A winch is something you will not care about until you really need one. Then, if you don’t have one, you will curse yourself for a long, long time. For example, the first time you slide off a trail and end up lodged against a tree on a steep hill you can’t drive out of. In that situation, you can’t push the ATV, trying to tow it is going to difficult and dangerous and you are stuck without a winch.
A winch is a tool that mounts onto your ATV and can be attached to a tree or something else to pull your ATV out of whatever mess you got yourself in. You will want a decent quality winch so it doesn’t let you down when you need it. That doesn’t mean you have to break the bank. For about $200, I recommend this Winch from Warn. While there are a view different options, the base model should be sufficient for most ATVs, but below are some things you will want to consider.
What to Look for in an ATV Winch
While a winch seems like a simple piece of equipment, it is still its own machine with enough parts and and other things you need to consider. Below are the things I think you need to think about.
- You will need a mounting bracket specific to your ATV. To find what you need, just google the model ATV you have plus “winch mounting bracket.”
- You will need to know how much your ATV weighs. Our extensive guide on ATV weight is a good place to start, but don’t forget about all the accessories you added to your ATV. Make sure to give yourself a decent buffer as well since you don’t want to be pushing the limit, and you never know if you might have something you need to pull up with your ATV.
- Is there anything else you might be pulling with your winch. For example, hunters may want to pull an elk or bear out of a dense forest using their winch.
- You will want to make sure the cable is high quality and isn’t going to wear out if it is rubbing against rocks or trees as it pulls out your ATV. In addition to high quality materials, look for a cable that has a protective coating.
- Make sure the winch can run off your ATV’s battery or it won’t do you much good. Typically, a lower amp winch will more easily power of your ATV battery.
- The ability to power the winch with a remote is great for situations where you can’t stay with the ATV as it is pulled up.
