Harbor Freight 12000 winch pulling stuck tractor

In this video the harbor freight badlands 12000 winch gets put to the test pulling out a very stuck ~6800lb tractor.

[@kaelanakvik6313]

This was EXACTLY the review i was looking for on this winch. Worst case scenario with a temp setup and a heavy tractor in slop!

[@timmorris3056]

Impressed with the whole setup, bought the winch, now looking for 100 acres with a tractor and mud! Awesome! 😂👍

[@noonespecific9463]

Tim Morris, did you see the hour long video of the guy with the same winch? He claims the lubrication installed in the end of the winch where the planetary reduction gears are is basically garbage. His winch was brand new and that stuff in it did look like it was substandard. Anyway, he takes it apart and explains and shows on camera how to disassemble that end and clean the black sticky goo off of everything. Then tells you exactly what kind of grease should be inside and all the places to put it. I’ll look for the video and post the link here if I can find it again (tech challenged here) it looked pretty simple to take apart, clean , and grease and reassemble, it also looked like it was very worth while to do. He claimed the sticky stuff left inside as it was could cause issues with free spooling and planetary gears failing at some future time. Since your comment isn’t very old I figured I would share this info, I just bought one of those winches as well, got the apex remote and their universal mounting plate also. Good luck!

[@timmorris3056]

@@noonespecific9463 We'll pull the planetary end plate and check it out. It's a good winch, but some assembly lines can lack attention to important details like proper lubrication and weather tight seals. A simple maintenance checkpoint for us. Thank you👍

[@noonespecific9463]

@@timmorris3056 , this would be my first ever winch I bought, I did it on an impulse buy, lol, when I looked at the reviews and seen it was probably a decent winch , well.....then I started fabricating a new custom front bumper for my pickup, I think maybe it’s going to weigh a ton, hahaha, but I’m having a blast making the bumper that will stand the stresses that winch could possibly put on it.

[@Joe-wy2bn]

I have one of these. Yesterday, I was pulling out some pine trees with it. It was attached to the trailer hitch of my pickup and dragging the truck backwards. I chained an 8000 lb bobcat to the truck as additional weight and it was pulling the truck and bobcat on a hard dirt road. I removed the winch from the pickup and attached the winch to a big dump truck and was able to pull the trees over. I put this winch to the test over the years and it's been just perfect.

[@lolbr6818]

I learn something new every day. In a pinch, a canvas bag makes a pretty good battery box. Thanks

[@darrenmoyer269]

That's pretty impressive, glad it worked stuck tractors are a major headache.

[@greglatiolais8947]

Thanks for the video. I got my tractor stuck and was looking for a solution that didn't involve involving bothering my neighbor. Glad you emphasized the steps you took to work with the winch safely. Gonna go pick one up today.

[@mmmtransport]

This is the best demonstration for this winch I've seen yet, great video, thanks!

[@istvanmeissler2238]

This is a demonstration of when a tool pays for itself with the first use. Men who use tools will understand exactly what I mean.

[@tiredoldmechanic1791]

You'll never regret having a winch.

[@anniepfeffer9903]

Hey, WOMEN who use tools also understand this. hehehehe

[@olddave4833]

another reason why I keep five snatch blocks and two hundred feet of 3/8 cable.

[@sitehost]

I agree.. Anyone who has the knowledge will get it.. i was happy watching this,

[@normfreilinger5655]

Yes ! If you have no other equipment , a tow truck in the woods will cost a fortune to retrieve your tractor 🚜 ! Tool payed for itself now !

[@darthnatas953]

Just bought one of these ZXR 12000, but haven't used it yet. I've had several Warn M12000 winches over the years, and they were fantastic. That tractor was VERY stuck, so I'm impressed. Warn's have a duty cycle as well, they just won't tell you what it is. Thanks for the video.

[@byronwhitney665]

I just bought one this week. $285 after $60 discount coupon. Nice to see it has this type of capability. And thanks for mentioning the importance of giving it a rest. The owners manual is very specific about that. My Jeep is about 2 ton. So I gave myself some room for error. And yes, I agree with you. A snatch block would have given you even better results. Thanks for posting!

[@mikecorrado4971]

I was betting that something was going to break before the tractor was pulled out! I lost that bet. Very impressive!

[@christophercale]

Great video, thanks for posting. Came to learn about the winch and was able to immediately relate to the stuck tractor....been there!

[@mikah4051]

Smart man. Most people don't give a second thought to safety. The winch worked like a charm.

[@jeepcj3b436]

Thank you. Nice to know they work that well. Getting ready to buy one of these.

[@Gax7on]

I was looking for a video like this one.. thank you so much !!!

[@willtricks9432]

Perfect example of buying the tool you need and using whats around to finish a job. That winch worked fine and when you get the snatch blocks you won't get stuck for long again. Cheers

[@markashlock8058]

Don't know if someone else already mentioned this, but mud puts a tremendous amount of suction on the tractor when it is on high center, sometimes almost doubling its actual weight. That's why the "log wheel trick" is so effective, as it breaks the suction almost immediately, and then all down hill from there. I use an old logging chain that fortunately has yet to break. Very impressed with this HF winch. They also have a 18,000 pound model which would probably work better for me, and after seeing this, I'm going to look into it. Thanks!!

[@HHwrecker]

I've had the Series 1 about two years now. Great winch. With the amount of line you pulled out, you were probably on the second layer on the drum. I think that's about 8,000 lb. capacity and it still pulled it out. Great job.

[@rjstransportation6622]

That was a test!, A real test!Very Very Impressive! Thank you for your experiences!

[@kdtxtoolreviews1084]

Very nice! Thanks for sharing been looking at purchasing this unit, glad I saw a good video of it under load

[@thescrambler6684]

Definitely worth the shot, a warn will run you 1800 or better, can’t believe I’m saying this about a Harbor Freight tool 😂

[@scjohnk]

Harbor Freight has come a loooooooong way. Sure, they still have a good assortment of garbage, but their high end items, are usually worth every penny. Vulcan, Badland, Icon, all solid brands. I

[@johnbarnham6744]

I found that to be very impressive. Thanks for taking the extra time to do this review.

[@archersacres462]

Absolutely! Glad you found it helpful

[@wyohorseman9948]

@@archersacres462 this video was my deciding factor for this winch not only because hf is closer but that just pulled almost 22k like it was nothing. Best investment i ever made yes they're slow but they make up for it in muscle

[@michaelgronski6122]

Excellent video and a great piece of equipment from Harbor Freight.

[@MrMrWrench]

Great video and comfortably done. I think you are smart to realize the very dangerous nature of straining a steel cable. Too many brilliant tough guys ignore such risks and get injured or worse. I have the same winch but I have not used it yet and now I feel better about what it might be able to do. Thanks for your time. Good luck with your land.

[@sniperdoug1969]

When I went to recovery school. It was an ASI class over 1 weekend where we were taught how to use winches and other recovery tools. We were taught to stand at least 1.5 lengths of the total length of the cable we were using to pull with. Of course being the Army they had plenty of winch extension control cords. We pulled a 24000 pound 5 ton dump truck out of a deep mud pit using only a cheap 1 ton winch. We used like 14 pullys and snatch blocks. It took 4 of us like 4 hours to set up but the little “ Jeep winch.” Popped that 5 ton out in about 5 minutes. I have the 10,000 pound bad lands winch mounted on my Ferguson 120. Basically it’s the Ferguson version of exactly what yours is. Using 2 snatch blocks I can’t tell you how many times I have pulled myself and others out of some sticky situations. Each turn on a snatch block halves the weight so on a 3 snatch block system a 20,000 pound pull equals a 5000 pound pull. It comes to no surprise to me that the winch pulled it out on a straight pull. You were only at about 2/3 rds of the winches total capacity. We were also taught that if the vehicle was bottomed out to add 2000 pounds to the total weight of the pull. If your total rig was 10,000 pounds. Which I know my Ferguson only weighs right at 7500 dry and about 8500 with the end loader on it. Add 2000 pounds for it being bottomed out and another 1000 pounds for a safety margin you were pulling at best 11,500 pounds. Add in the fact that you were pulling across a slick surface. That 14,000 pound winch was more than adequate for a straight pull. Great demonstration of this winches capabilities. Only advice I would offer. Get you winch line as low as possible to the ground as possible. And if your truly concerned about your own safety, whichbyou seem to be, you can easily make some cable weights out of burlap bags and some good rope. My dad always carried about 6 t posts in his recovery kit. He’d hammer them down about every 6 feet or so on the side he was standing. That way if the cable broke the t posts would slow down the cable. Of course we always hid behind something solid when we had tough pulls. Seems to me though you had matters well under control though. Great job.

[@kenclark9075]

I've had one of these on my 1997 F250 for about 4 years. It's never let me down.

[@tuddsmithers7101]

Thanks for sharing, that was very thoughtful. You’re right impressive little gizmo.

[@Rick-yx5ic]

That winch just did a amazing job it pulled alot of weight great video

[@sterlingwilkey2124]

Out of all the videos on the Badlands winch this video has me sold on them. For what I will be doing the 12000 will be perfect. Awesome video

[@archersacres462]

Thank you! Glad it helped!

[@billcallaway5736]

I got five warn winches the old style from the 70s.. on my trucksI went and bought two of the Badland 12's one for my car trailer and I made one portable so I could move it from trailer to trailer I love it and I grew up with warn winches but the price has gone out of sight ..and honestly they work the same they pull.

[@dienekes4364]

That's awesome!!! I'm in the same boat where I've seen a couple of "review" videos that barely put it through its paces, but this is a REAL test. I've worked on my uncle's range and know how hard it is to pull a tractor like that out of the mud!!!

[@arthursoctomah9175]

when the cable starts to sound like a star wars battle then she's pulling hard....nice work

[@stankrieger3598]

Very impressive. been looking for some time, I thank it is time to go get mine. thanks for sharing.

[@ncbackwoods6859]

Exactly what I needed to see! Thanks alot for the video

[@Jamestfarrell]

How refreshing! A normal guy who, like me, lives in a rural area but doesn't have hundreds of thousands for a a Kubota, Woodmizer, Warn winch, etc. Great video-now subscribed. Maybe you've upgrade by now!

[@matthewschier2507]

I'm going after a 67 Chevy C30 dually in June. It's about the same weight, AND the front axle is sunk down about halfway. Just bought this setup from HF and was about 50/50 confident on it working to get the truck out. This has boosted my confidence in getting it out and on a trailer significantly.

[@jimfalwell9955]

I used to have one of these mounted to the front bumper of my mid size pickup. My son bogged down our 7000+ lbs bucket truck to resting on the front and rear axles. I parked my truck sideways up a 10-12 foot hill and started winching. It pulled the bucket truck out of the mud and up the hill without even any sound bog down. Was powering it with a deep cycle battery. The pickup got drugged sideways about 4 feet was all. This winch finally rusted up being on the front bumper. Needless to say I bought another one. Your winch could have pulled much more weight than your tractor. The slow down would be from the battery drain I speculate. I've proven the winch to 8-9 thousand pounds with no evidence of strain since my bucket truck was loaded with lots of heavy transformers and tools for the sign company we owned at the time. Good video to "just" begin to show its power. I've pulled multiple 20" diameter 30-50 foot trees up hill out of the woods with the new one - tops still attached just folding large limbs around other trees on the way up and out of the woods. Duty cycle is the only liiimtation so far. Can't beat them for the money.

[@fhuber7507]

I have my winch on a receiver hitch adapter. Generally kept in a box in the pickup bed. Heavy duty plug in to connect power. (Not quite Anderson Power Poles, same basic style) I ran a long heavy jumper cable with the clamps cut off from battery to each bumper. 100 amp fuse at the battery. My front has a receiver too. . I can plug in a jumper cable at either bumper to jump a car or I can plug in a battery charger to the truck from either end without opening the hood.

[@jamessmith7691]

Rule o thumb, always buy bigger than you need. Nice going reading the directions. One last thing, always look to see where the winched object is headed. Good video.

[@HiddenValleyHomestead]

Love this! You came up in my suggested feed. Totally subbed!

[@2LateIWon]

Thank you finally a real test on this winch. Great video

[@russoberholtzer1113]

If it were mine I'd be happy... When u buy it And the 1st time using it, it pays for itself ... ThAnx for the demo

[@MCSS7]

I just recently pulled my truck out of mud and a ditch deep enough that it was on the frame, with a 5000lb winch from harbor freight connected to a lawn mower battery. Couldn't believe how it just pulled me straight out. Unbelievable. Extremely pleased for a few hundred dollars. This was an unseen marsh and ditch in a field. No way to get services there. Had to get myself out tied off to a tree line and straps etc. Very impressed.

[@bogoto247]

You got it out and lived to tell the tale. What more can you ask.

[@b.nunn.2702]

I'm Impressed to say the least!! Heck I thought you were going to crank the tractor and let it help some! To just literally drag that tractor out by itself is most impressive!! Was considering buying one of these, I think you've made up My mind!

[@anniepfeffer9903]

Nice video, I always wondered how well those winches work, I'm sold! It looks like you have clay there, that is difficult to move around in, slippery and sticky. Thanks again for the video.

[@franksmith2780]

I have the same issue and ordered the 12000 winch. My tractor is around 3,000 lbs. So hopefully I get a good winch and don't have any problems. Great video and glad you made it so I can see I'm on the right track.

[@archersacres462]

Definitely a necessity with spring right around the corner

[@chriswesney]

My Ford 445 front loader was literally stuck in the mud just like yours at the exact same time you posted this video. It was stuck there from January until my uncle bought and installed this winch on his F250 pickup and we pulled it out with this exact same winch. Thats a pretty funny coincidence. I wish I had a video but I only have photos. My Ford 445 weighs 10,000 with the gannon box and loader on it.

[@shaneross7428]

Very cool. I love your property too.

[@jerrymcbroom8560]

Just got this for father's day Great review

[@soundretarded]

Great demo!

[@troyw3874]

Exactly the same problem I have. Looking for the discount coupons now. Thanks for making and sharing this video.

[@williamsmith7861]

Thank you for your quick answer. I did not explain it well. I have the winch and a 3 point hitch receiver but badlands did not have 12000 lb mounting bracket to mount it on, they only had one for 9000 lbs. I couldn't find one for the 12000 lbs with good reviews on the internet. Thank you.

[@fhuber7507]

4WD just lets you bury it deeper before you admit its stuck... . The high hookup on the tree helped pull it up. Pulling directly back with the strap at the base of the tree probably would have broken the cable or those straps. . I pulled a 74 Monte Carlo out of a ditch with a 1 ton "come-along" 100 ft of chain, one snatch block and a big old oak tree.. I almost lifted the car straight up a 4 ft embankment. . You used that thing right. We know you did because it worked. . You were smart standing well off to the side. The power stored in the cable can be unbelievable. I've seen a ship's mooring line snap and cut an armored door in half. That will make you a believer.

[@maddog45auto66]

I'm sold I'm going to buy one now thanks for your video that you shared with us

[@amesapiary6481]

I am literally watching this because my Tractor is stuck and thinking i need a winch. Thanks, heading to harbor freight as soon as they open.

[@shanemiller7910]

Wow wow wow about all i can say wow iv got the same tractor use it to feed hay with been stuck many times ill be getting me one of thoes very soon kinda tired of walking back to the tractor shed to get the big Ford 6600 to pull her out with very nice bud

[@dodge4x418]

That winch didn't so much as hesitate one bit, I have just about that same problem with my 9N buy the time you realize it it's already buried. Great demonstration.

[@daverohn383]

I bought one of these about a month ago. I needed something to lift a tree off of my house after a tornado hit our town, destroyed my body shop and damaged my house. I thought long and hard about how to get that tree off my house without causing further damage. I had another tree next to the house to connect a cable and shackle to, and after much consideration, I decided to try this 12,000 pound winch. I have absolutely nothing but good to say about this winch! It lifted that tree straight up, I was able to swing it out away from the house and lower it to the ground. I had heard good things about Badland winches and decided to give it a try, and I was not disappointed. This winch has already paid for itself and I couldn't be happier with it.

[@juanramirez6251]

I am so glad I actually saw the Badlands 12,000 winch work this well. They are $599 for the Apex model at Harbor Freight and about $299 for a BadlandsZRX 12,000. You need a coupon from the Sunday paper otherwise they are regular price of $799/Apex and $349/ZRX and you get an extra 20% off with the usual 20% coupon. I did anyway. Apex is 2X no load line faster speed, has synthetic rope, has remote or wired controls, and more... then the ZRX. According to the reviews this video was done with the ZRX model. It had a 4.5/5 customer rating while the Apex has a 5/5. The Apex pulled a14,000 lb Emergency Vehicle per one customer. Very impressed.

[@bigtexas7580]

That thing payed for itself out of the box. I'm certain a towing company would charge alot more than the price of this winch to tow this tractor out so every tow you make after this one is free of charge.

[@floydforever5151]

Nice video, what I have done before is put about a 6 inch log 6 feet or so long under my bucket to help keep it from mashing down in the mud when I left the front end up. Then you can put stuff under your front wheels to lessen the drag.

[@1badfxdwg]

It’s impressed me, I’ll be buying one

[@hubertrobinson8825]

I'm sold on those winches I got a 2500 pounder to load and unload my lincoln 225 engine driven welder in the back of my 3/4 ton dodge with some harbor freight ramps works perfectly every time

[@scottt4081]

How did you mount the winch to your truck?

[@DSMattitude]

That ground is fricken soft.You dont need a 4 wheel drive tractor. You need a hover craft with a bucket haha.

[@archersacres462]

No kidding. With all the rain some of these areas are like quick sand

[@mrdeplorable953]

The HF 12k winch is pretty good so far it's pull my 3/4 ton Chevy onto a trailer, pulled falling trees on a trailer and pull my truck out of the snow. And its still going!!!!

[@daviddelle774]

It's good that you had a"little something" in the cable loop in case a strap broke but, put the other blankets, weights a little bit farther down the cable towards the tractor. About half way between vehicle and anchor would be better. If the cable loop, hook or the cable breaks a bit closer to the tractor the rest of that cable will still come back fast enough to kill or injure. Good job on the higher anchor point for the beginning of the pull! It's best to start with the anchor high and then lower it after the vehicle gets out of the hole.

[@archersacres462]

Thank you for the valuable input!

[@fixittime557]

@@archersacres462 by putting the anchor high in the tree it made the tree weaker and easier to pull over closer to the ground is better the tree is stronger there

[@ronnieg276]

@@fixittime557 The tree would be stronger as you get closer to the ground, but it needed somewhat of an upward pull. If it were further down on the tree it would have been pulling the tractor harder into the mud bank and may not have pulled it out.

[@bobedman3455]

Well done! I have the same winch and it has served me well. Ignore the keyboard “experts” saying how THEY would have done it.

[@chaosmagusgod]

Dude that's impressive

[@shaneross7428]

I've pulled many 3/4 ton quad cab pickups on my car trailer with the same one. You can't beat it.

[@welderusa9063]

Great video. I just picked one up for my 04 Z71 Suburban black Friday Harbor Freight. $289

[@louislarsen2256]

Put the front bucket down at a slight downward tilt lifting the front tires out of the muck, use it as a skid.

[@robertboyd3863]

Would never have had enough traction to work, often do that with a backhoe,

[@wuz2do]

I am very impressed thanks for sharing video

[@jeffreysheldrake73]

Tool works fine. I had a tractor that looked identical. If you drop your winch rope on the tree it's less likely to break the tree. Also drop the front bucket with a touch of forward tilt and push down so your front wheels barely or clear the ground. You can also try this with the tractor near idle in reverse quite safe. I only had a tirfor hand winch and I could get out easily. Nice work. PS I also had a manual diff lock I fitted off and MF 65. As long as yours has epicyclic rear axle and inboard brakes

[@thomasbates5157]

Just a winching suggestion. Keep the strap low on the tree, much safer and stronger point of contact.

[@nightdan7096]

@Thomas Bates Having the strap a little higher on that size of a tree was plenty safe for the mere weight he was stressing the cable & winch with and is what ensured the easy pullout of the tractor do to the angle of the cable setup. He also needed a snatch block but as he stated in the video, they were out of stock. If the cable was lower on the tree with the tractor buried in the mud that bad it would of created much more stress on the cable & winch. That would of been like trying to winch a tractor through a brick wall. The winch & cable would have had massive stress while trying to force the tractor to rip through the ground from being pulled parallel with the ground instead of up at an angle out of the hole of mud that tractor was stuck in.

[@surferdudedon9249]

@@nightdan7096 If he worked for my dad, he'd get told #1. there's no excuse for getting stuck.. #2. you can get that out if you know how to use the bucket... #3. you did right hitching at as high as safely possible, so kudos to you for that.... now go look for a job somewhere else.

[@robertboyd3863]

@@surferdudedon9249 Some buckets won't kick over far enough to push you out, also when the ground is to soft you bury yourself more using the bucket trick , believe me, I have been doing it for many years, and if you don't get stuck a few times, you are not doing much , and yes his hitch was correct

[@surferdudedon9249]

@@robertboyd3863 You're no doubt correct... my dad was a bit of a grouch and I was just a kid. He didn't fire me because Mom wouldn't let him. :) ‹(•¿•)› His tractor was an 8N and he called the front end loader a High Lift. What's in a name... a skip loader by any other name will still get stuck occasionally. All the best!

[@82brummy]

My tractor similar to that, when my front wheels start to sink I chose a different path. Cool video tho 👍🏼

[@tedwpx123]

Nice video. The trick on getting un-stuck easily is stop as soon as you spin out. If the tractor is not setting on the frame it's much easier to get out as I am sure your know.

[@olddawgdreaming5715]

Great video

[@ttjeepjl5146]

I purchased the 12000 Badlands from Harbor Freight , IHave A zeon 12000. On my Truck and the BadLand on my Jeep JL , I am truly impressed with the BadLand

[@stillborn62]

thank you for the video. great job showing safety and run time.

[@millwrightdad3753]

30 seconds on 30 seconds off is a good rule of thumb for harbor freight winches, even more expensive ones, Warn, Smitty bilt, super winch etc.. I've had that same winch on my triple car hauler for over 5 years now, only replaced cable twice, but I'm hauling trucks with all 4s locked up in dirt, oil, grease, sand, gravel etc.. good job man and NO such thing as over kill when it comes to safety, I spend more time preparing for a job then I actually spend competing.

[@jimdudder7450]

I've got the Badlands 9000 mounted on my Ranger. Works better than the Warn that was on the truck and was less expensive new than the replacement parts to repair the Warn.

[@scottendicott3249]

That was impressive. No telling how much extra weight the mud added. Might I suggest tire chains for the tractor as well. I know this was a year ago.

[@deepbludude4697]

Well there ya go! Making do with what ya got! Well done.

[@paulkeen6507]

the fact it pulled the tractor out with no assistance from the tractor was nice.

[@blaws6684]

I use the same on my new Holland tc45. It’s saved my bacon a couple times. Also Light skidder duty for retrieving not towing I use bull line to reduce the cable outlay. It decreases power of pull but never an issue yet. I power it with a cable to the tractor battery made from a jumper cable. I put Anderson connectors on it so the cable is permanent while the winch can be removed. I the made a second set of portable cables for the truck or trailer so I can use the winch in my receiver hitches without nedding a spare battery . That cable can also double as a jumper if needed thanks to the Anderson connectors.

[@bentnickel7487]

Very wise of you to get behind a tree while that wench was in play. My Dad was pulling on barbwire with a tractor to set a fence and had the wire snap, it wasn't a pretty sight, but he did it just once. :-) :-D Guess he was a quick learner.

[@tomriley1413]

Good job bud thank you for your video

[@notyoung]

Congratulations on knowing that winches work best when your anchor point is well above the mount point of the winch so you're pulling the vehicle UP from the mud as well as backing it out. I've seen so many "Lousy, useless winch" videos where the problem was the user trying to "plow" ahead with the vehicle (ATV or whatever) and NO, the winch won't get something out of the mud if your anchor point is at the same level as the winch mount.. Probably the best winch video I've seen.

[@mikeadams2339]

Didnt know that .thankz!

[@nospam3409]

Had a similar experience with my Ford 1710 and a 13K X-Bull winch. My tractor only weights around 4K with the loader, wheel weights, and loaded tires. I went down a hill on an old logging road into a creek bed where I thought I had room to turn around. Turns out that I was wrong... There was enough of an incline at the bottom that I just couldn't get any traction to back up and make a 3 point turn (or even a 12 point turn). Ended up in the creek trying to dig my way up the other side onto some flat ground. I was able to use the loader to dig the creek bank back far enough to get the front wheels on level ground and the back wheels about 1/4 of the way up, but that was it. I had already dug enough of a hole in the creek bed that the frame was dragging. Couldn't get enough traction to dig away at any more of the bank. By the time I gave up, the bottom of the frame was 6" below the creek bed. Ended up having to walk back to the truck and drive an hour back to the house to get my winch and battery. My X-bull came loaded with synthetic rope which was REALLY convieniant since I had to carry it and a 75 lb battery 1/2 a mile back to the tractor. I had considered the Badlands winch from HF because it had steel cable, but a friend recommended going with the synthetic because I planned on keeping the winch mounted to a 2" receiver mount, and having to carry it around by hand frequently. That turned out to be some REALLY good advice! I was able to pull the tractor all the way up the hill with no problems. The hill is about 40 yards long so i had to do it in 2 pulls. Wrapped a 5/16 chain around a tree for both pulls. My carry all on the tractor has a 2" receiver, so it was a pretty simple process. I use the winch for firewood also, so it had already paid for itself anyway, but this experience erased any concerns about whether or not it was worth the $350 I gave for it. Any time drive up to work on the property, I now make sure I have the winch with me.

[@Yo-mamashouse]

there is another good test video where a jeep liberty is strapped to a tree and recovers a deuce and a half with this same winch.sometimes it completely lifts the jeep in the air and you think it's going to be ripped in 2...but it frees the deuce.

[@robh6638]

you know that's funny I just watch the same video and I'm pretty sure that jeep definitely incurred some frame damage but I also don't think he really pulled the deuce out because technically the deuce drove itself out without the winch at the end of the video ironic

[@tylerrichards1327]

This winch is a 12000lb winch video with liberty and deuce is only a 9000lb but same brand

[@broncodude6299]

@4:55 no way you built up any heat, bumping the controller like that. 👍 Winch did a damn good job.

[@waltermattson5566]

My uncle has a winch on his trailer like this one. for pulling tractors and stuff up and his works great too.

[@Fun4GA]

Looks like Dusty, my JD 401D, that I've gotten stuck plenty of times. When lowering the air pressure in the water filled drive wheels won't work, in spite of working the loader bucket to push it back... My Ford Bronko has always been able to get Dusty back to work. Surprised you HF winch worked, but no surprise it couldn't break the tree saver with half it load rating.

[@OldJoe212]

Good job/Good test. I bet some of those creaks and pops got you to pucker up a little.

[@archersacres462]

Yes sir they did. Always on gaurd with that kind of force

[@tracioverfelt5011]

Always better to be safe than sorry brother. I'm currently trying to pull a stuck Case SR160 skid steer.

[@archersacres462]

This and a snatch block should work well for that. Just need a BIG anchor

[@jacuzzibusguy]

The most impressive part is winching from a battery without the advantage of an alternator keeping the voltage up. Winching this way probably requires the winch work with at least 2 volts less than it would when hooked fo an alternator, Which causes a huge increase in amperage (heat) Total power available is significantly less wirh this setup and the winch made it look easy! There’s nothing wrong with this setup. If this were mounted to a rubicon Pulling with a 180 amp alternator connected will both reduce heat and increase pulling power. Harbor freight for the win!

[@warped2875]

Where is Part II, where you get the tractor around the tree that you winched up against the left rear tire? Truly interested in how you got it unstuck the rest of the way after the end of this video.

[@archersacres462]

A little forward and reverse action outside of the video freed me. If I remember correctly I may have used the bucket the keep the front tires from tracking in the ruts

[@carlosmurphy4u1]

I have the same winch but have installed synthetic line, have no complaints, works great. I've seen a vid or two where the user did not know how to use a winch, let the cable spool up in one place and broke it.

[@sniperdoug1969]

Chuck Pringle have you had any issues with your synthetic cable stretching? I’ve thought about replacing my cable on my 10,000 pound bad lands winch with synthetic cable. I recently used a winch with synthetic cable. I love how it is so much lighter and easier to handle than steel cable. The truck we pulled out of a pretty deep ditch was a f 250. We pulled it up about a 40 degrees bank and the cab was full of water. We estimated it weighing 10,000 pounds. I used 3 snatch blocks. 1 on the vehicle and 2 on the anchor point. My uncles f 450. He has a 20,000 pound winch on both ends. With 2 snatch block cable mounts going to his frame on each end. It had no issues pulling the f250 out. He and I were both wondering if over time the cable would stretch.

[@georgestanfield621]

Good to see the winch do the job. If you had pulleys and cable you could put a pulley on front of tractor with cable fastened to loader bucket and through pulley then to a tree in front. Raise bucket and pull yourself out. Many ways but looks like the winch was the way to go.

[@randysmidt2702]

I am impressed with this winch.

[@justtired5535]

I myself am quite impressed. I had bought a Harbor Frieght Winch but never got to use it before someone stole it from my storage shed.

[@cecileubank2555]

Maybe they're use it........ just funning u hate a damn rogue

[@edwardboyer7102]

Absolutely correct as a tow truck driver you saved 350 bucks