At Whispering Pines this past weekend we needed a winch. We were lucky enough to have on mounted on a CJ-5. It was a Chicago Electric (harbor freight) winch. It did a great job on two of the three vehicles that needed to be winched up the Hill from Hell.
On the third Jeep, a CJ-7, it struggled a bit. Just as the winch (and us) were running out of steam along came another group of Jeeps, some equipped with winches.
The YJ that made the final pull was wearing a Warn winch. The difference between the two winches was staggering. I really see why Warn gets top dollar for the winches they produce.
The HF winch did a fine job, and for the money it is a great deal. But if you really need a winch (and if you need a winch, you REALLY need a winch) a Warn seems to be the way to go.
I found this article in Moab Jeeper Magazine and it shows the comparison between winch manufacturers in real world testing. http://www.moabjeeper.com/articles/general/listing.cfm?articleID=353
