Winch choices.....need suggestions

I need a new winch to go with a bumper I'm getting this week, these are the 2 I'm looking at:
http://4wheelonline.com/SuperwinchLP8500Winch.91181.242132

and
http://4wheelonline.com/Warn9_5XPWinch.400.756

other than the 1000lb. pulling cap. difference do you you guys think the Superwinch looks like a good deal or is Warn the way to go. I could really use the price difference to upgrade to synthetic line and I will be using a pulley to winch when possible. I just don't know enough about the technical jargon to make an informed decision, Thanks!

 

WARN all the way!!!!!!
We owned a Warn HS9500i on our Jeep for about 8 years, used it often and it worked 100% every time.

 

Thanks Janster, I had a Superwinch epi9.0 on my 89' Wrangler for 6 years and it always worked for me too. I don't have anything against either company I guess what I'm really asking is.....is the Warn WORTH all that extra cash? And by the way, what does mounting a winch feet first or feet down mean?

 

If you have experience with Superwinch and haven't had any problems - then stick with it!

I have no idea what feet first/down means. Never heard of that before.

Where did you hear something like that from? Perhaps there's some missing content that would make sense..??

 

I've read some articles where people were having problems with the warn xp getting water into the motor when it was mounted feet forward??? I believe. Apparently if it is not mounted upright (with the freespool knob on top) you have to take the motor off and there are 2 seals....one seal has to have the sealant removed and the other has to be sealed. This may not even be a problem for me, I don't know if the winch will be able to be mounted upright. When I ordered my bumper from all pro yesterday I asked if the knob for the freespool was accessible, he said I would have to remove 4 bolts and turn something around (to be honest, I wasn't paying close enough attention to what he said) to reach the knob. Sorry if this is confusing but I think I'm gonna go with the warn anyway, with so many of them out there of course there will be more problems that you hear about. My only concern still is I've read of some guys having situations where they are having problems overheating the synthetic line with the warn winch......I just can't make up my mind and I only want to spend this money once. Thanks again Janster!

 

Here's the link I was thinking about.
http://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/216374-warn-9-5-xp-problem.html

 

That makes sense.... The winch we had was an obvious 'this end up' so there was no question of the orientation. But, I can see some of the other winches could be confusing depending on the mounting location.

Synthetic line is awesome!! If you get synthetic, make sure you get a heat guard and rock guard. The heat guard goes around the rope at the drum prior to winding it around the drum. It's supposed to protect the rope from heat (we didn't have one-so it's a toss up if you need it or not). The rock guard is a similar sheath that goes around the rope at the end to protect it againest rock rash. On ours, we did notice 'brown spots' occasionally on the rope near the wraps - but nothing major (again, we didnt have the heat guard).

 

I have the 9.5xp in my All Pro bumper with no problems. You don't have to turn anything. You can access the engage knob easily. I also have the Master pull super line with no heat issues. I honestly wouldn't go with any other winch. And just so you know there's a 100 dollar rebate that you can use if you buy a warn winch.

http://www.warn.com/truck/cash_rebate.shtml

 

Thanks man! It's good to know I don't have to fool with all this turning the winch and sealing this and rerouting the other thing. You just helped me make up my mind. So...are you happy with your front bumper setup? Looks killer

 

I like the setup. I think the bumper could be beefier. I'd have it all be 1/4 inch if I could. Other than that it has great clearance. I'm very happy with the winch. It doesn't skip a beat when pulling and it's pretty quick. I moved the solenoid to engine bay instead of having it on the winch. I'm not sure if it fits in the bumper or not but I like it up out of harms way (water). The winch is water resistant but the solenoid isn't.

 

So when you need to winch do you have to pop the hood and hook the controller up or is there a place to attach the controller on the winch itself? I've never used a remote solenoid winch, my Superwinch was an integrated solenoid and the controller just plugged into winch housing.

 

You plug into the solenoid. Wherever the solenoid is, is where you plug the remote into. The remote has like a ten foot wire or you can get a wireless remote. I have to pop the hood open and plug it in. I can close the hood with the remote plugged in.

 

I love my Warn XD9000i. The integrated solenoid is great since I dont have to worry much about water, or finding a place to mount a solenoid pack. I think you'll be happy you went with Warn.

all.on.black- Badass lookin truck, man! If you ever go to the TSF and wanna wheel, or your anywhere in southern/ SE oregon and wanna 'wheel, let me know!

 

Have you considered getting a hydraulic winch?

 

Thank you. I'm always up for wheeling. Don't mind driving a distance either. I've been in TSF many times. I usually go 5-10 times a year for camping. If there are any meets or anything let me know. I'd be happy to tag along.

 

I've considered it. I'm just worried about getting stuck somewhere and losing engine power (deep mud or having to shut down in a deep water crossing) and not having the hydraulic power for the winch. I can carry a spare battery but i'm not sure how I would power a hydraulic winch if my engine dies.

 

Yeah, that's the one shortfall of having hydraulic. Has anyone here stalled a vehicle in high water? Just wondering how often it happens.