Zeak 13k synthetic winch

Bah! I've watched 2 separate iterations of the Zeak winch come and go on Amazon (I assume the stock sells out and they fire up the production line again). The product has been unavailable for a few months but was a good deal at the sub $300 for a cheap and decent winch from all the reviews. It's back again and now listed at $472?? wtf? I get supply and demand but what the heck happened? I'm more of a hobbyist when it comes to winching so I'm not expecting to get super stuck... just want the insurance policy.

Guess I'll have to go see what Tyco or Mattel are offering

 

I had saved this roughly the same time I saved a Zeak winch to my wishlist. Both seem to be rated about the same with similar customer reviews.

But again, its a 'cheap' winch. I was going to get it for the rare chance I needed it but if you winch often, it's probably worth spending more and getting something of better quality and more reliability.

ZESUPER 13000 lbs Electric Winch Kit Waterproof IP67 Electric Winch Synthetic Rope, with Wireless Remote, Corded Handle and Fairlead, for Truck SUV Recovery

https://www.amazon.com/ZESUPER-Electric-Waterproof-Synthetic-Wireless/dp/B0919FH8TK

 

Your money is worth less than it was last time the winch was in stock. Same reason groceries and everything else cost more than they did a year ago.

 

Well, sure but that's almost a 70% mark up that I'm seeing here. *shrug* oh well, just save a little longer I suppose

 

Why not go for the harbor freight 12k winch? Not sure if you can buy replacement parts for the Amazon special, but you can for HF

 

^^^ THIS ^^^

You can grab the Apex or ZXR winches for not much more...especially if you wait for a coupon. The ZXRs, if you don't mind the weight of a steel cable winch, regularly go on sale. Even at regular price they're only $380.

The main benefit is HBF's support compared to the other Chinese winches from Amazon. They're all Chinese winches, but at least with HBF you know you'll be able to order replacement parts and they tend to support their products for a fairly long time.

I know you didn't ask for this advice, but I wanted to mention it.

 

Harbor Freight support is not what it used to be, IMO. I think the winch warranty is something like 90 days. Still… at least there’s a store you can contact vs the Amuhzon speshul.