I'm looking to put a winch on my 08 500 Touring, but I don't feel like shelling out $500 just for the privilege of having the Warn logo. So, I did some searches and saw that KFI Sells a 3000lb winch combo kit that includes the model specific mounting plate, winch, hardware, etc. for around $230.

My question is, does anyone have any experience (good or bad) with KFI winches? Or is there another reasonably priced winch that's worth looking at?

 

For starters I never even heard of KFI and I for one would tell you along with many people on this forum that you get what you pay for, but if you must go cheap, There have been a few her that have had good luck with winches made by Gorilla and Viper. To me there is nothing worse than having to walk out of the woods to get help when you are stuck. Do your own research you will see that Warn lets people down the least amount of time and that is by a long shot!

 

I'll give Gorilla and Viper a check as well, thanks for the heads up on those. And I've heard a lot of great things about Warn (both truck & ATV versions), but with their prices, it seems like you're paying more for the name than the product. I'm not knocking their product, I just don't want to buy a BMW when a Ford Torus will get me to work just the same, you know?

 

KFI makes great winch mounts... not so sure about their winches. I'm sure it's made in China like most of the others... probably by a company that makes other winches.

The new Viper Elite's seem to be holding up well, but you are still talking about $300 for a 3000 class winch. I shopped around and picked up a new WARN 3000 XT with the remote for $360. However, it did take me all day to install it, but I did save somewhere between $200 - $300 compared to what the dealers wanted for the winch & install.

 

I got my winch saver from KFI for $8.00 works fine, that's all I know about them.

 

I have a Warn sitting in my shed that I only used maybe 5 times before it quite. I never look at it yet but I,m not impressed with it.

Everyone I ride with has a winch so I just get them to pull me out when stuck, which is very rarely. I,m not paying $300+ to try again, I can get some awesome tires for that much money. ATV rides much nicer now with that 50lb mounting plate/winch combo off the front end also.

I.ll trade you my "don,t work" warn for your "working" KFI.

 

TLC I'll take that Warn from you if you would like as I know I can get parts to fix it!

 

Here is a pic of it, it came with the ATV and has both the Polaris and Warn Logo. Maybe it was just a bad year for them.

 

Yep its just a previous model winch to the RT/XT line. The problems warn had with these ones is that they were not water tight like the RT/XT line but other than that they were pretty much bullet proof and easy to work on!

 

Doesn't Warn offer a lifetime warranty on their winches?