X-BULL Electric Winch 3000lbs Steel Wire Cable 12V Boat ATV UTV Winch Trailer 2 Units

Two machines, two winches. That is the sensible reason to buy in pairs — one on the quad and one on the boat trailer. This listing supplies two complete X-BULL 3000 lb winches, each with its own fairlead, hook, controls, control box and hardware, rather than one winch with a bag of spares.

Rated per winch, and it does not add up across the pair

X-BULL states a rated single line pull of 3000 lb (1360 kg). Read that as the rating of one winch on a single line: it is not a combined figure, and two units in a carton do not make a 6000 lb machine. Each drum carries 9.2 m of 5.4 mm steel cable, which suits the short jobs these are built for — dragging a quad up onto a trailer, pulling a tinnie back onto its rollers, recovering a mower out of a gully. Match the winch to the load in front of you and leave margin for angle and friction.

The duty cycle is the number most buyers skip

X-BULL lists a 5% duty cycle, described as 45 seconds at maximum rated load followed by 14 minutes 15 seconds of rest. That is not a fault, it is simply how small 12 V winch motors are specified, and it tells you how to work one. Short pull, pause, reset the anchor, take up the slack, pull again. Grinding straight through at full load is what cooks an armature and melts insulation. The relay is the component X-BULL singles out as strengthened on this model, because an undersized relay is a common failure point at this size.

Controls at both ends of the drawbar

Each winch ships with a wired pendant on a 3.7 m (12 ft) lead and a wired handlebar controller on a 2.4 m (8 ft) lead, so a rider can work it from the seat or step back along the pendant cord. X-BULL's pack list also names a wireless remote for each unit, although its own specification table lists only the two wired controllers — worth checking what actually arrives before you plan around wireless. An automatic load-holding mechanical brake stops the drum paying out when you release the switch.

Key features

• Two complete winches: each unit carries its own fairlead, hook, switch, control box and bolt kit.
• Rated single line pull: X-BULL states 3000 lb (1360 kg) per winch, not per pair.
• Three-stage planetary gear train: the pull is shared across gear sets, which suits repeated short recoveries.
• Automatic load-holding brake: mechanical, so the drum holds the moment you stop winching.
• Clevis hook with safety clip: latch and marker tab already fitted.
• Two lead lengths: 3.7 m pendant for standing back, 2.4 m handlebar control for riding position.

Specifications

• Rated single line pull: 3000 lb (1360 kg) per winch
• Duty cycle rating: 5% — 45 seconds at maximum rated load, 14 minutes 15 seconds rest
• Motor: 12 V DC, 1.5 HP permanent magnet
• Gear train: 3-stage planetary
• Brake: automatic load-holding, mechanical
• Steel cable: 5.4 mm x 9.2 m
• Pendant controller: wired, 3.7 m (12 ft)
• Handlebar controller: wired, 2.4 m (8 ft)
• Application: ATV, UTV, boat
• Certification: the supplier's listing states "CE"; no certificate has been sighted for this listing
• Pack quantity: 2 units

What's in the box

• 2 x 3000 lb electric winch
• Supplied with each winch: 4-way roller fairlead, clevis hook with safety clip and marker tab, hand-held switch, wireless remote, winch lanyard, control box, set of stainless steel fitting bolts and user manual.

Before you run these

• Winches pull; they do not lift. Never raise or hold a vehicle on a winch line, and never work beneath a load supported by one.
• Keep clear of the cable's arc while it is under tension and drape a recovery damper over it.
• Respect the 5% duty cycle. Continuous pulling at rated load will overheat the motor.
• Each winch draws heavy current. Wire each one through its own supplied control box to a battery and circuit that can carry the draw.
• Gloves on when handling steel cable, and inspect it for broken strands before every recovery.

Suited to ATV, UTV and boat-trailer duty where two rigs need covering at once. Set both up at home, test each on a light load, and label the controls so nobody is guessing in the dark.