X-BULL Electric Winch 12V 14500LBS Synthetic Rope Wireless remote 4WD 4X4 Car Trailer

There is a point in a recovery where nothing you do with the accelerator helps. The vehicle is sitting on its belly, there is no room for a run-up, and the only thing that will move it is a slow, controlled pull from a fixed anchor. That is the job a winch does and very little else does well.

Why three planetary stages matter on a long pull

The gearbox runs a three-stage planetary train at a 265:1 ratio. Each stage spreads torque across a set of planet gears instead of a single meshing pair, so the load is shared over far more teeth. That is what allows a winch to sit under sustained load during a slow recovery without cooking a gear set, and it is why the motor can be geared down this far inside a housing only 555 mm long. The trade-off is line speed. High reduction means the drum turns slowly, which is exactly what you want while a vehicle inches out of a rut.

The parts that fail first

Winches usually die at the electrics rather than the gears. This one runs an integrated control box with protection for current, voltage and temperature, and a pure copper motor rather than a mixed-alloy winding, which copes better with heat through repeated pulls. The clutch lever indexes every 15 degrees across a 180 degree range, so it can be set somewhere you can actually reach once the winch is buried inside a bull bar. Control is by wireless remote or the corded hand switch, and both are supplied.

Key features

• Rated single line pull of 14,500 lb: X-BULL gives the metric equivalent as 6590 kg and does not state which drum layer the figure was measured on.
• 265:1 three-stage planetary gearbox: load shared across gear sets for slow, sustained pulling.
• Wireless remote and corded hand switch: stand back where the line is visible, or work up close.
• Aluminium hawse fairlead: the fairlead type suited to the synthetic rope this winch ships with.
• Indexable clutch: 15 degree steps across 180 degrees to suit the mounting angle.
• Replaceable 3/8 hook with spring-loaded safety latch: a wear item you renew rather than replacing the whole line.

Specifications

• Rated single line pull: 14,500 lb (6590 kg as stated by X-BULL)
• Motor: 12 V DC, 6.4 HP
• Gear train: 3-stage planetary
• Gear ratio: 265:1
• Rope: 0.375 in x 80 ft (9.5 mm x 24.4 m)
• Fairlead: aluminium hawse
• Hook: 3/8, replaceable, spring-loaded safety latch
• Battery requirement: 12 V DC, minimum 650 CCA
• Sound rating: 85 dB
• Overall dimensions (L x D x H): 555 x 124 x 264 mm
• Weight: 59.5 lb (27 kg)
• Application: vehicle recovery, trucks and SUVs

What's in the box

• 1 x 14,500 lb winch
• 1 x remote control
• 1 x hand switch
• 1 x aluminium hawse fairlead
• 1 x clevis hook
• 1 x control box
• 1 x set of bolts
• 1 x user manual
• 3 x motor leads
• 1 x power leads

Before you wind in the line

• Inspect the rope before every pull. Synthetic line that is cut, fused, fuzzed through to the core or heat-glazed must be retired, not knotted.
• Lay a dampener over the middle of the line on every winch pull.
• Keep everyone well clear of the line and the arc it would sweep. Nobody steps over a loaded line.
• Anchor to rated recovery points only, and use a tree trunk protector when anchoring to a tree. A tow ball, tow bar tongue or bumper bar is not a winch point.
• Never join two lines or straps with a shackle.
• Fitting requires a winch-compatible bar or cradle and heavy cable to a battery meeting the 650 CCA minimum. Mounting, fusing and compliance are the installer's responsibility, so have it fitted professionally if you are not certain.
• X-BULL states the control box works underwater but publishes no IP rating, so treat immersion as unproven.

Check your bar's winch cradle dimensions against the 555 mm overall width before ordering.