Thinking of putting that strength of the ATV to use, winches are the way. You can carry tons with one of these installed. Carrying loads aren’t the primary concern most of the time. Getting you out of sticky situations is.
You all love that off-road uneven terrain to ride around on your ATV. That’s what ATVs are for. But every once in a while you’ll get stuck in the mud, those will keep spinning like tops and still being stationary. The best ATV winch is absolutely the perfect thing for that situation.
7 Best ATV Winch up to the Present
To find the best, one needs to go through the huge list of the product and compare the tool from different companies. This is why we have sorted out some of the best winches for ease.
1. Superwinch Terra Single Line Pull
Reasons to Support
Superwinch manufacturers boon you with 6 types of winches where the capacity varies from 2500 pounds to 4500 pounds. The sealed 1.6 HP permanent magnet motor draws low current though it is highly efficient.
The ergonomic cam action free spooling clutch allows users to quickly disengage the motor and manually draw out as much winch rope is needed.
In the package of this product, you will also get one standard 4-way roller fairlead, color-coated leads for connection to the battery, a 50 feet long steel rope, one heavy-duty latched hook with a thimble, one rubber handheld remote, one handlebar switch with 8 feet cable, one hand saver strap, mounting hardware, one sealed solenoid and one set of plastic ties.
You will get a limited lifetime warranty for mechanical components and a limited 1-year warranty for electrical components along with a user manual.
Mechanical load holding and the dynamic brake are provided with this product so that you can stop and start the device any moment you need to and it is also circuit breaker protected.
Reasons to Oppose
- Quite expensive than many other winches on the market.
2. Champion ATV/UTV Winch Kit
Reasons to Support
Champion Power Equipment offers a super-powerful winch kit that includes everything you need to start winching with a rated line pull of 3000 pounds at a price lower than most of the other products in the market. To harness the strength of the 12V DC permanent magnet motor quickly, you just need to mount this tool on your ATV or side by side with the mounting channel.
Some bonus accessories such as roller fairlead, mounting channel, handlebar-mounted remote control are included in the package of this winch kit and the total weight of the package is around 23 pounds. You will also get a 46 feet long galvanized, heavy-duty aircraft cable that is less prone to fraying, even when it is used in highly abrasive terrain.
You will get a limited warranty of 2 years along with free lifetime technical support and free shipping. For your safety, this tool features dynamic braking of the winch drum so that you’ll have the stopping power you need for jobs. Equipped with the clevis hook and handy strap, this compact and lightweight tool can boast a line speed of 4.3 feet per minute with a full load.
Reasons to Oppose
- Sometimes the buttons on the tool don’t work much.
- The handlebar mount control is severely undersized.
3. WARN Vantage Winch
Reasons to Support
A powerful winch of 3000 pounds capacity is provided by the manufacturer WARN which is an excellent choice for moving heavy loads or vehicle recovery in any abrasive terrain. This product will get any job done without breaking the bank with the powerful permanent magnet 12V DC motor providing great performance.
You will also get a roller fairlead and 50 feet long wire rope with this tool that also features a three-stage planetary gear train for smooth operation while it’s fully sealed to keep the elements out. This product is also equipped with high strength composite end housing, corded remote control, handlebar-mounted mini rocker switch and mechanical spring brake to control while winching.
For immediate replacement, an inspect rope is included to use when damaged along with a limited warranty of 1 year. An information video is provided on this tool’s webpage. The corrosion-resistant finish with stainless steel fasteners and clutch lever give the winch the stylish look while it resists corrosion. The weight of this black colored tool is 26 pounds.
Reasons to Oppose
- Not always available on the market.
- Some of the parts of the product are made of plastic instead of metals.
4. MotoAlliance Viper ATV/UTV Winch
Reasons to Support
MotoAlliance corporation offers winches of two different pull capacities, one of them is 3000 pounds and the other one is 4500 pounds weighing 20lb and 12lb respectively so they are not heavy to carry around to places. These products are so easy to install because of the clear instructions while they are compatible with almost all of the major brand’s vehicles.
Along with this tool, you will also get rocker handlebar switch, contractor or solenoid, wiring, hawse fairlead, steel planetary gears, stainless steel hardware and a black synthetic rope that is 50 feet long. This tool also includes the 1.6 horsepower 12V DC permanent magnet motor which is sealed just at an average price.
Mechanical load holding and dynamic brake help to stop the device anytime and continue to pull again when you want. The provided handlebar switch and the rope are waterproof for better performance. You will get a 1-year warranty for the winch itself and 6 months warranty for the rope.
Reasons to Oppose
- Not always available on the market.
- The rope is not so durable to support much load.
5. Keeper Corporation Electric Winch
Reasons to Support
Keeper manufacturers amaze you with winches of 3 different capacities, 2000 pounds, 3000 pounds, and 4000 pounds weighing 13 pounds, 26 pounds, and 34 pounds respectively. All of the products offer superior performance and up to 20% longer operating life than other winches on the market and it is suited for all-terrain vehicles.
With this tool, you will get a 50 feet long galvanized wire rope attached with a heavy-duty hook, one pendant style remote control, hardware kit, and the hand saver strap. The winch has also built-in a circuit breaker to protect the tool and all of your equipment from voltage change and short circuit.
Color-coded wiring and a detailed instruction guide are provided with this product to make the installation easy for you. The 1 horsepower 12V DC motor and all-metal planetary gear train provides excellent pulling speed and power while the mounted drum makes mounting easy in cramped spaces. The dynamic braking system can stop and hold fully loaded cable at any time.
Reasons to Oppose
- Not always available on the market.
- A winch mount kit is not included with the product.
6. SuperATV Black Ops ATV/UTV Winch
Reasons to Support
Whether your vehicle is in the mud or you gotta move heavy stuff, the winch from SuperATV manufacture is surely gonna help you. This tool is rated with a line pull of 5000 pounds that comes with a 50 feet long synthetic rope, wireless remote control, brakes to hold on inclines and a reliable smooth running electrical system for sustained battery life.
To keep the gears turning, there are also weatherproof seals provided with this product. There is a tool provided on the webpage of this product so that you can verify if their synthetic rope can fit your ATV vehicles. The weight of the tool is around 30 pounds, so it is not that hard to work with.
Even when you are stuck neck-deep in mud, your winch won’t quit as there are a remote receiver box and a water-resistant sealed solenoid. This tool comes with a 1-year warranty and it is super easy to install and it is built tough to endure the elements, rough trails and heavy loads.
Reasons to Oppose
- Expensive than most other winches on the list.
- You need to buy a winch ready bumper and mounting plate separately.
7. Badland ZXR Off-Road Vehicle Electric Winch
Reasons to Support
Badland ZXR manufacturer offers an electric winch that is so powerful with a rated line pull of 12000 pounds and specially tailored to benefit the off-road vehicles. It is made to be weather resistant so that you can use it anytime to recover a stuck vehicle, haul timber or load a boat despite the weather and environment is harsh.
Even during long pulls, the powerful 6 HP series wound motor stays cooler. Durable galvanized aircraft-grade steel cable is 65 feet long and there are also cable extenders. This pocket-friendly device is very easy to set up and use as there are 6 feet longer battery cables for convenient installation.
An automatic load-holding brake is equipped for maximum safety for this tool as well as free spooling for fast line out. There is also a three-stage planetary gear system for fast line speed. The handheld remote control can control from up to 12 feet distance.
Reasons to Oppose
- You will not get any warranty with this product.
- The weight is more than 80 pounds, so it is so hard to carry around.
- Though the pulling action is slow, it drains more battery in a short time.
Tour to Finding the Best ATV Winch
These are some military-grade tech. So, it’s a witty and wise decision to know all about it before you hit the buy button on any of these.
Usage
You can use a winch for a variety of works. If you think this device can only pull up your ATV from mud or any harsh terrain, then you are just overlooking many other usages. Do you want to move things into your construction work? Or perhaps cutting some timber? Even if you search for rare things underwater or underground and need to pull them up, they’ll be by your side.
To clean all the snows from your driveway, a winch can be a big help along with being a lifesaver for your vehicles. To decide which device is best for your uses, you need to decide what type of things you are gonna do with that winch cause no one wants to buy a tool and regret later as that won’t fit or give you the best result for the usage you want.
Type
There are mainly two types of winches out there, one is an electric winch and another one is the ratchet winch. Unlike electric ones, a ratchet winch can be quickly interchanged from the front to the rear of an ATV. They are compact and have enough pulling strength for heavy loads.
Methods
Only two methods are used for pulling with a winch, one is the single-line method and the other one is the double-line method. The single-line method is the most common method where you attach the cable directly to the object. And the double-line method effectively doubles the pulling capacity by using a pulley block.
Weight
You should choose a winch model with a capacity that is at least 1.5 times more than the weight of the vehicle you plan to pull. But if you plan to drag a non-rolling load, choose a winch with at least twice the weight capacity. So that it will be able to move the load while it can guarantee a long life for your tool.
All the companies offer basic features but differ in style and capacity. It is up to you to decide which one is the right manufacturer for you depending on the brand, or price or style or anything.
Power
The power of a winch indicates what is the maximum amount of load that can be pulled using it. For that reason, you need to know the weight of your ATV or the load you need to pull. Winches are listed by their pulling power or capacity, where the capacity starts around 1500 pounds and can be over 10,000 pounds.
For smaller and lighter loads, you need to select the device with less capacity, but for heavier work, you need the tool with higher capacity. Though 2000-3000 pound capacity winches are the standard winches that are suitable for most of the pulling jobs.
Steel Cable vs Synthetic Rope
Synthetic rope is super flexible and easy to handle so that you don’t have to worry about shredding your hands every time you touch it. There’s no issue about kinking as well. Synthetic rope utilizes a simple aluminum hawse fairlead which will save you the trouble of your roller fairlead snagging. Synthetic rope is also lighter, safer and won’t rust.
Steel cables are usually made from aviation steel. They are more durable but also weigh more. In dirt, stones or the sand, it wears off much less. It is cheaper than synthetic and requires less maintenance.
Safety
You already know that you need to use your winch in all kinds of harsh environments such as muddy areas, rocky regions, swamp environments and so on. For this reason, your device must be a weatherproof one. Also, the electrical parts need to be waterproof for safety reasons.
Most of the electric winches are remote-controlled, make sure yours can be controlled from a long distance for further safety.
Essential Components
Some of the components and features make your winch more convenient and easy to use. So make sure your tool includes these accessories.
Free-spooling Clutch
It is the feature that allows you to pull the cable from the spool without pulling against the gears quickly, saving wear and tear on your winch as pulling against the gears delays the time to secure the cable.
Fairleads
Fairlead is the guide that helps the spool to lay down cable tightly and evenly. There are two basic types of fairleads, they are Roller and Hawse. The roller protects the cable from unnecessary abrasion as rollers can cover every angle. But the hawse provides less cable abrasion protection due to the lack of rollers.
Rocker Switch
Rocker switch or the remote switch is the switch that is generally mounted on the handlebars and gives you the power to control the winch. Some come with 6 feet long cords for long-distance controlling.
Covers
Even though winches are tough, having a cover of the device will make it more secure by keeping dirt & dust away from the motor making it last a long period.
Winch Kit
A winch kit is a basic kit that offers everything you would need, such as rope, straps, etc. The price of a winch kit is much lower than buying the components individually.
Instruction Manual
It’s a feat of engineering to get a winch set to an ATV. So, you have to be very careful about the fact of whether the manufacturer’s providing solid instruction or not. Some brands have video tutorials on their sites or youtube guiding every step of the installation procedure, those are far better.
Warranty
ATV winches are a complex mechanism and such complexities many times causes the products to fail. Especially in the case of motorized one’s warranty is a humongous relief. Lifetime warranty is the best choice but try to buy a winch that comes with at least 2 years of warranty.
FAQs
Q: Can I double my winch capacity?
Ans: Yes, you can. You can use a snatch block to double winch capacity, half the speed and maintain a direct line-pull to the center to the rollers.
Q: How can I do winch maintenance?
Ans: You should regularly lubricate all grease points, inspect all bolts, all electrical connections, and cable. You should also check to ensure there are no worn coatings or corrosion on electrical connections and the connections are tight.
Q: How can I secure a load?
Ans: You can use ratchets and straps to secure the loads as winches do not make suitable tie downs.
Final Statements
Regardless of being a pro or a newbie, if you properly read the buying guide and product review section, you should have already known about the ATV winch that can fulfill all of your expectations. But if you don’t even have the time to go through the article or are still confused about which one is best for you, then we are here to find you the best ATV winch.
First of all, we are gonna recommend you buy the winch from the Superwinch manufacturer. The device from this provider is a high-quality tool that comes with a lifetime warranty while all of the components are super strong and lightweight.
Except for that one, you can also go for the winches from the provider WARN and Champion Power Equipment. The tool from WARN is durable and warranty baked though some components are made of plastic. And the tool from Champion Power Equipment is so powerful and can be afforded easily as it’s cheap.
Also read – The Best Hand Winches In Town | Carry Loads Without Worrying
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