Which winch?

[Primalanton]

Hi all!
I am new to the site & hope this is the place to post the question - Which Winch?
I have just bought a 2004 Defender and am looking at fitting the vehicle with a winch.
My research shows that there seems to be two types of winches on the market - The "Name" brands at very expensive prices and the"others" at prices from high $300 to $ 600.
Does anyone have experience with the cheaper brands? In particular I have been looking at the "Kogan" 12000Lbs or the "I-Max"12000Lbs winches.
Am I wasting my time and money on these items?
I am very interested to hear people's views.
Thanks.

[Tank]

Have a look at Runva, good stuff, Regards Frank.





Hi all!
I am new to the site & hope this is the place to post the question - Which Winch?
I have just bought a 2004 Defender and am looking at fitting the vehicle with a winch.
My research shows that there seems to be two types of winches on the market - The "Name" brands at very expensive prices and the"others" at prices from high $300 to $ 600.
Does anyone have experience with the cheaper brands? In particular I have been looking at the "Kogan" 12000Lbs or the "I-Max"12000Lbs winches.
Am I wasting my time and money on these items?
I am very interested to hear people's views.
Thanks.

[BadCo.]

Have a look at Runva, good stuff, Regards Frank.

Runva seem to be doing very well over here. Will be getting myself one when I decide I can't get a PTO or hydraulic set up :twisted:

If you are really on a budget you can pick up a Rydge Rider winch from Supercheap on sale for bugger all.

[nat p]

My brother and I run Runva, brilliant, and we have submerged them both, perfect

[koaster]

I have heard that the ridge rider ones are not bad for the money, also some of there other stuff isn't half bad either.

Sent from my HTC_0P6B6 using AULRO mobile app

[PhilipA]

Having been involved for a mercifully short time in retailing the things, I was impressed by the Kingone range, however the Melbourne importer was taken over by one of the bigger importers.

The Runva importer seems well established and professional , and we became a dealer just before the business went belly up, so I have had no experience with them. I think they would have parts if you need them and the warranty is probably OK.

Be aware that 12,000 lb winches are usually longer than 9000-9500 winches and may cause fitment problems although the Kingone is the same length with the only difference the rope and the gearing.

The problem with all winches is that it is rarely straightforward to fit them , and sometimes things have to be moved. Today's Gen Xand Y customers expect the retailer to know the exact fitting for every winch for every car and nobody including the importer really knows that, so they get all huffy .

I remember one old bloke who had an ARB bar on a Ford Ranger and the ARB has front mount. We found an offset fairlead for him and it was narrower than the bar hole by a poofteenth, and I offered to grind away the offending material. He went into a rage at this saying we would negate his ADR, until I pointed out that half the grille had to be removed to fit the winch on that bar, which was nothing to do with us.
Regards Philip A

[gusthedog]

Buy a tirfor and then learn not to get stuck :wasntme:

[BadCo.]

I have heard that the ridge rider ones are not bad for the money, also some of there other stuff isn't half bad either.

Sent from my HTC_0P6B6 using AULRO mobile app

I bought my brother the Ridge Ryder compressor, and I secretly wish I kept it for myself. Its descent for the price!


Buy a tirfor and then learn not to get stuck :wasntme:

The trifors over here cost as much as a electric winch!

[Warb]

I have tried several brands of inexpensive winch, and finally decided that in future I will buy Warn. The cheaper winches are not too bad if you service them monthly, they allow water and mud to get in and if not removed quickly they will rust and die. Warn winches will also allow water ingress, but only under far more extreme conditions.

Some of the cheaper units perform well, other less so. The big problem is that they come and go from the market, and even if the brand is still going they might not have spare parts because the models change. Remember that few if any of the cheaper products are made by the company selling them, so if the Chinese factory goes belly up then so will the parts supply! Warn, on the other hand, still supply parts for very old winches.

Importantly, do not trust the reviews because they "favour" the brands that pay for more advertising, and certainly do not trust the winch company's quotes from the reviews. I have a winch from a company that say they won "best winch" a few years ago, but in fact Warn won "Best Overall", this company won "Best Value". Not the same thing at all!!

Three other things to consider. Firstly, if you buy a second hand Warn you can save money and be assured that spare parts are available if you find it needs them. Secondly, a PTO winch will run all day and not overheat. No, it won't run if the engine isn't working, but without the engine an electric winch will flatten the battery long before it's pulled you out! Thirdly, if you fit a winch you will also need a winch mount bar, and a front suspension upgrade. Otherwise the added weight will have you bottoming out the stock suspension.

Lastly, if you drive intelligently you will probably never need a winch. If you drive with another vehicle you will probably never need a winch. Unless you deliberately look for trouble, you will probably never use the winch that you fit. And because monthly servicing is a pain and soon gets forgotten, if you do ever need your winch you'll probably find a cheap one will have died.

Whilst the Tirfor won't impress anyone, it actually has some massive benefits and is a far better option unless you intend winching on a regular basis.

[NavyDiver]

Hi all!
I am new to the site & hope this is the place to post the question - Which Winch?
I have just bought a 2004 Defender and am looking at fitting the vehicle with a winch.
My research shows that there seems to be two types of winches on the market - The "Name" brands at very expensive prices and the"others" at prices from high $300 to $ 600.
Does anyone have experience with the cheaper brands? In particular I have been looking at the "Kogan" 12000Lbs or the "I-Max"12000Lbs winches.
Am I wasting my time and money on these items?
I am very interested to hear people's views.
Thanks.
Another very helpful chap posted this link which is well worth a read
WINCH WARRANTY'S,who to support and when to walk - 4x4 Earth (http://www.4x4earth.com.au/forum/general-4x4-discussion/25959-winch-warrantys-who-support-when-walk.html)

I had a cheap aldi winch until I broke it. It had been underwater multiple times and had no issues until I used it as a snatch. Wish I read the link before I spent my money!

[Warb]

That thread makes an interesting read, but shouldn't be taken as gospel. Any manufacturer can refuse a warranty claim, and unless you take them to court there is nothing you can do. The manufacturers that don't exclude water damage still have abuse and misuse clauses they can fall back on. If they decide (and they don't have to tell you in advance) that submerging in water should be followed by a "dry-off" run of the winch, then it is "misuse" if you fail to do that.

Warranty is always simply a reflection of the attitude of the company. Some companies will fix things under warranty after the warranty has actually expired, some will look for an excuse to refuse warranty on a nearly new product. Companies that are new to the market will usually say whatever it takes to make a sale, but may not be acting the same way in a couple of years time. And some companies who in the past have offered fabulous service are these days, due to change of ownership or whatever, being far less generous. And sometimes it comes down to one persons judgement of a situation.

And, of course, some companies and retailers will make special exceptions (either way) for some customers.

[gavinwibrow]

Runva seem to be doing very well over here. Will be getting myself one when I decide I can't get a PTO or hydraulic set up :twisted:

If you are really on a budget you can pick up a Rydge Rider winch from Supercheap on sale for bugger all.
did you see this one? http://www.aulro.com/afvb/body-external-accessories-sale/217491-thomas-pto-winch-complete.html

[BadCo.]

did you see this one? http://www.aulro.com/afvb/body-external-accessories-sale/217491-thomas-pto-winch-complete.html

I had not, thanks for that!

[NavyDiver]

I neglected to mention I now have a tigerz winch. It has got its toes wet a little bit but not much. Had to rewire or fix the connections in the wired control handle. It easily moves my 3 tonnes plus. Had it for nearly three years and had a look inside for a regreese for the first time last week. Looks fine to me and was used for some heavy duty gardening recently:D

My mates very well known brand did not look so good inside when we stripped it back.

I also really like rope over wire after using it for the last few years. It is cheap tigerz rope like $132 version here Winches - PRODUCT RANGE , 4WD & Outdoor Products - Australia (http://www.tigerz11.com.au/product-category/winches.html)

I have seen mates in the navy in a very bad way after wire/cable and rope breaks under strain Dyneema is the bees knees IMO.

It does need to be removed and washed after use or even after playing in the dirt or dust.

Sadly PTO winch, which is clearly better, is not D3 D4 or rangie compatable

[Roverlord off road spares]

Another very helpful chap posted this link which is well worth a read
WINCH WARRANTY'S,who to support and when to walk - 4x4 Earth (http://www.4x4earth.com.au/forum/general-4x4-discussion/25959-winch-warrantys-who-support-when-walk.html)

I had a cheap aldi winch until I broke it. It had been underwater multiple times and had no issues until I used it as a snatch. Wish I read the link before I spent my money!
Ineresting that the Aldi winch does not exclude water like the major brands and has a reply paid send it back, so it doesn't cost you money.
5:Aldi Auto XS 9500lb Winch

This winch is $399 when it comes on sale at a Special Deal..Its wire rope with a remote and its rated I.P67..It comes with a 3year warranty and they don't exclude water..Also if you have to send it back to the manufacturer its reply paid (you don't pay a cent)..Its the only one i know of that does this..

[DiscoMick]

Mine came with an Ironman winch, but the synthetic cable had been cut off by some scum while it was in the dealer's yard, so I bought a synthetic cable from 4WD Supercentre on special.
Can't really comment on the winch except that it works and it's well-hidden behind the ARB bulbar, which is good.
Be careful the winch cable is not too long or it won't all fit on the winch drum.
Obviously synthetic is a lot lighter than steel cable, so worth the extra cost for something that probably won't get regular use.