Selecting an electric winch

The number of choices in the winch market today is enormous. While twenty years ago, there was really only a choice of three brands, today there are dozens to select from.

The original manufacturers are still around, but they've been joined by plenty of newcomers, generally based in China and with little or no reputation on which to base a decision.

There are three main performance criteria on which to judge a winch: Reliability; Line speed; and Endurance. The relative importance of each criteria depends on the usage. For hard-core 4WDing or competition use, endurance and line speed are probably the most important factors, but for a touring build they aren't as important as reliability. It's entirely plausible for a tourer to be stranded three or four hundred kilometres from help, and that's not the place to discover the dodgy workmanship inside the $300 Chinese winch you just bought on eBay.

It is because of the need for reliability that I chose to stick with Warn for the 200-series build, but at the same time I decided to save some money and go with one from their entry-level Tabor range rather than a premium winch (such as the XD9000 I've always had previously). The Tabor 10k has an extra 1000lb (500kg) of capacity over the venerable XD9000, but costs about half as much. There's also 9,000 and 12,000 pound winches in the Tabor range, but I chose the 10k as being powerful enough to handle the weight of the 200 with my camper-trailer, but without the extra size and weight that comes with the 12,000lb version. If you tow a larger off-road caravan, then the Tabor 12k would probably be a better choice.

If you're looking for a premium winch with faster line speed and wireless remote controls, then the Zeon 10 would be perfect for the 200, or the Zeon 12 if you tow a large offroad van.

Update March 2019: The Tabor range has recently been updated, and now includes models that come complete with synthetic rope.

Cable Vs Synthetic rope

One change I did make to the Tabor was to replace the standard 10mm steel cable with Warn's genuine Spydura synthetic rope. I did this for two reasons: Weight and Safety.

Replacing the cable with rope reduces the weight of the winch by almost 10kg. That means lower fuel consumption and less stress on front end suspension components. Both important factors for any touring vehicle.

While cable failures are rare if they are well maintained and operated correctly, a broken cable is not only potentially lethal, but also has the ability to immobilise the vehicle if it impacts in the wrong place. Synthetic ropes store far less energy and are much safer in the event of failure.

When it came to choosing a brand of synthetic rope, I went with Warn's own Spydura for a few reasons. First, being black in colour it's more resistant to one big enemy of synthetic ropes: The sun. Secondly, it has a high quality heat-resistant sheath that protects the rope from the heat generated by the winch and transmitted through the drum. A synthetic rope without a quality sheath is likely to fail as the drum heats up during extended winching operations. Finally, being designed for Warn winches, the Spydura rope includes a mounting retainer that fits perfectly onto the winch drum.

Another requirement when changing to synthetic rope is swapping from the standard rollers to a hawse-type fairlead. I went with a very nice looking Warn polished alloy version, which has a wide radius to allow the rope to spool on easily, and also quickly dissipates heat.