Badland Apex Winch

[Jeeperjamie]

I am about to pull the trigger on a Winch and front bumper. I've already pretty much figured out which bumper I want but I'm between the Badland 12,000 Apex Winch and the regular Badland 12,000 winch and harbor freight. I know some are going to start bashing these winches immediately but I'm not hearing it because I ran one on my JKU for almost 6 yrs with no issues and I got a buddy running one on a car trailor for close to 10 yrs now. I know they are good winches for the money if you take care of them and use them right. My issue is how much better is the Apex compared to the regular one. I know Apex has synthetic Line and wireless remote comes with it but as far as getting the job done is there a huge difference. The Apex is on sale for $499.00 right now and the regular one is $289.00, I'm trying to justify the extra $200.

https://www.harborfreight.com/ZXR-1...Remote-Control-and-Automatic-Brake-63770.html

https://www.harborfreight.com/APEX-Synthetic-12000-lb-Wireless-Winch-56385.html

Pay no attention to the price listed on the Apex, I got a coupon with the $499 sale price on it. Any help would be appreciated.

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[LostWoods]

Hate to be that guy but is there a reason you're looking at these winches in particular? The big flaw in these winches is the duty cycle which may or may not be an issue for you but 5% is pretty bad if you find yourself on a trail that requires a lot of winching.

If that's not a concern for you then I say synthetic all the way. Much higher margin of safety and, as you said, as long as you take care of your gear they will last a long time.

 

[Jeeperjamie]

Hate to be that guy but is there a reason you're looking at these winches in particular? The big flaw in these winches is the duty cycle which may or may not be an issue for you but 5% is pretty bad if you find yourself on a trail that requires a lot of winching.

If that's not a concern for you then I say synthetic all the way. Much higher margin of safety and, as you said, as long as you take care of your gear they will last a long time.

I had one on my JKU that done awesome for me when I needed it. It got me out of some tough situations so I trust the brand. I'm down to these two and I have heard the the newer ZXR Badland brand was updated from the older style one like I had on my JKU. I haven't used the newer model, I've only had experience with the older model, which did great for me.

 

[eaglerugby04]

Hate to be that guy but is there a reason you're looking at these winches in particular? The big flaw in these winches is the duty cycle which may or may not be an issue for you but 5% is pretty bad if you find yourself on a trail that requires a lot of winching.

If that's not a concern for you then I say synthetic all the way. Much higher margin of safety and, as you said, as long as you take care of your gear they will last a long time.

JK gear and gadgets just did an install and test of one of these. He did a cut away where he worked the crap out of it and everything seemed fine there.

I had one on my JKU that done awesome for me when I needed it. It got me out of some tough situations so I trust the brand. I'm down to these two and I have heard the the newer ZXR Badland brand was updated from the older style one like I had on my JKU. I haven't used the newer model, I've only had experience with the older model, which did great for me.

The Apex was on my list, and I was close to pulling the trigger until I found a smittybuilt for under $500. I was going to jump on the Apex at $600 before that. Just the cost of the synthetic line is enough to justify $100 of the price right there. I would say the extra $100 could easily be justified based on the fact that you are buying a newer upgraded version of a winch.

One thing JK Gear and gadgets did recommend is the replacement policy on it from HF since they do only have a 90 day warranty on them.

 

[LostWoods]

In that case the Apex has a much faster spool speed from its lower (numeric) ratio. If both are rated the exact same, I would think the Apex has the stronger motor (or it's driven harder with better cooling) given it needs much less reduction to give the same results. That does come at a power draw cost so I hope your battery is up to snuff.

Unfortunately, that's all a paper comparison and I don't have hands on experience with either... My normal recommendations are Warn ZEON if you hate money or do brutal trails, Warn EVO for bang for the buck and a fair bit of use, and Smitty XRC for a SHTF or budget option. All three of those are pretty solid piece of kit but the XRC is in that weird spot between upgrades where the Gen2 stock is gone but Gen3 is still hard enough to find they're not giving deep discounts. The Gen2 12k Comp (i.e. synthetic) was a fantastic deal for a while there.

 

[Jeeperjamie]

JK gear and gadgets just did an install and test of one of these. He did a cut away where he worked the crap out of it and everything seemed fine there.


The Apex was on my list, and I was close to pulling the trigger until I found a smittybuilt for under $500. I was going to jump on the Apex at $600 before that. Just the cost of the synthetic line is enough to justify $100 of the price right there. I would say the extra $100 could easily be justified based on the fact that you are buying a newer upgraded version of a winch.

One thing JK Gear and gadgets did recommend is the replacement policy on it from HF since they do only have a 90 day warranty on them.

Would you of got the Apex at $499. That's where I'm at. I feel like at $499 it's well worth the price. I was thinking of getting the ZXR and upgrading to Synthetic line but already having the synthetic Line and the fairlead to go with it plus the wireless remote seems like $499 is pretty darn good price.

I just found it online priced without coupon for $499. I wonder if I can use the 20% off as well

https://www.harborfreight.com/APEX-Synthetic-12000-lb-Wireless-Winch-56385.html

 

[Jeeperjamie]

It's actually cheaper to use the 20% off rather than the $499 price on the coupon. I just did it both ways online and $521 shipped or $515 picked up in store total using the 20% off. I'm going this route, that's a steal

 

[SwampNut]

I had a Tuffstuff winch on my JK for about six years, and a LOT of pulls. Including one while fully under water, and it was a monster of a pull. Pulled a motorhome out of a sand pit in another case. Anyway, it worked great all along.

But they don't seem to have something to fit this new bumper, so I went shopping. I came to the conclusion that the Smittybilt XRC gen2/gen3 was a great way to go, and ended up with a 9500 pound gen3 comp from 4WP for $550 with synthetic line and it also includes a monstrous aluminum shackle that looks fantastic. The design looks very good, and the install kit seems to be really well done. The magnetic/lighted remote is very nice, as is the lighting on the winch itself. I won't be able to mount it until late this week when the plate arrives.

 

[eaglerugby04]

It's actually cheaper to use the 20% off rather than the $499 price on the coupon. I just did it both ways online and $521 shipped or $515 picked up in store total using the 20% off. I'm going this route, that's a steal

Thats a really good deal. had I not found the smitty built I would be all over this deal.

 

[Jeeperjamie]

Found these couple videos on the Apex Winch. I'm definitely going with it. Seems like a great winch for the money.

 

[eaglerugby04]

Found these couple videos on the Apex Winch. I'm definitely going with it. Seems like a great winch for the money.

Can't wait to see what it looks like installed. What bumper are you getting for it?

 

[Jeeperjamie]

Can't wait to see what it looks like installed. What bumper are you getting for it?

I'm thinking the EAG Full length bumper. I ran the stubby one on my JKU for 5yrs and I really liked it. Very minimal rusting after 5yrs in NC humid weather and never garaged. This is the one

https://www.ebay.com/itm/193441573026

 

[eaglerugby04]

I'm thinking the EAG Full length bumper. I ran the stubby one on my JKU for 5yrs and I really liked it. Very minimal rusting after 5yrs in NC humid weather and never garaged. This is the one

https://www.ebay.com/itm/193441573026

That setup is going to look nice. That is even cheaper than the stubby Rugged Ridge I have. Hopefully the directions are better for you than the ones I got, lol.

 

[Rottie]

I'm thinking the EAG Full length bumper. I ran the stubby one on my JKU for 5yrs and I really liked it. Very minimal rusting after 5yrs in NC humid weather and never garaged. This is the one

https://www.ebay.com/itm/193441573026

did you get the Apex?...did you get it on the Jeep?

 

[Jeeperjamie]

did you get the Apex?...did you get it on the Jeep?

No not yet. I will be getting it in the next week or so. I am still deciding on the bumper, but I will be getting that winch soon. Going back and forth between two different bumpers right now. I'll post up as soon as I have it in hand with a video and pictures. Wanted to have it in the bumper already when I install everything.

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