Warn, Ramsey, Sherpa... whats the most dependable least Chinese winch

[NEIA Nomad]

Let me be clear I don't just want an American made winch, I'm OK with that but I'm also ok with one made in the UK, Australia, Brazil, I just want to not support China as much as I can.

That said my bumper actually arrived and I need a winch to put on it before it goes on the TJ. I have been looking at a few different options mostly between Warn Ramsey or Sherpa. I can't find out for sure if Sherpa is fully Australian made or if it's just their electrics. From what I've read Ramsey isn't waterproof, and I also can't find one with a synthetic rope. Warn has a cheaper line that's China made but their Zeon is supposed to be American made.

If I would like to spend $2000 or less, I would also not like to have to replace a steel cable with the synthetic it seems like a waste to me. Waterproof as much as possible, and dependable as can be. I spend most of my time off road by myself so I'm going to need this thing to work. I have the kit and can use my highlift Jack as a winch before and although my fat ass could use the cardio it sucks.

 

[4000lbsOfGoat]

I'm quite happy with my ComeUp Seal Gen2. Came with synthetic line and it's fully waterproof (i.e. will run while completely submerged). They are made in Taiwan (as are many of the quality winches out there). They've been building top-end winches for decades...

 

[ABBB]

I'm quite happy with my ComeUp Seal Gen2. Came with synthetic line and it's fully waterproof (i.e. will run while completely submerged). They are made in Taiwan (as are many of the quality winches out there). They've been building top-end winches for decades...

Ditto this.


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[Old Tanker]

There's also Red Winch, but the price will be a little over your $2K limit.

 

[NEIA Nomad]

Those comeup winches are interesting. They seem to have been around a while but this is the first I'm hearing about them.

 

[billiebob]

There are likely several less expensive choices but I just went to the industry standard, the Warn M8000 which is made in the USA. Warn has 3 levels, Made in China, Parts from China assembled in the USA and Made in the USA, My comment might be a bit dated as I have done no research since buying the M8000 12 years ago. But I chose it because there were zero bad reviews vs everything else which seem to have rabid followers, defenders and those sharing 3rd hand horror stories. M8000 or M8000S is just about a no brainer.

ps, I'm sure there are many equally capable, reliable winches out there, some are even half the price of an M8000.

 

[67cj5]

Checkout Warrior/Champion Winches you can buy them for un $500.00 and they come with the normal remote and a cordless remote, Some of their sales info was that they were fitted to SAS Vehicles, I bought their SD9500/Short Drum 9500Lbs which is/was the one fitted to the SAS Vehicles, It is the same as the Australian Runva model which won 4x4 Australia's Winch Shootout done by Mark Allen who is also a member here,

Have a Read if this and there is also a Video of it as well.

12-volt winch test: Results

Breakages, smoke and huge loads; this is the ultimate 12-volt winch shootout.

www.whichcar.com.au

Enjoy.

 

[86scotty]

Let me be clear I don't just want an American made winch, I'm OK with that but I'm also ok with one made in the UK, Australia, Brazil, I just want to not support China as much as I can.

I'm on my second Chinese winch and very happy with it but it hasn't seen much use yet. It's a Stegadon (Where oh where do they get these names) from Chinazon. Previously I had a HF that was a very tough winch.

You don't want to support China? How did you type your post? If on a screen, ANY screen, it was made in China. I'm not big on Chinese products either but things like winches that see little use and the USA made variants are 5x the cost? I'm going for the bargain.

 

[NEIA Nomad]

I'm on my second Chinese winch and very happy with it but it hasn't seen much use yet. It's a Stegadon (Where or where do they get these names) from Chinazon. Previously I had a HF that was a very tough winch.

You don't want to support China? How did you type your post? If on a screen, ANY screen, it was made in China. I'm not big on Chinese products either but things like winches that see little use and the USA made variants are 5x the cost? I'm going for the bargain.

Samsung terminated their China manufacturing. As for the rest...

"Let me be clear I don't just want an American made winch, I'm OK with that but I'm also ok with one made in the UK, Australia, Brazil, I just want to not support China as much as I can."

 

[NEIA Nomad]

There are likely several less expensive choices but I just went to the industry standard, the Warn M8000 which is made in the USA. Warn has 3 levels, Made in China, Parts from China assembled in the USA and Made in the USA, My comment might be a bit dated as I have done no research since buying the M8000 12 years ago. But I chose it because there were zero bad reviews vs everything else which seem to have rabid followers, defenders and those sharing 3rd hand horror stories. M8000 or M8000S is just about a no brainer.

ps, I'm sure there are many equally capable, reliable winches out there, some are even half the price of an M8000.

View attachment 667932

I see all that nasty white stuff on the ground so I assume you've had it in the snow, but what about the wet? I live in Iowa, dad lives in Arkansas, a lot of the places that we look at for exploitation or I have already been have watercrossings. I've read that the warn is not at all waterproof. Have you had it submerged at all?

I was looking into it today and I loved the ease of finding parts for the M8000 in comparison to to comeup. If I'm out for a couple weeks or longer and do need to fix it it's good piece of mind.

 

[VinceAtReal4x4's]

I do winch repair and restorations so I may have insight here without emotional attachments.

The more expensive Warns and Ramseys are the only generally available, practical winches for expo use that are made in the USA, sometimes with some parts imported. Generally the modern motors have to be imported because, unfortunately, we don't make motors here anymore.

Sherpa, along with all the other seemingly Aus or Euro or US made winches with all their creative brand titles are ALL Chinese. ComeUp is generally Taiwan made, but same thing pretty much to me.

Here's the thing, and this ends all arguments about one brand vs another, the value of cheaper Chinese winches, etc.:
What good is any machine that can't be repaired? Ramsey and Warn both have parts networks, support, often going back to winches that are 30+ years old, and lots of spares in lots of places, AND have resale value. I can't work on a winch that I can't get parts for, and they all need parts eventually. Period.

 

[billiebob]

I kinda went right past the Ramsey winch question. We have 5 tow trucks with 4 or 5 Ramsey hydraulic winches each. They just run and run forever. The number one winch in Canada 50 years ago was the Tulsa 5E, a 5K pound electric used on every forestry truck in Alberta back when if you understood winching, 5K# was plenty of capacity. I think Ramsey bought out Tulsa years ago. And I think Ramsey winches are still made in the USA.

 

[billiebob]

Have you had it submerged at all?

Never, no idea how it will work, I gave up on water crossings years ago, there is always a work around and in BC it is illegal to run in a stream bed. Watershed protection, fish habitat protection is pretty much the top of the list in BC environmental law.

 

[Regcabguy]

I do winch repair and restorations so I may have insight here without emotional attachments.

The more expensive Warns and Ramseys are the only generally available, practical winches for expo use that are made in the USA, sometimes with some parts imported. Generally the modern motors have to be imported because, unfortunately, we don't make motors here anymore.

Sherpa, along with all the other seemingly Aus or Euro or US made winches with all their creative brand titles are ALL Chinese. ComeUp is generally Taiwan made, but same thing pretty much to me.

Here's the thing, and this ends all arguments about one brand vs another, the value of cheaper Chinese winches, etc.:
What good is any machine that can't be repaired? Ramsey and Warn both have parts networks, support, often going back to winches that are 30+ years old, and lots of spares in lots of places, AND have resale value. I can't work on a winch that I can't get parts for, and they all need parts eventually. Period.

Taiwan is a democracy at least. For how long,only the CCP knows.

 

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

THIS:

I do winch repair and restorations so I may have insight here without emotional attachments.

Here's the thing, and this ends all arguments about one brand vs another, the value of cheaper Chinese winches, etc.:
What good is any machine that can't be repaired? Ramsey and Warn both have parts networks, support, often going back to winches that are 30+ years old, and lots of spares in lots of places, AND have resale value. I can't work on a winch that I can't get parts for, and they all need parts eventually. Period.

I own a 15-year old Warn M15k. Had to repair it (due to my own negligence) and found all the parts and info needed for a complete noob like me to take care of the project. Works like new again.