So I decided to go ahead and try out the Champion Power Equipment 8000 lb winch from Costco. It'll be a while before I'm able to actually use it, but here's what I found when I got it home:
First thing I noticed was the super-crappy photoshopped "installation" of this winch on an H2 on the box.
Second, the box is the perfect size to house an almost-two-year-old boy:
Then, the good stuff. The kit comes with a mounting plate that appears to be punched with all sorts of holes for mounting to a variety of vehicles (including, apparently, floating in space ahead of an H2 front bumper...). For my application, if I use the plate at all I'll be cutting it up and just using the middle bit and fairlead mount.
A roller fairlead is included, which appears generally equivalent to any other roller fairlead.
A snatch block is included, though it's pretty small and cheesy-feeling. It looks like it'll work, but just because the pulley diameter is smaller than the usual, it'll put more strain on the cable. (assuming I keep the cable and not swap to synthetic rope, that is)
The bad: This thing isn't very stylish or sleek. The Warns I've had in the past have been nicer-looking, and the newish ones are almost sexy in comparison to this boxy thing. The solenoid housing is very large for what I know must be inside it, big enough to make a perfect seat for the aforementioned nearly-two-year-old kid.
The last thing is the controller. It's ridiculous. I'll definitely be hard-wiring a switch in the dashboard so I can leave this thing at home.
Overall, it does seem like a winch. It's heavy, nearly 120 lbs with everything in the box....so that must mean it's good, right? I don't expect any blazing-fast line speeds out of it, I just want something that will work for the occasional use I'll likely put it through. If it does that, it'll be WELL worth the $299, especially with the accessories it comes with.
First thing I noticed was the super-crappy photoshopped "installation" of this winch on an H2 on the box.
Second, the box is the perfect size to house an almost-two-year-old boy:
Then, the good stuff. The kit comes with a mounting plate that appears to be punched with all sorts of holes for mounting to a variety of vehicles (including, apparently, floating in space ahead of an H2 front bumper...). For my application, if I use the plate at all I'll be cutting it up and just using the middle bit and fairlead mount.
A roller fairlead is included, which appears generally equivalent to any other roller fairlead.
A snatch block is included, though it's pretty small and cheesy-feeling. It looks like it'll work, but just because the pulley diameter is smaller than the usual, it'll put more strain on the cable. (assuming I keep the cable and not swap to synthetic rope, that is)
The bad: This thing isn't very stylish or sleek. The Warns I've had in the past have been nicer-looking, and the newish ones are almost sexy in comparison to this boxy thing. The solenoid housing is very large for what I know must be inside it, big enough to make a perfect seat for the aforementioned nearly-two-year-old kid.
The last thing is the controller. It's ridiculous. I'll definitely be hard-wiring a switch in the dashboard so I can leave this thing at home.
Overall, it does seem like a winch. It's heavy, nearly 120 lbs with everything in the box....so that must mean it's good, right?
I don't expect any blazing-fast line speeds out of it, I just want something that will work for the occasional use I'll likely put it through. If it does that, it'll be WELL worth the $299, especially with the accessories it comes with.
