4,000, 8000 or 12,000 Winch- Which Winch is Right for You

When it comes to determining the right power of winch for your vehicle, the general rule of thumb is to take the vehicle’s gross weight and then multiply it by 1.5. However, we have also listed the different winch capacities needed for some of the most common ATV and truck sizes on the market today.

For the ATV-ers

ATVing and getting stuck in the mud go hand in hand. In fact, part of the fun of getting on an ATV is trying to get out of the mud. And the only way to successfully do this is with a winch. Small ATV’s only require 1,500-2,000 power winch while medium ATV’s with 350cc to 500cc will need a 3,000 winch. Larger ATV’s higher than 500cc will use a 4,000 winch.

For 4x4 Trucks

Winch systems provide a fast, easy and free alternative to the tow truck anytime you get in an off-road jam. Instead of having to get down on all fours and try to dig yourself out, forcing your entire family to push your truck out, and then giving up and calling the tow truck to come and help, you can use a winch system to get out of the mud. Winches come automatically on many trucks and you can also purchase the right winch as well as rope, remote controls and other accessories for those 4 wheel adventures. Smaller Jeeps and trucks will need a winch from 7,000 to 11,000. The Jeep series can operate on 7,350 to 8,550 winches while Dodge Ram’s will need 9,900 minimum. The Toyota Tundra will take 10,500 and the Chevy Tahoe uses 10,800 at a minimum.

For the Larger Trucks

Most large trucks, such as the F-250 and F 350 range will need a 12,000 winch or greater. The Hummer H2 requires 12,900; the F250 needs 13,500 and the GMC 2500 HD requires 13,800 in a winch. Many avid off-roaders will purchase a 12,000 winch (a.k.a. heavy duty winch) capacity regardless of the size of their vehicle. After all, you never know how much power you may need when stuck in the mud.