Honest, in-depth winch reviews. We compare capacity, build quality, cable type and value to help you pick the right winch the first time.
The most famous battery in off-roading does not belong on this list. OPTIMA’s own spec sheet says the RedTop is “not recommended or warranted for use in deep cycle applications” — and winching is exactly that: a winch at full load pulls roughly 300–450 amps in long, deep draws. The previous version of this guide
A UTV is not a big ATV. A loaded side-by-side runs 1,600–2,400 lb — half a ton more than a quad — and it gets stuck in the same mud with more suction and more pride at stake. Yet the winch market happily sells ATV-class winches into UTV bumpers: the previous version of this guide
The Pioneer 1000 is the UTV guide where the sizing maths argues with the catalogue. Honda’s launch figures put the machine’s GVWR at 3,190 lb (1000) and 3,358 lb (1000-5) — reported from Honda’s launch data, since Honda’s own spec sheets publish curb weight only — and GVW × 1.5 turns those into 4,785 and
A come-along’s box rating is two different numbers wearing one label. The same tool will be rated for a horizontal drag and a vertical lift, single line and double line, a “maximum rated capacity” and a safe working load half as big — and the big number is the one printed large. This guide prints
Here is the thing nobody tells you about “portable winches”: most winches sold under that label are ordinary bumper-mount winches in a marketing costume. A truly portable winch needs no bumper, no wiring job and no second person to move it — it lives in a box, rides in the boot, and works off quick-connect