Harbor Frate Winches, good, bad, evil?

[Hilllbilly]

You got a harbor freight winch ?

I see Matts Off Road Recover uses harbor frate winches , Im sure because he gets 'em free

Question is are they good or junk? Its gonna be for a flat bed, car, truck, trailer

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[CountKrunk]

The icon line is almost as good as snap on, you can watch that video on YouTube.

 

[Beast496]

I've got two badlands winches, an APEX 12k and the smaller 5500 for a SXS. Zero complaints from me. definitely get the synthetic rope and wireless remote.

 

[CountKrunk]

Lol read winch as wrench haha my b

 

[Ricko1966]

The icon line is almost as good as snap on, you can watch that video on YouTube.

I want to see what the Icon stuff looks like in 10 or 20 years. My Snap On and Mac stuff is older than that,and the finish us still good no rust. Maybe they will hold up great IDK. I just got soured on the HF stuff 20 years ago when 90% of everything,even if it looked great,didn't last as long as good stuff,or was junk immediately I look at the you tube reviews just like I look Summit,Amazon,Jegs,Ebay anyone's reviews. Yep your new chineese kanuter valve looks and works great,but you've only used it 3 days.

 

[Hunter79764]

Project Farm tested them, take a look. I think Matt's Offroad started off buying them, I'm sure they have a sponsorship now, but he's also pretty straightforward about what works and what doesn't, I think you would see stuff about failures if they were having problems.

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[Grit dog]

I used the snot out of a couple HF winches about 10 years ago, winching a 30klb buggy (with big tires) up and down a bridge. They seemed to do the job.
I wouldn’t think twice if it was going to be a seldom used winch like on a personal car trailer or similar application.

 

[legopnuematic]

It isn’t my winch, but my buddy has a 12k lb badlands winch, I own a trailer, he has the winch, we “borrow” the other half from each other.

The winch has been swapped over to a synthetic cable, it is mounted on a 2” receiver mount. My trailer I added a 2” receiver on it so pull the pin and take the winch off.

Keeps it out of the weather, but also can be used on a pickup as a pull point.

No complaints about it.

 

[Hilllbilly]

I ordered these straps from summit. Hope they are good 'uns

Pardon Our Interruption

www.summitracing.com

Just picked this up yesterday, 10k lb, 20 footer with removable fender

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[Hilllbilly]

winch or wench ?

 

[bluex]

I have the 5500 long drum synthetic on a removable hitch mount for mine. Does everything i ask of it. I'm really happy with it an hopefully it'll last me a long time since I can keep it out of the weather.

Imo anything bigger is overkill for a trailer. At the most your dragging something with a flat or a stuck brake, not trying to pull a duramax buried to the axles out of a hole.

 

[Ricko1966]

This thread brings back memories. I had forgot all about this,when I remembered a minute ago I actually laughed. No sad faces,no mad faces,if this is the worst thing that happened to my tools I'd be lucky. I let a friend( who drinks a lot!!!) Borrow my winch in a hitch mount. I hooked it up to the stuck vehicle, I didn't even have time to hook it to the battery,he put his Z71 in gear and floors it using my winch and cable like a snatch strap,it did not survive. Kids do not try this at home.

 

[Camar068]

I've got the cheap ATV one mounted in the bed to help pull deer when needed. Tested with deer sled, the grandkids and myself (230#) and it will slide right up the ramps with no complaints.

 

[Camar068]

@MADDAZ note I had to use [ img] [ /img] to insert that from my album....minus the spaces. If there's a function to shortcut/share a photo in my album let me know in the other post. Thx Again.

 

[Zelph]

Buy with confidence. Out here on the Rubicon and Fordyce I’d guess 90% of the vehicles are using the Badlands.