# Thoughts/Input on Harbor Freight 12,000lb Badlands winch



## howard270 (Mar 26, 2012)

I have read a few threads/posts on these winches. I have a coupon to get the 12,000 pound winch for my pickup for just over $300. This will be mainly used to drap logs out of the trees to where I can more easily buck them and load them in the trailer.

It will also be used for the occasional mis-judgment of mud puddles and slick spots, cause you know it does happen.

Please let me know if you guys have any first hand experience with these. I usually know HF items are crap, but this seems like a reasonable deal considering the pulling weight and price. Speed doesn't mean a whole lot, since I do this to relax and enjoy it.


----------



## blades (Mar 26, 2012)

There is a reason why a Ramsey costs 10x as much.


----------



## Blakesmaster (Mar 26, 2012)

I bought their 9,000 lb one a few months back. I can't complain. At all. It may not be a Warn but it's pulled it's fair share of ####. Get the 2 year extended warranty for 70 bucks for some piece of mind. This was my 5,000 lb chipper on Friday.







This is my little 300 dollar winch working it out. Wasn't without effort, but, it's paid for itself. 

VIDEO0010.3gp - YouTube


----------



## BSD (Mar 26, 2012)

Massive Multi-Winch Shootout - Four Wheeler Magazine

the shootout is horribly biased to who pays the most $$ for advertising in their magazine, however if you read the article you can make your own informed decision.


----------



## starterlogg (Mar 26, 2012)

*Harbor freight winch*

I bought the 5,000 badlands after pouring over as much info that I could get my greedy hands on and only have praise on its performance so far , I intend to work it as hard as I work myself , would buy another or a few sizes up .


----------



## Big_Al (Mar 26, 2012)

I've heard they are a decent winch but don't own one. If my warn ever croaked I would try one of those, a 12k winch with 2 year warranty for $400 sounds pretty good. Should be just fine for what you're planning on doing with it.


----------



## Rockland Farm (Mar 26, 2012)

I have a Warn on my Jeep and a Ramsey on a hitch mount for the pickup and other vehicles . The winches definitely come in handy in the woodlot . I don't have first hand knowledge of the HF winches but from what I have read in magazines and on offroad type forums they seem to be a good value for the money . A 12.000 lb winch for that kind of money is a bargain . If that is all you can afford I know that I would rather have a HF winch than no winch at all.


----------



## Soby1 (Mar 26, 2012)

Bought the 2000 pounder for my 4 wheeler beat the snot out of it has'nt let me down yet.


----------



## kugss (Mar 27, 2012)

When i bought my f250 it had a warn whinch bumper but no winch. I dont like the way it looks but was really good to stand on when working under the hood. So i thought why not keep it and put a whinch in it. I got the 12k one from HF and didnt get to use it for 3 months, but the other day removeing my inground oil tank the little back hoe couldnt lift it out so i used my whinch. It was pulling the machine back at the same time pulling the tank out of the ground. I was very happy with it at that point.


----------



## howard270 (Mar 27, 2012)

Thank you everyone for your input. I have read dozens of reviews and the consensus is don't submerge it and it is fairly slow. I am fine with both of those limits. I just wanted some input from guys who have had first hand experience with them.


----------



## beerman6 (Mar 27, 2012)

The brushes went south on my Ramsey QM5000,I could damn near buy that HF 12,000 for what they want for a new set...

I have bought 2-2000lb and 2-3000lb HF winches and they have never let me down,except for the 3000lb remote controlled unit.The circuit board got wet and the remote quit working so I just hard wired in a set of buttons.


----------



## BSD (Mar 27, 2012)

next time i have an influx of cash... I'm getting an Engo 10k for my jeep. $325 to my door.


----------



## beerman6 (Mar 27, 2012)

:doubt: "influx of cash" wth is that?


----------



## kugss (Mar 27, 2012)

beerman6 said:


> The brushes went south on my Ramsey QM5000,I could damn near buy that HF 12,000 for what they want for a new set...
> 
> I have bought 2-2000lb and 2-3000lb HF winches and they have never let me down,except for the 3000lb remote controlled unit.The circuit board got wet and the remote quit working so I just hard wired in a set of buttons.



That is the one thing i didnt like, the box that has the relay in it seems cheap. I made so longer cables and mounted mine under the hood, the down side is you have to open the hood to hook up the controler but it seems to stay dry.


----------



## howard270 (Mar 27, 2012)

Well, I ordered one. $353 delivered to my house with the warranty. Hopefully it will be here in a few days and I can get a mount made and show you guys some pics and videos. 

This should make my firewooding a lot faster, instead of having to pack away everything, go to the shop to get a loader, then having to work for my dad an entire afternoon before he will let me use the loader for about 15 minutes, driving back to the shop, working a few more hours for him, then getting to finish up the firewooding that should have only taken about 2 hours to begin with.


----------



## JeffHK454 (Mar 27, 2012)

Like everybody is saying ...it should do you fine as long as you remember it's not a Warn. 

Most of my buddies I wheel with have tried them and then went back to Warns or Ramseys .. the loaded line speeds of the HF units are complete BS. When they get hot they get sloooow...then go poof!

I myself have cooked a 8K and a 2.5K HF unit because I treated them like my Warn 9.5Ti.

Get the cheapo with the warranty and beat the piss out of it ..then take it back.


----------



## D&B Mack (Mar 28, 2012)

Missed a "deal" on a new WOOD POWER Winch in an auction today. Brand new. Only price I could find online was $980 + shipping. So I tried to snipe the auction at the end at $275, but another bidder sniped me at $300. 

Don't know anything about those brands, but for $300, figured I would give it a try.


----------



## pajeepman (Mar 31, 2012)

The reviews say they are ok but slow. Like it was said, it's not a ramsey/warn, or unmentioned superwinch. I have never used one, only have Warns, and Ramseys. All these new 10 and 12k winches are a far cry from the Warn "big frame" winches m12000, 16.5ti, etc. I just scored a used m8274 for $250, works, with a mounting plate (sweet!!!). tried and true 30 year old design. Also picked up a Ramsey re8000 worm gear winch (big old powerhouse(for sale in SE PA $600).
It's a good idea to put a weight on the winch line also, in case in snaps, it will have a somewhat controlling effect on the whipping line. Out one winchline at work broke(20,000# tulsa PTO winch), thank god nobody got hurt, the 100' of wire was under the truck it was mounted on in about 1 second, would have hurt or killed somone if it hit them. You can buy winch line weight, use a sweat shirt, ty of an old pair of pant legs, fill the pants with some sand/dirt/etc, tie the top of, you get the idea.


----------



## chuckp (Sep 23, 2012)

*I have one*

Get the extended warranty and return it for a new one every 2 year.
I've found a winch mounted on the loader of my backhoe for firewood is almost worthless. I can't get the cable to spool back on straight for the life of me. Cable will kink quickly.
The synthetic rope might be the ticket.


----------



## IHDiesel73L (Sep 23, 2012)

I've always thought about buying one and then having someone who knows a lot more about circuitry, etc...than I do take a look at it. Part of the problem with HF stuff is they tend to skimp on certain components even though the overall unit might be relatively solid. I used to run the veggie oil filtration system for my Ford off of a HF "Blue Pump." It's basically a cheap 10 GPM pump that is meant for clear water, but has a reputation for blowing up. I got it for $25 (normally 50) on sale, and looking around online, I found a how-to for keeping it trouble free. For less than $30 worth of parts from an electrical supply house I put a thermal protection circuit on it (they would always jam, heat up, and melt down inside-sometimes catching on fire in the process :msp_scared and upgraded the capacitor so that it wouldn't blow on startup as they often did. I wonder if beefing up a HF winch would be as easy?


----------



## Rio_Grande (Sep 25, 2012)

They are a fine winch for the money. One word of cation, none of them are made for the kind of pulling that drags a big oak up a grade for 75 feet. I run Ramsey's because the business pays for them and I wouldn't use it that way. Pulling rolling loads short distances or heavy loads short distances but all electric winches will go pop if they get hot. The old warns rock. But I will never give warn another penny of my money. I bought one 8 ish years ago cost around 1400. One pull on the front of my truck about 40 feet worth and no more. Called the company and they advised their product was not designed for that type of "abuse" I put a after market motor on it and continued to put nickel and dime parts on it for another year before taking it off. JUNK in my opinion.


----------



## redheadwoodshed (Sep 25, 2012)

blades said:


> There is a reason why a Ramsey costs 10x as much.



I'm sure there is, but it's not because they are 10 times better.


----------



## 4seasons (Sep 25, 2012)

Electric winches are for emergency recovery. PERIOD. If you use one once a week for a few feet they work great. But if you are planning on long hauls for hours you need PTO. Electric get hot and die fast.


----------



## redprospector (Sep 25, 2012)

My thoughts on Harbor Freight winches? 
Well they are from Harbor Freight, so that means they are probably from China. 
If we keep buying cheap junk from China, because it's cheap, one day we'll have to go to China to get a job because that's where they'll all be.

My thoughts are still the same. Buy American made when possible, or don't complain about the economy.

Andy


----------



## Kenneth F (Sep 26, 2012)

If speed is not an issue wouldn't a block and tackle take a lot of load off the winch?


----------



## Big_Al (Sep 26, 2012)

redprospector said:


> My thoughts on Harbor Freight winches?
> Well they are from Harbor Freight, so that means they are probably from China.
> If we keep buying cheap junk from China, because it's cheap, one day we'll have to go to China to get a job because that's where they'll all be.
> 
> ...




Just happened to go to the warn dealer today, I needed a set of solenoids for my warn winch. I was surprised to see that they were made in Mexico. Makes ya wonder how much of warn is even made here any more.


----------



## redprospector (Sep 26, 2012)

Big_Al said:


> Just happened to go to the warn dealer today, I needed a set of solenoids for my warn winch. I was surprised to see that they were made in Mexico. Makes ya wonder how much of warn is even made here any more.



At least it didn't say "Made in China".
It's hard to find much that's made in America anymore, but that's because we have chosen the path of cheap disposable crap. 
I believe your Warn was at the very least assembled in America. The first time an American touched the Harbor Freight winch was when they pulled it out of the crate from China.

Andy


----------



## chuckp (Sep 27, 2012)

redprospector said:


> At least it didn't say "Made in China".
> It's hard to find much that's made in America anymore, but that's because we have chosen the path of cheap disposable crap.
> I believe your Warn was at the very least assembled in America. The first time an American touched the Harbor Freight winch was when they pulled it out of the crate from China.
> 
> Andy



I don't know which I hate most. Made in China or Being invaded from Mexico.


----------



## redprospector (Sep 27, 2012)

chuckp said:


> I don't know which I hate most. Made in China or Being invaded from Mexico.



Well, on the bright side...If it say's Heco en Mexico, at least one of them stayed home to make it rather than invading us. 

Andy


----------



## jtc16 (Apr 13, 2017)

4seasons said:


> Electric winches are for emergency recovery. PERIOD. If you use one once a week for a few feet they work great. But if you are planning on long hauls for hours you need PTO. Electric get hot and die fast.



Wish I knew that before. I think I just burned up a 5000 HF winch by pulling a dolly with a couple chunks of firewood up a small hill maybe 15-20 times. I took a break every 3 or 4 pulls because the motor was warm but now all the thing does is click. Won't pull the cable unloaded in or out. Any chance anyone has some troubleshooting tips for this or am I sol.


----------



## pajeepman (Apr 13, 2017)

Where is the clicking? In the box the remote plugs into? If so, take the cover off and see if there is a burnt wire or try jumping the solenoid with a piece of heavy wire or screwdriver. May just be a burnt out solenoid. Looks like a Ford starter solenoid but is actually a continuous duty solenoid.

Sent from my SM-J320P using Tapatalk


----------



## jtc16 (Apr 14, 2017)

pajeepman said:


> Where is the clicking? In the box the remote plugs into? If so, take the cover off and see if there is a burnt wire or try jumping the solenoid with a piece of heavy wire or screwdriver. May just be a burnt out solenoid. Looks like a Ford starter solenoid but is actually a continuous duty solenoid.
> 
> Sent from my SM-J320P using Tapatalk



Not sure I'll have to check it out later today.


----------



## Ted Jenkins (Apr 14, 2017)

My winch never gets warm or tired, but it took a few hours to put it together. It has been used about 1000 hours pulling logs averaging about 6,000 lbs. Thanks


----------



## Big_Al (Apr 14, 2017)

Ted Jenkins said:


> My winch never gets warm or tired, but it took a few hours to put it together. It has been used about 1000 hours pulling logs averaging about 6,000 lbs. Thanks



Bet the power supply gets warm & tired!


----------



## Ted Jenkins (Apr 14, 2017)

Actually it has been used continuously for as much as 10 hours straight with out getting more than warm. Thanks


----------



## jtc16 (Apr 15, 2017)

pajeepman said:


> Where is the clicking? In the box the remote plugs into? If so, take the cover off and see if there is a burnt wire or try jumping the solenoid with a piece of heavy wire or screwdriver. May just be a burnt out solenoid. Looks like a Ford starter solenoid but is actually a continuous duty solenoid.
> 
> Sent from my SM-J320P using Tapatalk



The clicking is coming from that box. I don't know how to jump it. I took the box apart but don't see how to pull the solenoid out. I'm on hold with harbor freight. They said they don't seell the solenoid but if I buy the warranty they'll give me a new winch so I may do that.


----------



## jtc16 (Apr 15, 2017)

Got the hook-up from harbor freight. If I buy a 1 year warranty for $20.99 or a 2 year for $49.99 they give me a new winch which now has a warranty.


----------



## Stihl310 (Apr 15, 2017)

I had a 2000 lb harbor freight winch on my quad. While trying to pull itself out of a wet spot one day the cable spool snapped in half. Fixed that and a couple months later the controls took a crap. No power coming out of the one side to move the winch in. I'll never buy one again after that. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## pajeepman (Apr 15, 2017)

A superwinch atv winch can be had for about $80, gonna be alot better than harbor freight.

Sent from my SM-J320P using Tapatalk


----------



## tla100 (Apr 19, 2017)

pajeepman said:


> A superwinch atv winch can be had for about $80, gonna be alot better than harbor freight.
> 
> Sent from my SM-J320P using Tapatalk



Ehh, i have seen a 2000 lb Super Winch break in half just being used on a snowplow. 

I got a 3500 lb on the back of my Polaris and have had it a year, no issues. Had a 2500 lb on the front, got stuck on a sandbar/mud hole, and broke the Badlands in half. May have been a little bit of abuse on my end. So now, the front wears a 3500 lb also. 

The relay on the 2500 lb was wireless controlled POS, it basically had a direct short from day one, and toasted my battery, so that was about a $130 sealed battery, $40 ebay relay to fix it.


----------



## Sawyer Rob (Apr 25, 2017)

ALL of the cheapo winches have a really low duty cycle, no matter what brand they are...

You need to pay the big bucks for a higher duty cycle. (read good winch)

SR


----------



## Flint Mitch (Apr 25, 2017)

I have a buddy who uses one daily on a car trailer to pull up non-runners. He loves it. It is slow but it pulls just fine. I believe his is 3 years old

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk


----------



## Sawyer Rob (Apr 25, 2017)

I have one too, that's how I know about the duty cycle.

I also have a Warn 12,000 and that's how I know about the duty cycle on those, too.

SR


----------



## dave_dj1 (Apr 26, 2017)

I saw a guy with a full size chevy truck abuse the snot out of a 10K Traveller winch over the weekend. It held up well and didn't get that warm. I was impressed.
I have a 10K Smittybuilt winch with synthetic rope on my Jeep, I gave that a good workout too pulling the same truck off a pile of tires.


----------

