Recently Added A Winch To My '96 Burb

grampadirt · October 23, 2008

I recently added a Chicago Electric winch from Harbor Frieght.It's a 9,000 lb. unit with planetary gears.The mounting brackets I made myself and seems to be pretty strong.I recently pulled a Ford Ranger with it without a problem.I bought that winch because of the price($450.00)out the door.I know you get what you pay for and I should've got a Warn or something equal but if I did that I would be sleeping in the old motorhome....alone(well maybe our cat,Oliver, would keep me company).Here's a pic..

g'dirt

p.s. the white box is where I edited out my license plate(it's actually a '95,damn fingers)

jhoff8487 · October 23, 2008

It looks pretty good to me. If it works, it works. I like it!

csheatz · October 23, 2008

looks good!

It doesnt matter whos name is on it as long as it does the job. Although by the looks of it you wont be using that to pull yourself out, I guess that makes you a pretty nice guy to spend $400 to give other people a hand when they get stuck!

DofD · October 23, 2008

A good looking winch. You did a good job there with the mounting.

2000DV4.8 · October 23, 2008

I'm skeptical about anything from Harbor Freight. My rule is I don't buy any one thing there that is more that $20. If it works though, that's all that matters. It looks to be a pretty sturdy unit.

jhoff8487 · October 23, 2008

My experience with Harbor Freight has been positive across the board. Now, their super cheap stuff is super cheap crap. I can tell you right now that a $20 drill isn't going to last. However, for the price, and if you search around a bit in there you can get some pretty good stuff for some really great prices. When I was a tool salesman at Sears I'd send people over there every so often if they didn't really need something of Craftsman quality(which is by no means anything close to the best...) but some folks just need stuff for a one time job.

grampadirt · October 23, 2008

My experience with Harbor Freight has been positive across the board. Now, their super cheap stuff is super cheap crap. I can tell you right now that a $20 drill isn't going to last. However, for the price, and if you search around a bit in there you can get some pretty good stuff for some really great prices. When I was a tool salesman at Sears I'd send people over there every so often if they didn't really need something of Craftsman quality(which is by no means anything close to the best...) but some folks just need stuff for a one time job.

+1,I've bought many tools there and so far(knock on wood) they haven't failed.Time will tell if the winch will last.I like to help people that maybe sometime do dumb things...or maybe just can't help themselves to do it

2000DV4.8 · October 23, 2008

My experience with Harbor Freight has been positive across the board. Now, their super cheap stuff is super cheap crap. I can tell you right now that a $20 drill isn't going to last. However, for the price, and if you search around a bit in there you can get some pretty good stuff for some really great prices. When I was a tool salesman at Sears I'd send people over there every so often if they didn't really need something of Craftsman quality(which is by no means anything close to the best...) but some folks just need stuff for a one time job.

+1,I've bought many tools there and so far(knock on wood) they haven't failed.Time will tell if the winch will last.I like to help people that maybe sometime do dumb things...or maybe just can't help themselves to do it

I guess I got unlucky sooner than most. The only thing I've bought there that was worth anything, was a big bench vice, and the thing self destructed while I was pressing out a u-joint less than an hour after I got it mounted to the workbench.

I do have a set of their casters on one of my speaker cabinets that have held up well, so...

dietz4ibanez · October 24, 2008

You probably should have gotten the warn!!! But you can give that one to me!!!

haha jk

I would have bought it too for that price! And it looks good and I like the way that you mounted it... I was looking at getting a receiver for a winch that mounts to the frame below the bumper on my 99... But you lose a lot of ground clearance!

Great Install Job

grampadirt · October 24, 2008

My experience with Harbor Freight has been positive across the board. Now, their super cheap stuff is super cheap crap. I can tell you right now that a $20 drill isn't going to last. However, for the price, and if you search around a bit in there you can get some pretty good stuff for some really great prices. When I was a tool salesman at Sears I'd send people over there every so often if they didn't really need something of Craftsman quality(which is by no means anything close to the best...) but some folks just need stuff for a one time job.

+1,I've bought many tools there and so far(knock on wood) they haven't failed.Time will tell if the winch will last.I like to help people that maybe sometime do dumb things...or maybe just can't help themselves to do it

I guess I got unlucky sooner than most. The only thing I've bought there that was worth anything, was a big bench vice, and the thing self destructed while I was pressing out a u-joint less than an hour after I got it mounted to the workbench.

I do have a set of their casters on one of my speaker cabinets that have held up well, so...

I'm thinking maybe putting a low profile flat plate 4''-6'' high around the front of it to maybe keep road grime and mud from collecting on it.Right now I have a cover for it I made out of an old inner tube.It's welded to the frame and I did all the welding myself.I say that 'cause I've never welded b4.The guy who was coaching me said I got a B+ on the job...so I feel pretty good. ttyl

g'dirt