The 10 Most Popular Electric Winches for Trucks in 2022

If you like to head off the pavement and explore the wilderness, it’s only a matter of time until you find yourself in a situation you can’t get out of. That’s where a winch can really bail you out. A winch can be all you need to pull yourself and your buddy out of sticky situations.

But because you often won’t know if You winch is up to snuff until you need it, it’s important that you get the right one the first time. We understand, and it’s why we wanted to highlight some of the best electric winches for trucks on the market today.

Not only that, but we’ve come up with a comprehensive buyer’s guide that will walk you through everything you need to know to get the perfect winch for your truck. If you’re in the market for an electric winch for your truck, you’ve come to the right place.

Disclaimer – This article may contain affiliate links, this means that at no cost to you, we may receive a small commission for qualifying purchases.

Ten Best Truck Electric Winches

1. ZUPER 12V Electric Truck Winch – Best Electric Winch Overall

• Manufacturer: ZESUPER
• Maximum Pulling Capacity: 13,000 pounds
• Rope/Cable Material: Synthetic rope
• Rope/Cable Length: At a height of 78 feet
• Warranty: 1-year
• Dimensions: 20.3” x 6.3” x 7.9”
• Weight: 57.2 pounds

If you’re looking for the best electric winch for your truck, it’s really hard to top the ZESUPER 12V Electric Truck Winch. It’s an outstanding of price and performance, and it’s this combination that vaults it to the top of the list.

It uses synthetic rope rather than steel wire. This makes it safer and easier to use. Add in that it has a 13,000-pound maximum pulling capacity and it’s extremely easy to install and use, and there’s not much to not like with this winch.

Like all of the winches on our list, it’s completely waterproof, so you don’t have to worry about bogging it down if you get extremely stuck somewhere. But while this is the top electric winch for a truck on our list for a reason, that doesn’t mean it’s perfect.

With this winch there are two things we’d still like to see. The synthetic rope needs to be longer. While 78 feet is far from short, it’s still the shortest option on our list. It also comes with a 1-year warranty. While this is better than nothing, compared to most of the winches on our list it doesn’t last nearly as long.

Still, with a winch of this quality, it’s not likely you’ll need to use the warranty, and it does more than enough to earn its spot at the top of our list.

Check out the latest price

2. Trible Six Truck Winch – Best Budget

• Manufacturer: Trible Six
• Maximum Pulling Capacity: 13,000 pounds
• Rope/Cable Material: Steel cable
• Rope/Cable Length: Distance: 92 feet
• Warranty: 1-year
• Dimensions: 11.2” x 10” x 9.4”
• Weight: 87 pounds

Just because you want a top-notch winch for your truck doesn’t mean you need to spend a ton of money. Trible Six Truck Winch can do a lot without spending a fortune.

Not only is it affordable, but with a maximum towing power of 13,000 pounds, there are not many jobs this winch can’t handle. At 92 feet long, the cable is longer. The winch's installation and operation is simple.

And while it’s heavier than most synthetic rope winches compared to other steel cable winches, there’s no doubt this one is on the lighter side of things.

This winch is not as durable as our top pick, however it does come with a 1-year warranty. However, unlike our top choice, this winch gives you a reason to believe that eventually after that one year, you’ll need to replace it.

While it’s good enough to handle occasional use and it should last a little while if you properly care for it, with enough use this winch is going to wear out on you. But if you’re on a tighter budget now this winch will get the job done, just know that you should start saving up for a higher quality one since you’ll need to replace this one in a few years.

Check out the latest price

3. Warn 92820 Zeon Platinum – Premium Choice

• Manufacturer: Warn
• Maximum Pulling Capacity: 12,000 pounds
• Rope/Cable Material: Steel cable
• Rope/Cable Length: 80 feet
• Warranty: Mechanical parts are guaranteed for life.
• Dimensions: 26.1” x 8.3” x 20”
• Weight: 98 pounds

If you’re not worried about how much your new truck winch is going to cost and simply want one that you don’t have to worry about year after year, take a look at the Warn 92820 Zeon Platinum electric truck winch.

While it’s certainly on the more expensive side of things costing almost seven times as much as some of our lower-priced options, it’s also a winch that you put on your truck and shouldn’t have to replace.

And you don’t just have to take our word for it, Warn offers a Your life Warranty on all mechanical parts of the winch and seven year warranty for all electrical components. This winch will only ever require you to replace your cable. And even that, the warranty is good for only several years.

WARN 92820 Zeon Platinum 12

• Advanced Wireless Remote works winch ,...
• Made to resist water and dust.
• Models 2X more durable than previous versions
• It can deliver 12,000 pounds Pull rating of less than 12,000 lb

It’s an extremely powerful and durable winch that expertly combines power and pulling speed, which is why it’s one of the best winches on the list. However, there’s also no doubt that this winch is heavy.

At 98 pounds it’s one of the heavier winches on our list. While that doesn’t matter for many applications, if you are trying to skim some weight off, this winch might not be the best choice.

Still, there’s no doubt that the main issue with this winch is the cost. It is a winch that you should only purchase if you have enough money.

Check out the latest price

4. Champion Winch Kit

• Manufacturer: Champion
• Maximum Pulling Capacity: 10,000 pounds
• Rope/Cable Material: Steel cable
• Rope/Cable Length: 85 feet
• Warranty: 2-years
• Dimensions: 27” x 27” x 17”
• Weight: 116.8 pounds

While the Champion Winch Kit didn’t crack our top three, that doesn’t mean it’s not a great winch that’s worth checking out. It comes with a 2-year warranty which is better than what most winches in this price range come with, and this is a winch that’s an outstanding mix of price and performance.

Also included is an 85-foot winch cables. This cable is a bit longer than the average. It’s extremely easy to set up and use for your truck, although it is on the larger side of things. Not only are the physical dimensions a bit bigger which can be a problem for low-profile trucks, but it’s also extremely heavy.

While the winch is heavy, it weighs in at well over 100-pounds. The main reason this winch didn't make our list of top three was the low maximum pulling power. While 10,000 pounds is nothing to sneeze at, we’d like to see that number upped closer to 12,000 or 13,000 pounds.

The tradeoff is that you can pull the things with a slightly less pulling power. faster. Still, if the weight gets too high, it can’t pull it at all, and that’s a significant problem for a winch.

Check out the latest price

5. Smittybilt X20

• Manufacturer: Smittybilt
• Maximum Pulling Capacity: 17,500 pounds
• Rope/Cable Material: Steel cable
• Rope/Cable Length: 100 Feet
• Warranty: Lifetime mechanical/5-year electrical
• Dimensions: 22.3” x 7.5” x 10.7”
• Weight: 132.2 pounds

If all you care about with your winch is how much it can pull, then you’re not going to find a better choice on our list than the Smittybilt X20. With a maximum pulling power of 17,500 pounds, it’s easily the most powerful electric winch on this list.

It’s also super easy to install and use, and it comes with a lifetime mechanical warranty and a 5-year electrical warranty. The cable is 100 feet long, making it the longest on our list.

This means even if you can’t get as close as you’d like to the subject, you can still safely hook everything up and move it where you need to.

But while there’s no doubt that the Smittybilt X20 is a tremendous potential winch for your truck, it’s also one of the more expensive truck winches on our list. The winch is also heavier than the Smittybilt X20, weighing north of 130 pounds.

Finally, it is possible to pull a Ton of weight, don’t expect it to pull anything fast. It’s one of the slowest pulling winches on our list, meaning it’s better reserved for those bigger jobs and only when you have time to spare.

Check out the latest price

6. WARN 96805 VR8S

• Manufacturer: Warn
• Maximum Pulling Capacity: 8,000 pounds
• Rope/Cable Material: Synthetic rope
• Rope/Cable Length: 90 feet
• Warranty: Mechanical parts are guaranteed for life.
• Dimensions: 25” x 14” x 9”
• Weight: 52.52 pounds

This is the second Warn electric truck winch to make our list, but that doesn’t mean it’s automatically worse than the first one. Some things that this electric truck winch does right is use a synthetic rope that’s 90 feet long, and it’s extremely lightweight at just over 50 pounds.

Add in the low-profile design and it’s a winch that you can easily hook up to both large and small trucks with ease. Like the Warn electric truck winch, it also comes with a lifetime guarantee for the mechanical parts. And The warranty on all electrical components is seven years.

However, while this Warn electric truck winch is less expensive than the first one on our list, it’s still one of the pricier options out there. Not only that, but you’re spending more And you’re getting a winch that maxes out its pulling power at 8,000 pounds.

However, it does pull faster than the majority of other winches in our group. This winch's price is justified by its superior durability.

It’s a well-built winch that will last year after year, and with the proper maintenance, the only thing you should ever need to replace is the rope.

Check out the latest price

7. Smittybilt X20 COMP

• Manufacturer: Smittybilt
• Maximum Pulling Capacity: 10,000 pounds
• Rope/Cable Material: Synthetic rope
• Rope/Cable Length: 98.5 Feet
• Warranty: 5-year mechanical warranty and a lifetime electrical warranty
• Dimensions: 22.3” 5.4” x 9.4”
• Weight: 99 pounds

While the first half of the name of this winch might lead you to believe it’s the same as the Smittybilt X20 we highlighted above, the Smittybilt A X20 COMP can be found here Completely different Electrical winch

The winch is made from a synthetic 98.5-foot rope and has completely different performance specifications. While the synthetic rope makes this winch a good upgrade, its maximum pulling force is only 10,000 pounds.

Moreover, while it’s a synthetic rope electrical winch, there’s no doubt that this one is on the heavier side of things weighing just under 100 pounds.

It made our top ten list because of its warranty. Smittybilt provides a five year warranty on the electrical components.

Add in the lower profile design and how easy it is to use and install this electric winch, and it’s not hard to see why it’s such a popular option. Just know what you’re getting because if you do need to pull something over 10,000 pounds, this winch isn’t going to get the job done for you.

Check out the latest price

8. X-BULL Winch

• Manufacturer: X-BULL
• Maximum Pulling Capacity: 13,000 pounds
• Rope/Cable Material: Synthetic rope
• Rope/Cable Length: 80 feet
• Warranty: 1-year Warranty
• Dimensions: 20.8” x 6.5” x 10.24”
• Weight: 63.2 pounds

While the X-BULL Winch fell all the way to number eight on our list, there’s an argument that it should be in the top three. First, the synthetic rope is safer than a steel cable, which makes it lighter and easier to use.

The X-BULL Winch actually uses the lighter weight capability, weighing just over 63 lbs. The rope itself is 80 feet long, which isn’t the longest rope option on our list but it’s not the shortest either.

Another huge perk for this electric winch is that it can pull up to 13,000 pounds, and even when it’s using all 13,000 pounds of pulling force it can pull up to 7 feet per minute, which is one of the faster options on our list.

However, this winch does only come with a one-year warranty, and while it’s not expensive, it’s also not the lowest-priced option out there. It’s this lack of trust in their own product that really sends this electric truck winch farther down the list.

9. FieryRed Electric Winch

• Manufacturer: FieryRed
• Maximum Pulling Capacity: 13,000 pounds
• Rope/Cable Material: Synthetic rope
• Rope/Cable Length: 85.3 feet
• Warranty: 2-year warranty on mechanical components and 1-year for synthetic rope
• Dimensions: 23” x 13.8” x 13.5”
• Weight: 58.1 pounds

FieryRed might not be the most well-known company out there, but if they keep putting out product like this electric truck winch, it won’t take them too long for people to know who they are. It’s another electric winch that uses a synthetic rope and can still pull up to 13,000 pounds.

This rope measures in at just above 85 feet, making it one the longest options for winches. The rope is also lightweight at just 3.8 lbs. Below It weighs in at 60 pounds, and has a low profile design that makes it ideal for small trucks as well as off-road use.

Even better, while it can pull up to 13,000 pounds, it also pulls at a decent speed so you won’t be out there all day waiting for it to complete the job. In the end, it’s really a great mix of price and performance, but it’s not the most durable option out there.

It should last three to four years for you, but since some winches can last well over a decade that’s still not the most impressive durability and the warranty reflects this.

FieryRed offers only a 2-year warranty for the electrical parts, while it does provide a lifetime mechanical guarantee. They do offer a one-year warranty for the synthetic rope though, and that’s pretty nice since most other companies don’t give you any kind of warranty for their rope or chain.

Check out the latest price

10. RUGCEL Winch

• Manufacturer: Rugcel
• Maximum Pulling Capacity: 13,500 pounds
• Rope/Cable Material: Synthetic rope
• Rope/Cable Length: 100 Feet
• Warranty: 1-year
• Dimensions: 20.8” x 6.7” x 10”
• Weight: 60.7 pounds

The RUGCEL winch might be the last option on our list, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth checking out or considering. It’s another electric winch that uses a synthetic rope, which is great for safety and weight purposes.

Even more impressive, this winch has a pulling force of 13,500 pounds. That's a tremendous amount for winches in this price range. Add in the 100-foot synthetic rope, and you’re really getting a steal for this winch.

Furthermore, it is capable of pulling heavier loads than most winches higher up on the list. Finally, it’s It is amazing The winches are more economical than some of the high-end models.

So how is it that this great product ended up being the least favorite on our list? First, the warranty is only for one year. But while that’s not ideal, it’s not a deal-breaker by itself.

The real issue is that it’s not the most durable winch out there. So, not only do you lose your protection after just one year, but there’s a good chance that it won’t take much longer than that for you to run into problems. Because of this, we can’t put it any higher up our list no matter how good of a deal you’re getting for it.

Check out the latest price

Electric Winch Buyer’s Guide

It can be difficult choosing the right truck winch when there are so many choices. We understand, and it’s why we came up with this buyer’s guide to walk you through everything you need to know to get the right winch the first time.

Synthetic Rope vs Steel Cables

When you’re picking out a winch, one of the most important decisions you need to make is whether you want a synthetic rope or a steel cable to pull things. While there’s technically no wrong choice here, we prefer synthetic ropes.

This is due to two reasons. First, they don’t have as much tension strength when you’re pulling something. That means if the rope does break, it won’t shatter and send the wire flying.

Snapped steel wires can result in you losing a finger, or even your entire hand. In less severe situations, they can also fly back to crack your windshield or cause other damage. The synthetic rope is It is safer than a steel wire, and it’s why that’s the only authorized type of winch in many competitions.

Another benefit to synthetic ropes is their weight. A synthetic rope can be lighter than steel wires because it weighs less. While steel winches may weigh up to 130 pounds, synthetic rope winches only weigh 60.

Steel wire has one advantage over synthetic rope: it lasts longer. Whether you have a synthetic rope or a steel wire winch cable you’ll need to care for it, but if you take all the proper precautions for both types, a steel wire winch will last longer.

Maximum Pulling Power

While we’d love to tell you the maximum pulling power you need, the truth is that it’s all going to come down to the truck you have, what you’re trying to pull, and the situation you’re in.

A winch can be used to either pull your truck from a specific location or pull another truck. The weight of the object will also have an impact.

Furthermore, Situation This will make a big difference. When you’re pulling an object like a truck, it’s rolling, and this greatly reduces the amount of force needed to pull it. That means a winch with 10,000 pounds of pulling power might be able to pull a truck that weighs 12,000 or 13,000 pounds if it’s on a level surface.

However, that’s typically not when you need a winch. If the truck has the wheels bogged down in mud or something similar, it’s going to take more force to move the truck than it would if it was on a level surface.

The maximum pulling force of the winch depends on how much you have. Forcing It is the pull action that drives the car, and not the amount of weight it can pull.

Gear Ratios: How to Make a Difference

Manufacturers love to talk about their gear ratios. However, you should know that the faster a gear ratio pulls, the better. However, higher ratios can lead to greater torque and more power.

In the end, it’s a tradeoff. It can pull more but takes longer to do so if the gear ratio is higher. Although it is able to pull slower, a gear ratio lower than that of a car can make it pull harder.

Take Care of Your Winch

You don't want anything to go wrong after you have installed your winch. A broken cable or rope in your winch is an inevitable outcome if it's used enough. However, you have some options to make the most of your winch.

Care must be taken to maintain your cable, no matter if it is a winch or synthetic cable. For winch cables, spray the cable with WD-40 Every six months, or more. It will ensure that everything runs smoothly and reduces the chance of it rusting.

If you own a synthetic rope, just run it through warm soapy water whenever it gets filthy to maintain its good condition.

While that’s how you care for the rope/cable, that’s not the only thing you need to look out for with a winch. Also, take care of the winch. This means that you must follow the correct lubrication schedule for most winches.

It should be clear what you have to do for your winch when it arrives. We recommend that you keep it working well long-term. Use only the recommended lubricants and products. Follow the suggested service intervals.

How to Get the Right Battery

If you’re putting an electric winch on your truck you need to keep in mind that it runs off the battery. The manufacturer didn’t put the stock battery in your truck to hAndle both the truck and the winch, so there’s a good chance you’ll need to upgrade the system.

You can often get by with just upgrading the battery, but keep in mind that the more power-consuming electronics you add, the more pressure you’re putting on the battery and The charging system.

With enough accessories, you’ll need to upgrade both the battery and the alternator, and you might find that a second battery is really the way to go.

Last Thoughts

Now that you know a little more about electric truck winches, it’s up to you to get one on order and put it on your truck! Although any one of our electric truck winches will work well, we recommend the top-rated, The. ZSUPER 12V Electric Truck Winch You can use this in most circumstances.

The synthetic rope makes it a safer choice than a steel wire, and with a 13,000-pound maximum pulling power, there are not many jobs it can’t handle!