This unit has more than paid for itself, two times now. Once to pull out a 2000 Cummins ext. Cab LB, burried to the frame in thick, sticky mud. Straight line pull, aprox 96% max winch cap. I drive a 2011 cummins ram 2500 LB on 37s. Between 8-9k loaded. Next, I pulled myself out while buried to the frame in the same thick, sticky mud. Safe Xtract app says 16,782lb aprox vehicle resistance here. Initially used straight line pull for easily 3 times the recommended duty cycle, for hours and hours. Second day, resorted to single snatchblock pull for well past the duty cycle again. Just kept working. I'm buying a 12k now, to use as a rear winch for future rescues. Might even replace my current 17.5k for precaution, since I surpassed the duty cycle so far. Didn't let me down though!

This thing is a beast ! I pulled my 66 C10 onto my equipment trailer up fold down ramps , (pretty steep ) and don’t think it even knew the truck was there !

FRICKEN AWSOME !!! This winch is bad to the bone..Had a 2500 ram buried up to its doors in mud with a 2500 extened cab chevy tightly straped together and buried to the frame in mud and the smitty built 17500 pulled them out like they werent even there.. FRICKEN AWSOME...

Based on what I have done so far I give it a solid 4. Currently it has been mounted inside the bumper which is now on the truck, and wires have been pulled up top but not yet cut in. This is being I stalled in a 2500 Ram diesel and the power wire is to short to reach either battery, so am waiting on a bus bar to arrive so I can cut it in.

Install went ok-ish. The torque specifications on the install manual was "not less than 60Nm (about 45ftlbs). Well, 45ftlbs IMMEDIATELY stripped out the first mounting hole, in the aluminum body of the winch. I just doused everything with blue loctite, torqued everything to 30ftlbs, and will hope for the best. On the bright side, I can buy 6 more, before it costs me as much as 1 warn 16.5ti.

Very strong winch. But man, straight out the box it is not user friendly. Right away I changed the winch line to a synthetic line, but man to unspool in free spool is nearly impossible while in the mud. Standing on concrete it’s still semi manageable, but why would I need a winch while on concrete… Secondly, why would a $750 winch NOT be available with a wireless remote!?! The chorded is a great backup, but man what a pain when trying to self recover and you have to slip and slide back to the winch every time. Even the crappy ebay winches come with wireless. Easy fix, but I shouldn’t have to buy an aftermarket. And yes, the $28 from amazon wire into the solenoid and work like a charm. Other than that, winch is a beast. Fix those dumb issues and it’s easily a 5 star.