Blew $500 on a cheap winch kit that lasted exactly one mud pull

I bought this off-brand winch on Amazon for $500 thinking I was saving cash over a Warn. First time I actually needed it, buried up to the frame in a bog near Mill Creek, the cable snapped on the third pull. The motor smelled like burnt toast and the remote stopped working. Has anyone else had garbage luck with those no-name winch kits?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_miles23d ago

Burned through three of those cheap winches before I learned my lesson. The motors are basically repurposed power window motors with a gearbox slapped on, they can't handle sustained load for more than a minute or two. If you want to stay under $500, look for a used Warn or Superwinch on Craigslist and rebuild it yourself. Takes an afternoon but you'll have something that actually works when you're stuck. Also check your wiring, those kits ship with undersized cable that drops voltage enough to cook the motor even if the winch itself is decent.

karen27523d ago

@the_miles hit the nail on the head about the wiring issue. I rewired my whole setup with 2 gauge welding cable after my second winch gave out, it made a huge difference. The voltage drop on those cheap cables is real, you'll see the motor struggling even before the load gets heavy. Also check the solenoid box, those tend to rust out fast if you do any water crossings.