X-BULL Electric Winch 12V 3000LBS Steel Cable Wireless remote ATV UTV Boat Trailer

Steel cable suits a winch that lives outdoors on a work trailer or a farm quad. UV does not degrade it, a hot fairlead does not glaze it, and dragging it over rock will not finish it. The trade-off is stored energy: a loaded cable is more dangerous when it parts. This one runs 9.2 metres of 5.4 mm steel.

The brake, not the motor, holds the load

X-BULL lists an automatic mechanical load-holding brake on this unit. What that means on the ground is that the drum locks as soon as the switch is released, so a vehicle sitting on a slope stays where it is while you reposition a block or clear an obstacle, instead of creeping back and shock-loading the line when you start again. Test it on flat ground before you rely on it during a recovery. Take up a small load, let go of the switch, and watch whether the drum actually holds.

Why it comes with a roller fairlead

Steel is unforgiving of being pulled sideways across a fixed alloy lip. The four-way roller supplied with this winch gives the cable a turning surface top, bottom and both sides, which is what stops an angled pull from crushing strands against an edge. Re-spool under light tension in even layers, too. Cable wound on loose will bury itself under the next load, and that is how drums jam and cables end up kinked beyond use. Rollers also want an occasional look, since one seized solid by packed grit does more damage than good.

Key features

• Four-way roller fairlead: supplied in the box, giving the cable a rolling surface on every side for angled pulls.
• Automatic mechanical brake: holds the drum the moment you release the switch.
• Three-stage planetary gear train: reduction across three gear sets, so the drum turns slowly under load rather than relying on motor torque alone.
• 1.5 hp permanent-magnet motor: switched through X-BULL's control box, which carries an uprated relay.
• Wireless and corded control: a wireless remote and a wired handheld switch both ship with it.
• Fitting hardware included: stainless bolt set, lanyards and clevis hook with safety clip in the carton.

Specifications

• Rated single-line pull: 3,000 lb (1,360 kg). X-BULL's rated pull; the drum layer it refers to is not given.
• Steel cable: 5.4 mm x 9.2 m
• Motor: 12 V DC, 1.5 hp permanent magnet
• Gear train: three-stage planetary
• Brake: automatic mechanical load holding
• Duty cycle: 5 per cent (45 seconds at maximum rated load, then 14 minutes 15 seconds rest)
• Pendant controller: wired, 3.7 m
• Handlebar controller: wired, 2.4 m
• Fairlead: four-way roller
• Certification, as stated by the supplier: CE
• Application, as stated by the supplier: ATV, UTV, boat

What's in the box

• 3,000 lb winch
• Four-way roller fairlead
• Clevis hook with safety clip and marker tab
• Handheld switch
• Wireless remote
• Control box
• Winch lanyards
• Set of stainless steel fitting bolts
• User manual

Non-negotiables on any pull

• Inspect the cable along its full length beforehand. Broken strands, flat spots or splayed sections mean it comes off the vehicle, not back on the drum.
• Gloves on when handling steel, and a dampener over the cable whenever it is under tension.
• Nobody stands in the path of the cable or within the area it could sweep, and nobody steps across a loaded line.
• Rated recovery points only, at both ends. Tow balls, tow bar tongues and bumper bars must never take a winch load.
• Do not connect two straps together using a shackle.

Weight, overall dimensions and drum size are not published by the supplier for this model, so measure your mounting space before you order.