Like I said it's definitely hit and miss with HF. Just today I was using a 4 1/2 inch grinder I bought on sale from HF probably 8 years ago now. Went through more wheels than I can count with it. Never have had to replace a brush, never had a lick of trouble with it. How much did I pay for it?

$4.99

Likewise I have often bought shop rags in bulk from Hf for far less than I can buy them locally.

On the other hand I've bought their electrical tape and found it was certifiable trash. Quality control can be an issue too. I bought two pairs of leather work gloves last winter. Fairly heavy orange and black ones. One pair has been a really decent pair of gloves. The other had the index finger tear out after a day of hard work.

Oh and their 1001 piece hardware set
http://www.harborfreight.com/c....taf?Itemnumber=42263


Don't buy it. You get about a dozen cotter pins, screw, nuts and washers that are a useful size but the rest is useless. The box isn't bad for storing things in the shop though. All in all not worth the price. Unless you catch it on sale for under 5 bucks it isn't worth it.

 

I have a set just like that. Got it years before the HF store was here. Maybe got it from Big Lots. LOW quality. Threads strip, screw heads strip, nuts and bolts go together too loose, screws break in half, etc., but nice box and labels. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] Glad I got it organized even if half of it's crap.

 

Those are all real interesting stories but don't really answer the question, has anyone had experience with this paticular winch? I agree, most of the time you get what you pay for at Harbor Freight but occasionally I stumble across a well built and useful item from there and was wondering if the winch might be one. You can't always judge a book by its cover.....

 

I'm not sure that previous experience with this particular product would be of any use to you anyway since Harbor Freight buys odd lots of product all over the orient and doesn't rely on regular suppliers. It is always hit or miss with this importer, kind of like going to the casino, do you feel lucky?

I think what everyone is saying is, you have to be willing to throw your money away on a worthless piece of junk on the chance of getting a good product and saving a few $$$

Is it worth $67 to find out if this winch is OK, and will you actually trust it to pull you out if you get buried?

 

the $45 winch is a name brand i believe

 

this one ill bet is better http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas..._dyncharset=ISO-8859-1

 

http://motoalliance.com/index..../familyid/88#family_88

 

http://www.kfiproducts.com/ind...?_a=viewCat&catId=141


<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.kfiproducts.com/index.php?_a=viewCat&catId=14
">http://www.kfiproducts.com/ind...iewCat&catId=14
</a>
And check your Tractor supply store

 

Well they do offer a warranty/replacement plan for their stuff at a fee...not that I have the time to be wasting on running down to capitalize on it. No way would I chance their winch. You be out in the midde of nowhere and it likely break when ya need it. Nothing the winch can do that block and tackle can't. Heck if a few of our finest can pull a hummer out of mud pit with tackle we can surely do an atv with but one.
But anyways, I have to agree that it is hit and miss with harbor freight. Some stuff like the polisher, respirators, hvlp can see good use in busness application. Other things like little pumps or the air chissel may bite you with the cheap electronics and cheap cinese metal. I do hear though that the inferior metal china was producing is perhaps under better controls now so maybe it will flow on down to the parts at some point next few years.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Bigpappa

Has any one had the 3000# camo winch with remote from Harbor Freight? There on sale for $67.00 and I thought I might rig one up and put on rear of wheeler if any good at all..</end quote></div>

I bought one. Wanted to try it before installing on the grizzly, so I hooked it up on the bench. It ran very slowly even with no load and started smoking within a few seconds.
I took it back the next day. Maybe I just got a bad.
I bought a 1500 LB Polaris winch for the 400. It seems to work great but have'nt put a load on it yet. Of course, like everything else it seems, Polaris winch 'Made in China'

I did buy 2 winches that seem to be reliable from Harbor Freight, pretty habdy toohttp://www.harborfreight.com/c...m.taf?Itemnumber=95541