The first fact of this review is that there is no single “VEVOR 13500”. VEVOR sells the 13,500 lb rating under at least four distinct SKUs — different motors (6.0, 6.6, 6.8, 7.2 hp across the family), different ropes and different spec sheets — and the exact SKU’s page is the only reliable documentation for any of them. This review therefore reviews the two variants this site’s readers actually land on, separately: the veteran SC13000 and the newer 85 ft model — and corrects one error of the previous version in the open: it labelled the second listing a “Steel Rope Version”. It is synthetic; the text below proves it from the dealer record. This is a research-based review; we do not test winches.
Verdict — 7.6/10: strong, genuinely cheap pulling power with a usable owner record, priced against real compromises: IP55 sealing where the class offers IP67/68, a 1-year warranty, per-SKU spec fog (including VEVOR’s own comparison chart contradicting its own listing), and intermittent-duty discipline the manuals state only in words.
Variant 1 — VEVOR SC13000 (the veteran listing)
| Rated pull | 13,500 lb |
| Motor | 6.6 hp |
| Gear ratio | 265:1 (listing + current manual) — VEVOR’s own Amazon comparison chart says 195.8:1 for this same ASIN; conflict flagged |
| Rope | Synthetic, 3/8 in x 80 ft; aluminium hawse |
| Sealing | IP55 |
| Weight | 50.4 lb net |
| Controls | Wireless + wired remotes |
| Name caution | VEVOR has reused “SC13000” across generations — an older manual’s SC13000 is a 13,000 lb, 172.8:1, IP67 winch. Verify the generation at order. |
Variant 2 — VEVOR “13500lb” (the newer 85 ft model)
| Maker SKU | HCSDDJP13500KZ0O7001V9 (FactoryPure, authorised dealer) |
| Rated pull | 13,500 lb |
| Motor | 6.0 hp pure copper |
| Gear ratio | 265:1 |
| Rope | Synthetic 12-strand, 3/8 in x 85 ft — NOT steel (the previous version’s error, corrected) |
| Sealing | IP55 |
| Weight | 50.7 lb net |
| Controls | Wireless (98 ft) + wired |
| Warranty | 1-year factory (dealer-stated) |
How the score works
Rubric: pulling value 25% · documentation quality 25% · owner feedback 30% · warranty/support 20%. Editorial judgement from published sources, not test results. VEVOR gains on value and on an owner record that — unusually for this price class — exists at all; it loses on documentation discipline (the family’s four-SKU fog and self-contradicting charts) and on the IP55/1-year pairing.
What owners report
Independent forum discussion of the VEVOR 13,500 by name is sparse — the standout is a Bronco6G thread where a 2021 Bronco First Edition owner reports his near-identical VEVOR 13,500 impressive over many pulls, including dragging a dead skid steer onto a car hauler, with no failures so far. The bulk of the record is retailer-hosted (VEVOR’s own regional stores), paraphrased and labelled as such: a car-hauler owner pulled a welding truck out of deep sand and loaded a ’78 F-150, praising the remote’s ~90 ft range but calling the winch slow; a Jeep TJ owner reports his working perfectly and values having both remotes; another owner found the clutch lever’s “on” position finicky at first. One support tale cuts the other way and is worth printing: a CA-store buyer’s first (steel-variant) unit was lost in transit and VEVOR support replaced it after the remnants were returned — a logistics caution, not a product verdict.
Strengths
- Real 13.5K pulling at the class’s budget end
- Light for the class (~50 lb)
- Both remotes in the box
- An owner record that exists — with hard work in it
Watch-outs
- Four SKUs, one name — spec fog is the product
- IP55 vs the class’s IP67/68
- 1-year warranty
- Maker’s own chart contradicts its listing (gear ratio)
- Intermittent duty — manuals give words, not numbers
Who should buy it, who should skip it
Buy it: the value buyer who verifies the exact SKU at order and accepts IP55 + 1-year terms. Skip it: buyers who need settled documentation or sealed longevity — the OPENROAD 13500 (maker paperwork, IP68, reviewed here) and the lifetime-warranty class in our 12000 lb guide are the documented exits. Note this site keeps VEVOR’s S10000 in a truck guide as the honest-position budget pick; the 13,500 family’s fog is why it is reviewed here rather than ranked there.
Alternatives in the class
| Winch | Pull | Sealing / Warranty | Where it ranks here |
|---|---|---|---|
| OPENROAD 13500 Panther 3S | 13,500 lb | IP68 / 1-year | our review |
| X-BULL 13000 | 13,000 lb | IP67 / 1-year | cheap winch guide |
| Smittybilt X2O 10K | 10,000 lb | IP68 / lifetime | truck winch guide |
VEVOR 13500 FAQ
Which VEVOR 13500 am I actually buying?
Check the SKU, not the title: SC13000 (80 ft rope, 6.6 hp) and the “13500lb” SKU HCSDDJP13500KZ0O7001V9 (85 ft, 6.0 hp) are different winches under one rating — and steel-cable 13,500s exist under yet other SKUs.
Is the warranty really one year?
Yes — dealer-stated factory warranty for the 85 ft model; the manuals defer to the included warranty card. No source supports anything longer for this class.
IP55 — is that a problem?
It is a dust/splash rating, not a submerge-and-forget one. Owners in wet climates should weigh it; the class leaders publish IP67/IP68.
How fast is it under load?
VEVOR publishes no numeric duty cycle and the owner record calls it slow under load. Plan intermittent pulls with cool-downs, per its own manuals.
Sources
- VEVOR product pages and manuals via vevor.com and FactoryPure (authorised dealer) SKU record; Bronco6G owner thread and VEVOR regional-store owner reports, paraphrased and labelled in the owners section.