So confused

[ECKSJAY]

This sport isn't cheap, so why are you guys playing with poor quality products to save a a couple dollars. It isn't like the difference of a WARN and a T-Maxx, which is several HUNDRED dollars more.

Same issue, dude...just an inflated scale. Why not get a Harbor Freight winch instead of the T-MAXX and get the better warranty?

 

[2xtreme]

Same issue, dude...just an inflated scale. Why not get a Harbor Freight winch instead of the T-MAXX and get the better warranty?

This is not the debate I wanted to enter. But there is a huge difference between a T-Maxx winch and a HF winch. I don't think anyone will argue with me when I say that I am CHEAP!! But there are some important times when spending the extra money makes sense. Personally for a cheap winch, the Champion brand at Costco can't be beat.

Michael

 

[ECKSJAY]

This is not the debate I wanted to enter. But there is a huge difference between a T-Maxx winch and a HF winch. I don't think anyone will argue with me when I say that I am CHEAP!! But there are some important times when spending the extra money makes sense. Personally for a cheap winch, the Champion brand at Costco can't be beat.

Michael

Take a few minutes to look at these... Having seen everything come through, we've taken very close looks at specifics. They're all the same, just made in different factories around China with different stickers on them. They all come wrapped in the same paper. Only real differences are prices and warranties.

http://www.cpeauto.com/winches.htm

http://www.tmaxtools.net/

http://www.made-in-china.com/products-search/hot-china-products/Electric_Winch.html

http://www.milemarker.com/electric-winch.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Category.taf?categoryid=485&pricetype=S&categoryname=WINCHES

 

[John90XJ]

This is not the debate I wanted to enter. But there is a huge difference between a T-Maxx winch and a HF winch. I don't think anyone will argue with me when I say that I am CHEAP!! But there are some important times when spending the extra money makes sense. Personally for a cheap winch, the Champion brand at Costco can't be beat.

Michael

You might be surprised to find out that most of these, including the T-Maxx, are made by the same company in China. I did some research on this last year and was somewhat shocked to find out the majority of them are from the same place, cost about 1/2 what is being charged retail and had very similar levels of quality.

http://www.cnwinch.com/index.htm

Start looking at them and I think you'll agree that the price differences are profit margin and marketing expense.

 

[John90XJ]

You laugh but if every wheeler treated every recovery situation like it was a 20 ton recovery, there would be lot few death/injuries out there. Last thing our sports image needs is a death/injury on the 5 o'clock news.

I'm not laughing....it was a serious point. But when it comes to recovery, there is a tendency toward "super adequacy" that borders on wastefulness. Death/injury on the trail usually seems to come from lack of training or some other "human error" like drunkeness or being/doing something they shouldn't.

And I have nothing against Chinese products When I have enough cash I plan on getting a T-Maxx winch. I am not a WARN or die kinda guy, you know who you are.

With all due respect, this seems counter intuitive to your initial argument. What if a gear fails and your winch free spools? What if the cable breaks below it's rated capacity? We all make compromises...I just don't think that picking on one aspect of the recovery tool box is wise (shackles) when in the next post we seem to agree that Chinese winches, with all of their myriad components, aren't that bad. Any number of things could go FUBAR in the winch that could be catastrophic. And the winch can't even be inspected as casually as the shackle can for obvious defects.

This sport isn't cheap, so why are you guys playing with poor quality products to save a a couple dollars. It isn't like the difference of a WARN and a T-Maxx, which is several HUNDRED dollars more.

If quality has a minimum standard, then one shouldn't care how much the price difference is.

Of course everything I said is MY personal opinion take from it what you will.

Opinions....kinda like Chinese winches....almost everyone has one.

You make valid points. I guess my take on this is that people will buy what they can afford and/or feel is adequate for doing the job. If I was doing the Rain Forest Challenge or Paris to Dakar, I would likely look at my recovery kit differently than I would going over the Naches Trail or banging around Evan's Creek. Ultimately, I think the most important recovery tool is between my ears. Everything else will fall into place.

One nice thing about the people I wheel with, and this includes you, I never feel uncomfortable when asked to grab this or that out of someone's rig to aid in a recovery. For the most part, everyone has adequate gear, up to the task and in good condition. We're lucky that the guys we go with care enough to even discuss this.

 

[cherokeekid]

It surprises me how many people jump at the price on the chinese winches, as has been stated there is an enormous difference in quality between a warn and any other winch in my opinion. I've purchased a new m8000 for $500with tax and included a roller, at the time a cheap winch ran about $400. Even at $200 more a warn will last you a lifetime, and always have parts available.

As far as the shackles, I've seen a number of brand names with a china stamp on them too. I have some that I grabbed at the swap meet for $2 each and have yet to have one fail, at least not on this website, when I ran the pirate4x4.com site I was really in over my head.

 

[KarlVP]

And I have nothing against Chinese products When I have enough cash I plan on getting a T-Maxx winch. I am not a WARN or die kinda guy, you know who you are.

This sport isn't cheap, so why are you guys playing with poor quality products to save a a couple dollars. It isn't like the difference of a WARN and a T-Maxx, which is several HUNDRED dollars more.

That is the biggest contradiction ever.

You get what you pay for in recoverey gear. I understand your point with buying el cheapo autozone tow ropes and such, but why compromise on your winch?

Winches are important pieces of recoverey gear. You say that you don't want cheap recoverey gear, but you don't mind a cheap winch. WTF....

And just for the record, if you only use your winch once a year, a cheap one will do fine. If you plan on actually using the unit, I would reccomend you pony up for a quality piece of equipment.

 

[2xtreme]

I am sticking by what I said before. From the list of winches listed. I would buy the Champion from Costco. From what I have seen and read it is the nicest built and for $300 and a return policy like Costco I really don't think you can go wrong.

I have only seen the HF and Champions in person, but there a significant difference between all the ones listed above, and I would be very surprised if more than a couple of them were made by the same company in China, there are way too many differences for them to be made by the same company.

I happen to sell products to Warn. What percentage of the parts do you think are made outside of China? Yes, they might be put together here but most of the parts are still built in China.

I think that for the Average Joe, a Cheap winch used well and maintained is just fine. If you use every weekend in the rocks and deep mud that is a different story.

All that said. I wheeled without a winch for more than 15 years with no major issues. The first (and only time) I REALLY needed a winch, I would have paid $1000 right then and there to have one and it would have been well worth it.

Just my opinion.
Michael

 

[ECKSJAY]

I happen to sell products to Warn. What percentage of the parts do you think are made outside of China? Yes, they might be put together here but most of the parts are still built in China.

I think that for the Average Joe, a Cheap winch used well and maintained is just fine. If you use every weekend in the rocks and deep mud that is a different story.

So what you're saying is that you get what you pay for?