Overall, not bad...however as you assemble it, don't expect instructions that match the parts (there are some small parts that are partially assembled but instructions in this case are very clear on how to assemble something that doesn't need to be assembled) or be written clearly. For some reason you have to take the cable off the winch to string it through the pulleys (why wasn't the cable already off?). You get one parts picture which is in very poor condition to look at for assembly and isn't much help at all. In my opinion, the instructions were translated to English, and not very well. You will need to go to the hardware store to get some parts that are either missing or wrong (my lock washers and flat washers wouldn't fit the bolts). I spent about $15 on additional hardware to get this assembled and installed. The hydraulic jack is only 3 ton (according to the instructions, and which NOBODY could or would answer before I bought this), which by my calculations is about 90% (at chain hook) or 80% (at cable) of what is needed as the bare minimum to lift the weights the winch is rated for. That means there'll be a lot of work by me! I'd like to see an 8 ton jack, which I will buy aftermarket and replace. My winch cable keeps coming off the pulleys (both front and back) if there isn't any load, or if there the load isn't perfectly aligned with the horizontal arm.
I will definitely do a lot of modification to this winch, but it's a good starting point. It will be very easy to add an electric winch, which I will do. I will also change the jack to 8 ton, and modify the cable so they won't keep coming off the pulleys. The biggest improvement needs to be the assembly instructions...

Well build and heavy hoist, it will do all my heavy lifting for me.

The good:
The crane came fairly well packed; strapped to a narrow pallet of some sort.. Some of the straps had torn through the boxes during shipping, but no parts were missing (as I read in other reviews of this product and similar WTJ-2 model).
The pre-drilled bolt pattern at the base allows the crane to be removed if necessary.
There is a grease fitting in the base which makes it very convenient to make sure the bearing is properly lubricated.

The mediocre:
There were no assembly instructions provided, so putting this thing together became somewhat interesting.
To route the cable properly, you have to completely unwind the wench. The hook at the end of the cable is just slightly too large to fit through the square tubing of the boom.
Due to (the appearance of) being sand casted, the mounting base of the hydraulic cylinder had to be ground out a bit to get it to fit onto the crane where the bolt would align and slide through.
The base has no weep hole in the bottom. This would not be an issue except that the base is not made with a weatherproof design. I will probably drill a small hole to allow any accumulated water to drain. There is potential for grease to waste out as well, but better to add more grease than to let it rust.
The nut for the boom is a nylon locking nut. This is only a problem if you will never need to adjust the boom length. I drilled mine out to 5/8" and replaced the nut and bolt with a clevis pin. The clevis pin is a bit more difficult to align due to the tighter fit (and the un-tapered edge where the cotter pin slides on), but much easier than having to get wrenches every time I need to extend the boom.
The locking bolt on the base concerns me somewhat.. repeated excessive tightening may lead to deformation of the inner pipe, and make it more difficult when trying to rotate the crane. To alleviate this, I plan on removing the crane from the base and drilling a few holes at select points in the inner pipe so that tightening this bolt will more securely lock the crane in place. (For those of you considering doing the same, do not drill the holes the same diameter as the locking bolt. Only drill large enough for the tapered end of the bolt to go through.. otherwise when the crane is locked in place with this bolt, the inner pipe will rest directly on the threads and eventually ruin this locking bolt.

I chose not to include a "Bad" section since the only actual problems encountered were during assembly and easily remedied. The problems and improvements listed in the mediocre section are just personal opinion and most not necessary but hopefully this helps someone else. Speaking of being helpful, if you have any tweaks or ideas, reply to my review with them! I'm sure there are some really great ideas out there that would be useful for a lot of us!

We bought this unit to lift construction items up into the bed of a chevy 4500. With an easy additional block for mounting, we are able to use it with the factory lumber rack. We have picked up welders, generators, cement mixers, ect. It would be nice if the pump had a larger stroke volume output and if the rotational locking bolt wouldn't bind. I am about to order 2 more. That may be all I needed to write

I purchased this crane to load large (3.5') douglas fir rounds onto my trailer. Overall, I am pleased with the crane. However, there are a few gripes. First, the packaging left something to be desired, as it tore during shipping, allowing parts to fall out. Second, the crane showed up without the handle for the winch, which I am sure was a consequence of my first gripe. That being said, the people at vestil were very helpful, and shipped me a new winch handle quickly. The job for which I purchased the crane hasn't taken place yet, but I'm sure it'll do fine.