The one I have my Dad bought new, and it was on our '73 Burb when I was a kid. It got us out of many a bad mud/snow situations when out deer or elk hunting around Flagstaff, AZ. We also used it a lot back in the '80's to help skid fallen trees for firewood.
In the '90's he removed it and had a guy weld up a receiver mount. Downside is that is heavy even when the spool is empty. So he didn't use it much. And the welder must have kept the original mounts and skid plate, as I could not find them.
I have it now, and with help from DirtyLarry and the install manual, it is mounted but not hooked up on my '77 K5 project truck. Which isn't moving very fast!
I plan on putting synthetic rope back on it to save a few pounds. I also need to have the skid plate made. (Larry offered to have his duplicated when he moves his from the K10 to 20
)
Bottom line, they are slow but from what I've witnessed reliable. Other downside is that the spool doesn't hold that much. That said, with synthetic you can load more on the spool, and have extra rope that you stash with the rest of your gear as it is so lite weight.
Definitely a nostalgic, period piece that if maintained, should get you out of a rough situation if used wisely. Just like any winch.