Smittybilt Winch Review – Best Prices 2017

Choosing the correct winch is an essential choice for any avid off-roader. A tried and trusted tool for getting your vehicle out of trouble, you need a winch that you can rely on when miles from home. Don’t just rush out and buy the cheapest model you can find, or whichever model comes on the first page of your google search. Stop around and learn about who the professionals trust. This week we will be taking a look at established US manufacturer Smittybilt, and breaking down what they offer, and how they can help get your vehicle out of trouble.

Smitthybilt were founded 60 years, and began making a range of accessories and fixtures for SUVs and JEEPs. They have since established themselves as one of the leading sellers of mechanical winches. Known for their attention to detail and robust designs, Smittybilt are always worth considering on your shortlist when you are looking to purchase a quality winch that you can easily fit to your vehicle. To give you a clear idea of what they can offer, we have put together our Smittybilt winch review for your consideration.

Smittybilt Winch Review: What Smittybilt Winch to Buy in 2017 ?

 

Smittybilt offer a range of winches, giving the consumer a choice as to the price point, maximum load, and type of vehicle that they wish to fit it on. Offering a lifting capacity of up to 8000 lb, their range is useful for pulling any size of automobile or SUV, allowing you to transform your vehicle for a reasonable cost and minimal hassle.

Smittybilt 97495 XRC Winch – 9500 lb. Load Capacity

• 6.6 HP Amphibious motor and 3 Stage Planetary Gear System
• Lifetime Mechanical Warranty, 5 Year Electrical Warranty
• Completely Waterproof, state-of-the-art 500AMP Solenoid
• Waterproof IP67 rating
• It has a Corded Remote

>>>Click Here to See Pricing, Ratings, and Reviews on Amazon.com

Smittybilt (97510) X2O Waterproof Winch – 10000 lb. Load Capacity

 

• Wireless Remote
• 6.6 HP Amphibious motor and 3 Stage Planetary Gear System
• Lifetime Mechanical Warranty, 5 Year Electrical Warranty
• Completely Waterproof, state-of-the-art 500AMP Solenoi

 

>>>Click Here to See Pricing, Ratings, and Reviews on Amazon.com

 

Smittybilt (98510) X2O Waterproof Synthetic Rope Winch – 10000 lb. Load Capacity

• Wireless Remote
• 6.6 HP Amphibious motor and 3 Stage Planetary Gear System
• Lifetime Mechanical Warranty, 5 Year Electrical Warranty
• Completely Waterproof, state-of-the-art 500AMP Solenoid
• Synthetic Line Included

 

>>>Click Here to See Pricing, Ratings, and Reviews on Amazon.com

Smittybilt 97203 XRC-3 3,000 lbs Winch

• Revolutionary planetary gear system boasts an 3,000 lb. line rating and 136:1 gear ratio
• 3.9 hp, 12-volt, Permanent Magnet Motor
• 1/4″ x 38′ galvanized aircraft cable with replaceable hook included
• Overall Dimension (LxWxH): 13.2″ x 4.48″ x 4.72″ (125 mm x 114 mm x 76.5 mm)
• All Smittybilt Winches meet SAE-J706 standard ratings for winches

 

>>Click Here to See Pricing, Ratings, and Reviews on Amazon.com

Smittybilt 98495 XRC Synthetic Rope Winch – 9500 lb. Load Capacity

• Wired Remote, remote Control is included, Cable type: Synthetic Rope
• Motor: 6.6hp Series Wound, Gear Train: 3-Stage Planetary, Gear Ratio: 161.28:1
• Lifetime Mechanical Warranty, 3 Year Electrical Warranty
• Fairlead: Hawse

>>Click Here to See Pricing, Ratings, and Reviews on Amazon.com

Smittybilt 97204 XRC-4 Winch – 4,000 lbs Capacity

 

• Winch motor is 4.1 horsepower permanent magnetic motor
• 3-stage planetary gear reduction ratio is 198:1
• It has 15/64 inches x 32 feet galvanized cable
• It includes handlebar rocker switch and 11 feet remote control
• It includes universal mounting plate and 4 way steel roller fairlead

>>>Click Here to See Pricing, Ratings, and Reviews on Amazon.com

Smittybilt 97412 XRC Winch – 12000 lb. Load Capacity

• 6.6 HP Amphibious motor and 3 Stage Planetary Gear System
• Lifetime Mechanical Warranty, 5 Year Electrical Warranty
• Completely Waterproof, state-of-the-art 500AMP Solenoid

>>>Click Here to See Pricing, Ratings, and Reviews on Amazon.com

 

Smittybilt Winch X20 or XRC series

At a typical power of 5.5 hp, Smittybilt motors maybe slightly smaller than those of many competitor’s, but they are known across the industry for their high levels of efficiency.

By running cooler than other designs, they allow for more effective power transfer to the load, enabling lifting with less effort that other products on the market. The knock on benefit of this is that it actually extends the lifetime of the motor, meaning that you get a better performing winch that also will outlast many of its rivals in this respect.

The main line of Smittybilt winches are the XRC series, and the competing X20 range. The features of the X20 and XRC are largely identical, they only significantly differ in the control and braking systems that they have in-place. The raw pulling power is same across both ranges.

The advantage of the X20 is that it comes complete with an additional wireless remote controller. Perfect for operating your winch when you need to stand back from the vehicle, either for safety reasons, or to better evaluate the bigger picture during pulling.

The X20 also features a patented dynamic breaking system, ideal when lifting or pulling unstable or asymmetric loads. You can also upgrade either range to the comp version, the main feature of which is a fully waterproof 6.6 hp motor. Perfect for giving you that extra pulling power and insulating you from the unpredictability of the outdoors. Price is always one of the main considerations when deciding on your next investment, and with the XRC comp placed at a shade under $300 from most retailers, this would be our recommended product of choice. You don’t get the entire suite of functionality that the top end X20-comp has, but in reality they aren’t worth the extra cost unless you are a professional breakdown company or truly committed off roader.

Whilst the motors are well known for their reliability and durability, there have been a few concerns raised about the tendency for the spool levers to jam. This may not seem like a massive problem, as you can still fully deploy the line via the built in remote. However the spool is the main way in which you then bring the line back in once your lift or pull is complete. If your remote is unable to do this, then you may be left with a significant length of slack line. Your only option to get home will be to then tie it off and secure it around the body of the winch and your front bumper. It will get you home fine, but can then be costly to repair, compared to the price of the winch as a whole.

Online reviews of Smittybilt are generally very positive. On Amazon, they average 4.4 – 4.5 stars across the product range. One potential downside of this metric is that approximately 15% of buyers give their purchase 2/5 or below, which is a significant percentage of the customer base. Granted that customers who have had negative experiences, no matter how long after the purchase date, are 3 times more likely to post an online review of a product.

We are going to give the Smittybilt range a very respectable 4 stars out of the maximum 5. For $300 you are get a robust winch, with a great quality pulling motor. The only thing stopping that elusive 5th star are a small number of reliability issues highlighted by some users.

For $300 you really can’t go wrong, you just have to accept you are not buying a top spec winch by paying mid-range money. That said, once up and running the Smittybilt will get you out of trouble 99 times out 100. Highly recommended.

 

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