Blew $400 on a 'high-speed' winch that couldn't lift half my max load

Took me three jobs to realize the gear ratio was wrong for my boom truck, and the supplier ghosted me when I asked for a refund - anyone else get burned by a flashy spec sheet?

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xenarobinson3mo ago

Blew through three sets of brakes on my old work truck before I figured out the load capacity was based on a perfect world scenario. The dealer told me it was "field tested" which apparently meant they drove it around an empty parking lot once. Ended up having to fab my own bracket just to get the thing to stop right.

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troy_wilson83mo ago

Did you check the gear ratio before you bought it? I almost made the same mistake a few years back on a truck winch. The rating looked great on paper but it was all about line speed, not pull power. @xenarobinson your brake story hits close to home, I learned the hard way that "field tested" usually means "looked at in a parking lot." Spend the extra time matching the drum size and cable wrap to what you actually need, it saves a ton of headache.

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