12k Winch Comparison: Pull Strength, Pull Speed, Power Amp Draw

[nolimits]

I ended up getting the RC 12K, which is synthetic, on sale for $425. A warn Evo 12K synthetic is at least twice the price of the RC..

I am not sure the specific winch you got, but I did add a RC 13k to the lineup. It seems to be more closely aligned to the profile of the other winches (sans the Warn M12-S, which I put in along with the Zeon to see how the cheaper Chinese winches compared).

https://www.roughcountry.com/product/torque-series-electric-winch-ts13000s

RC doesn't give any pull strength by layer data in their manual so that portion of the charts is fairly useless. If you or someone else knows where that data exists, please advise and I will update.

Lastly I was going to add the RC PRO12000S which I suspect is closer to what you purchased. That manual provides pull strength by layer but doesn't include speed or amperage draw.

I will reach out to RC and request the missing data on both winches and update when/if I get better information from them.

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[BAUS67]

Can’t have a winch conversation without a good snatch conversation.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/13pzdYWwi5/?mibextid=WC7FNe

 

[nolimits]

I had a Smittybilt X20 12K on my 2019 Jeep Wrangler and it never gave me any issues. Snagged it for $220 with synthetic rope. According to the raw data, it has respectable performance against many of the winches so I think I had a good deal.

The $220 deal is amazing. Not enough variance to justify a 2-3x price tag. Great find!

For awhile I was leaning towards an XRC, as it seemed to edge everyone out by a smidge by giving better pull strength and lower amps.

I converted my Northridge 4x4 VR 10k deal to a 85' syn using a BF deal and still came out way ahead . The steel cable was 18lbs. I also have a single pulley snatch block to help.

I had considered doing this myself. Then I read something that explained there was some variances in the drum and heat transfer. I don't recall all the specifics but my takeaway was that you put more heat on the synthetic line which made it wear faster.

I will try to find the article/post but I *thought* it was by a Northridge4x4 tech guy.

Are these test results or claims? Electric winch claims are complete bullshit, throw them out. If you try to actually pull their rated numbers they're going to fail.

I did not perform my own independent testing, nor do I plan to do so.

The charts are compiled based on manufacturer data. That is why you will see some variances with results at 3,000# but not 4,000# for some brands and others may show 4,000# but not 3,000#. They all report a little differently.

I agree there is opportunity for them to fudge information but I would like to think they are publishing data based on actual test results they performed and not just whimsical grasps into thin air. Granted, they probably publish the *best* of the results where I would prefer to see a weighted average after throwing out abnormal high & low outliers.

But quite honestly, if you burn up your winch and can prove their data is bunk, they will probably claim you subjected it to an abnormal duty cycle. The bitch of that statement is no one really publishes duty cycles. Well kind of...HF Apex Badlands has some duty cycle information in their manual.

I want the lowest amp draw and the most gearing. As much as I want a fast winch I rather have more voltage for ecm.

I'm with you on this, line speed doesn't really mean much to me.

I have a Harbor Freight Apex winch on my current 4Runner and an X-Bull on my Bronco that was previously on my other 4Runner. I gotta say I prefer the X-Bull as it actually can lock when stopped and hold the load. My HF winch doesn't seem to have much of a brake and will lose tension when I'm not pulling. Plus, the X-Bull sounds smoother while the HF sounds like rolling a box of rocks which means there is probably something broken inside.

I quickly glanced at their website. If you have a user manual, product catalog, etc with their published test data then I will add to the charts here so others can also compare. Yours is the best though...in VB!

 

[nolimits]

Can’t have a winch conversation without a good snatch conversation.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/13pzdYWwi5/?mibextid=WC7FNe

LOL, don't forget to include snatch resistance into your total load calculation!

See pages 21-40 for more info:
https://manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/56000-56999/56385.pdf

 

[SierraBronco]

LOL, don't forget to include snatch resistance into your total load calculation!

See pages 21-40 for more info:
https://manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/56000-56999/56385.pdf

Safe Xtract has an app for that

 

[Techun]

The $220 deal is amazing. Not enough variance to justify a 2-3x price tag. Great find!

For awhile I was leaning towards an XRC, as it seemed to edge everyone out by a smidge by giving better pull strength and lower amps.




I had considered doing this myself. Then I read something that explained there was some variances in the drum and heat transfer. I don't recall all the specifics but my takeaway was that you put more heat on the synthetic line which made it wear faster.

I will try to find the article/post but I *thought* it was by a Northridge4x4 tech guy.




I did not perform my own independent testing, nor do I plan to do so.

The charts are compiled based on manufacturer data. That is why you will see some variances with results at 3,000# but not 4,000# for some brands and others may show 4,000# but not 3,000#. They all report a little differently.

I agree there is opportunity for them to fudge information but I would like to think they are publishing data based on actual test results they performed and not just whimsical grasps into thin air. Granted, they probably publish the *best* of the results where I would prefer to see a weighted average after throwing out abnormal high & low outliers.

But quite honestly, if you burn up your winch and can prove their data is bunk, they will probably claim you subjected it to an abnormal duty cycle. The bitch of that statement is no one really publishes duty cycles. Well kind of...HF Apex Badlands has some duty cycle information in their manual.

I'm with you on this, line speed doesn't really mean much to me.




I quickly glanced at their website. If you have a user manual, product catalog, etc with their published test data then I will add to the charts here so others can also compare. Yours is the best though...in VB!

The good news is that you don't actually need to pull 12k lbs with vehicles this size, unless something is mired up over the hood in mud.

I guarantee you, 100%, that if you take any of those winches and connect them to a load cell to an anchor point, they will smoke before they ever hit their rating. It's not even a question of duty cycle, they can't do it once.

That said, you don't need to pull to their ratings so over-prepare and use mechanical advantage any time you can.

 

[CalvinT]

Just a bummer you can't run that in the back.

Well, one probably could. Just gotta get creative. Having a front and rear winch I'm convinced that a rear only is the way to go for the Bronco if running a single winch. Keeps your approach angle, distributes weight better, and you don't need to worry about the chincey mounts up front.

Years ago I saw a Ford van that looked like the guy did some off-roading. He had 2 inch hitch mounts in the front and rear. He kept his winch in a cradle. The cables had Anderson connectors so he could power his winch at either end.

The van was a support vehicle for a Baja team. During the race no one is allowed to turn around. So he had to be able to pull from either end for a recovery.

I haven't seen a 2 inch hitch mount for the front of a Bronco. But a concept similar to the Superwinch Winch2Go may work if properly engineered. I was lucky and picked up a new one for $200 at the last Overland Expo I attended. It's only a 4,000 pound winch with 40 ft of synthetic rope. But I think it would be enough to get me out of a muddy spot if I don't do anything too stupid.

 

[timhood]

Just a bummer you can't run that in the back.

Well, one probably could. Just gotta get creative. Having a front and rear winch I'm convinced that a rear only is the way to go for the Bronco if running a single winch. Keeps your approach angle, distributes weight better, and you don't need to worry about the chincey mounts up front.

Wiring aside, what considerations are needed for putting a winch on the rear? How much trouble would it be to remove when not in use? (E.g., remove for the winter, reinstall in the spring.)

 

[rufio]

I am curious what wire gauge everybody is using on their winch. The ironman4x4 manual says it comes with 0 gauge but there’s no way. I purchased 4awg and it’s the same exact size that came with the Ironman 4x4 12k.

 

[nolimits]

Safe Xtract has an app for that

Apple made burning that $10 so easy I didn't even feel it.

Appreciate you sharing that!

 

[nolimits]

I am curious what wire gauge everybody is using on their winch. The ironman4x4 manual says it comes with 0 gauge but there’s no way. I purchased 4awg and it’s the same exact size that came with the Ironman 4x4 12k.

You can't properly gauge wire thickness by looking at the outside only. The sheathing (aka insulation) will vary based on what you buy. See wire tables I added below.

My Warn came with 2 gauge. This has been a hot topic for me lately. I've called Warn 2x and BatteryCablesUSA 1x to discuss. I was trying to run 1/0 wire (aka 0 gauge) and due to relocation and other constraints couldn't make it all work right. Not so much the diameter of the wire, but more to do with lug size, length & stiffness (lol, set myself up) of the heat shrink, etc.

Lots of variables to consider. One of the most important being distance you need to run, and amps your winch pulls at max load. Then consider you use intermittently, not continuous. You can go down a rabbit hole real quick.

Edited to add.....

All screen shots pulled from here for various types: https://www.batterycablesusa.com/2-gauge-battery-cables-2-awg

Welding Cable:

Regular Battery Cable:

Extreme Battery Cable:

 

[SierraBronco]

You can't properly gauge wire thickness by looking at the outside only. The sheathing (aka insulation) will vary based on what you buy. For instance, welding cable is a smaller diameter and slightly more flexible than "standard" battery cable.

My Warn came with 2 gauge. This has been a hot topic for me lately. I've called Warn 2x and BatteryCablesUSA 1x to discuss. I was trying to run 1/0 wire (aka 0 gauge) and due to relocation and other constraints couldn't make it all work right. Not so much the diameter of the wire, but more to do with lug size, length & stiffness (lol, set myself up) of the heat shrink, etc.

Lots of variables to consider. One of the most important being distance you need to run, and amps your winch pulls at max load. Then consider you use intermittently, not continuous. You can go down a rabbit hole real quick.

And you might want to run a big fattie ground back to the negative terminal. Or maybe not.

 

[CalvinT]

Wiring aside, what considerations are needed for putting a winch on the rear? How much trouble would it be to remove when not in use? (E.g., remove for the winter, reinstall in the spring.)

Use a cradle that goes into your 2" hitch mount. Use Anderson connectors for power. You can either make an extension cord or run permanent cables. I'd go for an extension cord you can drape along the side of your Bronco. Use hooks to hang it.

 

[CalvinT]

I don't do rock crawling. Nor do I intend to winch myself up a hill unless I happened to slide down it. So if I use a winch, I'll probably be trying to go back the way I came. For one thing I know I have a path and the way is clear. So I'd rather have a rear mounted winch. I'd have it in a cradle until needed. It's an easier setup than buying a front bumper and hardware. And the winch won't be exposed to the elements all the time. Carrying a winch inside also helps with weight distribution. You do lose cargo space.

 

[Felix808]

Great job
Now how bout us 10K winchers

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