Winch worth keeping?

[motto]

Winches are an item that are prone to abuse and it always pays to have a look at the critical parts which in particular refers to the worm wheel.
I was once offered a Braden winch from a Dodge Weapons Carrier at a good price that looked to be quite serviceable. Prior to going through with the deal I insisted on removing the side cover on the gear housing. The bronze worm wheel was laying in three pieces completely shattered. The fellow that was selling it I'm sure was unaware of the situation. A replacement gear at the time was $200 U.S.
On another occasion I purchased a vehicle on which a Garwood winch had been installed upside down in a non original application. The damage done to the steel worm by condensation was on the level of destruction.

David