HF Badland Winches

Looking for feedback - HF has the 12,000-lb model on said for $279.99 with coupon through the end of the month. Seems like a smoking good deal, but what reviews I've been able to find seem to run the spectrum.

Anyone here tried one? If so, impressions?

TIA,


Rob

No, have not tried that manufactured winch. Not going to. Warn M8000 is my choice, albeit not as strong as the model you are looking at. Remember, you get what you pay for. Me thinks you are getting some Godless communist slave labor winch that said purchase places pressure against any Americans from finding a job making winches. Warn has a long standing sale going on where you can save 400 bucks, i.e., down to around 6 bills if you buy soon. Interestingly, there is an article called "Winches in Hell"; http://www.moabjeeper.com/articles/general/listing.cfm?articleID=353 which goes a long way in showing how the cheaper models hold up to real world activities. Model M8000 was not included, nor the unit you are looking at as I recall. Now, if you just want looks, make one out of plaster-of-paris, and paint it up to look like a winch. Is that a real poncho, or is that a Sear's poncho. Get the idea? eace:

Tuff Stuff gets great reviews

http://www.amazon.com/TUFF-STUFF-4x4-TS-12500-B-Winch/dp/B001BFKPAS


also my buddy has the old Chicago Electric (Harbor Freight) 10,000lbs winch and he has used to MANY times to pull him self and others out... his main gripe is that it is slow... but it does the job it s meant to do...

Alaskan, I wanted feedback on the product, not political rhetoric.

I know about the referenced shootout article, and while I generally agree with "you get what you pay for", there are also times where you find a diamond, unlooked-for, in the rough (the Chicago Electric as featured in that article).

I also know that the Badland wasn't featured in that, as it's relatively new (as in the last 6-12 months) to the market. That was one of the reasons why I asked - I wanted to know if it was better than it's "environment" like the Chicago Electric turned out to be, as the low price point had me thinking that it might be a good candidate to put on a cradle in my front receiver, something I've been thinking about for a while now, especially since this would have been a 12K unit at the price of an 8K model.

Given how infrequently I'm likely to be using a winch, why would I pay $600 or more for a Warn when an equivalently-rated Smittybilt would be just fine at less than half the cost? Were the Warn within $100 of the Smitty, I might be more inclined to consider it due to the established name, but as it stands, I feel like I'd be paying an exorbitant premium for The Name(TM).

Eric -

Looked at that one, saw one four reviews, the one bad one didn't paint thier warranty support in a very good light.

As far as China, remember that slaves have to have jobs and eat too. :eyes:

Alaskan89XJ said:

No, have not tried that manufactured winch. Not going to. Warn M8000 is my choice, albeit not as strong as the model you are looking at. Remember, you get what you pay for. Me thinks you are getting some Godless communist slave labor winch that said purchase places pressure against any Americans from finding a job making winches. Warn has a long standing sale going on where you can save 400 bucks, i.e., down to around 6 bills if you buy soon. Interestingly, there is an article called "Winches in Hell"; http://www.moabjeeper.com/articles/general/listing.cfm?articleID=353 which goes a long way in showing how the cheaper models hold up to real world activities. Model M8000 was not included, nor the unit you are looking at as I recall. Now, if you just want looks, make one out of plaster-of-paris, and paint it up to look like a winch. Is that a real poncho, or is that a Sear's poncho. Get the idea? eace:

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Do u post on pirate at all? If not, u should go do it. They'll make u brand new.

I am almost positive that winch is the same one as my Rough Country winch. Looks identical. For what it is worth the winch has never let me down. Has plenty of power to pull and it is a pretty solid buy in my opinion. I do not know if the HF version has the wireless remote but the RC came with that. I would pick it up.

Having burned up a few tools from Harbor Freight, my question is how far are you willing to walk?
Out here in the West, we can be many dozens of miles any sign of civilization or a cell signal.
I doubt if you have that situation in New Jersey.

If someone is comparing a cheap chinese winch to a smittybilt... thats funny. both are junk. more complaints on the boards and in real life then praises.
That "$600" cheaper winch and money saved goes quick when you have ot bring in more help to get you unstuck as you have a broken winch.

Cheap is just that Cheap.... RC, Harbor FReight, Smittybilt... all cheap knock offs of better products

coueshunter said:

If someone is comparing a cheap chinese winch to a smittybilt... thats funny. both are junk. more complaints on the boards and in real life then praises.
That "$600" cheaper winch and money saved goes quick when you have ot bring in more help to get you unstuck as you have a broken winch.

Cheap is just that Cheap.... RC, Harbor FReight, Smittybilt... all cheap knock offs of better products

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My last winch was a Warn 9.5ti, without peer as the best winch ever made, yet sometimes you just need a winch and cannot afford the absolute fortune that Warn used to cost... here is their new alternative VR series VR 8000 $479

http://www.amazon.com/WARN-86245-VR8000-000-Winch/dp/B004UJ3IAQ

The good old winch debate. ha ha

I have the XCr8 for the last two years and have pulled prolly 50 times or so. I have pulled full size trucks ,jeeps , shrubs, logs. and its worked every time and its been mounted to the front of my Comanche the whole times exposed to the environment. so say what you want the fact is is a sold performer. I say buy that HF unit its prolly made in the same factory as 80 percent of the china wiches Out there. and i bet the HF will get the job done for ya.

I'm pretty sure all the Chinese winches are the same. TMax, Smitty, RC, HF, etc. They're all visually identical, down to the controls.

That being said, I never had any problems with my Tmax 9k minus the junk wireless controller. The winch itself worked great every time I used it.

REVROK said:

My last winch was a Warn 9.5ti, without peer as the best winch ever made,

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I like warns too, and have a hs9500i now and had an xd9000i for a long time before, but the 8274 is the way to go if you only want to buy one winch in a lifetime.

the only thing i don't understand about the whole winch debate is, it's warn and everything else is junk. what about the other big brands that are out there. ramsey and mile marker are two big ones.

just sayin...

i've had the old hf winches, and i went through 5 of them with the warranty only had about 10 pulls total on all 5. not impressed. i have had a tmax winch aswell. it was solid and i had about 20 pulls on that before i sold the jeep. no it wasn't fast. but i don't run comps.

Mile marker is also made in China... Quote from their website.

Mile Marker operates from its headquarters in Pompano Beach, Florida, its primary distribution center in Kalama, Washington and from its plant in China.

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98stocker said:

I like warns too, and have a hs9500i now and had an xd9000i for a long time before, but the 8274 is the way to go if you only want to buy one winch in a lifetime.

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OK... I can definitely see that argument. They don't work too well on an XJ though because of the airflow issues they cause.

aintright said:

the only thing i don't understand about the whole winch debate is, it's warn and everything else is junk. what about the other big brands that are out there. ramsey and mile marker are two big ones.

just sayin...

i've had the old hf winches, and i went through 5 of them with the warranty only had about 10 pulls total on all 5. not impressed. i have had a tmax winch aswell. it was solid and i had about 20 pulls on that before i sold the jeep. no it wasn't fast. but i don't run comps.

Click to expand...

Ramsey winches are great, as is Superwinch, Milemarker's electrics are definitely in the same category as the OP and Smittybilt, etc... I don't necessarily agree that the others are absolute junk. If I'm stuck and you have a Chinese winch, I'll be happy to let you pull me out!

Ok.., lol, no, I do not have an inclination to go to the Pirate site often enough, as I have already had my rectalencephalectomy during that era of conflict 'circa '66--'70. Aside from politics, i.e., a dollar sent through Wall Mart to the chinese builiding up to implement their declaration of "Unrestricted Warfare" against the U.S.A.; "...such a defeat on the economic front, precipitates a near collapse of the social and political order..."-- has me supporting their cause against us less, and less. Hence I buy American whenever I can. http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q...UnKj6_&sig=AHIEtbRhNlz0Vq0iNYzgwnZ1wJqZlwbg2w

On a more philosophical level, you said it best:

"but what reviews I've been able to find seem to run the spectrum".

I would take it, somewheres between bad and good, 'eh? Well, it's your dollar in your pocket.., where it goes, and to whom it goes to.., is up to you.., I ain't no friggin liberal progressive control freak with my politics.., just suggesting. Local cj'er has a CSI 12,000lb. winch, (chinese), that he has good luck with. I think I might join the Northern Chinese XJ association.., lol, the XJ parts are easier to find since those slaves have jobs.

If all else fails, 'git 'yerself a 'come-a-long', some block, and tackle.., and a long lever. Have 'Bubba do the hard part with the six-pack you give him!

Warn for me.., and the easier parts availability. eace:

China (Beijing Auto Works) owns the xj too.

There's junk..

And then there's WARN.