Questions about electric winches:

[speeder]

Has anyone bought the Harbor Freight 12k lb. electric winch, (or any of their other ones)? I'm aware that it's built for a price, just not sure how bad it is. These winches are pricey, should I instead be looking for a good used one made in USA? I'm assuming that there are no new ones made here(?)

I know nothing about them. Does 12k lb. rating mean that it will lift 2 6k lb. PU trucks straight up into a tree at the same time?

I need one for my car trailer, just to winch non-running project vehicles up the ramps and on. Of course I never load anything near 12k lbs. but want extra balls on this thing and it's only around $400 @ HF. The next weaker one is $300 and it's rated 7k or something.

Any advice and knowledge much appreciated!

[rusnak]

What is the load capacity of the trailer/ angle and height of the ramps? I'd say you want 1.5 times at least pulling power. 12K lb sounds like it would work.

[wswartzwel]

I have a 8500lb version.. think it was marketed as a Champion. Have beat the crap out of it. Dragging old cars out of the woods, pulling logs around for a friends sawmill... So far it has done everything I have asked of it for the past 8 years.

[jpk]

I have the 5000# HF for my trailer. It seems to be pretty well built and has never given me any issues.

It never had any issues loading anything I've needed it to, even a jeep with a locked rear axle (dragging both rear tires). I was prepared to double the pull line with a snatch block for that, but didn't need to.

Prior to that, I had a boat trailer winch rated for 2000#. It never had any issues hauling the 968 up onto the trailer, but I didn't try much else.

Keep in mind that the line pull force needed to pull a vehicle is nowhere near the weight of that vehicle.

[speeder]

Thanks, guys. I realize that line pull is less than weight of vehicle but I've had some fun experiences loading locked-wheel cars out of mud fields and wasn't sure how rating of winch relates to strength.

My current car trailer has really lousy ramps, they are the weak point of the whole shebang. I'm going to modify them but they are too short owing to the storage design which has them stashed end-to-end width-wise under the trailer. They suck and are way too steep.

My next grab is a non-running '68 Caddy, around 5k lbs. I've been loading non-runners using a come-along hand winch so far but it's slooow.

Thanks again.

[jhynesrockmtn]

My current race car open trailer had a lower rated HF winch on it when I bought it. It was a non starter, could not get it to run. I don't know when my friend I got the trailer from bought it. I replaced it with a cabela's built by warn rated at 5k I think. My car is fairly light, under 2,500 lbs. Works great and I believe was under $300.

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by speeder

Has anyone bought the Harbor Freight 12k lb. electric winch, (or any of their other ones)? I'm aware that it's built for a price, just not sure how bad it is. These winches are pricey, should I instead be looking for a good used one made in USA? I'm assuming that there are no new ones made here(?)

I know nothing about them. Does 12k lb. rating mean that it will lift 2 6k lb. PU trucks straight up into a tree at the same time?

I need one for my car trailer, just to winch non-running project vehicles up the ramps and on. Of course I never load anything near 12k lbs. but want extra balls on this thing and it's only around $400 @ HF. The next weaker one is $300 and it's rated 7k or something.

Any advice and knowledge much appreciated!

the force needed to roll a car onto a trailier is given by wt of car x the sin of the ramp angle wrt the ground

for a 2500# car that goes up 12' ramps to a deck 2' above ground you need ~417#, a few guys can easily do this by pushing. Of course higher deck, shorter ramps or heavier car will need commensurately more force

the kicker is that you most need a winch when the car is no longer rolling on all 4 wheels, here you need a much bigger force/winch.

The most common size is 3500+/- 500#, some guys go as light as 1500 and others to 5000#

I'd look for rfi remote and synthetic line ~3K#+/-

[jpk]

I had to buy some new ramps when some neighborhood hoodlums liberated the ramps off my trailer. I got the 6 foot long version of these:

5,000 lb Per Axle Hook End Truck Trailer Ramps | Discount Ramps

So much easier to handle and deal with. I don't normally store them on the trailer and just toss them in the back of the truck, but I'll have to figgure something else out now that I bought a suburban - they're just about 6 inches too long to fit behind the second row seats...

[speeder]

Originally Posted by jpk

I had to buy some new ramps when some neighborhood hoodlums liberated the ramps off my trailer. I got the 6 foot long version of these:

5,000 lb Per Axle Hook End Truck Trailer Ramps | Discount Ramps

So much easier to handle and deal with. I don't normally store them on the trailer and just toss them in the back of the truck, but I'll have to figgure something else out now that I bought a suburban - they're just about 6 inches too long to fit behind the second row seats...

Those are really nice but holy balls, that's a lot of $$ for ramps. I'll probably just have some welded up.

[fastfredracing]

I have that same Champion 8k unit, and have also beat the living hell out of it. I think I purchased it at tractor supply . I dragged a 911 with 4 flat tires, and all four wheels locked tight on an asphalt road, and up onto my trailer with it .
I loaded my dads old Lincoln with it as well. Worth every penny . I rigged mine up so that I can quick mount it to my trailer, or my trucks trailer hitch. It paid for itself the first time I used it . still going strong after a few years of abuse . Sure beats the hell out of using the cum a long that I used to load non runners with

[GWN7]

I have the HF 6,000 lbs one my car hauler and if you wait the 12.000 lbs one goes on sale every once and while for under $300. I paid $289 for mine. Had the 6,000 for several years and was very happy with it. I bought the 12,000 to upgrade and use with the crane I built for the trailer. I also bought the add-on wireless controller for it at the same time.

The 6,000 winch will haul a 6,000 lbs truck with 4 flat tires up on to my trailer without straining.

[911boost]

All the hardcore 4wd reviews have good things to say about it, or so I've been told. I would buy one just to try out based on how much you save versus a popular brand...

[speeder]

Originally Posted by BSiple

All the hardcore 4wd reviews have good things to say about it, or so I've been told. I would buy one just to try out based on how much you save versus a popular brand...

Which "it" are you referring to?

[speeder]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

I have that same Champion 8k unit, and have also beat the living hell out of it. I think I purchased it at tractor supply . I dragged a 911 with 4 flat tires, and all four wheels locked tight on an asphalt road, and up onto my trailer with it .
I loaded my dads old Lincoln with it as well. Worth every penny . I rigged mine up so that I can quick mount it to my trailer, or my trucks trailer hitch. It paid for itself the first time I used it . still going strong after a few years of abuse . Sure beats the hell out of using the cum a long that I used to load non runners with

Tell me more about your mounting system. That was going to be my next question to the group; how to mount to trailer, quick connects, weather cover, etc.

Thanks again!

[unclebilly]

I have the 8500lb champion one from Costco. It has been on my truck for 4 years and has corroded but still works fine and pulls when ever I need it.

I have had a Warn 8274, M8000, and my wife's Lexus LX450 has the Aisin 9000 lb winch on it. The Aisin is the nicest winch I have ever owned. The warn M8000 corroded really badly.

On my trailer, I have a cheap ATV sized Superwinch on it. It has pulled up my dead 03 Dodge 2500 4x4 Diesel no problem. The trick is to use a snatchblock for the heavy loads.

[speeder]

I've been searching around the web and predictably they seem to break down into Chinese made brands such as Champion and some more expensive names like Superwinch and Warn Industries, (possibly also made in China).

From the reviews here, it sounds like the lower priced units perform and hold up just fine. Some are probably still better than others, that is where the feedback helps if it includes a brand name. I think the HF ones are labeled, "Badlands".

[LWJ]

Warn has been made in Clackamas, Oregon for years. Just down the road. It is possible they off-shored manufacture. But I wasn't aware of it. Maybe some models?

[jpk]

Originally Posted by speeder

Tell me more about your mounting system. That was going to be my next question to the group; how to mount to trailer, quick connects, weather cover, etc.

Put the winch on one of these:
http://www.harborfreight.com/hitch-receiver-mount-for-winches-69106.html

And bolt one of these to the tounge of your trailer (mine is upside down):
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200612507_200612507?cm_mmc=Google-pla&utm_source=Google_PLA&utm_medium=Trailers%20%2B%20Towing%20%3E%20Hitch%2 0Receivers&utm_campaign=Ultra-Tow&utm_content=33476&gclid=CjwKEAiA1vjCBRDd-9q3w4OF6WUSJACWv_sVO0ifSnMkmkmyQXTL1AQMCUM97xZNvy8-NyEvOqrwAxoCmeXw_wcB

For power, I have a battery in a marine box, and I was able to stuff all of the relays and winch controls in as well. I have a 175 AMP disconnect on the box, and made a long lead off the winch using a pair of jumper cables. I don't have the trailer here at the moment, but I'll try to post a pic of the winch and the battery setup.

[ckelly78z]

As far as pulling a car onto a trailer, it doesn't take a huge amount of force unless you are attempting to free it from a muddy mess, or if the tires are dragging. We have pushed heavy vehicles onto my car dolly with 3 people, and pushed pulled a 6500# diesel truck onto the dolly with 2 people behind and me on the hand crank winch (similar to a boat trailer nose winch).

To be sure, and safe, I would double the winch strength to twice the weight of the vehicle, you never know when you will have 4 flat tires, or locked axles.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by LWJ

Warn has been made in Clackamas, Oregon for years. Just down the road. It is possible they off-shored manufacture. But I wasn't aware of it. Maybe some models?

They may be still manufacturing there. Their winches are almost exactly 3x the price of the Chinese competition. Warn has always had a good name for truck parts and accessories but based on the reviews here, I doubt they are even marginally better than the better Asian winches.

I can't believe it costs that much more to make something here. 1.5x as much, I'd believe. Sorry for the side track.