Even though the quality of today's Chinese winches seem to be getting better, I still prefer the big 3 (Warn/Ramsey/SuperWinch)
The main reason being that I know I will be able to get parts for them 20 years from now
You're much better off finding a deal on a quality used winch than a new no name brand on the cheap IMHO
As for the actual rating, it's always best to get the biggest you can afford, but unless you plan on burying your truck in waste deep mud, a decent 9k winch and a couple of snatch blocks will be more than sufficient for the average stuck
My SuperWinch EP9.0 has pulled my 80 out of some deep trenches without even breaking a sweat
Back in the day, it was the best bang for the buck winch available ($539.99 shipped with a 20,000 SW snatch block)
A few weeks back, I landed a smoking deal on a used Husky10 for only $300 bucks and added it to the rear :ylsmoke:
If you're interested, I know someone with a Ramsey Pro-Plus 9k winch in good condition looking to unload it cause he never uses it (came with his cargo van that he uses to stock soda machines)