What’re The Best Electric Winches for Trucks?

Have you ever encountered snow, sand, mud or large rocks when out on your truck? If yes, worry no more. Winches were designed to ensure that you are able to come out of such terrains. There are a lot of winches that can be found these days that will assist while caught up in such setups. However, do not despite the fact that the winch is rarely used, for it comes in handy in almost all situations and makes your life easier.

In these reviews, you will be able to learn different types of winches and why they are uniquely preferred and the capacity they are able to hold in regards to the size of your truck.

Top 5 Reviews

1. Smittybilt 97495 XRC winch – (9,500lbs)

The Smittybilt XRC Winch is one of the best Smittybilt winches that have been there for over 40 years. Hence this particular winch is known as the next generation winch due to the experience level invested in it. For performance and durability, they have been updated with heavy duty features. Its load capacity which is more than 9,500lbs offers a complete recovery system to bail you out of any situation. Its muscle and reliability offer a high level of power and performance while being used.

Specs and Features

• weight is 78 pounds
• Load capacity is up to 9,500 lbs
• Has a 3 stage planetary gear system
• It has a corded remote
• 6.6 Hp Amphibious motor
• Clutch is a sliding ring gear
• Has a remote switch for control

Purchasing the Smittybilt winch makes it a good buy since the products are designed by off-road enthusiasts who understand what it takes for a winch to withstand tough and rough treatment that needs to be tugged out. The planetary gear system makes the winch pull faster in whatever circumstance one is faced with. The warranties offered are well extended to a lot of their accessories creating the freedom to use their winch limitlessly on off roads. The history they have in creating winches has led to the quality that they provide.

2. Smittybilt 98512-X20 Waterproof Winch – (12,000lbs)

The Smittybilt waterproof synthetic rope winch is updated with heavy-duty features to boost performance and also has an integrated wireless remote. It has increased pulling power and line speed due to the amphibious motor and the 3 stage planetary system. Since it uses synthetic ropes the drum temperatures are reduced by 66% through the dynamic braking system. Hence any type of synthetic ropes can be used.

Specs and Features

• Load capacity : 12,000 lbs
• Included synthetic rope
• Wireless remote
• Completely waterproof, state-of-the-art 500 AMP solenoid
• 3 stage planetary gear

Getting a perfect winch is not easy. However, this winch has an excellent build. It is simple to install. The use of the wireless function is very convenient and comes in handy when winching alone. In addition, the winch is also reviewed strong by many customers who used it to drag trees that fell off during storms. It is sometimes a challenge to those who are using the synthetic rope for the first time, however, installation is easy. The synthetic rope rarely overheats because it’s lightweight and does not bunch up when tugging out. Wiring too is easy as much as the remote works well whether it is plugged in or wireless.

Besides that, the Smittybillt is known for its life term warranty that many consumers admire for it makes them worry less. It also ensures that the customer gets unparalleled performance since the winch is checked on regularly making this winch an excellent buy that saves in any situation.

3. X-Bull 12V Winch – (13,000lbs)

The X-Bull waterproof synthetic rope winch is a piece of important equipment to have in a truck or SUV. Off-road experts have this winch all the time for they have experienced being stuck as a usual part of their adventure to not getting stuck. This winch is common to tugging out trucks out of sand, mud bogs and streams. This winch is known to bring aid despite the terrain one is in since it pulls out freely and the truck can keep moving.

Specs and Features

• Has a winch cover and overload protector
• The synthetic cable is 26 meters long
• The load capacity is 13,000 lbs

There are a number of reasons to buy the X-Bull 12V waterproof synthetic rope winch. The overall set up they have is fantastic. The synthetic rope holds off less potential energy and is light. Even when the rope snaps the damage or injury levels are low. It has a power in and power out for positive load control which assists a lot during the process of pulling out. As much as it has a good look it is able to perform the work effectively. The color-coded motor terminal connectors help a lot while installing especially to guys with less experience. This winch performance makes you want to leave for the mountains.

4. Super Winch 1135220 Terra 35 – (3,500lbs)

The Super winch is among the most commonly used in the market. It has over nine different models that are suitable for ATVs of up to 4500lbs. Power sports users love it because of its versatility, durability and high-end power that it provides. As much as each winch was designed for certain types of trucks. The Super winch has its own features that make it unique.

Specs and Features

• Has a 1.6 magnet motor mechanical load holding that is permanent
• A dynamic brake
• Has a circuit brake that has weather sealed solenoid contacts
• 4-way roller fairlead 50-inch steel wire rope
• Heavy duty latched hook with thimble
• Handheld remote

The Super Winch is a good buy for its construction that enhances the performance by providing the motor more power and it also cools faster. This makes it efficient because of the mass copper windings with the bearing that is sealed from end to end. Besides that, it has steel drums that handle both the steel and synthetic cable used for tugging and winching. The steel wires are good for this winch for they do not snap easily when pulling heavyweights. Therefore, it can be used to winch your Jeep, SUV or truck since it’s within its weight capacities.

The Super Winch 1135220 Terra 35 has also been recommended by the Barlow adventures company. Since they find it effective and timely as they provide 4-wheel experiences to their clients. In fact, its build is efficient to assist in removing any sort of element that the car is stuck at, such as mud, sand or even snow.

5. Champion 4500lb ATV/UTV Wireless Winch

The champion wireless winch is also known as the convenient winch. It is actually one of a kind compared to most winches in the market. Its complete setup has a wireless remote, antenna, mounting channel, wiring ring with a contactor that winches out your track with ease anywhere within a radius of 50-foot. This winching experience is among the easiest and powers off instantly when not in use to save the battery of the truck. The champions wireless winch kit is a good combination of power and performance to use on an ATV, boat or trailer.

Specs and Features

• Weight is 30.4 pounds
• Load capacity is up to 4500lbs
• Line pull powered by 1.6 horsepower
• Wireless remote and antenna

Purchasing the champion powerless winch is necessary due to its performance and features. Whatever situation one may encounter this winch comes in handy. Its well-rated line pull of 4500 pounds ensures that it doubles up side by side on your ATV and quickly harnesses to tug out the car. Its dynamic braking ensures that your winching experience is safe since it has perfect stopping power that is necessary on the job. In case of issues loading up the winch to pull off other vehicles. The remote feature assists flawlessly making it less cumbersome when loading heavy equipment alone such as logs and rods. They provide a 2-year limited warranty and free lifetime technical support. The power and strength of the champion wireless winch make it an excellent buy that offers convenience to the owner.

Things to Keep in Mind When Buying Winches for Trucks

Winches are actually a good investment especially if you own trucks, jeeps or SUV. They also come in handy when you are used to taking your vehicles off-road. The winch came to solve the shovel problem when stuck while traveling and you had to dig your out.it is good to learn that winches are in different brands and sizes. There are larger heavy-duty truck winches and the small ATV models. The following are some of the things to consider before buying winches:

1. Know how a winch works

Understanding how a winch works is the same as knowing the various parts of a winch. Despite the type of winch, all parts are similar. The motor is the source of power it could be electric or hydraulic. it has the gear train, cable, braking system, fairlead, control box and the remote control which helps you run your winch from a safe distance using it. All this makes up the winch and it good to check all of them before buying. Whether it is for heavy or light duty usage.

2. Choose between electric and hydraulic

There are two types of winch styles to choose from when looking on to buy winches. The electric and hydraulic systems. Despite their differences, they both work effectively. The electric winch operates on an electric motor that is attached to your battery through cables. So all that is needed is good battery power. The hydraulic one is powered by the power steering pump instead of using electricity. It may have some demerits but off-roaders love it.

3. The line pull

This is the weight capacity of the winch or the amount it can pull. Depending on motor and cable strength and the gears. A line pull should be at least 1.5 times the trucks weight for the winch to be effective. This more power is better than to have less power and lack help. It is good to keep in mind that the heavier the line up the harder it is to mount.

4. Winch speed

It is vital to consider the speed of a winch. The gear systems are used to determine your speed. There two types of gear that determine the speed of the winch. The worm and the planetary gear. The worm gear may be slower but it efficient for longer pulls. While the planetary gear is fast and since it generates a lot of heat. It overheats the winch and is considered costly to maintain and repair. When choosing a winch to buy, determining which speed gear you want is a matter of sacrifice between heat and speed.

5. Type of winch cables

Before you invest in a winch for your desired purpose. Check whether the steel or synthetic fiber winches work better for your specific need. The steel one has a demerit cause of its weight, but it is very strong. Although steel is best on rough terrains like rocks, the fact that it can rust makes it less reliable. The synthetic fiber has great merits because it has less weight, it’s flexible and is best used for water tugging since it floats and doesn’t kink like steel. After all, all that both of them need is to be in good condition and they will be able to produce the results required.

6. Choice of cable

Keep in mind too, the amount of cable you would prefer between the synthetic and the steel cable. Once you know the need of why you need the winch. It is a choice between the steel cable that is sturdy but has a lot of weight. Alternatively, you can choose the synthetic cables that are less heavy but require a lot of skill while using since they can break easily. When buying a winch, you can do depending on the task it is used for. For instance, the synthetic cable is preferred a lot by off-roaders.

7. Mounting options

While considering to buy a winch it is crucial to know where the winch will be mounted on your truck. The options vary from one truck to another. Nevertheless, it can be mounted on the front, rear or in the middle of the truck. While choosing a winch remember it should be able to mount firmly on the truck and is able to pull as many pounds as its weight capacity.

Conclusion

A winch is a great aid to have especially for off-road adventures. There are a variety of winches in the market. Therefore, it is advised that you search for the best truck winch that will suit your specific needs. Plus, asking around other truck drivers of the performance of the common ones will help you choose a viable one. Whether the winch is heavy or light duty, the choice depends on the type of work it will handle. Consider a winch as an investment that comes in handy when stuck in snow, water, mud or rocks. This is a better option in comparison to the shovel that was originally used.