Im looking at getting a winch, the one im looking at is a smittybilt xrc-8, its an 8000 lb winch, so i need to know if there any good before i spend the money on one, my cousin says there junk, and ive never bought a winch before so im looking for opinions from those that have used smittybilt winches before.

 

Buy one brand of winch IMO...WARN...and get at least a 9K.
Sucks to buy a new winch and it never work when you need it.

 

I know Warn winches are very good, there just over priced in my opinion.

 

Have a look on Jeep websites, I'm sure their winches get used a lot more than with Toyotas, so you may be able to find people who have really abused their Smittybuilt winches. I've heard they are very good for the money.

 

http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthrea...ht=smittybuilt

There is a long read for the winch.

Ive heard the winch lline is crap and people have some problems with the remotes.
i was going to give one a shot.

 

Warn good name, probably the best IMO. Just make sure to use the rule of x2, which means take your vehicle weight (gross or actual i cant remember) and multiply it by two.

winches are rated on their first "layer" so a 10k winch is pulling 10k on its first wrap, then it decreases, not sure what % per layer, but you get the idea. So think about it your truck is knee deep in a mud pit and the winch has to pull out the vehicle weight + any force being acted upon it by the mud (ie suction).

post some pics after you get it.

 

the first link in my sig is a great writeup on recovery points/etc....

 

Search and you'll find the answer... There are a quite a few people on here with them... Toyota 1 is on his second (under warrenty) because the freespool broke, but other ethan that I believe he's happy...

Another option may be the titan winches.
http://www.freewebs.com/titanwinches/home.htm

 

Opinions are like A$$H*Les everyone has one. Goto pirate4x4 there's a big review on the smittybuilt winch.
i have a smittybuilt xrc-8 haven't had a problem with it yet.
Hey a winch is better than no winch at all for a $300 winch this baby is awesome.

 

I just took a quick look at the WinchDepot.com website and couldn't believe it. The Warn M8000 is now listed at $750 (with the roller fairlead). When I bought it there 10 months ago, it was just over $500 (and that was when the Canadian $ was a lot stronger).

I guess I lucked out in timing when I bought mine, but I still like the fact that I know the winch will work when I need it. Not to say that some other brands wouldn't, but for example, my friends (jeep owners) mostly seem to end up buying Champion winches for $300 or so, and they all seem to end up bringing them back for a replacement while it's still under warranty in the first year.

 

I was 'high' on warn until I bought two in a row and they pretty much were useless/broke after the first few months of use (motor issues - broken plastic gears, etc). These were winches that I bought for my ATV 2500lbs and I will never buy another Warn. I did not abuse these winches and they were used sparingly. I have since bought two different generic brands and they work flawlessly. One is a Warn knock off but the gears inside a metal instead of plastic and the other is a gorilla brand bought off ebay. The Gorilla Brand I find is the best, it has been used alot and never let me down whatsoever.

Everyone is going to have their opinion on this subject for sure good and bad things to say. As long at the winch has a somewhat decent warranty you should be alright, they can all break. I would say if you get one, keep it lubed up an use it to keep everything moving inside.

 

Plastic gears... you sure about that? They certainly aren't plastic in the winches you would get for a truck (M8000 or larger).

 

They are plastic in the smaller winches for sure. Like I said these were ATV winches not for trucks. Just wanted to share my experience.

 

No worries... just wanted to clarify.

 

my friend bought the warn 8000, and it has a shorter duty cycle than my Costco Champion 9k. but both are better than a come-along. depends how often you plan on using it. i bought mine and never used it b/c i usually wheel with another truck and used a strap.

make sure your battery and charging system are up to the task. a good winch is worthless if you battery and alternator take a dump and leave you stuck and w/o power.

 

This is sooooooo true!!

 

heres my experience's with it https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...bumper-161531/ its a deal for 300. just be sure to get the lifetime no questions warranty!

 

I like my ramsey, IMHO they are better than warn, they have been around longer!!! Now talk about pricey!!!! I paid 2k for mine with synthetic winchline.

 

Interesting... what is the duty cycle for the M8000? All the manual says is that it's designed for intermittent use. (And of course the duty cycle depends on the load that's being pulled. Low load = low amps = longer running time before overheating. High load = high amps = shorter running time before overheating.)

 

i think the duty cycle for the M8000 Warn was like 40 seconds under max load, the Champion was like a full minute.....maybe i'm splitting hairs

I think member Beaniam has a Champion winch too, i wonder what he says.
The Champion is a cheap winch so double lining and snatch-blocking will probably help it survive, but your recovery will be slower, which is true for any winch when ya do that.