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Harbor Freight Winch Warning

H

Harvo

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Chattanooga
I have the 9000lb. Yesterday while using the winch, the cable retention bolt sheared off and the drum spun freely under the cable. I was not in a precarious situation, but if that had happened going up something steep, it could have been scary.

I used to think these were a deal... but not so much now. That never happened with my Warn.

I spoke to someone who said that happened to a guy he knows with the 8000lb. Harbor Freight too.

The design is not very good. The cable wraps right over the bolt head. The drum has no grip on the cable either. I think that is because the cable is so thick?

Anyway... if you have one... watch out!
 
My old Warn cable broke off at the bolt holding the eye to the spool when I tried to stretch too far. We are inventive, like 6-year olds. We can prob'ly break about anything if we try hard enough!!
 
muddshutter said:
The percentage of profit that they make is HUGE. Most items that they sell, they make a 500% profit. With that profit margin and one out of every 100 items returned, they make BANK.
Click to expand...


500% proffit?
I think that is a little hight.
They do take them back and rebuild them and then resell them. So its no loss then.
 
muddshutter said:
That is about right. The products are all made oversees for pennies and sold here for a TON of mark up.
Click to expand...


Yeah I know I sell electronic compoents to mfg's over in asia. The markup is still not that large.
 
If you look at those winches they look exactly like mile marker winches.
 
muddshutter said:
The percentage of profit that they make is HUGE. Most items that they sell, they make a 500% profit. With that profit margin and one out of every 100 items returned, they make BANK.
Click to expand...
Got a link? Or are are you just speculating?
 
muddshutter said:
Its a fact.
Click to expand...


How do you know its a fact?
I know there are big mark ups but how do you know its 500%??
I was in the furniture bizz for years and it was alwyas great when some one said you have 1000% mark up.
Yeah right I wish I would drive a Bently then.
If you looking at it in terms of 500% based on the mfg of the item you cant forget the cost to get the item to the USA. Then into distribution. All this adds up to the cost. So you cant base the mark up on the initial cost of the item since there are so many other cost before it gets into you hands.
I know there is non 500% markup at HF for it.
 
Last edited:
Got Wood said:
If you look at those winches they look exactly like mile marker winches.
Click to expand...

Yes they do. And the remote control unit from the Harbor Freight (HF) winch works on the MileMarker winch. I have an electric 9,000lb MileMarker winch. The retrieve speed appears a little faster than the HF winch, but they are both slow on the retrieve.. A guy that lives down the street from me has a HF 8,000lb winch mounted on his utility trailer for pulling cars onto it.

To us it sure looks like both winches are made by the same company.

I also have a 9,000lb MileMarker Hydraulic winch and am totally impressed with that winch. Can't say the same for the electric one though. The electric is a low cost winch. The hydraulic is expensive. But then as the old addage says, "you get what you pay for."

However the electric HF/MileMarker winch is better than no winch when you need a winch! :)
 
Last edited:
Mile marker makes a strong but crapy product! I've had a 9K hydo winch which was almost useless, so slow. I bought a warn and will never buy another winch again! mile marker and others are not that much cheaper than a warn. With a warn you get more than what you pay for when compared to others! My 9500HS is awesome ! Spend a couple hundred more dollars and forget about it, it will always be there.
 
From a MFG standpoint many companies use a ton of the same parts. No matter what you are talking about. Tv, car, cell phone, winch it’s just more cost affective to use a part that is already out there. Take for example the winch control. The housing is already being made. Why make one different if you are going to come up with a cheep design. You use what’s out there already. That is why many items look the same from the out side. It’s what’s inside that makes the difference. GE, RCA and Magnavox TV’s all come out of the same plant. They use a lot of the same parts. For example the same mother board that go’s in it. But all the components are that board are different for each company. By different I mean quality wise. Same go’s with the winch. So just because they look the same and might even come out of the same plant it does not mean it’s the same quality of product.
 
I used to work in a GE refrigerator plant, the only difference between a GE and a hot point is the superficial items like shelves, door panels, all of the components put in to them that had to do with functionality came out of the same box with the same part number.
 
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