Harbor Frate Winches, good, bad, evil?

[CalSgt]

For a trailer or pavement vehicle they’re fine…

I wouldn’t trust my life or safety to the cheapest winch available when I’m miles away from anyone with no cell service

 

[idahovette]

^^^^^^^^^Take a Silver Bullet and you'll be fine........I personally don't go where I'm miles away^^^^^^^^^^

 

[MADDAZ]

@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.

I don't have an album here to test this properly but here's a How To I developed for a Xenforo site called RamForum.com, one of the sister sites to GMSquarebody.com

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[MADDAZ]

@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.

And here is the rest of that How To:

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[Chevy 88]

Getting back to the original question about Harbor "Frate" wrenches:

A wrench is a wrench, for the most part.

I have owned Craftsman, Snap-on, knock offs, dollar store wrenches etc.

Very few kinds seem to be any better or more durable than others.


The best type of wrench I have ever owned has a "Spline" box end. They grab the bolt differently than a standard wrench, and are MUCH less likely to strip or round off a bolt.

 

[Ricko1966]

Getting back to the original question about Harbor "Frate" wrenches:

A wrench is a wrench, for the most part.

I have owned Craftsman, Snap-on, knock offs, dollar store wrenches etc.

Very few kinds seem to be any better or more durable than others.


The best type of wrench I have ever owned has a "Spline" box end. They grab the bolt differently than a standard wrench, and are MUCH less likely to strip or round off a bolt.

You obviously know nothing about snap on wrenches,especially snap on flank drives. A lot of wrenches are not sized properly,which is why they fit metric and standard sizes,etc,but since they don't fit tight on anything they are more likely to slip. The open end of cheaper wrenches flex and open up,again making them a slip hazard. But the O.P. is talking about winches,not wrenches.

 

[Chevy 88]

Ah. Misread that title. Looking at the comments, I guess I'm not the first.

But ya, I am not a tool expert. Just a user. And you are correct - I don't know much about Snap-on.

I recently picked up a HUGE amount of Snap-on tools at an estate sale, and many of them are weird / unusual. Stuff I have never seen before.

 

[YakkoWarner]

My experience with Harbor Freight stuff in general has been that over the past decade or so they have been upping their game. Stuff I bought 15-20 years ago broke almost immediately if it had any moving parts (think rachets, power tools, ect). Stuff I have bought in the last 5 years or so has actually been not bad. I have not had need for a winch as of yet, so I can't answer to that exact item but overall, as long as you get their "better" version and not the cheapest thing on the shelf the stuff seems OK now. The very bottom-tier priced stuff certainly feels lower-grade still.

 

[TotalyHucked]

We've bought a couple of the Badlands over the last few years for work, they're great. Even being abused and worked hard, they've never missed a beat. The synthetic line and the wireless remotes are gamechangers

 

[TotalyHucked]

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.

For most people I'd agree. We always go for the 12k at work cuz I can't tell you how many dead big blocks with locked up brakes we've pulled out of a holes or up slopes lolol

 

[squaredeal91]

HF / badlands winches are pretty good in my opinion. Haven't had to use it much but I know others that have used there's allot!

 

[idahovette]

Ah. Misread that title. Looking at the comments, I guess I'm not the first.

But ya, I am not a tool expert. Just a user. And you are correct - I don't know much about Snap-on.

I recently picked up a HUGE amount of Snap-on tools at an estate sale, and many of them are weird / unusual. Stuff I have never seen before.

All those "weird/unusual" wrenches look to be in good hands

 

[Camar068]

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whoa...blew my mind lol. Literally a copy/paste on the pic and in the reply window. Much appreciated @MADDAZ . That is so much simpler. Yeh kinda feel like a tard lol.

 

[Chevy 88]

All those "weird/unusual" wrenches look to be in good hands

Maybe so. maybe not.

I'm thinking about selling them.

From what I'm told, they have a lot of value. But they are not worth much to me.

I paid about a G.

From what I have been told by people looking at them - They are worth 50 to 60 in used condition. But most look to be in brand new condition.

It took 3 people and a box truck with a big ass cargo ramp to load and transport them all.

 

[Scottgenex]

After reading all the comments I gotta reply both ways. HF wrenches are ehh in my opinion. They have a loose fit on most fasteners. I've had best luck with US made Craftsman most my life. I have an assortment of all brands though.

As for the winch, the Badlands sfuff aint too bad. I have a 12K one on my Jeep, as does my brother. We've both used the snot out of them out wheeling in remote areas of the country and they're still kicking. We've used them to load thrashed 70s American farm cars with no tires or steering up ramps onto gooseneck haulers, yank trees, move rocks, other vehicles, etc. Our bumpers are bent but the winches live on.

We don't ever follow the run/cooldown cycle recommendations either. Which is like, 45 seconds run time, 5 minutes off or something of the sort. Synthetic rope is worth it. The wireless remote is cool, but when the batteries are low it will cut in and out and drive you nuts.

My friend had a Smittybuilt, not a great brand, and it went to hell making all sorts of grinding noises after we winched a SXS out of the Colorado River in Moab. My trailer one is a 80s Warn, still chugging along.

Just my $0.02 worth of stories.