The Warn broke pulling 16000 pounds. The TMax pulled 16000 pounds and remained functional. So, your first argument, right off the bat is wrong. The Superwinch pulled 15,900 but quit working. The Engo pulled 12000 and kept working.
Let me ask
you something: As a proud patriot, shouldn't you at least know to capitalize Americans? Or do you care, but not enough to bother with proper grammar? I'm pretty happy to say that for the $600 I spent on my Smittybilt, I got a 10k winch and synthetic line (the line was an American company), and saved $600 over the Warn.
The question was "What is a good, cheap winch?" The answer is "Not Warn". Engo did better in the submersion test, speed and efficiency, and value. The TMax beat the Warn on the stall test, matching total pull but continuing to function rather than breaking. Even the Superwinch, which lost to the Warn only by 100lbs, could've still been used to extract your vehicle. It wouldn't spool out, but would still spool in and you could just pull the cable by hand.
Mind you, the Engo only cost $329.99 and the T-Max and Superwinch were both priced the same as the Warn at $999.99. The choice is yours, pay for the name and the satisfaction that it's built in America, pay the same price but have something that matched and beat the Warn's performance, or pay 1/3 the price for something that beat the Warn in all meaningful areas aside from total pull power (even though both greatly exceeded their rated capacity). I would personally choose the one that would get me out of the supposed life and death situation that makes everyone say not to cheap out on than pay 3x as much for one that is more likely to break...
Don't be hatin just cause you drank the kool aid.
EDIT: The Engo even kicked the Warn's butt in packaging! :roflmao: