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The legendary WARN winch offers solid waterproofing and a seven-year warranty in a heavy (if pricey) package. Read More
This comfortable, lightweight headlamp offers great value with a warranty, hands-free operation, and several lighting modes. Read More
With a larger motor and 92 feet of steel cable, the Off Road Boar also has smart features like a roller fairlead and clevis hook. Read More
A name brand among winches, the Smittybilt X20 is a beast of a motor backed up by a solid five-year electrical warranty. Read More
A waterproof-sealed solenoid, synthetic rope, and both wired and wireless remotes make for a great winch system at a good price. Read More
By the time you need a winch to get your vehicle free of some muck, it’s probably too late to go back home and get it. Luckily, winches can be mounted directly to your vehicle so they’re ready when you need them. But first you have to buy one.
Finding a great winch can be challenging. To sort through the features you need (and pass on the ones you don’t), you need to be clear on your winch expectations. Choosing a winch means considering your vehicle’s weight—or the weight of the vehicles you’ll be pulling—as well as your preference for steel or synthetic cable.
While both types of cable require some maintenance, it’s worth noting that certain off-roading events only allow synthetic cable to be used. All the winches listed here include both wireless and wired remote controls for use.
To help you find the right winch, we dug through thousands of reviews for a variety of options available online. These are some of the best winches you can shop right now.
This is the brand that, when other winches failed, reviewers either threatened to buy or wished they had. The Warn Evo line is a favorite: 90% of reviewers rated this heavy-duty winch at five stars. With the highest waterproof rating on this list at IP68, the Evo is available in three different size winches and either steel or synthetic cable.
Most of the negative reviews on Amazon involve mishaps like customers receiving used winches when they’d ordered a new one. Installation requires buying a plate as well as the winch, so there’s an additional cost there, too. With a seven-year warranty on electrical parts, this winch sounds like a pretty low-risk investment overall.
Requires separate plate to install
If Smittybilt is a brand you prefer, but the price tag is a tad high, check out the XRC winch line. With a similar sized motor and all the thoughtful details Smittybilt offers in their other winches, the Gen 2 XRC has most of the features at a lower cost. One of the big differences is a reduced guarantee, with this winch having a three-year warranty on electrical parts.
The Smittybilt Gen 2 XRC includes a four-roller fairlead and a solid hook, with one reviewer noting the thoughtful features like a magnet in the remote to help you keep track of it. Like the other winches, this one has both wireless and wired remotes. A couple of reviewers mentioned that, when free-spooling cable, this winch can require a bit of work to pull the cable out.
As a middle-of-the-road option, the Off Road Boar has 92 feet of steel cable and a 5.5-horsepower winch motor and a waterproofed cover. The winch is improved with a roller fairlead and a clevis hook to connect to whatever it is you need to winch out.
With a one-year limited warranty, reviewers were sometimes frustrated when contacting customer service to solve issues when the winch didn’t work out of the box. One reviewer in particular claimed the winch they received was very different from the one pictured.
With a 6.6-horsepower amphibious motor and 98.5 feet of steel cable, the Smittybilt X20 will survive the ride into trouble and get you out of that muck, too. With a higher waterproofing rating than several other so-called waterproof models, the Smittybilt X20 offers a solid build to the case as well as the forged hook.
The winch comes with one of the higher-torque engines, a rope sleeve, and both wireless and wired remotes. If a steel-cable winch is what you’re looking for, this winch offers a limited lifetime warranty on most of the parts, as well as a five-year warranty on the electrical components.
While these features price the Smittybilt X20 at a premium, reviewers often commented on its excellent quality. One reviewer noted that replacing the wireless remote cost roughly half the price he paid for the winch, so be mindful with the remotes.
Expensive to replace lost remote
After looking at this Zeak winches’ reviews, we found that customers praise the value of this winch, considering the synthetic rope and wireless controller as part of the package. With both wired and wireless controllers included, you have more choices in terms of where you stand while you operate the winch.
A waterproof housing on the solenoid adds to the winch’s ability to weather more adverse conditions. This is another manufacturer that recommends professional installation, since reversing polarity on this winch will short circuit it. Otherwise, many reviewers were happy with their purchase, often comparing this winch to more expensive alternatives.
6-horsepower motor with clevis hook
Print on winch labels fades quickly
The Pismire offers a 7.2-horsepower motor, with 100 feet of nylon rope guided by two wireless remotes and one wired remote. Unlike other electric winches, the Pismire features an extra waterproof cloth cover to help protect the winch when not in use. Generally, most reviewers were happy with the cost of the winch, given the value it offers. One user noted that the rope broke earlier than expected, however.
With a one-year warranty on electric parts, the Pismire has a sufficient guarantee to check out the quality. The manufacturer cautions that installing incorrectly can damage the motor, so be careful when connecting the winch to your vehicle. Thankfully, most reviewers reported that installation was easy.
The recommendations in this guide are based on thorough product and market research by our team of expert product reviewers. The picks are based on examining user reviews, product specifications, and, in some limited cases, our experience with the specific products named.
A vehicle-recovery winch includes a spool of cable, a hook, and a motor for pulling vehicles out of snowy ditches, muddy areas, and other messy situations. You can mount a winch on your vehicle’s bumper or on a winch bar, depending on the kind of kit you buy and what the manufacturer recommends. Most of the ones in this guide have a pull capacity of about five tons.
If you have a heavy-duty trailer that you pull behind your pickup, you can mount a winch kit to the inside of the trailer’s frame. You’ll find a number of video tutorials online, but you should consider what your likely use cases are and make sure you have bolts strong enough to mount the receiver or frame properly. When it comes to wiring the winch for your purposes, make sure you’re following any instructions supplied by the winch kit manufacturer. And always take the proper safety precautions when installing your own battery box, for example.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time. The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.
Rebecca Boniface is a certified PADI dive instructor, full-time nomad, and DIY enthusiast.
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