Anyone ever heard of Vortex?

 Found some of their products on ebay. Also found a 12000lb winch for a little over $300. New. In the box.
All their products come with a 2 year warranty as well. Has anyone ever heard of and/or used these winches? They claim they are built as well as any "name brand" winch and offer the longer warranty to prove it. Anyone with input? Thanks in advance for your time.  

Always remember... you get what you pay for. And with something as important as a winch, do you really want to test that theory?  

Well to be honest. I just bought a 86 suburban for about 1k with a new motor, rebuilt tranny and practically rebuilt rear axle. Everything but the wheel seals. Thing runs and drives outstanding and 4wheels great too. Paid only a thousand for it so I think I may just try my luck with my budget rig :P  

I've had a harbor frieght special....a 2500# winch on the car/equiptment trailer for a few years now, It's given good service so far, and is plenty stong for a rolling dead cars, trucks, and a couple tractors. the chicago electric is about what I'd call cheap but works great.  

Stick with well known brands, that's my advice.  

I've been hearing about some cheapie Chinese winches that've been hitting the market lately via third-party import jobbers. Given the seemingly unbelievable price for this (allegedly) 12,000-pound winch, I'd guess that's what you are looking at. So unless you're willing to scrounge for replacement parts from the Mattel Toy catalog after every time you user it, you're better off spending the extra dough on a Warn, Ramsey, Mile Marker, etc., i.e., a proven brand.  

Cheap wenches usually cut corners on motor design (efficiency and power) and duty cycle. But realistically, many buy bigger winches than they really need 99% of the time. Those 10,000 and 12,000 single line pull winches look and sound impressive but they draw a LOT of power and can over power your electrical system in short order (good part of this is that you will usually kill battery before you burn out winch motor) My suggestion is to by a quality smaller and lighter winch in 6000 to 8000 lb class and get a HD pulley snatch block for it too (doubles pulling power) This can give you your peak 12000 to 16000 lbs peak capacity in a smaller package and with less power draw. Granted the effective line speed will be reduced with snatch block but with a 6000 to 8000 lb pull on snatch block the winch will only be seeing a 3000 to 4000 lb load and will draw less power, heat less and place less demand on vehicles electrical system too. On lighter pulls, leave snatch block in trucks and just use wrench. Another nice thing about snatch block is that since it splits load between to runs of cable (ie 8000lbs on block mean 4000 lbs on each leg) there is less strain on cable for longer service life and reduced cable failure under extreme loads and a lighter more flexible cable can be safely used too.  

this is true IF the winches were rated for draging a  load, instead of a rolling load..

we aren't pulling boats outa water, we get hung up and literaly stuck..
this is the reson for 1 1/2 times the weight of the rig it going on is the rule of thumb for fourwheeling.  

yeah mud thats what i heard too...and some get stuck to where sometimes you need 2 winches maybe three...  

This is why a snatch block double can be so sweet. It doubles the pulling power of ANY winch plus, when you are winching someone out that that is badly stuck with a snatch block you can run the end of line to a tree or another vehicle so that when say 8 to 10,000 lbs of pull is placed on the vehicle you are extracting only 4 to 5,000 lbs is placed on each leg and anchor vehicles so they are no going to be pulling into mess as easily. Why tray to stack up 8,10, or 12000 lbs of stress on winch and mount when you do not need too? Just remember that no mater how big or winch you buy or big of frame mount you make it is still bolted to a LD truck frame and not one in a true MD or HD truck with a serious frame.  

Doesnt warn have a lower priced winch,the "Tabor" series? theyve got an 12k winch,saw one at tractor supply,and hoo has a hydraulic winch?