Winches

[Bullseye]

Looking for a winch for my Grizzly.  The Warns look nice but are rather pricey.  The Cabela's brand made by Superwinch I believe look like a little lower quality but are priced much better.

Anyone had any experience with the Superwinch brand, I know the Warns are good.

[Dogshooter]

Don't do it. Superwinch is junk. You get what you pay for. I've had 3 warns and haver never had a problem.

[Old Syko]

Don't know a thing about the S/W but even with the Warn I wouldn't use anything smaller than the 3.0.  Have seen the 2.5 and 2.0 go up in smoke way to easy.  As said before, you'll get what you pay for.

[264 WIN MAG]

I have the Warn 2500 on my grizzly and have not had problems with it yet, but I am running a little more power and some pretty big outlaw tires so I don't get stuck too often either. I have some videos that I took recently of me winching a stuck 4x6 John Deere Gator out of a ditch that was stuck pretty bad. The Gator could not even turn the tires to help me out a little but the 2500 just yanked it right out.

[markc]

that super winch is junk.  I did read a torture test of Warn and Super Winch on Atv connection a year or so back, and although the Warn was the leader, the Superwinch turned out to be a pretty good winch and at considerably lower cost.  I don't have either on my Mule, but will likely give the SW a try.  I have seen them on others atv's and they seemed pleased with them.  Dogshooter do you have any first hand experience with the Superwinch that you would be willing to share with the forum here?  I'm sure we would be interested in reading some actual experiences that may help us decide on which to buy.
markc

[Dogshooter]

No first hand experience, just the word of the mechanic of our local ATV dealer. He said he has had quite a few people come in with fried SW's asking him to put Warn's in their place. He said they are not worth having. I was thinking about putting one on my machine. He talked me out of it.

[Old Syko]

One thing I will strongly suggest to anyone with a winch no matter if it is on an atv or a truck or whatever is that they do away with the wire rope and replace it with one of the composite ropes.  Little difference in price but mega difference in safety.  The composite won't snap back and cut you in half when you break something.  Also use a hawse fairlead as opposed to a roller with the new rope as per most manufacturers suggestions.  I've seen too much wire rope break and cause too much damage.

[southern utah]

I've done alot of winching in the past. I always toss a jacket towards the end of cable to ask like a parachute is it comes lose. On a vehicle if there is a question of safty I put the hood up as a shield. Just some thoughts.

[264 WIN MAG]

No first hand experience, just the word of the mechanic of our local ATV dealer. He said he has had quite a few people come in with fried SW's asking him to put Warn's in their place. He said they are not worth having. I was thinking about putting one on my machine. He talked me out of it.

One thing about listening to those mechanics is they don't always know what's best either. They often know what they have worked on more but that's not to say that people that have that brand often just abuse their stuff more. I have heard many times mechanics say that Polaris and AC are junk and then other times I have heard mechanics say that Polaris and AC are awesome and Yamaha and Honda are junk. I myself have my own beleifs from many years of hard riding and riding in very tough conditions so I take what the mechanics say lightly. I have heard people say that superwinch are fine and I have heard people that say they are junk. For the most part what I have seen of them they seem fine, although I don't beleive they last quite as long as the Warn winches.

[markc]

as what 264  Win Mag posted,  a mechanic who has the chance to sell a Warn winch which costs a good bit more than the SW is trying to make a buck.  He may very well believe what he is saying to you, but remember he is trying to earn a living too.

I did a little research on the SW line and see that they have sold over 2 million winches world wide from 1000#  to 9000# and they are rated as very good winches from a number of sources.  
I know the one that has been pulling my fathers boats out of the water an onto his boat trailer for the past 20+ years are very well made and last seemingly forever.  Junk?  No, I don't think so and I believe that if they were junk, they would not still be selling as well as they do after 2million plus sales.  

Dogshooter does the local atv dealer still sell Super Winch models?  If so, then why? If they are junk as the mechanic said.  If not, then of course he talked you out of buying one.  SW 1500#  around $149.00, Warn 1500# around $349.00?  
markc