Smittybilt 97281 XRC-8 8,000 lbs Winch Review

The Smittybilt 97281 XRC-8 8,000 lbs Winch is a feature packed ATV winch for all application. This is a very ruggedly built winched designed to get you out of even the toughest spots you can get yourself into. The motor it uses is a sturdy series wound 5.5 horsepower motor to generate the 8,000 pounds of pulling power. It comes with a 94 feet galvanized steel aircraft cable and has a replaceable hook. It has a three stage planetary gear and boasts a 172.8:1 gear ratio along with an automatic brake system located inside the drum.

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Smittybilt has created powerful tool for the off road enthusiast to have in their arsenal. With its rugged design and high quality materials this winch is capable of getting you out of some of the most difficult situations you could find yourself in. The powerful 5.5 horsepower series wound motor generates 8,000 pounds of pulling force.

The XRC-8 winch mates a three-phase planetary gear with its 172.8 to 1 gear ratio that puts all that horsepower towards turning the drum with a 94 foot aircraft grade wire rope. To give you the extra bit of strength when it comes to pulling, the drum has an automatic braking system to prevent accidental slipping.

Smittybilt XRC-8 8,000 lbs Winch Features & Specifications

  • Winch motor is 5.5 horsepower series wound motor
  • 3-stage planetary gear reduction ratio is 172:1
  • It has 21/64 inches x 94 feet (8.2 millimeter x 28.5 meter) long galvanized cable
  • Includes 12 feet remote control and 4 way steel roller fairlead

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Installation is pretty easy, thanks to it four bolt mount that will fit many different vehicles. It also includes a four steel roller fairlead that ensures smooth operation of the cable. A unique feature of the XRC-8 is the fairlead does not actually mount to the winch, it fits just in front winch.

The Smittybilt winch kit includes a remote control with a 12 foot cable to allow you to stand at a safe distance while the winch does all of the work. It also meets the government SAE-J706 standards for winches.

Smittybilt XRC-8 Winch Review

During our online research for the Smittybilt 97281 XRC-8 8,000 lbs Winch we have found 40 consumer reviews posted online and it received 4.5 stars out of a possible 5.0 stars. Along with the high ratings it also received majority positive comments with a handful of negative comments added in. According to several of the reviewers this winch is a definite value and well worth money. It worked as advertised right out of box and the installation was very easy. One reviewer was very impressed with its power and was able to pull their jeep up a steep hill with little trouble. Another reviewer used to pull large trees out of the road they were blocking. Click here to read more reviews.

There was only a very small number of negative comments that we could find including one that had an issue with kink that developed in the wire rope (they admitted that it was their doing) and that they planned to replace it with a nylon pulling rope. The only other negative comment we could find was from a reviewer that had issue with the motor burning up.

After completing our research on the Smittybilt 97281 XRC-8 8,000 lbs Winch it is apparent that it delivers as advertised from the manufacturer and that since the majority of the reviewers rated it 4 or 5 stars and had mostly positive comments we would highly recommend it to everyone. Click here to check it out.

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