What winch are you using on your car trailer?

[Cranky]

I've had a 3000 lb X2 Superwinch since the mid 70's.....still doing the job. It pulled a 69 road runner up on my trailer with 2 flat tires but had to help it a bit when it bogged down on the ramps but man, that's a lot to ask of a 3k winch....should have double blocked it and always have a block pulley now if needed. And I ditched the come along crap back in the mid 70's when I got my thumb nearly caught up in that damn thing. Anyone that wants to use a come along to winch a car up on a trailer these days is a dumb *** in my book!!

 

[3white74]

I have harbor freight brand.... 12,000 lb. Winches on both my enclosed trailer and my open trailer... The newer one is a Badland brand.... And the older one is a different brand but both from harbor freight... Never had a major problem with either one... Towed. A ton of junk cars on my open car trailer with four flat tires!!!!

 

[MarPar]

 

[Kern Dog]

Anyone that wants to use a come along to winch a car up on a trailer these days is a dumb *** in my book!!

That is funny. I say offensive things too.
This is my first trailer and it sure isn’t as if I prefer using the Come Along. I am physically capable of using it, I already had it and have used it because I wasn’t sure if I’d be hauling many things to warrant the purchase of a winch.
I don’t walk 10 miles when a car is available and I don’t use a brace and bit instead of a power drill. I just haven’t gotten around to buying a winch yet, hence the reason for this thread.
I can see maybe towing 1-2 cars a year maybe more but this clearly isn’t my full time job. In construction I ditched the hand saw and other antiquated tools once I needed something better. The same applies here.

 

[3white74]

I know a couple people also that have the 9,000 lb Badland harbor freight winch with no problems as well... I would think the 5000 might be a little too light unless you are only considering doing cars that roll easy

 

[Nxcoupe]

Harbor freight 9k lb winch here. Love it and got the remote control for it as well.

 

[Nxcoupe]

I know a couple people also that have the 9,000 lb Badland harbor freight winch with no problems as well... I would think the 5000 might be a little too light unless you are only considering doing cars that roll easy

Buddy has the 5k hf, I believe he is on his second one.

The beauty of a winch is if you are alone with no one toguide you onto the trailer, use the winch and reach in and steer it as you go up. I get it on the trailer straight and centered evey time.

 

[33 IMP]

Harbour Freight 9,000 # winch . It's worked fine so far

I've had two. Neither is "fine". Both of mine were/are garbage.
I'm shopping for a Warn or Superwinch. I expect to (or, hoping to) pay $500-700 to get a GOOD winch.
(Had a HF 2500 too It worked well for a number of years, it just wasnt strong enough. Bought another 2500 for utility use..... compared to my first one, it's garbage too. No more HF winches for me. I FINALLY learned my lesson).
Slow learner I guess.

 

[POMONAMISSEL]

6500 lbs warn wire cable winch , it's just a old heavy duty unit .

 

[Sahara]

Oh, and if you can get the synthetic rope. I’ve changed all of our wire lines to synthetic. Way easier on the hands. I just get the cheap stuff off of greEdBay, cheap and never had a problem and we use our winches sometimes several times a day, all summer.

 

[POMONAMISSEL]

it works with all sixes lol

 

[GTXDAN]

I'm on my second HF winch. The first one I had (12'000 lb) for close to 20 yrs and was still going strong when I sold the trailer a couple of years ago. Bought a 30' goose neck and mounted another 12,000 lb on it. Pulls my 4010 JD with loader on with no problems.

 

[POMONAMISSEL]

i made a yard winch with another 6500lbs warn on it , just chain it up to a post or any other heavy unit and pull them around . it was a very useful tool to move a few dozen dead hulks cars and trucks around in my yard . i put a stinger for a receiver hitch on it , i mounted on a receiver hitch unit to it . that was the best way to set it up for pulling in tight spots .

 

[GTXDAN]

12,000 lb. Truck/SUV Winch with Wire Rope

3500 lb. ATV/Powersport 12V Winch with Wire Rope

 

[68-500]

Armstrong brand. Just like you!

 

[LowBikeMike]

Smittybilt 9.5k with detachable plate from Speedway. Same price as HF Badlander. OE on some trailers. It's heavy but works great.

 

[Kern Dog]

Harbor Freight had this:

That just seems unusually cheap.
Tractor Supply Company had this, I posted it earlier:

Then for almost double, they had this:

I’m conflicted. I rarely ever default to the cheapest of anything but at the same time, I wonder how often I’d use whatever I buy. I try to consider where else I might use the winch to justify the expense.
I’m thinking that if a winch craps out on me on a retrieval, I could fall back to the Come Along.
Still, if I have some cash not set aside for anything else, why not step up?

 

[MarPar]

Harbor Freight had this:

View attachment 1643303

View attachment 1643304

View attachment 1643305

That just seems unusually cheap.
Tractor Supply Company had this, I posted it earlier:

View attachment 1643306

View attachment 1643307

Then for almost double, they had this:

View attachment 1643308

View attachment 1643309

I’m conflicted. I rarely ever default to the cheapest of anything but at the same time, I wonder how often I’d use whatever I buy. I try to consider where else I might use the winch to justify the expense.
I’m thinking that if a winch craps out on me on a retrieval, I could fall back to the Come Along.
Still, if I have some cash not set aside for anything else, why not step up?

View attachment 1643312

 

[POMONAMISSEL]

had a 4700 lbs warn on my trailer and broke the cable on a long pull , it made a birds nest of the cable and broke the trans on the winch , called warn and they said it was under a warranty protection and replaced , of course i sized up and just paid the difference between the two winches .

 

[Kern Dog]

The 6000 lb version of the TSC winch has that synthetic rope people seem to like.