Which winch???

[05Mudiak]

ok I an so up in the air on which winch I should go with. I am down to 2.

#1 WARN VR 10k, Price not too bad lifetime warrenty- $580 shipped the cover is another $60. wireless remote is $150 and syn line $200+

#2 Recon Pro 10.5 k lower price, waterproof, synthetic line, comes with wireless remote and come with a cover as long as I send them a pic of it mounted up. but they say it only has a 3 year warrenty but the Recon website says it lifetime--- $484.35 shipped

Not sure if their old winches are 3 yra and their new modles are now lifetime hmmm??

I am leaning torawrds the Recon but the WARN name keeps making me look
:huh:

 

[05Mudiak]

oh the recon is about 20lbs lighter.

WARN draws 502 amps at full load 10000
Recon 300 amps at full load 10500 6hp motor


oh the more I look the more I find the WARN only has a 1yrs electrical to include motor and solenoid, lifetime on mechanical
Recon 3yrs includes everything

also just found the VR10000s (syn line version) is $300 more than the steel line VR

 

[Pappibri]

Hey Mudiak.. I am also going to be buying a winch in the near future, and that Recon Pro sounds like it would do me just fine.. My H3 is a daily driver, but I will go offroad in it.. I just want to have a winch for when I need it.. I might consider the Warn if it was just used for basically off roading.. Thanks for the heads up on the Recon.. If anyone has heard anything bad about the Recon Pro please chime in..

 

[Scarsman]

I have the Recon on my H2 and love it. I'll find my reply from a similar thread and paste it here for you.

Here you go:

That is the winch I have on my H2, and I love it! You just can't beat the price, and it comes with the synthetic line, hawse, and wireless remote. My experience with their service was very good.

I have had it for about a year, and have used it several times. It is very quiet and does not heat up fast. The wireless remote works out to 100' before it becomes intermittent. The wireless remote has one quirk, in that there is a delay in stopping when you release the button. When you release it the winch keeps going for about a second.

Overall, the winch looks great, is very compact compared to some other winches, lighter than most others, and has a faster line speed and lower amp draw than similar name brand winches.

I usually am one to stick with name brand stuff, but in this case I am glad I took the chance. This is one of those few items that will really surprise you.

Here is a link to my thread on mounting it: http://www.hummer4x4offroad.com/forum/showthread.php?967-My-custom-H2-winch-mount

Here are a couple videos of the first two times I used it:

[video=youtube;NmAQ29Z7p0o]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmAQ29Z7p0o&feature=plcp&context=C3b50924U DOEgsToPDskIN6Sz6F19HCKG1ZkmyTIC-[/video]

[video=youtube;jzQ9_LOLt24]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzQ9_LOLt24&feature=plcp&context=C3300ec9U DOEgsToPDskJJ80KDl9tSoMPteKvXip5J[/video]


Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk

 

[Pappibri]

PM sent

 

[Scarsman]

I did a lot of searching, and I have not found a single bad thing out there about the Recon. As we all know, it is easier to find the bad than the good. You can find tons of posts from people having problems with Warns, Milemarkers, Superwinchs, etc, but I have not been able to find anything bad on the Recon.

Not sure if you sent a PM to me, or Mudiak. If it was me I don't think it came through.

 

[backcountryislife]

Mudiak, you pretty happy with the recon still? Looking around I'm happy to see a "non hummer tax" item that folks on here seem to like:wink:

Seems like a great value, I like the fact that it's sealed, wireless, synth rope... and that I'm not paying some stupid premium price for a name!!

Unless I find some kind of negative some time soon looks like I'll be getting the steelcraft bumper & this winch real soon!!

 

[Scarsman]

Still love mine!

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk

 

[3Hummers]

I have had lots of Warn winches. They are great. Had a couple of Mile Markers and they were ok. That Recon sounds like a great deal.

 

[backcountryislife]

Yeah, I have yet to hear anything negative from any of the people who bought one, so I'm pretty happy to give them a try. I was thinking a smittybilt xrc8 comp for about the same $$... but not waterproof, poor safety factor on hook, less durable line, no wireless, and they do seem to have SOME failures. Lots more of them out there, so that's to be expected, but there's enough into on the recons now, that if they really sucked you'd know about it I'd think.

I like warn, but the $$ is just tough to compare... double the $$ minimum for a comparable winch, that's a big pill to swallow!

 

[Pappibri]

Warn has been around forever, so they probably will be around for a while longer.. How long has this Recon company been around? A lifetime warranty dont mean squat if the company is no longer around.... Just a thought....

 

[backcountryislife]

They've been around for a few years now, and Even if they're not, it's about 1/2 the price of a Warn... some folks have $$ to waste on a name, some don't. If I wasn't willing to take some risk I wouldn't own an h3 either... I'd have a JK... just sayin

For the price of this one, I could buy another cheaper winch again & still pay less than what a warn would cost me. (and realistically, I'll be able to take the line with me, which is about $200 of the value of the winch)

Btw, from everything I've seen the VR series warn are made in China, then they slap them together in the US so they can claim they're made in the USA... food for thought.


If warn was smart enough to offer their winches with a synthetic line instead of making you waste your $$ on steel, then buy a line elsewhere, I might be more willing to spend the extra.

Sorry, I've been playing the mod game in a lot of different ways for many years & I always run across folks that say that "company X" is the only way to go, and I've proven it wrong with researched, thought out alternatives time & again. I've got a 400 lb sled with more HP than these trucks make, it didn't get there by spending as much as I could on every step of the process, if that were the case I'd still be at 500lbs & only running about 200hp, a world apart from what I have.


It's the one thing that I've been frustrated by on here a number of times is the "this is the only way" attitude & that you HAVE to spend big $$ to make something work.... In my experience, that's rarely the case, BUT you better do your homework to figure out alternatives that WILL work.

I have a set of shackles for example that cost me $40... one piece steel, simple. Ask on here, people will point you to a $200 shackle set... which is just crazy. There is literally ZERO reason to pay that kind of $$, none.

Btw, if this one fails & the company disappears, I'l get the smittybilt & put my rope on it. I've got buddies that run them with ZERO issues, and they've got a worse reputation than these do by far.


But those two guys are just noobs, so I wouldn't listen to them...

Of course, both of these guys gave me TONS of SH** for buying the H3... so I'm obviously just not a very good listener:emb:

 

[08SolarFlareH3]

The price difference between the Warn VR10000-S and Recon 10500 is not as big as you may think, $166.48 after shipping (calculated to my zip code). The Recon is made in China and the Warn is made in the USA. Warn is up front and honest and will tell you some of the parts are sourced overseas, while many of them are still made in the USA. They are still assembled in the USA, which is a good thing for a few reasons. The money goes to Americans which helps our country. With them being assembled in the USA, you know Warn has a complete inventory of parts. I also think its safe to say quality control in the USA is going to better then China. . There customer service is top notch and come with a life time warranty.

 

[backcountryislife]

The price difference between the Warn VR10000-S and Recon 10500 is not as big as you may think, $166.48 after shipping (calculated to my zip code). The Recon is made in China and the Warn is made in the USA. Warn is up front and honest and will tell you some of the parts are sourced overseas, while many of them are still made in the USA. They are still assembled in the USA, which is a good thing for a few reasons. The money goes to Americans which helps our country. With them being assembled in the USA, you know Warn has a complete inventory of parts. I also think its safe to say quality control in the USA is going to better then China. . There customer service is top notch and come with a life time warranty.

#1, add synthetic line & wireless remote to make it a fair comparison, and that price comparison is way off.

warn 10k
http://www.amazon.com/Warn-87840-VR10000-s-Winch-Synthetic/dp/tech-data/B00625F8QI

http://www.google.com/products/cata...=X&ei=7Hu5T_DRE9GRgQfQwZC9Cg&ved=0CKwBEPMCMAE


Edit, I found it for $765 to my door, so add $30ish for a remote & we're under $800, which is only $320 more than what I can get the recon for. (so the "double the price" comment of mine is incorrect)

recon

http://truckandwinch.com/recon-10-500-lb-winch.html


#2, "assembled in usa" as far as I'm concerned is a minor technicality. It's better than COMPLETELY chinese, but it's false advertising imo. The parts are Chinese, (like most of the sub $800 winches) which means that it's about 10% "american" as far as I'm concerned... If it was within a reasonable amount of difference, (like if it WAS only $166 more) I'd give it a serious thought, but it's not, so I'm not. I prefer buying US made, and do go out of my way to do so, but I refuse to pay double what I can buy a product for, just for the flag. Call me a traitor or whatever, but how much of the H3 is REALLY made in the US either? The whole darn thing is metric, you want to tell me that's because it was made here?

#3, the life time warranty is on mechanical parts only, not electronics, which is what usually fails on a winch, in that dept, they're 2 years behind recon.


Sorry, I DO understand the advantages of buying warn, but I'm not going to fall into the "this is the only way to go" game.

Basically, if the recon fails & they're no longer around, and I can't find the parts to replace (solenoids are common, and the motor is actually sealed unlike warn) THEN I'll be out about $280 & I'll go find an unwound winch.

 

[Pappibri]

I agree on the fact that money dont always equal quality.. I have a Rola Roof rack that I love and think looks really good on my rig.. And it was 1/4 of the price of a Gobi.. I would not even think about spending that kind of money on something that I can get cheaper.. I really dont have money to burn.. My point is that one has to take everything into consideration when it comes to the moolah... :huh:

 

[06 H3]

I can vouch for "****tybilt" there not **** in my view. I have seen 4 different smittybilt winches be used multiple times for various things...rollovers, mud, rocks pulling up hill and never saw one not do the job or fail. I have seen a few warns in action, never saw one fail on an H1 but saw a warn 10k winch fail. From a statistical standpoint I have not seen enough of any brand to make a valid argument but from what I have seen "****tybilt" isn't so ****ty...

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[backcountryislife]

Well ****, there goes my ****ty theory on those winches huh???

 

[Reloader]

I have a Smitty XRC10 winch that I got from the Winch Depot for $399 delivered. I've since added a synthetic winch line from Viking that cost $300. It has worked fine for me every time. If I used it weekly I'd probably have a Warn or a hydraulic unit.

 

[backcountryislife]

I have a Smitty XRC10 winch that I got from the Winch Depot for $399 delivered. I've since added a synthetic winch line from Viking that cost $300. It has worked fine for me every time. If I used it weekly I'd probably have a Warn or a hydraulic unit.

Yeah, I'd agree. If I was planning on using it for work, or expected to use it on a constant basis, I'd think the $$ would be worth spending.


Me, I wheel about 3 days a week, most of that being on harder stuff, and I haven't "needed" it yet, but there's a few features I've run where I could have saved some abuse by hooking up.


This trail is right above my place, the day i ran this some big-ish rigs took some beating, then a small almost stock 4runner hooked up, and winched up it like it was a piece of cake... that taught me a lesson!!

Maybe I'll burn out the recon, maybe not... I don't mud though, which I feel uses long consistent pulls, where what I do mostly you just need some forward pressure so you can climb up bigger rocks on the steeper trails.

 

[06 H3]

Random question but can you roll down the rear windows with your doors off? when I took mine off I couldnt even with the rear door switches.

 

[backcountryislife]

nope.


If you want them down... drop em before you pull the driver's door!

That's why I just pull the rears when I've got people back there... the rears pull even easier than the fronts. (and they give awesome visibility of the rear tire!)

 

[06 H3]

I agree! you probably save 350lbs in weight taking the doors off. Now I just need to wire in some speakers lol.

Back onto the winch topic!

 

[08SolarFlareH3]

The VR10000-S has synethic line and an aluminum fairlead, so that part is a fair comparison. The VR10000-S can be purchased from 4WP for $698 and you get a $50 rebate making the final price $648. The Warn also has free shipping and the Recon is about $40-50 to ship. So it is truely only $160 more then the Recon if you shop around.

 

[backcountryislife]

vr10000-s from 4wp, $735. -$50 & it's $685 add remote & it's $715

http://www.4wheelparts.com/Winches-...dium=froogle&utm_campaign=product&emlprox=out

Recon can be found shipped for $478.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-RECON-1...es&hash=item230c905280&vxp=mtr#ht_3340wt_1060

$237.

You don't deal with numbers for a living do you... you should work on your math. :wink:

You're getting CLOSER... but no matter how you look at it, you're paying $200+ MINIMUM for the name (and less electrical warranty, and a winch that's not waterproof). If you want to do that, nobody is telling YOU not to. They're your dollars, spend them as YOU see fit. ME, I'm going to put them toward sliders or some other mod that I also need & can't afford right now, which of course someone else tells me that I can't even wheel without...

The only problem I have here is someone telling me that I should spend way more money just because THEY chose to do so... YOU can choose to spend another 50% on a winch, or 100% on shackles, or 300% on shocks... whatever, but I will not be doing so. To not recognize that not everyone is on the same budget as you is simply ignorant of reality & poor form imo, not everyone can waste thousands at a crack on a toy... some of use are required to budget, and are required to do small steps at a time.


And don't think I don't see the irony that I spend around $20k on a sled that will be TRASHED in 3 years max... without blinking an eye, but it's all about what you want to invest in. Around here I drive my sled 9-10 mo/ year most years, and drive the H3 about 3 days a week for about 2-3 months of the year, of which, those months also include climbing, biking, hiking & a stack of other activities! My sled gets more air miles each year than the H3 gets in road miles

 

[08SolarFlareH3]

I said if you shop around. Promo code CC5OFF = $698 - $50 = $648

$648 - $478 = $170

I am not telling you to go out and buy a Warn which, but you stated cost twice as much. There is a big difference between $956 and $648.