winch.