Truck owners understand the utilitarian role that their vehicles play. A truck is seen by most as a means to an end, which works tirelessly for its owner to get the job done no matter what that may be. From towing a trailer to hauling tools and equipment to a job site, a truck embodies the same “can-do” spirit as the very individual who drives it.
As such, truck owners know the value that is offered by strategically outfitting their vehicles with accessories and components that will make their lives easier. Few such additions reflect this sentiment quite as accurately as that of a recovery winch.
A winch can be of significant value to those who wish to go where few are able and plan on letting little stop them along the way. When trouble comes calling and inadvertent misadventures happen along the road less traveled, your winch is the backup you need to see the day through.
Factors Worthy Of Consideration
Whether an avid off-roader or tireless ranch hand, those in search of a capable truck winch need a product which they can rely upon. However, the process of locating the right truck winch often ends up being more tedious than most would think.
The good news, however, is that it does not necessarily have to be. By carefully considering several key factors, you will be better equipped to assess your needs. This, in turn, will allow you to make an informed decision when the time comes to make your purchase.
By understanding and giving due consideration to the following factors, you will be well on your way to locating a winch that will meet all of life’s demands.
Mounting Arrangement
Before plunging into the depths of the numerous winches available on today’s market, consumers should first focus their attention on their truck itself. The first question that must be poised is how you intend to mount any winch which is purchased. Studying particular winches prior to evaluating this quandary can be somewhat like putting the cart before the horse.
While many winches are generic in their compatibility with various push bars and aftermarket bumpers, others are not. Therefore, care should be taken to only consider those winches that can be affixed to your intended point of mount, whether that be on a bumper/push bar, or a hidden winch mount that can be attached or removed as necessary.
Which Type Of Winch: Electric or Hydraulic?
The next consideration worthy of attention is that of which type of winch you wish to purchase. Recovery winches come in two operational forms, electric and hydraulic. Each of these two forms have their own distinct advantages and disadvantages and any prospective winch owner must decide which particular form is best able to fulfill their needs.
- Electric Winch - Electric winches, in most cases, are far simpler to install than hydraulic winches, as they require no running of high-pressure lines. This style of winch also requires little to no maintenance and upkeep, saving you time and effort along the way. However, most electric winches impart a significant load on your truck’s electrical system and can rapidly overheat when run continuously for any lengthy period of time.
- Hydraulic Winch - A hydraulic winch operates off of your truck’s power steering system and utilizes high-system pressure to create the force necessary for winch operation. This means that a hydraulic winch can be used continuously without stoppage as long as your truck’s engine is running. On the other side of the equation, hydraulic winch systems typically take much longer to install and require a notable level of upkeep in order to maximize longevity.
Weight and Profile
Winches come in an assortment of sizes, shapes, and weight ranges, and it is important to know what effects these properties will have on overall vehicle operation. While the extent of a winch’s weight or dimensions is seldom make-or-break in context, there are a certain number of complexities presented by these specifications that consumers should be aware of.
When a winch is installed on the front of a truck or SUV, additional weight is added in the process. The weight of a particular winch varies based upon its size, winch cable composition, and gear train variances.
For example, a heavy-duty winch that carries a 15,000 pound operational designation and employs the use of a steel rope/cable will typically weigh more than a 9,500 pound low-profile winch with a synthetic rope. If you harbor concerns regarding the overall weight of your truck, this factor can be worth keeping in mind.
A winch’s size profile is often worthy of consideration as well. Front-mounted winches are generally positioned a short distance in front of a vehicle’s grille. This has the potential to impede the flow of air across a vehicle’s radiator, which in turn can lead to higher than average engine operating temperatures.
The larger a winch’s profile, the greater the impedance of air flow becomes. This can cause issues when traveling off-road in the sweltering summer heat, in much the same manner as is the case when a radiator’s fins become clogged with dirt, grime, and debris.
Operational Winch Capacity
Once you have made a determination regarding a prospective winch’s mounting arrangement, form, and dimensions, you must now decide what level of operational capacity will be required. Every winch on the market today carries a load capacity designation, which specifies the maximum amount of weight which it reliably pulls.
In order to determine which winch size is best suited for your particular application, you must first take stock of your truck’s GVWR. Every vehicle on the road today is assigned a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, which denotes the anticipated weight of a vehicle in its operational state and with a fully occupied cabin.
A vehicle’s GVWR can be found in several different ways. The most common of which are by consulting the data placard contained within a vehicle’s driver-front door jamb, studying the vehicle owner’s manual, and visiting the vehicle manufacturer’s website. When this designation is located, record the value in a way that allows it to be quickly referenced.
The simplest way to determine the size of winch that is needed for a particular vehicle is to multiply the vehicle’s GVWR by 1.5. This ensures that any winch which is purchased will have ample power to pull your truck from any number of unanticipated predicaments.
Prior to making such a determination, one must also take stock of any additional upgrades which have been made to any truck which is to be fitted with a winch. Non-OEM components such as aftermarket bumpers, push bars, bed covers, camper shells, and custom wheels all add additional heft to your truck, which tallies up much faster than most would figure. This weight must also be factored in when determining the size of the winch that will be required.
At times, it can be nearly impossible to accurately account for the weight of such aftermarket upgrades, especially when a truck has been heavily modified from its original form. However, there is a simple way to estimate for the total sum of this additional weight, which will provide you with a ballpark figure to operate off of.
This can be done by estimating the weight of these accessories at an additional 30 percent of your vehicle’s total gross weight. This weight can then be added to the vehicle’s manufacturer designated stock GVWR to provide a rough estimate of your truck’s post-modification weight. Although this figure will not be an exact representation of the cumulative weight of these accessories, it will be close enough to ensure that you are not left without enough winch to cover your bases.
The following two equations will assist you in determining the size of the best winch for your particular application.
GVWR X 1.5 = Optimal Winch Size For Stock Vehicles
Or
GVWR+(.30)GVWR X 1.5 = Optimal Winch Size For Heavily Modified Vehicles
To provide a real-world example, consider the 2020 Ram 1500, which has a base GVWR of 6,800 pounds. The following equation would provide an adequate estimate of the optimum winch size for this particular model of truck.
6,800 X 1.5 = 10,200 LBS (For Stock Vehicle)
Or
6,800+(.30)6,800 X 1.5 = 13,260 LBS (For Heavily Modified Vehicle)
While some might be tempted to make do with a smaller winch than that specified by the product of this equation, doing so can prove to be inhibitive when you find yourself in a particular situation where the use of a winch becomes necessary. Nobody wants to be in the midst of winching their way out of trouble, only to find that they are ill-equipped for the job.
Gear Train
Winches also vary in the form of gear trains which they use to facilitate motion transfer. Both worm gear driven and planetary gear train equipped models are available. Each winch configuration offers its own distinct advantages, as well as those attributes which tend to be somewhat less favorable.
- Worm Gear - Worm gear equipped winches are rich on outright pulling power, but typically feature sluggish line speeds. This style of winch also produces less heat than planetary models and can be relatively simple to maintain. Worm gear winches are often said to be superior in the event that a long, hard pull becomes necessary.
- Planetary Gear - Planetary gear winches are the most popular variety of winches on the market today. These winches feature a much faster line pull speed than worm gear equipped models, though they typically offer a slightly reduced pulling capacity, and have the propensity to build significant heat. Multi-stage planetary gear system equipped winches are also able to switch between gear ratios with the selection of different settings.
Cable Composition
Today’s utility winch cables typically come in one of two forms -- synthetic rope, or stainless steel cable. Both synthetic and steel wire/rope have their own unique advantages and disadvantages, all of which a consumer is wise to consider before making any winch purchase.
- Steel Rope - Steel wire rope or cable offers users the advantage of being easy to maintain and rugged beyond compare. When properly guided upon a winch’s drum by the fairlead, steel rope seldom becomes damaged to any degree of note. However, steel rope can be quite heavy to work with, and also adds significant weight to the front end of your vehicle.
- Synthetic Rope - Synthetic rope is substantially lighter in most cases than steel rope, making it easier to handle. They are also flexible by nature, making them easier to deploy at certain angles. However, synthetic rope is outwardly affected by UV and chemical exposure, which can lead to degradation in time. To increase longevity, a synthetic rope winch cable should be washed free of contaminants regularly.
Cable Length
Yet another factor worthy of consideration when purchasing a winch is the length of cable which a particular unit comes spooled with. Unbeknownst to many, this consideration is of significance for more reasons than one. While many feel that a longer cable is always better, this is simply not the case.
Winch manufacturers rate their units’ operational capacities based upon what is achievable with a single wrap of cable around the winch’s drum. This is when pulling capacity is at its peak. Upon spooling a winch’s cable, this force decreases, and continues to do so with each additional wrap of line.
This stems from the fact that a winch drum’s outer diameter grows continually larger with every successive wrap. As this diameter increases, so does the amount of power required to rotate the loaded drum. Therefore this expenditure of power reduces that which remains in order to recover a vehicle.
As a general rule, you ideally want no longer of a rope or cable than what is necessary to reach a solid point of anchor. This can vary from one situation to the next as landscape features differ from region to region. In heavily wooded areas, a cable of only 60-80 feet is likely sufficient. However, in areas of open terrain, many favor cables as long as 150 foot. In order to achieve a happy medium, a cable that is 90-100 feet will accommodate most needs.
Weather and Element Protection
When on the trail, your winch will face a barrage of environmental factors, which have the potential to render a recovery unit inoperable should it not be up to the task at hand. These threats come in multiple forms, and even a minor amount of moisture or solid particle intrusion can be the cause of a winch’s undoing.
Luckily, consumers are provided with a standard metric that can be used to determine how resistant any particular winch is to the elements.
A winch’s IP (Ingress Protection) rating denotes its level of built-in protection from environmental factors such as water, dust, and mud. The first number listed within an IP rating correlates to a particular winch’s resistance to solid particle intrusion. The number six is the highest rating on this given scale, and specifies a winch as being “dust tight”.
The second number contained within the IP rating scale specifies a winch’s resistance to water intrusion. This scale operates on a 1-8 rating threshold, with the highest designation of eight denoting a winch’s ability to operate indefinitely in water up to 3 meters in depth.
Much of a unit’s dust or waterproof characteristics, or lack thereof, are a product of how well its solenoids, contacts, and other electrical components are protected. The more protected these components are, the higher the unit’s IP rating climbs.
Controller Configurations
Today’s winches come standard with a handheld remote control, which allows an operator to continuously operate their winch while positioning themselves to gain a better vantage point of the recovery efforts that are taking place. These controllers come in two forms -- wireless and wired.
The use of each type of controller comes with its own share of high and low points, which leaves consumers to ponder which style of remote will offer them the capabilities that they seek.
- Wireless Remote Control - A wireless controller can offer substantial benefit to those wishing to have the freedom of mobility, while attempting to place their truck back on solid ground. With the use of a wireless controller, operators can actuate their winch from a distance, while simultaneously working multiple winch accessories as needed. However, this style of remote requires regular charging to maintain viability, which can be difficult to remember for some.
- Wired Control - A wired controller maintains operational connection through the use of a water resistant cord. These cords vary in length from one model to the next, but require constant connection in order to facilitate winch operation. This effectively limits an operator’s freedom to move about during the recovery process, as they are constantly tethered to their work. This form of controller does eliminate the need for frequent remote charging or battery replacement.
The Value Of Thinking Ahead
While the above mentioned factors might seem like a lot to consider at any one given time, they all hold significant value when attempting to locate the perfect winch for a particular scenario. It is no secret that the purchase of a winch can be relatively pricey. However, this expenditure should be looked at as an investment, and as such, a reasonable amount of effort should be put into ensuring that your investment pays dividends in the long run.
There are few scenarios more aggravating than relying upon your newly purchased winch in a time of need, only to be let down when it does not perform to the degree which you had hoped. Unfortunately, this exact scenario plays out more often that most would think and leaves those involved in quite the predicament.
By carefully studying the various winches that are available on today’s market and determining which most adequately fulfills your needs, you can avoid such troubling circumstances in their entirety.
Industry Leading Winches To Consider
If you have done your due diligence regarding winch selection but still remain undecided as to which unit to purchase, the following winches all offer a considerable level of value and notable efficiency that far exceeds that of many other products on today’s market.
The following list highlights some of the most highly regarded winches that are available for consumer purchase. These winches are sure to provide reliable service for years to come, no matter what the road (or mother nature) has in store.
- Superwinch Talon 9.5 (9,500 LBS)
The Superwinch Talon 9.5 is perfect for those looking to get the job done and get back to hitting the trail ahead with little wasted time along the way. This rock solid winch has an operating capacity of 9,500 pounds, which should be enough to get most off-road enthusiasts rolling again when trouble arises.
The Talon comes sealed to the outside elements and carries an IP-67 designation to prove so. Another key functional characteristic of this winch is its 67 feet-per-minute non-loaded line pull speed, which expedites the process of stowing your cable at rest when recovery has concluded. The Talon’s remote also features an LED light, which assists users in taking stock of the situation at hand. This winch also carries a limited lifetime warranty on all mechanical parts, as well as a 7-year warranty on all electrical components.
- Warn Zeon 10-S Platinum (10,000 LBS)
Warn Winch takes recovery to the next level with its Zeon 10-S Platinum model. This 10,000 pound winch features an IP-68 ingress rating, which means that it can operate unabated in the face of whatever mother nature throws its way. The Zeon also comes fitted with 100’ of ⅜” Spydura rope and a matte aluminum hawse fairlead. The addition of an all-new, high-speed motor provides a 20 percent increase in line speed, making quick work out of even the most complicated recoveries.
Another well-received feature of the Zeon 10-S Platinum is its use of a wireless remote control, which can simultaneously control winch functions as well as two winch accessories. This places convenience and functionality at your fingertips, allowing you to focus more on the recovery and less on an aggravating power cord. The Zeon’s remote also displays data pertaining to the vehicle battery charge, winch motor temperatures, and operational modes.
- Smittybilt XRC 12K Steel (12,000 LBS)
The level of intuitive thought placed toward the design of Smittybilt’s XRC series winch is nothing short of amazing. The XRC line features a “best-in-class” 7 HP motor that gets the job done with a level of efficiency that is not easily matched. This “can-do” attitude is further cemented by the XRC’s rapid line speed, which is an average of 12 percent faster than the company’s Gen2 series when loaded, and 17 percent faster in non-loaded scenarios.
All of Smittybilt’s Gen3 XRC winches also include a proprietary load indicator system. An integrated light display on the unit’s remote provides real-time feedback pertaining to stress being placed upon the winch and its components. A series of four lights illuminate operational threshold indicators, including those designating stand-by, loading, max load, and overload. This feature assists operators in preventing component damage and allows for adjustments to be made on the fly.
- Mile Marker Sec15 (15,000 LBS)
If you are looking for a lightweight yet robust winch for your Jeep/truck/SUV that can be purchased at an economical price point, then Mile Marker has you covered. The company’s Sec15 series winch weighs in at only 85 pounds, which is 25 percent lighter than the average weight of winches within its class. This maximizes recovery potential while minimizing the addition of extra heft.
The Sec15 utilizes an ultra-durable 3-stage planetary gear train arrangement and is fully sealed to avoid water and dirt ingress. In fact, this winch is rated to withstand complete submersion, should the need arise. Additional features include a 6.8 HP series wound motor, roller fairlead, 79-foot, ⅜” steel cable with winch hook, and a handheld remote control that features a 12-foot lead.
- Warn 16.5TI-S (16,500 LBS)
The Warn 16.5TI-S is the perfect winch for owners of ¾-ton or ton trucks who know time is of the essence and do not wish to wait for a wrecker should trouble arise. This heavy-duty winch is just as technologically advanced as it is robust. The 16.5TI-S includes an integrated thermometric indicator, which provides motor temperature feedback to the unit’s controller in real time. This winch also features extreme-duty sealing and a metal control box in order to provide adequate protection from the elements.
Additional features include the use of a class-leading cone break, which is capable of holding the winch’s full rated load as well as a contactor control for enhanced durability and reliability. This winch is also available with lightweight Spydura Pro synthetic rope. The Warn 16.5TI-S is backed by a limited lifetime mechanical warranty as well as a 7-year warranty on all electrical components.