Best Winch for Your Truck

When I went looking for a winch for my tacoma, I pretty much started and stayed with the top – a Warn winch. Why Warn? In my years of testing ATVs and UTVs, I used a lot of winches and through trial and error, the Warn winches held up to the most extreme conditions. The Warn ZEON has automotive-grade busbars that replace unsightly wires for greater electrical efficiency, superior connection, and a cleaner look. They have full metal armor that protects the vital components from impact and damage. They are waterproof and have twice the corrosion resistance of entry-level winches and are rated to 408 hours in Warn’s salt-spray tests – very important if you live near the ocean, or in the northern regions where roads are salted in winter. The ZEON has 33 ft/min no-load line speed, which is much faster than most, a big plus when recovering line.

There is a case for wha I call super winches, ones that can pull a tremendous amount of weight. This winch from Smittybilt is one such winch. It is rated for 17,500lbs. of pull. Why would you need that amount? There’s a couple of scenarios that are actually quite common. One, you drive a very heavy rig, like a 3/4 ton truck with a camper on the bed. The shear weight of everything loaded on the vehicle makes a bigger winch a necessity. Two, you routinely get into situations, like serious mud, where the weight of your vehicle is compounded by the suction and drag the mud adds to the situation. Again, if you want to go home, you need to go big. The XCR GEN2 winch has a 6.6HP amphibious motor with what Smittybilt claims is the highest torque in the industry, and it is connected to a 3-stage Planetary Gear System for increased pulling power and line speed. It also has an integrated wireless remote control for ease of use and maximum versatility.

I’ll admit, I was a bit skeptical of Traveler winches at first. I saw them in my local Tractor Supply Co. store and thought that there was just no way that a winch that cost so little would work. Then I checked out some buyer’s ratings and reviews and started to change my mind. My father-in-law then bought one for his tractor. He uses it when he cuts firewood, and hauls some massive trees out of a ravine with the winch. He also used it to pull the tractor out of a quagmire last spring. These 12,000-pound capacity winches come with a rubberized remote for weather resistance and just under 84 feet of steel cable. You can opt for synthetic rope for more money, but the smoking price of the cable model is too good to not pass along.

Superwinch is redefining the affordable winch in the market with the new Tiger Shark 9.5. Its standout features include stainless steel roller fairleads and hardware, and a sealed submersible contactor solenoid. The winch has a severe-duty textured finish that resists the harsh outdoor and off-road abuse. It also has an ultra tough 3-stage planetary gear box that handles stress and torque on demand, and the “lift and pull” ergonomic free-spool lever that stops trail debris from activating your winch  when you get deep back in the woods and other fun places.

One accessory that I highly recommend is the Warn Epic Sidewinder. This replaces the normal hook at the end of your cable or synthetic rope. Since I use various straps as anchors, this lets me have a solid hookup to that strap. Where a hook might slip off if there is slack, and I’ve had that happen, this ensures a perfect hookup to the anchor point. If you’re working by yourself, this is a must have product.

You need a snatch block. Period. This is the most effective way to double the pulling power of your winch. (See below for more details on how that works.) Rhino USA makes some of the best truck accessories on the market, and their 13.5 ton rated snatch block is no exception. Made in the US by a family-owned business, these durable, heavy-duty blocks handle synthetic rope and Steel Cable up to 3/8 in. in size, and common 3/4 in. shackles.