All of the major winch manufacturers are reliable -- it comes down to personal preference and style of the winch.
Warn is the industry standard, and their 9000 winches are hard to beat, no matter how you look at them -- reliability, pulling power, etc., but they are also at the top of the heap price wise.
Ramsey, Mile Marker, Super Winch, etc., all have good products, one notch below the Warn (IMO) but a good bang for the buck, especially if you are not using it all the time, or in a competition setting.
Personally, I'm running an import rip-off of a name brand winch myself, for I hardly ever use it and that is good enough for me. I got mine at Sam's Club for under $300. It is exactly like the Ramsey -- and is likely built in the same plant in China, just like the T-Max is identical to the Mile Marker except for the end caps, etc. Harbor Freight also has a couple models that are identical to name brand products, and one of our local club members just got a 9000 from them, and inside it was badged Ramsey!
With any winch, you have to remember that they get hot when used. A long hard pull will tax the best of them, not to mention what it does to the electrical system of the truck... The better the winch, the longer it lasts under high stress. What sets Warn apart from some of the others is their thermal management.
Also check out the new Warn with the air compressor. An impressive piece! I've seen one in person and it is well-built, massive, and to be coveted!
BTW, my kiddo has an older Warn 8274 for sale, which is a highly coveted winch, as it has the fastest line speed of all, yet has good pulling power. You can find him at Moab Off-Road in Louisville, KY. PM steelfish at UCORA.org.
