The Best Towing Winches
A trusty car winch can be a lifesaver. Literally. If you live in an area where snowbanks are common, you've either probably pulled someone's car out of a drift or had your car pulled out by a winch-wielding good samaritan. The same goes for off-roading: without the assistance of a powerful winch, your truck could be stuck in the mud until it fossilizes. The type of car winch you need depends on many factors: the size of your car, the towing capacity required, the terrain you work in, and more. Lucky for you, we're all about car winches over her. Because you're one of the cool kids, we'd be happy to share with you a few of the best we've found.
Rugcel 12-Volt Waterproof Winch
The Winch That's a Cinch
Built with a 1.0 horsepower, 12-volt, series-wound motor and a 3-stage planetary gear system with a free spooling clutch, the Rugcel is a powerful winch specifically designed for trucks, boats, and cars. With a completely waterproof housing protecting its 2,000-pound capacity pull line, the Rugcel is especially effective for jeeps and all-terrain vehicles stuck in floods or mud. Equipped with both a mechanical and dynamic brake for added control, this winch provides the versatility you need for both brute-force and delicate winching jobs.
Pros:
- 3/16″ steel guidance cable
- 48′ wire rope
- Also available in 3,500-pound capacity
Cons:
- Wired remote box is cumbersome
- Cable is not as strong as the winch itself
Smittybilt Gen 2 XRC Winch
The Wicked Winch of the West
Everything about the Smittybilt Gen 2 screams “heavy-duty.” Weighing 78 pounds and with a pull capacity of 9,500 pounds, this one is a monster. Its 6.6 horsepower, 500-amp Solenoid motor runs a 3-stage, planetary gear train attached to a 4-way roller. The XRC winch is a complete recovery system with the muscle and reliability to bail you out of any situation. We especially like that Smittybilt has been making winches for over 5 decades, so rest assured that this is a name you can trust.
Pros:
- IP67 waterproof rating
- Sliding ring gear clutch
- Synthetic fiber cable
Cons:
- Included mounting brackets not as tough as 3rd-party brackets
- Positive lead to the battery should be longer
FieryRed ATV Winch
All-Terrain Winching
If you’ve got an ATV, UTV, or another 4-wheel off-road vehicle, you know how convenient it is to have it equipped with a winch for a variety of jobs (especially pulling the vehicle itself out of the mud). With its 12-volt, 2 horsepower motor, FieryRed’s 4,500-pound winch is one of the strongest winches you can attach to your favorite ORV. With fully wireless control and a gear reduction ratio of 153:1, this winch is slow but mighty, and its upgraded synthetic cable is 10 times stronger than previous models.
Pros:
- Also includes a wired remote
- 4-way roller fairlead
Cons:
- “Rainproof,” not waterproof
- Can’t operate cable at angle > 15 degrees
Vevor 18,000-Pound Truck Winch
Pulls Its Own Weight
There’s a big difference between pulling a Ford F-150 from a snowbank and a Nissan Versa from a snowbank — about 9,000 pounds of difference, in fact. When you need all the power a retail-grade winch can pack, get this truck winch from Vevor. Made of durable stainless steel with corrosion-resistant, black powder finish, this one packs a powerful 7.5 horsepower motor and an efficient, 3-stage planetary gear train, delivering fast, quiet, and reliable pull or lift power. It’s also completely waterproof and comes with a wireless remote controller to allow you to keep a safe distance from your work.
Pros:
- Complete accessory kit included
- 75′ of heavy-duty synthetic cable
- Free-spooling clutch
Cons:
- Slow line speed
- Tight fitting cable is difficult to spool out
Vevor 9,500-Pound Truck Winch
A Winch in a Pinch
It may not seem like 10 extra feet of cable is all that much on a winch spool, but if you’re stranded in a snowbank or moving further down a flooded street, it can make all the difference in the world. That’s why Vevor’s 9,500-pound winch is different from the rest. Yes, it has a 3-stage planetary gear train system with revised gear ratios for increased pulling power like other winches, and yes, it has a powerful 12-volt, all-copper motor. But it also has an 85′ cable that’s designed for lightning-fast spooling across its large-diameter winch drum, giving you the extra length you need while reducing the degree of steel wear.
Pros:
- Waterproof, snow-proof and mud-proof
- Wireless remote control up to 50 meters
- Dynamic braking system
Cons:
- Added weight from extra cable
- Warranty on motor only
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know what size of car winch is right for me?
This is where physics comes into the equation – but don’t worry, we won’t get too deep. Basically, if you’re pulling a car with a winch, your car needs to be heavier than the car you’re towing. How much heavier? A good rule of thumb is to purchase a winch with a pull capacity of at least 50% greater than the gross vehicle weight. Midsize pickups like a Nissan Frontier or Toyota Tacoma can use a 9,000- to 9,500-pound-capacity winch. A full-size truck like a Dodge Ram or Ford F-150 requires at least a 12,000-pound capacity winch.
What are the synthetic ropes in my car winch made of, and are they better than a simple metal cable?
There are many different kinds of synthetic winch lines on the market today. Most we’ve found are made from Dyneema fibers, while others are made from synthetic composites like Kevlar, Spectra, Technora, and Vectran. Yes, they are stronger than a stainless steel cable, and they’re designed to not only withstand snapping, but also stretching.
Is it possible to mount a winch to the brush guard of my truck?
It’s really a bad idea to mount a winch to the brush guard or grill guard of your truck. It’s simply not strong enough. What you can do is get some mounting plates & reinforcement brackets hooked-up to the end of the frame rails. Mount the winch, then cut up your bumper in the necessary areas to create clearance for the winch and mount. There are a ton of videos on YouTube about this kind of modification.
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