Winch Reviews

Many who consider adding a winch to their off road vehicles question whether they will use it enough to justify paying top dollar for a top of the line winch. Superwinch is one of many manufacturers who address this need by offering more price friendly offerings than those of industry leaders like Warn. As an example, you would pay about one hundred dollars more for a Warn 3000lb ATV winch than for a comparable Superwinch. Should you take the plunge and go for the best winch money can buy or will a lower quality offering meet your needs? To address that question, let’s look at one of the primary differences that influence the price of a winch: the motor itself.

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Top of the line winches like Warn use series wound motors while less costly offerings from companies like Superwinch use permanent magnet motors. What’s the difference and why should you care? Without getting into too many technical details of electric motor technology, what you need to know is that permanent magnet motors can overheat in heavy pull and long duration applications. If you’ve checked the Off Road forums you’ve probably found consumers complaining about motor burnout. Both types of motors will start with the same pulling capacity but the permanent magnet motor’s power will diminish as it heats up. Some off roaders are unaware of this disadvantage and fail to give the motor a rest during long and heavy pulls. If you are the impatient sort, a cheaper winch is probably not for you. However, if you are aware of the capabilities of winches like those offered by Superwinch and are willing to take the time to use them properly, they provide a cost effective alter
native.

Superwinch: Warranties

Another variable that differentiates winch models is warranty service. Most Superwinch models offer a Limited Lifetime Warranty on mechanical parts and a 0ne Year Warranty on electrical components. That’s better than a lot of the less expensive manufacturers but note the word “Limited” in the warranty description. Some Warn models offer a Lifetime Mechanical Warranty — no limitations.

Superwinch: Product Lines

Superwinch offers one of the most complete product lines of any mid-price manufacturer on the market. They offer heavy duty Hydraulic Winches and AC Winches for industrial use. For the off roader they have every kind of winch you can think of — 4 x 4, ATV, UTV, and Trailer. They also have a full line of accessories ranging from wireless and wired remotes, to pulley blocks, to synthetic rope, to portable winch mounts.

Their most innovative offering is the LT2000 “Winch In A Bag.” It’s hard to believe but yes, everything you need for light duty winching applications is right there in a canvas carrying case. If you think of it as an electric powered heavy duty “come along” you’ll get the idea. It comes with 50 feet of wire rope and an 8 foot remote control so you can operate the winch from a safe distance. If you are a multi-vehicle ATV family, it can be a great alternative to permanently mounted winches.