10 Best Electric Winches for Trucks in 2023

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. It can provide all the pulling force you need to get yourself or a buddy out of a sticky situation.

But because you often won’t know if your 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.

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10 Best Electric Winches for Trucks

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

• Manufacturer: ZESUPER
• Maximum Pulling Capacity: 13,000 pounds
• Rope/Cable Material: Synthetic rope
• Rope/Cable Length: 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.

To start off, it uses a synthetic rope instead of a steel wire, which is both easier and safer 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. First, the synthetic rope should be a little longer. While 78 feet is far from short, it’s still the shortest option on our list. Second, while it does come 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.

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2. Trible Six Truck Winch – Best Budget

• Manufacturer: Trible Six
• Maximum Pulling Capacity: 13,000 pounds
• Rope/Cable Material: Steel cable
• Rope/Cable Length: 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. The Trible Six Truck Winch is an outstanding choice that does a ton of things right without completely blowing your budget.

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. The cable length is on the longer side of things at 92 feet, and the winch itself is pretty easy to install and use.

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.

However, just like our top choice this winch only comes 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.

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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: Lifetime warranty for mechanical parts/7-year warranty for electrical components
• 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 lifetime warranty on all the mechanical components on the winch, and a comprehensive seven-year warranty on all the electrical components. The only thing you should ever need to replace with this winch is the cable, and even then, only years down the road.

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. But if you have the money upfront, it should be the last winch you need to purchase.

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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.

It also comes with an 85-foot winch cable, which is on the longer side of things. 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.

The winch assembly itself weighs well over 100-pounds, but the main issue this winch missed our top three is the lower 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.

But the tradeoff for this slightly lower maximum pulling power is a lower gear ratio that lets you pull things faster. Still, if the weight gets too high, it can’t pull it at all, and that’s a significant problem for a winch.

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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. It also comes with a 100-foot cable, which is the longest cable length 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. Not only that, but with all this extra pulling power you also get a ton more weight, with this winch weighing in north of 130 pounds.

Finally, while it can tow 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.

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6. WARN 96805 VR8-S

• Manufacturer: Warn
• Maximum Pulling Capacity: 8,000 pounds
• Rope/Cable Material: Synthetic rope
• Rope/Cable Length: 90 feet
• Warranty: Lifetime warranty for mechanical parts/7-year warranty for electrical components
• 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. Just like the other Warn electric truck winch it comes with a lifetime warranty for all of the mechanical parts and an impressive seven-year warranty for all the electrical components.

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.

But keep in mind that while it might have a lower maximum pulling power, the tradeoff for this is that it pulls faster than most other winches on our list. Still, the durability is the only thing that really helps justify this winches higher price tag.

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.

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7. Smittybilt X20 COMP

• Manufacturer: Smittybilt
• Maximum Pulling Capacity: 10,000 pounds
• Rope/Cable Material: Synthetic rope
• Rope/Cable Length: 98.5 feet
• Warranty: Lifetime mechanical warranty/5-year 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 X20 COMP is a completely different electrical winch.

This winch uses a 98.5-foot synthetic rope instead of a steel cable, and it has entirely different performance specs. The synthetic rope is a nice upgrade, but keep in mind that this winch does have a maximum pulling power of just 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.

Still, it did make our list for a reason, and one of the most impressive features of the Smittybilt X20 COMP is the warranty that it comes with. Not only do you get a lifetime warranty on all of the mechanical components, but Smittybilt also goes above and beyond by offering a five-year warranty on all of 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.

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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. For starters, it uses a synthetic rope instead of a steel wire, making it a much safer and lighter choice.

And the X-BULL Winch actually makes use of the lighter weight capabilities weighing in at just over 63 pounds. 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.

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9. FieryRed Electric Winch

• Manufacturer: FieryRed
• Maximum Pulling Capacity: 13,000 pounds
• Rope/Cable Material: Synthetic rope
• Rope/Cable Length: 85.3 feet
• Warranty: Lifetime mechanical, 2 years on electric 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.

The rope itself is just over 85 feet in length, making it one of the longer rope options for the winches on our list. Moreover, it weighs under 60 pounds and uses a relatively low-profile design, making it an excellent choice for smaller trucks or for off-road applications.

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.

It does offer a lifetime mechanical warranty, but FieryRed only offers a 2-year warranty on the electrical components. 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.

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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 better, the entire winch can pull up to 13,500 pounds, which is a remarkable maximum pulling capacity for a winch at this price range. Add in the 100-foot synthetic rope, and you’re really getting a steal for this winch.

Moreover, not only can it pull higher weights, but it can pull them faster than many of the winches farther up our list. Finally, it’s incredibly affordable compared to many of the higher-end winches.

But with all these great things, how did it fall to the last choice on our list? Well, for starters, it only comes with a one-year warranty. 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.

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Electric Winch Buyer’s Guide

With so many great options and different specifications out there, it can be a challenge trying to narrow it down to just one winch for your truck. 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.

The reason for this is twofold. 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.

A snapped steel wire can cause you to lose a finger or your hand, and in less extreme situations it can fly back and crack your windshield or lead to other damages. A synthetic rope is safer than a steel wire, and it’s why that’s the only authorized type of winch in many competitions.

The second benefit of a synthetic rope is the weight. Synthetic rope simply weighs far less than steel wires, which often leads to a much lighter weight winch. While some steel winches weigh more than 130 pounds, some synthetic rope winches weigh less than 60.

However, while those are all clear perks for synthetic rope, steel wire does have one distinct advantage -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.

You can either use a winch to pull your own truck out of a location or to pull another truck out, and the weight of that object is going to have a major impact.

Moreover, the situation is going to have a huge impact. 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.

Just know the maximum pulling power of the winch is the amount of force behind the pulling action, not necessarily the weight that it can pull.

What to Make of Gear Ratios

Tons of manufacturers love to highlight their gear ratios, but the truth is for you all you need to know is the higher the gear ratio, the slower it pulls. But higher gear ratios typically lend themselves to more torque and power.

In the end, it’s a tradeoff. The higher the gear ratio the more it can pull but the longer it takes. The lower the gear ratio, the less it can pull, but it can pull faster.

Caring For Your Winch

Once you get your new winch on your truck, the last thing you want to happen is have something break or go wrong for you. While a broken winch cable or rope is an eventuality if you use it enough, there are some things you can do to get the most out of your winch.

First, whether you have a winch cable or a synthetic rope, you need to care for the cable. With a winch cable, simply spray down the cable with WD-40 every six months or so. This will keep everything operating smoothly, and it helps reduce the likelihood of rusting.

Meanwhile, if you have a synthetic rope, simply run it through soapy water when it gets dirty to keep it in good working order.

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. You also need to care for the winch itself. For most winches, this means sticking with the proper lubrication schedule.

The winch should highlight everything you need to do to care for it when you get it, and if you want to keep it in great working order we highly recommend sticking with it. Only use the products and the lubricants they recommend and stick with the recommended service intervals.

Getting the Battery You Need

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.

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! While any of the electric truck winches on our list will do a great job, we highly recommend going with our top choice, the ZESUPER 12V Electric Truck Winch for most situations.

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!

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