X-BULL Electric Winch 12V 5000LBS Steel Cable Wireless remote ATV UTV Boat Trailer

Steel cable does one thing better than rope: it shrugs off sharp rock edges and hot fairlead lips that will chew synthetic apart. The trade-offs are weight and the amount of energy a loaded cable holds. This 12 V X-BULL carries 15.2 metres of 6.3 mm steel on the drum and a four-way roller fairlead to feed it.

A four-way roller instead of a hawse

Steel cable dislikes being dragged across a fixed alloy lip. The roller fairlead supplied here runs on nylon bushings and gives the cable a turning surface whichever way the anchor lies, whether that is off to one side, low to the ground or up a bank. Rolling contact rather than sliding contact is what limits the flattening and birdcaging that shortens a cable's life, and it makes an angled pull less punishing on the drum. Rollers do want checking, though. Grit packed behind one stops it turning, which is worse than having no roller at all.

What the duty cycle is telling you

X-BULL quotes 5 per cent: 45 seconds at maximum rated load, then 14 minutes 15 seconds of rest. That is not a fault, it is how a 12 V winch of this size behaves, because the motor heats itself faster than it can shed that heat. In practice you pull in stages, let the motor cool between them, and leave the vehicle's engine running so the battery is being replaced rather than flattened. A minimum 12 Ah battery is specified, and the 1.5 hp permanent-magnet motor draws hardest at the moment the load first moves.

Key features

• Four-way roller fairlead: nylon-bushed rollers on all four sides, supplied fitted for angled pulls.
• 500 A solenoid relay: the current-switching component is specified, which is the one most often undersized on cheap winches.
• 1.5 hp permanent-magnet motor: paired with a three-stage planetary train so the drum turns slowly and hard.
• Cam-activated free spool: disengage and pull the cable to the anchor by hand.
• Mounting plate, bolts and socket lead included: the kit covers the hardware needed to bolt it down.
• IP66 winch and controls: the remote switch is not covered by the rating.

Specifications

• Rated single-line pull: 5,000 lb (2,268 kg). Quoted by X-BULL as a rated pull; the drum layer it refers to is not given.
• Steel cable: 6.3 mm x 15.2 m (1/4 in x 50 ft)
• Motor: 12 V DC, 1.5 hp permanent magnet
• Gear train: three-stage planetary
• Free spool: cam activated
• Battery: 12 V DC, 12 Ah minimum
• Duty cycle: 5 per cent (45 seconds at maximum rated load, then 14 minutes 15 seconds rest)
• Fairlead: four-way roller with nylon bushings
• Hook: 1/4 in clevis with spring-loaded safety latch
• Mounting pattern: 76.2 x 167.6 mm (3 x 6.6 in)
• Dimensions (L x D x H): 400 x 116 x 119 mm
• Weight: 12 kg
• IP rating: IP66, winch and controls, remote switch excluded
• Sound rating: 85 dB
• Certification, as stated by the supplier: CE
• Application, as stated by the supplier: ATV, UTV, boat

What's in the box

• 5,000 lb winch
• Four-way roller fairlead
• Winch mounting plate
• Controller (solenoid and receiver)
• Wireless remote control
• Hand remote control
• Clevis hook
• Four solenoid cables and four joint protective caps
• Set of bolts
• User manual

Rules that do not bend

• Look over the full length of the cable before you use it, and retire it if strands are broken, flattened or splayed. A cable that has birdcaged is finished.
• Wear gloves when handling steel cable, and keep a dampener over the line whenever it is loaded.
• Everyone stays outside the area the cable could sweep through, and nobody steps over a line under tension.
• Attach only to rated recovery points. Never take a pull off a tow ball, tow bar tongue or bumper bar.
• Two straps are never joined with a shackle.

Intended for quads, side-by-sides and boat trailers. Check the bolt pattern against your mount, and wind the cable back on under light tension in even layers so it does not bury itself on the next pull.