Cherokee XJs are undeniably classic cars that never go out of style. A Cherokee XJ can still fetch upward of $10,000 today, even 20 years after it was discontinued. How do you choose the right winches for a Cherokee?
The Zeon Platinum from Warn is the best winch available for Jeep Cherokee XJ if you do not have a small budget. There are two really good choices for less money than Warn that I would recommend if you’re looking to get something of similar quality that is Smittybilt or Super winch.
There are three things which are important to take into consideration; cost, durability, and load capacity.
Our aim is to compare the various options available for winches in this post, in order to find out how they compare. There are a large number of great options for the Jeep Cherokee when it comes to winches, meaning there is a lot to discuss in this article. Let’s get going with the discussion.
There is no doubt that Jeep is a passionately loved brand, and there is a strong case to be made that the Cherokee XJ, which was the result of a partnership between Jeep and French company Renault, is the most beloved of all Jeep cars.
During the summer of 2007 on one of the big sites, a joke post went viral which claimed, among other things, that the XJ was hewn using lightning bolts from a solid block of granite.
Despite the fact that there were so many XJs around, the running joke became so widespread that even though they were very numerous the price of XJs was actually starting to rise again.
It is not just the joke that contributed to this problem, but a number of other things as well. One of the reasons why the Cherokee XJ model was so successful can be found here.
In order to have the ability to add the winch to SUVs, Jeeps, and other off-road vehicles, they must have a receiver for it.
One of the main purposes of the puller is to remove one or more obstacles from your path such as fallen trees or to pull your Jeep out of a bad situation. It is mostly used for pulling the vehicle out of mud or climbing up an incline when there is mud in the way.
There are two basic types of winches: electric, hydraulic, and mechanical. A winch consists of a long cable, steel or synthetic, attached to a motor. It is absolutely imperative that a winch is used when doing serious off-roading.
There are both electric and hydraulic winches on the market in the current day and age. The Cherokee XJ can be off-Roaded just fine with electric power as it has an electric motor.
Despite the fact that it isn’t as large and heavy as you might think, it still can off-road quite well.
Smittybilt Gen 2 XRC Winch
No matter what kind of cargo you choose to tow along with your Cherokee XJ, this winch should be more than powerful enough to handle it, regardless of how much weight you want to tow.
Moreover, there is the option to go all the way up to 17,500 lbs (7,938 kgs) in the system.
This winch is not only equipped with a 6.6 horsepower amphibious motor and planetary gear system, but it is also quite cheap, coming in at just about $250. Using a remote control attached to a 12-foot (3.7 meter) lead, you can operate this winch.
As well as this, the car comes with a substantial warranty which provides limited repairs for a period of five years, or a mileage of 100,000 miles (160934 km), whichever comes first.
According to its rating of IP67, the GEN 2 XRC has the ability to thoroughly submerge itself in a meter of water for 30 minutes without the winch losing function.
Winch Mania voted this winch the best under $500 for the purposes of their poll, which is impressive when one considers it’s under $300 price tag.
The unit might be the best option if you don’t want to pay the premium price for something like Warn Zeon winch.
Warn 92810 Zeon Platinum 10
There is no doubt that the Zeon Platinum is the best winch on the market and if you do not care about the price you pay, then the Zeon Platinum is the right choice for you.
There is no doubt that this is one of the best winches out there, both in terms of reliability, and in terms of the features it comes with.
Although, the price can be a real drawback, as this model is listed on Amazon at anywhere between $1,600 and $2,000 (depending on which size you get). However, it has to be said that it is worth every penny you spend.
The Moab Jeeper company conducted a road trial in which seven winches from different major brands were subjected to a series of extremely challenging tests called ‘Winches in Hell.’ No one was surprised when Warn won the top spot on the podium.
It features an IP68 waterproof rating, a pulling capacity of 10,000 – 12,000 lbs (4,536 – 5,443 kgs), and a wireless remote that can read motor temperature and control two other accessories, making it one of the most advanced and durable winches available today.
Mile Marker H-Series 12 Volt DC Powered Hydraulic Winch
As a relatively new company on the commercial winching scene, Mile Marker has already emerged as one of the most competitive companies in the industry.
Mile Marker has been manufacturing winches for the US military’s Hummers for many years before they exclusively focused on commercial winches.
The hydraulic winch is a good option for anyone looking for a hydraulic winch. One of the benefits of hydraulic winches is that they can handle being submerged in water better than their electrical counterparts.
The Warn Zeon is a much cheaper winch than this one also, which is currently selling at just over $1,000 on Amazon, although it is still a pretty expensive winch. There are 10500 pounds (4,763 kgs) of weight that can be pulled with the H-Series, plus all the necessary mounting hardware is included .
Despite the fact there is no vehicle-specific adapter kit available for the 34-Series valves, installation continues to require this item.
Sadly, it is necessary to purchase an adapter kit for your vehicle’s 34-Series valve prior to installation. The Jeep Cherokee will have a similar option in the future, but it will cost a total of $570 more. That would almost let you buy the Zeon with that amount of money.
X-BULL 12V Steel Cable Electric Winch
The other great option if you don’t have a lot of money is to work with a virtual assistant. If you spend a little over $300, you can get a steel cable electric winch with a load capacity of 12,000 lbs (5,443 kgs).
You won’t find a wireless remote with any other budget winch but you will find one with the X-Bull. Having a steel cable in your work belt would be a really good thing to have.
Since a snapped steel cable can cause a lot of injury to people, the farther back you can stand, the better.
In order to maintain safety, this winch is equipped with a built-in load-holding brake, ensuring highly effective winching and effortless cable spooling.
For a price that is there, you are definitely getting your money’s worth with this one. There are some bad customer reviews (as always), but they don’t really have anything in common, so it is safe to assume that there aren’t any major underlying issues with this winch.
Super winch 1585202 LP8500 Winch Gen II 12 VDC
The final entry is another winch that is capable of doing much more than its weight. You can get a winch with a pull of 8,500 lbs (3,856 kgs), along with 94′ (28.7 m) of steel cable, and a handheld remote that has 15′ (4.6 m) of cable for just under $370.
In spite of their low prices, Super winch is known for its high quality and reliability. The only other brand that was even close to beating the Warn winch in the ’Winches in Hell’ challenge described earlier was the Super winch.
There is also an option to get this winch with a 10,000 pounds (4,536 kgs) load capacity from under $400 if you want a more powerful winch. In addition, you should know that it is a very unlikely scenario that your Jeep Cherokee XJ will require more than 8,500 lb (3,856 kg) of torque.
As well as having load holding braking, this winch comes with steel cable for safety reasons, which is a huge plus for a winch which comes with a steel cable only. In terms of reliability and durability, the winch is an excellent choice at an excellent price.