I've become a big fan of Harbor Freight over the years. The quality of most (not all) of their offerings is on par with other big buck names, and they have replaced the few things I have broken for free and without question. I remember trying to get Sears to replace broken Craftsmen stuff back in the day. I'd rather get a wisdom tooth pulled than go through that again. I'll be buying a HF winch for my sxs this week!
Their top of the line stuff is incredible. It always tests better than the competitor they're aiming for. I go with Hercules, Icon, and I've got this Badland, too. I'm a customer for life now. The days of only getting crappy tools for a job you're only gonna used them once for are her.
The biggest killer of harbor freight winches that I have seen is the grease in the gear set. After a year or two, the grease tends to gum up, making it difficult to pull the winch cable out. If that happens, pull off the gearbox, disassemble it and blast everything with a degreaser solvent, then re-assemble it with some good synthetic wheel bearing/chassis grease. The Red Mobil1 grease is pretty good in my experience. Just my 0.02, take it as you will.
My 12,000 lb Badlands winch that I bought a couple years ago works just fine. I got a couple of fellow 4x4 out of a jam with it, and myself. You can find winch covers of various sizes on Amazon
The wireless is cool. Here’s a tip, find out what battery is used in the remote. Get a spare and put it in the glove box. The switch that selects “wireless” mode on the winch may short out if exposed to weather. I swapped mine out on my Smittybilt.
Thanks to your videos on the 12k Apex Predator, I bought it and installed it onto my new steel winch bumper on my Tundra. I may never need it, but it feels dang good knowing it's there if I get stranded or want to help someone else.😊😊😊
Muddy Beards 4X4 sorry I didn't finish my thought, someone interrupted me haha. I just recently noticed harbor freight had these new winches and thought about trying it out. But I can't justify it yet as mine works good. I would like to see a side by side comparison of this and the warn. Great video by the way
got a 3ish year old smitty bilt 9500 with steel cable on mine.. use it quite a bit with no issues, it got a real workout removing stumps after a hurricane came thru and i was doing tree removals.. max pull with two batteries hooked to it for extended periods of time in and out back and forth with a snatch block and jeep chained to a large tree... it got hotter than i imagine was good for it so did the alternator but got the job done and works just as good as it did before.. pulled about 5 stumps with it and a sawzall of 30-36" trees id get a 12-15k one if i was buying another
Had a 9000lb. Harbor freight on a Jeep for 5 years. Pulls like hell and have had zero problems. Have a 4 year old 3500 on my side by side. No problems with it either
I was going to say the same thing as Beto. Duude that thing rocks. I have watched a bjillion jeepin videos and that few minutes was some of the best. Every ones got JKU's now. you would have never seen a JKU crawl thugh that like you did. This is why I still have my similar decked out 13 JK. but I'm on 35's no BL. That is the next upgrade but that includes 37's or 40's some good D44's or the jump to 60's and that's a jump. What axles are you running? Oh and I doubted you were stuck either. You could have backed up and punched it over that but I get why you wanted to try the winch :) I too have been looking at the BL 12000. There is a HF a mile away from me and I shop there all the time my question is long term. You will have to do an update video in a 6 months or a year.
Thanks, I do plan on using it a lot over the winter and I am sure I will be using it at Easter Jeep safari in Moab this April. I will give you guys an update on how well it performs once I get some real use out of it. My last video I talk about axles and what it takes to get to 40’s. Also I soon will be starting a build series on an ultimate Ford 9”, and long arm install.👊🏻
That's a very capable JEEP, good driving ability too. JEEP's have a poor reputation for reliability here in Australia but I'd have to winch my Toyota Landcruiser VDJ79R over 80% of that course. P.S Nice winch too but I'm stuck like glue to my WARN XD9000.
I'm going to give this one a shot. However I totaled up the years on my warn winch and I've had it for 22 years now. It is been ever loyal. I also do a lot of forestry work with it pulling over have cut trees or stabilizing them with a torqued lean these are full-size trees so it's been through some hellacious use it's also saved me One time when my truck went way down into the ditch. Ended up in snow up to my chest I basically had to swim in the snow and hooked up to a tree on the other side of the logging road. Pulled the whole truck right out never had problems operating at below zero which is critical or during the hot summer hoping these will offer the same reliability
Just in case you didn’t know, many winches are the same internally they just have different cases to make them look different. You would be surprised how many name brands are the exact same winch underneath regardless of winch size( 8000 lbs or 12,000 lbs). Basically what happens is a company in China makes a winch then everyone pays for it and builds a case around it. The reason I know this is because I worked for a company and helped design their case. Warn makes their own stuff but many of the name brand aftermarket companies sell the exact same winch and nobody knows. Now this doesn’t mean they are all junk and warn is the best. From the data I saw warn actually had the highest number of returns and warranty claims vs the cheaper winches. Maybe this is due to the average joe or soccer mom buying a less expensive winch just for looks and never actually using while people who buy warn products actually use theirs idk. Anyhow the cool thing about the harbor freight winches(which are the same as many other name brand companies) is you can purchase individual replacements parts when something breaks so they are cheap to keep up too.
I'd say warn has a great customer service and warranty platform, and people know it too. so they take advantage of it. the other companies i feel like most of the people won't bother because maybe its too much of a headache? just my guess
Makes sense, I feel like even Warns newer models coming out are designed the same as these off brands just to compete. My biggest question isnt how if performs but how long it performs. One of Warns signatures is that people have been running their winch forever. I haven't shelled out the big bucks for a Warn, but I have gone through a few cheap winches. Engo winch the first thing that failed was the solenoids. Box filled with water. They replaced it no questions.... did the same thing 6 months later and that was just sitting on the bumper. I decided to go with the Tractor supply brand because of the quality of water proofing and I've had it for 3 years with no issues so far except their wireless attachment. It got water in it and shorted out. Took it apart and it's just hot glued to keep parts in place. I bought a new one and sealed it with RTV so we'll see how that holds up. I'll probably pull the gears apart and re-grease them with quality grease, but with new tech, even crappy products can be a great deal.
That is one bad ass TJ. While I have no problem spending $289 on their old 12,000 winch as a back up or trailer unit , I'm not spending $800 on a winch I can't buy parts for. You can buy any part you need for any warn winch , which is hard to put a price on.
Was going to say, it’s unlikely you’ll get that TJ stuck. I’m pretty confident that I was right and you weren’t really stuck, but thanks for demonstrating the winch!
I’m in the market for a winch and I thought I was going to buy the Smittybilt gen 2 but after watching this video I’m going to pick up the Badlands. Great video
@@Daishar honestly idk for 100% who makes todays hf winches...... several years ago i looked at buying a badlands winch at my local harbor freight and on the box it said the manufacturing company was warn winch but that may have changed even though the design hasnt until this apex model......technically warn was the manufacturer but harbor freight has always owed the brand name..... i shouldve said "makes" not "owns" the badlands brand
The badland zxr 12000 pound winch is perfect for what I use it. For its great for the money and it works awesome I paid $349 for my badland zxr 12000 pound winch . I used my badland zxr 12000 pound winch to remove a tree from my backyard and the winch pulled it out with no problem
Great review. Matter of fact, I just bought one. I know this is an old post, but I have one question. You wired the positive to the pos battery terminal. What did you do with the small little ground wire. Little back wire. TIA
I never thought about putting harbor freight on my Wrangler. This video gives a very good argument that you don't have to spend 1000+. I do wonder about parts availability later in down the line.
Have been using Badlands winches on my RZR'S for years. Sold my 3500lb winch to a buddy and he has used it many times. I upgraded to a 5000lb one and it works great. Don't care who makes them, just want them to work and I personally haven't seen any bad reviews of the Badlands winches except from people who think expensive makes it better. It's your money, buy what you want is what I say.
I bought one of these for my old YJ, I also got a new bumper. The UPS guy was griping at me that the bumper 112 lbs. LOL Anyway I put it together on a pair of saw horses, and realized I had to get this heavy thing down. With an ATV jack, and some sailor's language I managed LOL
I hear it comes with stickers! That's a sign they are proud. It would be cool to see a jeep with harbor freight, supertech Walmart stickers. Great video and nice jeep
How responsive is the remote in wireless vs wired? The winch I have (vortex direct, several years old) the wired is perfect and the wireless is laggy. Looked at the HF wireless controller that plugs into the steel cable winches and they're laggy too...
Agent Anderson if your cooling system is up to snuff then no, it won’t hurt anything. I’ve had a winch on my Tj for 8 yrs and I’ve never had a problem.
I dunno, the warn vr evo 12k winch with synthetic is $833 on amazon and has a lifetime warranty and 7 years electrical warranty. The harbor freight is $799 and has a 90 day warranty. I’d pay the $35 extra fellas and get the warn. Also I was wondering when the hell he was going to get stuck lol drove that Jeep like a badass haha
Yes I did. After a year. And it has been 3 years now, still works great and I have 2 of them. On the Jeep and the S10. Did I BREAK it? Long term review of the Harbor Freight Badland APEX 12k Winch. th-cam.com/video/MubF-PtID_4/w-d-xo.html
So you run the winch with the engine running for maximum power? Why do some off road rigs have 2 batteries does it have anything to do with the winch??
Just bought this winch for my YJ today. I had the HF 12,000lb cable line winch. It was great but had electrical issues and warrantied it out and paid a lil extra for this one. Seems like a huge upgrade. Can’t wait to install it. My question for you though @Muddy Beards 4X4 is my winch came with a on/off battery switch to hook to the winch so it doesn’t always constantly have power. How come you didn’t use this in your install?
Mine did come with this switch. I did not install it because I was rushed getting ready for a wheeling trip the next day. I never had one before and have never had an issue. It is a good idea, but I don’t want to get stuck and have forgotten to turn it on and have no way of getting under the hood. so I am still on the fence if I am going to install it or not. I will be redoing all my wiring at the battery so I might do it then. Thanks for watching.
Yeah that’s the only bad part is having to open the hood to turn it on and off. I thought about maybe cutting the wire and re crumping it to where I could mount the switch inside the grill so you wouldn’t have to open the hood. But then if I do that wouldn’t be a whole lot of point in having it lol. But thanks for the reply! I was just curious!
Nice rig, good driving. I still prefer steel cables. actually just bought a cable added a loop using a thimble and a collar, if needed, I can connect them 2gether and have 135’ ov winch cable, although this is a nice winch don’t get me wrong.
Don’t quote me on it but I have had 4 winches, 3 different brands and they all were the same. So I do believe they are pretty much all the same universal bolt pattern.
80 feet goes quick. I got spoiled with 125 feet on my old 8274. How is the Alternator/ Battery draw while the vehicle is on? Do you think you can reduce the line width and get more line? Nice rig
curious whats powering that rig of yours? i liked how it sounded while EASILY powering through that course haha made me wonder about your exhaust/engine. first time seeing one of your videos so maybe its been posted before. (Found later) its a TJ with the 4.0L, so exhaust?
6:21 BANG Energy drink for sure :P ...... I actually don't even know what that is just trollin' but water is usually the late night garage work drink of choice for me
how BIG is this winch compared to the Warn? I am about to go pick one of these up now but was curious. I saw somewhere that they are huge, but I can't seem to find pics of them installed yet.
great video. never off roaded before....looks like a lot of fun! You make it look easy. thank you for your time. OS great product by the way. I shop and like Harbour Freight
Never owned a winch, thinking of getting one, but what I've been warned about is the duty cycle on the Badlands. What happens if you find yourself using the winch more than one within 30 minutes time? Can the winch handle it? Serious question and if I don't know what I'm talking about, it's because I don't own a winch 😁
Ok aside from the obvious -- you're not gonna bad-mouth a free winch--- your review of features and example on the trail sell it on Merritt. I've been struggling on a decision between 4 winches including a Smitty but This video has convinced me that this is the winch I will buy. Thanks for your really good review. Probably fixin to go to your link on it and order. I've got a Comanche I'm tweaking cause I live up in da mountains above the snowline ( buried right now haha) ant that trail reminds me of our drive up to the cabin. Dandahermit
How much of a lift do you have on that bad boy?! Mine only has a 4 inch lift and it works pretty well but I was thinking about going higher so it could flex more when rock crawling. Love the rig tho!
Thanks, it’s about 4.5” lift. Less is more when it comes to lifts in my opinion, keep it low and stable. down travel is more important than up travel anyways.
Slade Gist low COG, articulation and clearance are your friends. That and picking lines. I have seen a TJ with long arms, tummy tucked and 33s go over trails like it was a slinky
How's this holding up? I am considering this winch. I was at HF yesterday and I was drooling all over the floor model, hopefully they were able to clean that up, but I need a bumper before I bother with a winch so still shopping. Thanks!
Thanks for the video! Great information! I have a newbie first-winch question: Should I put my winch on the front or back of my vehicle? I'm not an aggressive rock climber or deep mud enthusiast. I'm just putting one on my van (2020 GMC Savana 2500 4x4) for emergencies. I'm thinking the back bumper is more practical, but I'm not sure. Thanks!
Me personally I like cable better synthetic is good in the long run cable is actually more durable you have to clean synthetic lines warn is the winch I would go for.
There is no question that synthetic is safer and lighter. But steel cable is way more durable! Ive seen multiple rope lines snap, have yet to see a cable snap (thank God!) Synthetic breaks down over time and with any direct sunlight. Its lifespan is not as long as steel cable. Ive run both and prefer synthetic just because free spooling steel cable sucks!!!
@@krover01 I agree I never had one cable break. I had so many synthetic on my RZR and they all broke. I kept them clean and never let it pile up . My cable I dont let pike up either. I just don't know now. 12000lbs winch and its synthetic. Omg. I won't but it with out cable. Thanks for the video Muddy. You have alot of them.
Hey brother, where did you get the spare tire rack for your Jeep? I am looking for that very type for my YJ and I can't find one anywhere. Any help you can offer is appreciated. Thanks, Dave. P.S. by the way, great video.
@@MuddyBeards4X4 sweet. I just bought one yesterday for my 2008 super duty. I am wanting to set it up in a cradle so I can use it front and rear if need be. There are a ton of 5 star reviews so I hope I didn't do wrong. I decided to but the 2 year replacement plan but I'm not sure if it would be a waste of money or not. I guess time will tell
Not really a stretch, just home made 3 link long arm in the front, and home made short arms in the back, lol. I believe my current wheelbase is around 96”.
Id be impressed if it was free to. That being said, Ive had more issues with Warn winches. Ive had my smittybuilt winch for 3 years and its never let me down.
I've become a big fan of Harbor Freight over the years. The quality of most (not all) of their offerings is on par with other big buck names, and they have replaced the few things I have broken for free and without question. I remember trying to get Sears to replace broken Craftsmen stuff back in the day. I'd rather get a wisdom tooth pulled than go through that again. I'll be buying a HF winch for my sxs this week!
Their top of the line stuff is incredible. It always tests better than the competitor they're aiming for. I go with Hercules, Icon, and I've got this Badland, too. I'm a customer for life now. The days of only getting crappy tools for a job you're only gonna used them once for are her.
Looks like you were having a hard time getting it stuck.
Lol
I think he could have made it if it wasn’t for the winch video lol
It’s a Jeep thing...
Yup you really have to try to get it stuck and if you build it right it just won’t
Of course, it is a TJ. The new Jeeps get stuck a lot easier and break even easier than they get stuck.
The biggest killer of harbor freight winches that I have seen is the grease in the gear set. After a year or two, the grease tends to gum up, making it difficult to pull the winch cable out. If that happens, pull off the gearbox, disassemble it and blast everything with a degreaser solvent, then re-assemble it with some good synthetic wheel bearing/chassis grease. The Red Mobil1 grease is pretty good in my experience.
Just my 0.02, take it as you will.
Good tip, thanks👍🏻
My 12,000 lb Badlands winch that I bought a couple years ago works just fine. I got a couple of fellow 4x4 out of a jam with it, and myself. You can find winch covers of various sizes on Amazon
I'm here watching this because I saw it today in the store. Really nice. I have a 12,000 Badland Series 1 on my Avalanche. No problems at all.
The wireless is cool. Here’s a tip, find out what battery is used in the remote. Get a spare and put it in the glove box.
The switch that selects “wireless” mode on the winch may short out if exposed to weather. I swapped mine out on my Smittybilt.
Good tip👍🏻
Thanks to your videos on the 12k Apex Predator, I bought it and installed it onto my new steel winch bumper on my Tundra.
I may never need it, but it feels dang good knowing it's there if I get stranded or want to help someone else.😊😊😊
I'm currently running a Smitty winch I've had for 7 years. So far still good.
My 8 year old Smittybilt was doing fine when I pulled it off, lol.
Muddy Beards 4X4 sorry I didn't finish my thought, someone interrupted me haha. I just recently noticed harbor freight had these new winches and thought about trying it out. But I can't justify it yet as mine works good. I would like to see a side by side comparison of this and the warn. Great video by the way
got a 3ish year old smitty bilt 9500 with steel cable on mine.. use it quite a bit with no issues, it got a real workout removing stumps after a hurricane came thru and i was doing tree removals.. max pull with two batteries hooked to it for extended periods of time in and out back and forth with a snatch block and jeep chained to a large tree... it got hotter than i imagine was good for it so did the alternator but got the job done and works just as good as it did before.. pulled about 5 stumps with it and a sawzall of 30-36" trees id get a 12-15k one if i was buying another
Had a 9000lb. Harbor freight on a Jeep for 5 years. Pulls like hell and have had zero problems. Have a 4 year old 3500 on my side by side. No problems with it either
Duuude. That rig is a beast. And you can drive. Was thinking you weren’t gonna even need the winch.
Thanks, a week at King of the hammers improved my driving for sure. Was I actually stuck??? Not really, just wanted to test out the winch, lol
I was going to say the same thing as Beto. Duude that thing rocks. I have watched a bjillion jeepin videos and that few minutes was some of the best. Every ones got JKU's now. you would have never seen a JKU crawl thugh that like you did. This is why I still have my similar decked out 13 JK. but I'm on 35's no BL. That is the next upgrade but that includes 37's or 40's some good D44's or the jump to 60's and that's a jump. What axles are you running? Oh and I doubted you were stuck either. You could have backed up and punched it over that but I get why you wanted to try the winch :) I too have been looking at the BL 12000. There is a HF a mile away from me and I shop there all the time my question is long term. You will have to do an update video in a 6 months or a year.
Thanks, I do plan on using it a lot over the winter and I am sure I will be using it at Easter Jeep safari in Moab this April. I will give you guys an update on how well it performs once I get some real use out of it. My last video I talk about axles and what it takes to get to 40’s. Also I soon will be starting a build series on an ultimate Ford 9”, and long arm install.👊🏻
That's a very capable JEEP, good driving ability too. JEEP's have a poor reputation for reliability here in Australia but I'd have to winch my Toyota Landcruiser VDJ79R over 80% of that course. P.S Nice winch too but I'm stuck like glue to my WARN XD9000.
I have a badlands on my s×s and had it for years and it works just fine never had any problems
I put a Apex 12000 Badlands on my YJ last year I liked it so much I just put one on my TJ yesterday
I'm going to give this one a shot. However I totaled up the years on my warn winch and I've had it for 22 years now. It is been ever loyal. I also do a lot of forestry work with it pulling over have cut trees or stabilizing them with a torqued lean these are full-size trees so it's been through some hellacious use it's also saved me One time when my truck went way down into the ditch. Ended up in snow up to my chest I basically had to swim in the snow and hooked up to a tree on the other side of the logging road. Pulled the whole truck right out never had problems operating at below zero which is critical or during the hot summer hoping these will offer the same reliability
Just got mine for $499 did an unboxing & install video! Very high quality winch for the price
Just in case you didn’t know, many winches are the same internally they just have different cases to make them look different. You would be surprised how many name brands are the exact same winch underneath regardless of winch size( 8000 lbs or 12,000 lbs). Basically what happens is a company in China makes a winch then everyone pays for it and builds a case around it. The reason I know this is because I worked for a company and helped design their case. Warn makes their own stuff but many of the name brand aftermarket companies sell the exact same winch and nobody knows. Now this doesn’t mean they are all junk and warn is the best. From the data I saw warn actually had the highest number of returns and warranty claims vs the cheaper winches. Maybe this is due to the average joe or soccer mom buying a less expensive winch just for looks and never actually using while people who buy warn products actually use theirs idk. Anyhow the cool thing about the harbor freight winches(which are the same as many other name brand companies) is you can purchase individual replacements parts when something breaks so they are cheap to keep up too.
I'd say warn has a great customer service and warranty platform, and people know it too. so they take advantage of it. the other companies i feel like most of the people won't bother because maybe its too much of a headache? just my guess
Makes sense, I feel like even Warns newer models coming out are designed the same as these off brands just to compete. My biggest question isnt how if performs but how long it performs. One of Warns signatures is that people have been running their winch forever. I haven't shelled out the big bucks for a Warn, but I have gone through a few cheap winches. Engo winch the first thing that failed was the solenoids. Box filled with water. They replaced it no questions.... did the same thing 6 months later and that was just sitting on the bumper. I decided to go with the Tractor supply brand because of the quality of water proofing and I've had it for 3 years with no issues so far except their wireless attachment. It got water in it and shorted out. Took it apart and it's just hot glued to keep parts in place. I bought a new one and sealed it with RTV so we'll see how that holds up. I'll probably pull the gears apart and re-grease them with quality grease, but with new tech, even crappy products can be a great deal.
Warn winches with prefix VR come from China, reason for lower pricing.
Preston thanks for sharing!
auto batteries are like that too many brands go down one Assembly line
Just added 99 of them to my cart. That equals to $79,199.01. If anyone was curious.
Jeremy Rhodes thanks that's useful information. 😂👍
Was that with or without the $200 off, lol.
Sharing the important information right here.
Wow that could almost get you a Warn Winch!
HF Super Coupon is 25% off!
MuddyBeard/s: Dude...you are a driving MACHINE!!! Outstanding driving!!!
Is that the Elbe Hills ORV park? I got a big dent on my LX470 on the Alder Loop Trail. Harbor Freight has really improved their higher-end game.
Yep, Elbe hills👍🏻
I am considering a winch for my 4Runner and this video certainly shows that Harbor Freight produces a great winch.
Congratulations. Your review made it into the HF monthly catalog
Thanks, someone sent it to me Instagram, I had no idea, lol.
Did you ever do a long term review of the winch?
Not yet, I haven’t had to use it enough to do a review. Only used it the one time in the video. Don’t get stuck much.
@@MuddyBeards4X4 right on, thanks for the update
That is one bad ass TJ. While I have no problem spending $289 on their old 12,000 winch as a back up or trailer unit , I'm not spending $800 on a winch I can't buy parts for. You can buy any part you need for any warn winch , which is hard to put a price on.
I'm using a mile marker 18,000 winch and love it, but wouldn't mind using another winch for the rear for reverse recovery situations.
After watching all the good reviews about this Apex winch I'm getting one now.
Don’t use the mounting bolts they give you
Was going to say, it’s unlikely you’ll get that TJ stuck. I’m pretty confident that I was right and you weren’t really stuck, but thanks for demonstrating the winch!
I’m in the market for a winch and I thought I was going to buy the Smittybilt gen 2 but after watching this video I’m going to pick up the Badlands. Great video
I'd be willing to bet that the harbor freight winch and smitty built winch are made by the same manufacturer
No I believe smitty makes tractor supply's traveler winches, champion I think makes the badlands
Warn owns the Badlands brand....
China!
@@johnpike9612 Is it warn now? I know a few years back all the harbor freight winches were mile marker.
@@Daishar honestly idk for 100% who makes todays hf winches...... several years ago i looked at buying a badlands winch at my local harbor freight and on the box it said the manufacturing company was warn winch but that may have changed even though the design hasnt until this apex model......technically warn was the manufacturer but harbor freight has always owed the brand name..... i shouldve said "makes" not "owns" the badlands brand
The badland zxr 12000 pound winch is perfect for what I use it. For its great for the money and it works awesome I paid $349 for my badland zxr 12000 pound winch . I used my badland zxr 12000 pound winch to remove a tree from my backyard and the winch pulled it out with no problem
I love how we get to go along the trail with you! Nice camera work! Harbor freight coupon book brought me here!
Very capable little jeep. Could use some belly armor. What tires are you running?? Dandahermit
got this winch for $499 right when the covid pandemic started in the US. I can't wait to install it.
Great review. Matter of fact, I just bought one. I know this is an old post, but I have one question. You wired the positive to the pos battery terminal. What did you do with the small little ground wire. Little back wire. TIA
Ground wire on the back of the winch
I must say, this winch looks suspicious similar to my Warn Zeon 12, right down to the control unit and the remote location system
I never thought about putting harbor freight on my Wrangler. This video gives a very good argument that you don't have to spend 1000+. I do wonder about parts availability later in down the line.
Shekhar Moona With the money you save up front in the future just go buy another one.
Have been using Badlands winches on my RZR'S for years. Sold my 3500lb winch to a buddy and he has used it many times. I upgraded to a 5000lb one and it works great. Don't care who makes them, just want them to work and I personally haven't seen any bad reviews of the Badlands winches except from people who think expensive makes it better. It's your money, buy what you want is what I say.
Well said. Harbor freight is coming out with the badland apex 5500 synthetic, in a couple weeks. I am currently installing it on my Subaru.
I bought one of these for my old YJ, I also got a new bumper. The UPS guy was griping at me that the bumper 112 lbs. LOL Anyway I put it together on a pair of saw horses, and realized I had to get this heavy thing down. With an ATV jack, and some sailor's language I managed LOL
I hope they come out with a more compact 9000lbs version with removable solenoid that can fit under bumper with that fast line speed.
The ole TJ, still the best option off road, hard to get stuck. Nice to see a winch used for more than parking lot Bling!
I would agree👍🏻
would really like to see you USE that winch to see how it fares ...looong mud pull or steep uphill ...it looks SWEEET!
Lol, yea the Jeep doesn’t really get stuck that much... and I am not willing to bury it past the doors in mud just to “try it out”🤟🏻
I hear it comes with stickers! That's a sign they are proud. It would be cool to see a jeep with harbor freight, supertech Walmart stickers. Great video and nice jeep
Lol, stickers are the most important part right...
That trail looks like it could have been in the older Top Truck Challenge competitions.
Yep, they put in a lot of work up there on the trails. They had just had a work party a few weeks earlier so it was fresh and new👊🏻
How responsive is the remote in wireless vs wired? The winch I have (vortex direct, several years old) the wired is perfect and the wireless is laggy. Looked at the HF wireless controller that plugs into the steel cable winches and they're laggy too...
will the airflow blockage from the winch cause overheating to motor?
Agent Anderson if your cooling system is up to snuff then no, it won’t hurt anything.
I’ve had a winch on my Tj for 8 yrs and I’ve never had a problem.
I plan to run an auxiliary battery dedicated to the winch. Dandahermit
I dunno, the warn vr evo 12k winch with synthetic is $833 on amazon and has a lifetime warranty and 7 years electrical warranty. The harbor freight is $799 and has a 90 day warranty. I’d pay the $35 extra fellas and get the warn. Also I was wondering when the hell he was going to get stuck lol drove that Jeep like a badass haha
True, plus the VR line is all made in China IIRC.
I went to HF and saw that thing it’s a beast
@This Guy thanks so much I fixed it just for you bud!
Have you done a long term test video? Would really like to see how its holding up after all this time.
Yes I did. After a year. And it has been 3 years now, still works great and I have 2 of them. On the Jeep and the S10. Did I BREAK it? Long term review of the Harbor Freight Badland APEX 12k Winch.
th-cam.com/video/MubF-PtID_4/w-d-xo.html
So you run the winch with the engine running for maximum power? Why do some off road rigs have 2 batteries does it have anything to do with the winch??
Just bought this winch for my YJ today. I had the HF 12,000lb cable line winch. It was great but had electrical issues and warrantied it out and paid a lil extra for this one. Seems like a huge upgrade. Can’t wait to install it. My question for you though @Muddy Beards 4X4 is my winch came with a on/off battery switch to hook to the winch so it doesn’t always constantly have power. How come you didn’t use this in your install?
Mine did come with this switch. I did not install it because I was rushed getting ready for a wheeling trip the next day. I never had one before and have never had an issue. It is a good idea, but I don’t want to get stuck and have forgotten to turn it on and have no way of getting under the hood. so I am still on the fence if I am going to install it or not. I will be redoing all my wiring at the battery so I might do it then. Thanks for watching.
Yeah that’s the only bad part is having to open the hood to turn it on and off. I thought about maybe cutting the wire and re crumping it to where I could mount the switch inside the grill so you wouldn’t have to open the hood. But then if I do that wouldn’t be a whole lot of point in having it lol. But thanks for the reply! I was just curious!
Interesting mount plate you have . Looks well thought out and convenient. Dandahermit.
"don't drink those energy drinks, they're bad for you...i'm drinking this concoction, i don't know what it is, but it's good"
Beer is good too
At 658.00 yesterday at harbor freight in Syracuse, Ny.
They go on sale all the time, save some $
I only drink beer and whiskey in the shop.
Dude you can drive ! And that Jeep is a beast!! WOW!
Good job on the video it's nice to see people still driving real Jeeps instead of those four door vans
Mark Remillard I drive a 4 door minivan lol. It’s a WJ
Jeeps. Pshhh bring on the rock bouncers.
How heavy is the winch and accessories? Please?
How do you charge the wireless remote?
Strange when I worked for them they NEVER reached out like that. Glad to see they have upped their game.
Nice rig, good driving. I still prefer steel cables. actually just bought a cable added a loop using a thimble and a collar, if needed, I can connect them 2gether and have 135’ ov winch cable, although this is a nice winch don’t get me wrong.
Same mounting bolt pattern as the Warn Zeon 10 Platinum?
Don’t quote me on it but I have had 4 winches, 3 different brands and they all were the same. So I do believe they are pretty much all the same universal bolt pattern.
Dana Lakeman yeah i saw a guy that mounted one on his gladiator with the warn mount plate
Wow, that actually crawls pretty good for a jeep! Nice review!
Matt Davis what’s gonna crawl better? A dumb Toyota?
@@Muffduster uh oh someone's butthurt
It would be a good idea to run a yellow top optima for a winch.
80 feet goes quick. I got spoiled with 125 feet on my old 8274. How is the Alternator/ Battery draw while the vehicle is on? Do you think you can reduce the line width and get more line? Nice rig
That looks like an awesome winch!! I love the wireless controller on my winch. Great video Kelly! ❤️🐞
Thanks👍🏻 gotta love that wireless
Please keep us posted especially about LONG term reliability
I will👍🏻
That jeep is unstoppable!
Do you think it preformed better or worse than the Warn winch?
FYI you should preload any winch before wheeling with it.
Wireless is cool but I didn’t see u put it under any real test. Bury the Jeep then use it. Of course it’ll pull u over a small log
True, but I wasn’t going to bury my Jeep past the doors in nasty Elbe mud just to try out a winch, lol.
curious whats powering that rig of yours? i liked how it sounded while EASILY powering through that course haha made me wonder about your exhaust/engine. first time seeing one of your videos so maybe its been posted before. (Found later) its a TJ with the 4.0L, so exhaust?
Just a stock 4.0 with a k&n and some magnaflow knock off that they installed at the local muffler shop.
6:21 BANG Energy drink for sure :P ...... I actually don't even know what that is just trollin' but water is usually the late night garage work drink of choice for me
I didn't think you would need the winch. That Jeep is bad ass. Winch is great.
Randy Robitaille, he got stuck on purpose
Any cooling issues blocking that much of your grill?
I don’t have any issues, but I have an aluminum radiator and electric cooling fan. And it rarely seen street driving.
It has the shortest warranty in its class.
how BIG is this winch compared to the Warn? I am about to go pick one of these up now but was curious. I saw somewhere that they are huge, but I can't seem to find pics of them installed yet.
It is pretty large, but compared to other 12k winches it is pretty similar in size. But much larger than a 8k or 9.5k.
@@MuddyBeards4X4 I made the purchase! Looks amazing! Haven't used it yet..
great video. never off roaded before....looks like a lot of fun! You make it look easy. thank you for your time. OS great product by the way. I shop and like Harbour Freight
Never owned a winch, thinking of getting one, but what I've been warned about is the duty cycle on the Badlands. What happens if you find yourself using the winch more than one within 30 minutes time? Can the winch handle it? Serious question and if I don't know what I'm talking about, it's because I don't own a winch 😁
But it does not come with the Warn pull strap I can hang on my bumper like a banner, how will people know I am big doody offroadie?
🤣
Ok aside from the obvious -- you're not gonna bad-mouth a free winch--- your review of features and example on the trail sell it on Merritt. I've been struggling on a decision between 4 winches including a Smitty but This video has convinced me that this is the winch I will buy. Thanks for your really good review. Probably fixin to go to your link on it and order. I've got a Comanche I'm tweaking cause I live up in da mountains above the snowline ( buried right now haha) ant that trail reminds me of our drive up to the cabin. Dandahermit
Great job getting up that trail...nice line picking
Wow !!! That's really Kool. No need to plug a wireless module on to change to Remote. Very sanitary. Dandahermit
Lots of good info on that tea you were drinking. I immediately thought "wow that winch is really fast" when you were playing with the remote.
Lol, yea that’s what I thought too. Great no load line speed for sure.
@@MuddyBeards4X4 stik the 8 on the back..handy..my winches are removable.hitched.only fit when trailing..
How's it holding up?
How much of a lift do you have on that bad boy?! Mine only has a 4 inch lift and it works pretty well but I was thinking about going higher so it could flex more when rock crawling. Love the rig tho!
Thanks, it’s about 4.5” lift. Less is more when it comes to lifts in my opinion, keep it low and stable. down travel is more important than up travel anyways.
Muddy Beards 4X4 Thank you!
Slade Gist low COG, articulation and clearance are your friends. That and picking lines. I have seen a TJ with long arms, tummy tucked and 33s go over trails like it was a slinky
Can that winch be mounted foot forwards....as in can you clock the winch to fit inside an ARB style bumper?
They are in sale the end of this month for $289
799
599 in phx az
Fake news.
@@Muffduster they are $399 normal price in Oklahoma. Sorry your life sucks
pigtrapper 1 At least I don’t live in Oklahoma.
How's this holding up? I am considering this winch. I was at HF yesterday and I was drooling all over the floor model, hopefully they were able to clean that up, but I need a bumper before I bother with a winch so still shopping.
Thanks!
Thanks for the video! Great information! I have a newbie first-winch question: Should I put my winch on the front or back of my vehicle? I'm not an aggressive rock climber or deep mud enthusiast. I'm just putting one on my van (2020 GMC Savana 2500 4x4) for emergencies. I'm thinking the back bumper is more practical, but I'm not sure. Thanks!
Why synthetic rope and not cable? I think I like cable better . Can you tell me why rope and not cable.
Stronger, lighter, safer, lots of reasons. Most off road competitions don’t even allow steel cable anymore👍🏻
Me personally I like cable better synthetic is good in the long run cable is actually more durable you have to clean synthetic lines warn is the winch I would go for.
There is no question that synthetic is safer and lighter. But steel cable is way more durable! Ive seen multiple rope lines snap, have yet to see a cable snap (thank God!) Synthetic breaks down over time and with any direct sunlight. Its lifespan is not as long as steel cable. Ive run both and prefer synthetic just because free spooling steel cable sucks!!!
@@krover01 I agree I never had one cable break. I had so many synthetic on my RZR and they all broke. I kept them clean and never let it pile up . My cable I dont let pike up either. I just don't know now. 12000lbs winch and its synthetic. Omg. I won't but it with out cable. Thanks for the video Muddy. You have alot of them.
Hey brother, where did you get the spare tire rack for your Jeep? I am looking for that very type for my YJ and I can't find one anywhere. Any help you can offer is appreciated. Thanks, Dave. P.S. by the way, great video.
Thanks, it was a custom built one by my buddy and myself.👊🏻
You've got some serious wheeling skills!
Do you still have the same winch and how is it/did it work for you
Yes, still have it and still works great
@@MuddyBeards4X4 sweet. I just bought one yesterday for my 2008 super duty. I am wanting to set it up in a cradle so I can use it front and rear if need be. There are a ton of 5 star reviews so I hope I didn't do wrong. I decided to but the 2 year replacement plan but I'm not sure if it would be a waste of money or not. I guess time will tell
that thing is a monster man, Only thing it needs a winch for it getting other people out.
Side note. What kind of stretch do you have on the Jeep? Looks good.
Not really a stretch, just home made 3 link long arm in the front, and home made short arms in the back, lol. I believe my current wheelbase is around 96”.
Do you know if this winch will fit inside an ARB Deluxe Front Bumper for a 2015 Tacoma?
Id be impressed if it was free to. That being said, Ive had more issues with Warn winches. Ive had my smittybuilt winch for 3 years and its never let me down.
Brian Nolastname I’ve had my Shittybuilt for 6 year and it finally stopped working. I think it’s just the solenoid though.
@@ElkinsEric smittybuilt has a good customer service, they may be able to help trouble shoot the issue.
Yeah Smittybilt customer service is tops . I had an issue with one of my bumpers recently and they sent me a replacement with no grief
I will be getting one...(with extended service contract of coarse!)
👍🏻
Good ol’ harbor freight swip swap
Before you purchase compare the warranty with the smitty Built I think you'll change your mind. Not to mention you'll save money
$599 on sale right now.
IMHO extended service contracts are useless.
Will this bolt on a stock 2015 Willy'?
Wrangler>
If that's a real question, you shouldn't be modifying vehicles
When we going wheeling? Snow run up in copper here in the next few weeks?
I wish, but I just tore the Jeep apart, lol.
Is it normal for one to be that loud?