The Best Winch to Get Your Truck Prepared for Any Situation

The Smittybilt XRC 4.0 Winch is the top budget winch available because it's very lightweight at only 17 pounds. That makes this a great portable winch and a good choice if you see yourself carting it to the lake or tooling around your yard ripping out bushes. It also has a very high line pull capacity of 4,000 pounds along with 32 feet of steel cable.

This winch also has a 3-stage planetary gear system which makes the gear train more rugged and I also liked the fact it comes with a four way roller fairlead, another feature absent from comparably priced winches. Plus, roller fairleads tend to put less stress on your rope, they tend to generate less friction, and perform better overall.

The WARN 1700 DC Light-Duty Trailer and Utility Winch is one of the top budget winches available because of a quality build and inclusion of tie down rods which is an added convenience to increase the overall stability of the product. For its size, this winch also has a fairly decent foot per minute line speed. Most winches tend to operate at around two to five feet per minute when loaded up and this winch is at the higher end of this scale.

At 1500 pounds, this winch will pull about five feet of steel rope per minute. This time increases as the pounds you're pulling decreases by about one foot per 500 pounds, a great capability to have if you want to get your jobs done quickly. The best part though is it comes with a one-year warranty. WARN is one of the best winch manufacturers out there and this winch is a solid reflection of that reputation.

I decided to include the Master Lock 2953AT 12-Volt DC Portable Winch on this list because of its wide range of pulling capabilities. With its steel cable it can drag items up to 2000 pounds over bare ground, 5000 pounds through the water, and up to 6000 pounds if the item is rolling (such as a wheeled UTV). This versatility alone makes this a valuable winch to have.

I also liked the fact this winch comes with both a remote and a hand crank. This ensures if your remote should break for whatever reason you can still operate it. Another impressive aspect of this product is the automatic shut down if the winch ever overloads which will help it last a long time.

The Superwinch LT2000 - 2,000 lbs/12V winch is on this list because like the Smittybilt, it’s very lightweight at only 17 pounds. This ensures it’s extremely easy to lug around in the back of your vehicle as well as by hand. It features a line pull rating of 2,000 pounds and 49 feet of wire rope, which is more than enough length for most applications.

This winch has an eight-foot remote control, which is great for operating it by yourself. It’s also circuit breaker protected, which is excellent if you’re concerned about accidentally breaking your winch during use. It’s also covered by a one-year warranty.

The Badland 3500 lb. ATV/Utility Electric Winch with Automatic Load-Holding Brake features a high 3,500-pound line pull capacity which ensures you have enough strength to pull most objects and loads with ease. There’s also an eight-foot handlebar control, as well as a 12-foot remote control which means it is easy to control when you’re operating alone.

The steel cable is incredibly strong at 3/16 inches and measures 50 feet long which is more than enough length for most tasks. The line load speed is 23 feet per minute which ensures your jobs get done quickly. Plus, it comes with a roller fairlead, mounting plate, and switch which kills the need to buy anything extra.

The Warn ZEON 12 Platinum is the top winch available because of a very high 12,000-pound pull capacity, making it a great option for individuals with larger vehicles. It comes with 80 feet of aircraft-grade wire if you’re looking for a winch which provides as much rope as possible. This winch is also very safe to use thanks to the wireless remote, a great alternative to wired remotes. This winch is also corrosion-resistant and waterproof, a big plus if you’re planning to use it on a frequent basis. On top of all this, this model comes with a lifetime manufacturer’s warranty.

The LP10000-10,000 lbs/12V by Superwinch is a solid choice for several reasons. First it comes with a weather-sealed motor to keep the elements out of your winch motor whichs cut back on rust/corrosion, and contributes to the overall longevity of your investment. Second, it pulls 10,000 pounds, more than enough for most jobs and vehicles. Third, the 85 feet of included steel cable is 3/8 of an inch thick which increases the strength of the rope and prevents any catastrophic failures. Lastly, this winch comes covered by a two year warranty.

The Mile Marker HI9000 Hydraulic Winch, 9000 Pounds makes our list because like the Warn winch, it’s waterproof as well as corrosion resistant which is great if you’re concerned about rust. This model is also incredibly strong thanks to its stainless steel tie bars and fasteners. This winch comes with 100 feet of durable, galvanized aircraft cable, good news for those of you planning on using your winch frequently. The biggest downside to this model is that it’s very heavy, weighing in at nearly 100 pounds.

The 264100BFW 17,500LB BRUTE FORCE Series Winch by Recon has an insanely high single line pull rating at 17,500 pounds which ensures virtually any vehicle you have will work with this winch such as heavy trucks or vans. This winch features 92 feet of steel cable while offering a very fast line speed of 28 feet per minute. When you combine that with the pull rating, you'll be able to get yourself out of virtually any tight spot. This winch also comes with a limited lifetime warranty to cover the entire winch and not just the mechanical portions.

The X2O 8 8,000 lb winch by Smittybilt is perfect for off-roading in wet conditions thanks to the completely sealed engine and waterproof solenoid; this is perfect if you plan on off roading in the snow or through wet, marshy areas. The winch comes with 100 feet of synthetic rope made from marine-grade stainless steel manufactured to resist pitting corrosion (the type that leads to holes in the metal). This contributes to the winches durability which is great if you plan on using it frequently using it in wet conditions. I also liked that this winch is only 88 pounds, making it considerably lighter than other options out there. The biggest downside is this model is only rated to pull up to 8,000 pounds.