This might have been the thread I was thinking about, but I thought there was a longer one:
http://wayalife.com/showthread.php?t=28146
These are the differences between the 9.5 CTI-s and Zeon 10-s that I found (I think most of them have been mentioned already):
- Design: The Zeon is wider and is a centred setup, while the CTI is off centre. That might bug you if you have OCD, but more importantly it means the Zeon won't fit in as many bumpers. You can relocate the control pack from the top of the Zeon (to mount it under the hood etc), but that really isn't necessary on a Jeep bumper unless you want to give it a low profile look.
- Raiting: The Zeon has a 10000 lbs raiting, while the CTI is 9500 lbs. Both will be powerful enough for a JKU.
- Line Speed: The CTI is a bit faster.
- Amp Draw: The Zeon has a slightly lower power draw.
- Waterproofness: The Zeon is IP68, CTI is unknown.
- Thermal Indicator: The CTI has something for this. IIRC, it's just a warning light on the winch controller. The Zeon doesn't have an indicator.
I was having a tough time choosing between these too, until the Zeon Platinum came out. It is as good or better than the best stats of both the other winches. Plus, it has a great cordless remote with the clutch control built in, displays winch temp and battery voltage on the screen, and can even control two accessories. Only downside is it costs around 50% more than the others. If I didn't get the Platinum, I'd probably have bought the older Zeon.