Cheap Winches

If you're going cheap, take that 15% off anything coupon from HF and get a Badlands, and buy the warranty with the saved $$..
 
Same winch but 500 vs 300
 
Warn CTI 9.5 winch with factor55 ultrahook

Basically the exact setup I've got. I paid $400 for my CTI w/ steel cable and since put synthetic line and the ultrahook on. Not a bad price when considering what you get.
 
These kinds of threads reinforce why new is not usually better and why I am glad I buy used (experienced) things like this. The Frontier has a used 8274 up front and a used M8000 out back. Both work great but are from "back in the day." The Blazer will eventually get the other old 8274 sitting in the garage and the Jeep will have an old Koenig PTO winch I picked up.
 
So bringing this back up. Want to get a winch for my trailer. Looking at the Smittybilt 9500 for $340 vs the HF Badlands 9000 for $340:
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Anybody got a strong opinion on one vs the other? Specs are basically the same. This is for trailer use, and won't be used hard, but will live 100% outside and be consistently fed by undercharged batteries.
 
Either will be fine.
Make sure to make an enclosure for it, it'll absolutely make a difference on life duration.
 
I bought that badlands and the HF wireless controller when I got the new trailer in ....May?
Surprisingly I thought the lead kit with the badlands was actually better than the lead kit we got with the smittybuilt - longer and better insulation quality.

This has sat 100% outside for 6 months and you are free to check it out.

I will say this...that $50 HD wireless winch controller ...I screwed up and left it stuck to the side of my trailer (it has a magnetic base) when I pulled the neighbors "truck" for him to concord and it stayed there the whole way despite numerous rough roads...so it got kudos there
 
Also, Tractor Supply has theirs for $330:
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Ron said:
I bought that badlands and the HF wireless controller when I got the new trailer in ....May?
Surprisingly I thought the lead kit with the badlands was actually better than the lead kit we got with the smittybuilt - longer and better insulation quality.

This has sat 100% outside for 6 months and you are free to check it out.

I will say this...that $50 HD wireless winch controller ...I screwed up and left it stuck to the side of my trailer (it has a magnetic base) when I pulled the neighbors "truck" for him to concord and it stayed there the whole way despite numerous rough roads...so it got kudos there
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I'll give you a grand for the trailer and winch. You ain't using it anyway.
 
Bebop said:
Either will be fine.
Make sure to make an enclosure for it, it'll absolutely make a difference on life duration.
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But the Chinese specmaster said its IP rated, what could possibly go wrong? :confused::D
 
If you get the HF one, they emailed out coupons for MLK weekend. It's a random coupon for 15-30% off one item with no exclusions. I drew the low card with the 15% off. Feel free to use it.
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Southern_Transplant said:
If you get the HF one, they emailed out coupons for MLK weekend. It's a random coupon for 15-30% off one item with no exclusions. I drew the low card with the 15% off. Feel free to use it.View attachment 365086
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Awesome, thanks! I've also been contemplating their 12k winch, which is only $10 more, but I figure the 9k will have less amp draw.
 
jeepinmatt said:
Awesome, thanks! I've also been contemplating their 12k winch, which is only $10 more, but I figure the 9k will have less amp draw.
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When I bought the 9k it was one of their regular sales and was ..... $249.
I looked at the 12k at the time but when I bought they onyl had the 12k with rope, and being a trailer winch I only wanted cable
 
jeepinmatt said:
I'll give you a grand for the trailer and winch. You ain't using it anyway.
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A grand is fair. Just add in the $9k handling fee and we got a deal.
(I'd just about break even there)
 
I have an OG smitty xrc8 on my trailer. Been on there 10 years at least, no cover or anything. Some years it gets worked hard several times; some years it doesn't get worked at all. In 10 years it has never not worked, and I've only had two problems. The first was something in the free spool lever broke. Winch would power in and out, but couldn't free spool. Second time the plug for the controller quit for some reason, but I could wiggle it or hold pressure in a certain direction or something and it worked for the job. Replaced both with parts from amazon or ebay and kept rocking, and put a DPDT switch in the cover wired in so I could still use the winch it happened again or if the controller was lost/broke/whatever. 10/10 would recommend a smitty for a trailer winch.

Duane
 
I've got an Ironton from Northern on my 20' car trailer, only problem I've had with it is the brain box not making contact during a couple of hard pulls. It pulled my dead K3500 up onto the trailer without hesitation once I got the issue resolved.
I'm pretty impressed with it; it being a "cheap" winch. Definitely wish I would have waited it out and snagged a Smittybuilt or a Badlands for those prices though.
 
I've got a traveller 9k from tsc on the gooseneck trailer a 12k badlands on 24' bumper pull and a 9k in the back of the hummer. You not going to beat badlands, get one on sale, get the wireless controller like ron said and run a circuit breaker and small charge wire to the trailer battery. Or buy some Anderson connectors and run power to the back of the truck.

Or, knowing you, you'll find a 16k hydraulic winch on Craigslist "for only $400!" That just needs a little work and then spend 2 years fixing it and building a cheap 5hp hpu to mount to the trailer to run it.
 
braxton357 said:
I've got a traveller 9k from tsc on the gooseneck trailer a 12k badlands on 24' bumper pull and a 9k in the back of the hummer. You not going to beat badlands, get one on sale, get the wireless controller like ron said and run a circuit breaker and small charge wire to the trailer battery. Or buy some Anderson connectors and run power to the back of the truck.

Or, knowing you, you'll find a 16k hydraulic winch on Craigslist "for only $400!" That just needs a little work and then spend 2 years fixing it and building a cheap 5hp hpu to mount to the trailer to run it.
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You're half right. Found a good deal on a Warn XD9000i. 2 years from now it should be working and powered off of the wind turbine I'm designing for the truck that'll charge it while I drive.
 
I have the smitty 9500 on my trailer. Been in there about 7 years. It doesn’t get much use, but every time I need it, it’s worked flawless. I’d buy it again.

I’ve heard good things about the Badlands as well. Given the chance again, I’d buy the Smitty over the Badlands because Ive had good experience with it versus the Badlands that I don’t have any experience with.
 
My Badlands 9K went for 5 years on my Jeep. It finally crapped out but I'm not so sure it was it's fault. I replaced it with the Apex because it had the same duty cycle and a faster line speed than the Smitty and was cheaper with a coupon. It was also faster than the VR.

So far, so good on the Apex and I have used it for tree work, vehicle recovery and for when I get stuck on the trail.
 
Found a decent price on an XD9000i from some chick on Facebook Marketplace. Sent her a lowball offer last night and got a strong counter offer for the same price plus some nuts. Picked it up this afternoon. Went to the hood west of Gastonia known as Kangs Mountain and picked it up. Shoulda lowballed even harder, turns out it was @Susan5679 selling it for @Paul :laughing: Good to see y'all!
 
jeepinmatt said:
Found a decent price on an XD9000i from some chick on Facebook Marketplace. Sent her a lowball offer last night and got a strong counter offer for the same price plus some nuts. Picked it up this afternoon. Went to the hood west of Gastonia known as Kangs Mountain and picked it up. Shoulda lowballed even harder, turns out it was @Susan5679 selling it for @Paul :laughing: Good to see y'all!
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Anytime my brother.
And Dayum them kiddos have grown fast!

Bonus points for watching our resident arsonist @jeepinmatt stuff a 60 gallon fuel transfer tank into the back of a minivan.
With his wife and kids inside.
Priceless!
 
Paul said:
Bonus points for watching our resident arsonist @jeepinmatt stuff a 60 gallon fuel transfer tank into the back of a minivan.
With his wife and kids inside.
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Fact.
 
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