joes-jk

everybody always talks about warn like its a god. they might be the most know but are they the most reliable????

all i know is if u get the smiitty and it breaks u can buy the ram, and if that breaks u can get the superwinch and still be under the price of one warn.

racer83l

so your in the woods, a few miles from a road, you are alone, or even with another vehicle.. you get stuck, or break, they cant get you out or are also stuck..

And your winch breaks down, its getting dark, your kids are with you and are screaming scared, the wife is chewing your ear off..

how much is a Warn worth now?
And yes, they are that reliable.

commander

9500 warn power plant with onboard air

Weeds

My Warn is 50 years old and still works. I have only replaced the brushes and the cable.

PoorDad

If you keep an eye on craigslist or similar sites, you can find deals on winches every so often. I found a Warn XD9000 for $375.00 that is 15 years old. It worked when I bought it, but has since stopped working. I am sure it has to do with something I am doing wrong, but I just have not figured it out yet. Even if I have to replace some parts, these winches are well built and can be rebuilt as needed. If you have the ability or the desire to employ an older winch, it may be worth it.

Of the three you listed, I would go with the Smitty 10K because of the higher rating. I would make due with any of the three, though.

pastorsteve

True. AND these also have warranties that, if there's a problem, will be replaced/repaired. I don't use a winch enough to ever justify a high-dollar winch. If you need it for weekly or daily use - and you can prove that one brand will deliver a guaranteed better performance - then you probably can justify the cost. Otherwise the Smittybuilt is probably (for most of us) the smart buy. Two year warranty means that if you're going to have a problem - use it hard in that first year and replace it if there's a problem - if not - keep using it.

JK Rocker

I just got the superwinch LP8500. I haven't mounted or used it yet. It looks great, though. Its definitely a decent quality piece of gear.

Northernmedic

I'm temporarily running a sperwinch 8500lp until I get my warn. Sure these other brands are cheaper and also have warranty but how is a warranty gonna get you back home when the winch fails? There is a reason why people use warn time and time again. They have proven themselves. There are some up and commers in the winch world and I'm sure that a few may come out with a long lasting quality product but until such a time as they have been time tested, It's WARN for me. Many posters here have already said that they are using 15 and 20 year old warns. That means ALOT!

ARubicon

I would suggest looking at a TABOR, they are warn winches at the lower prices. I have a warn but have experience with the tabors and they seem to be very dependable and affordable.

You don't need a winch often but when the time comes it better not fail so get something you can depend upon.

Bazetthound

Just to clear things up for whoever needs it... Ramsey winches are MADE IN THE USA. Read the following quote for more details:

WHY CHOOSE A RAMSEY WINCH?
All Ramsey designs evolve from field experience. Ramsey is the “Standard” in the towing and recovery market among those who count on a winch every day to earn a living! In fact, 9 out of 10 tow truck operators demand Ramsey over any other winch. The same industrial design practices are used in all of our self-recovery automotive winches. Better still, it is backed by Ramsey’s 60 years of winch expertise and covered by their limited Lifetime Warranty.

Ramsey Winches are quality products made in the USA! Many winch brands that pretend to be from the USA or Australia are actually made in China. Some winch manufacturers have begun focusing more and more on bells and whistles that add cost but do little in the real world. Ramsey remains committed and focused on what matters most, a bullet-proof, brute strength, premium quality winch you can depend on day-in and day-out for a long...long time.