Choosing the Right Winch for Your Vehicle

General rule of thumb is that your winch should be for 1 ½ times the weight of the vehicle. The reason of this is that your vehicle weight will most likely be compounded by the media in which you’re stuck (mud, snow, rock, etc.). Also, there’s a good chance you’ll be pulling on an incline, not on a flat surface, adding even more pressure for the winch to bear. So if you have a 6,000lb Jeep, you’ll probably want to go with a 9,000lb winch. The general weight selection for winches is: 8,000, 9,000, 12,000, 15,000, and 16,500.

1. Non-integrated Winches
   - Come with a separate solenoid box, which is the “brain,” or what controls your winch. Can mount the solenoid box on top of the winch, alongside the winch, or remote mount it anywhere you want on the vehicle.
   - Better if you have space constraints
2. Integrated Winches
   - All the components are in one package.
   - Water resistant; fairly sealed against weather.
   - Plug-n-play: take it out of the box, bolt it on your bumper, hook up two power wires, and you’re ready to start winching.