Gettin' Unstuck: 8 Winches to Pull You Out of a Jam

Champion 4,700-Pound Winch Kit: This winch kit from Champion Power Equipment for your ATV or UTV has a 4,700-pound pull rate. The kit includes a mountable remote switch, a roller fairlead, a clevis hook, a wire cable and a 1.25-inch hitch adaptor.

Mile Marker H9000 Hydraulic: This 9,000-pound-rated Mile Marker H-Series hydraulic winch has a mechanical lock, is waterproof (it even works underwater) and includes 100 feet of galvanized wire rope. The installation of an H-Series winch (H9000, H10500 or H12000) requires a vehicle-specific 34-series valve adapter kit to tap into the vehicle’s hydraulic system.

MotoAlliance X3000 Viper Elite: This Viper Elite ATV/UTV/SxS winch uses 40 feet of AmSteel blue synthetic cable and a wireless remote switch. The system includes a hawse fairlead, a clevis hook, a 4T snatch block, a rubber line stopper and a waterproof cover.

Ramsey Patriot Profile 12000: The Ramsey 12 VDC Patriot Profile 12000 winch has a 5.5-horsepower series-wound and reversible motor with a planetary gearbox. The 12,000-pound line-pull rating is aided by 125 feet of 0.38-inch wire rope and a clevis hook.

Rugged Ridge Spartacus Heavy Duty: This winch features a 5.5-horsepower motor with a planetary gearbox (172.8-to-1 ratio) and an automatic load-holding brake system (in the drum brake system). It includes 94 feet of 0.38-inch-diameter wire rope and a roller fairlead. Each winch includes a durable, 12-foot, all-weather, cable remote solenoid box that can be mounted in multiple positions.

Smittybilt Gen2 X20 Wireless: All X2O winches feature a series-wound 6.6-horsepower motor and a planetary gearbox. The 500-amp solenoid pack can be mounted in two positions, and the controller can be used wired or wirelessly. The X2O also features optimized gear ratios for fast line speeds.

Superwinch LP8500: The Superwinch LP8500 winch is designed to pull up to 8,500 pounds with its 4.5-horsepower series-wound motor while providing its user an entry-level value. The system includes a powder-coated hawse fairlead and a 94-foot, 0.313-inch wire rope. The handheld remote features a 15-foot lead.

Warn PowerPlant 12: The Warn PowerPlant 12 has a pulling capacity of 12,000 pounds and is equipped with a powerful air compressor that can air up four 35-inch tires in eight minutes—and it can even power air tools. It features a planetary gearbox, 80 feet of 0.38-inch wire rope, 20 feet of air hose and a mechanical brake.

The great expanses of wilderness stretching through America’s interior are sliced and stitched together by thousands of dirt roads, muddy passes and barely discernable trails. Some are carved through the backwoods for pleasure, challenge and thrill, and others are remnants of logging roads, mining trails and Native American passes worn wider by the increasing popularity of off-roading. Sandstone formations, desert panoramas and sandy canyons beckon drivers to Tower Arch Trail in Arizona, and the white-knuckled switchbacks of Black Bear Pass above Telluride, Colo., test wheeling skills, concentration and courage.

RELATED STORY: Tactical Trucks – Top 15 All-Terrain War-Zone Wheels

While exploring these trails, drivers might face snow, mud, a rollover, a mechanical failure, a slick rock incline or other challenges. However, they can use a winch, a couple of tree-savers, a snatch block or two, and a few D-ring shackles to set up a complicated vehicle recovery system that might make the difference between continuing a trek or being irrevocably stuck. When you head out to see what’s over the horizon, you’ll want the right gear to keep you on the road.

Having a winch bolted to the front of your rig is the first step in being properly prepared, but with budget constraints and all of the winches on the market, finding the right one depends on many variables, including the size of your rig, the capacity of the winch, the drivetrain gear ratio and even how the winch is mounted. Let’s break down eight different winches in the gallery above.