HF has a 12000 lb Badlands winch w/ remote for sale for $299.00 you can get a 20% off coupon in just about any auto/truck mag bringing your total cost to only $260.00.
now you may not be able to pull yourself up the side of the grand canyon with it, but off-road mag called it "the best deal in winching" and that was at the regular price of $500.00.
not an ad, just in case someone else was looking.

 

yeah, that price makes it a tempting prospect. there seems to be so many bad vs. good reviews, its a crap shoot. my 9yr old warn just bit it and I have been shopping. and really at that price i have been tempted to buy 2 and just have 1 for back up. i have also read that warranty through hf is a pita, but i have no firsthand knowledge either way.
thanks for the heads up on the sale

 

I don't know first hand, but you may want to buy two... i hear they break... and that is not a component I want to break... unless you are a jeep and only have it for show.

 

Most of the time the discount coupons they have will not qualify for the winch. If you purchase the extended warranty with HF, they never have given me any issues when returning the product. They just hand me a new one.

HF tools are not high quality thus the price. If it is a tool your only going to use just once or twice then it is a good option. If your a professional then these tools are not for you. Just my 2cents worth.

 

I have some HF tools and they are OK. When they do break I chunk them in the trash. Also have Craftsman, Home Depot and Lowes tools. The Craftsman I had a socket break since I cheated and used a breaker bar. I went to Sears to replace it and was asked to show my receipt for an exchange. I asked why because of the liftime warranty and response was that any tool that shows any sign of rust whether it's a very small spot does not qualify for replacement.

HF warranty I used once on a water pump and an air hammer. They just told me to grad an identical one of the self. The winch I would not touch unless it was the only one available in an emergency.

 

Have you looked in to repairing it? Warn generally sells all the needed parts.

 

Like I said I have no horse in this race, I just need something to clear downed trees mostly.
But I do have to say I find it utterly amazing that a bunch of guy who probably have never seen this particular model can say it is a p.o.s and a waste of money.
When a professional publication can say it is the best winch for the money of the 8 winched they tested.
Note they tested the item, not I heard from guy, or I knew someone, or it got to suck for that price.

 

Dusty
Your old warn winch, is better built then these cheap winch specials. Do tour self a favor and as Tom suggested, take the time to rebuild it. I rebuilt mine a number of years ago with a Warn reps help.
Shout if you want some help with it.

 

I have had personal experience with the HF 10K winch, previous generation to the badlands, 10k. We put it on my buddy's FJ Cruiser. Inboard mounting in the bumper. You can see the review of this older generation in the "Winches in Hell" Let me google that for you

Over 3 years, we used it quite often to pull me, and others out of trouble. It was slow. It was loud, but it kept working.

It's not a sealed winch, but it works well for the money, no question.

With that said, if you're planning on being a few hours off the roads... the money spent on a REAL good winch is worth every penny. If you're occasionally in the woods with your buddies within an hour from normal roads, cheapies are fine. Worst case, you walk out.

I've got a 12k Superwinch w/ synthetic rope for mine. While they do manufacturing in china, all of their R&D and testing is done in the town over from me. They employ locals and have given me great support anytime I've needed it. I got a smoking deal that nobody would have passed up - but I wouldn't pay the $1600 MSRP for it -- and when you really look at it, the 12k for $300 could break a few times before you'd cover the cost... but that's not what matters in the woods when you REALLY need it.

Dave

 

Another way of looking at a winch, is if you only use it for your own problems and don't plan on pulling everybody out of a ditch, a cheap winch, quality and cost, is not a bad way to go, but if you plan on lots of hard wheeling and harder pulls and want it to last a long time, my 9500 HSI is nearly 12 years old and still pulling hard, then plan on buying a quality winch in the $1000 range.