The rule most people repeat is that your winch should pull one and a half times the weight of your machine. It is close enough to be useful and wrong often enough to strand people.
Here is the version that holds up. Take the loaded weight of the machine, not the dry weight on the brochure. Add the passengers, the cooler, the gear and the mud packed into the wheel wells. Then multiply by two. A 1,500 pound RZR loaded to 2,000 pounds wants a 4,000 pound winch minimum, and 4,500 is the size almost everyone should buy.
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Why 4,500 pounds is the answer for most machines
Winch ratings are measured on the first wrap of the drum, with the rope pulling straight. Neither of those things is true when you are stuck. By the third wrap the drum diameter is larger and the pull is meaningfully weaker, and you are rarely pulling in a straight line.
Buy the rating you need, then buy the next one up. That is where 4,500 comes from for machines in the 1,200 to 2,200 pound range, which covers nearly every RZR, Maverick, Ranger, Defender and Wolverine on the trail.
Heavier machines, a loaded Ranger Crew or a plow rig, should step to 5,000 or 6,000.
SuperATV 4500 lb with synthetic rope and wireless remote
Our Pick
4500 Lb. UTV/ATV Winch (With Wireless Remote & Synthetic Rope)
- Complete kit, synthetic rope and wireless remote included
- Fits most common winch plates without fabrication
- Synthetic rope drops instead of whipping when it fails
- Wireless fob is useless when its battery dies in a creek
This is the one to buy if you want a complete kit and no decisions. Synthetic rope, wireless remote, and a mounting pattern that fits most common winch plates without fabrication.
Synthetic rope is the right call for a UTV. It is lighter, it does not develop the barbs that steel cable does, and when it fails it drops instead of whipping. The trade is that it hates abrasion and UV. Keep a rope guard on the fairlead and do not store the machine outside all summer with the rope exposed.
The downside is the remote. Wireless is convenient right up until the battery in the fob is dead and you are standing in a creek.
KFI U4500, the durable one
Most Durable
KFI Products U4500 ATV Winch Kit – 4500 lbs Capacity
- Gearbox and sealing a step above the budget end
- Contactor holds up to repeated pulls without cooking
- Ships with steel cable, budget for a rope swap
- Noticeably heavier, and that weight sits ahead of the front axle
KFI has been building powersports winches longer than most of the brands in this category and the U4500 is the reason. The gearbox and the sealing are a step above the budget end, and the contactor holds up to repeated pulls without cooking.
It ships with steel cable rather than synthetic on the base kit. Some people want that, most do not. Budget for a rope swap if you care, or buy the version that already has it.
Heavier than the SuperATV by a noticeable margin, which matters on a machine where every pound sits ahead of the front axle.
KFI UTV 4500 Series, the wide-mount version
Best For Full-Size
KFI UTV 4500 Series Winch (Wide)
- Same internals as the U4500 in a wide mounting pattern
- What most full-size UTV winch plates actually need
- Ordering the wrong pattern means a return, not a workaround
- Measure your plate before buying anything
Same internals as the U4500 in a wide mounting pattern, which is what most full-size UTVs actually need. If your machine takes a wide winch plate, this is the KFI to order. Getting this wrong is the most common ordering mistake in the category and it means a return, not a workaround.
Check your winch plate pattern before you buy anything. Measure it.
KFI SE45 Stealth, the low-profile one
Best Low-Profile
KFI Products SE45 ATV Stealth Winch Kit – 4500 lb. Capacity
- Short body tucks behind the bumper on tight machines
- Same 4,500 pound rating as the full-size KFI units
- Most expensive of the four
- Only worth it if a standard winch will not fit
Built to tuck behind the bumper on machines where a standard winch sticks out far enough to catch on terrain. Same 4,500 pound rating, shorter body.
It is the most expensive of the four and the only reason to pay it is fitment. If a standard winch fits your machine, buy a standard winch.
Which winch should you buy?
Most people should buy the SuperATV 4500. It is a complete kit with synthetic rope and it fits the widest range of machines.
Buy the KFI U4500 if you winch often and want the gearbox that lasts. Buy the wide-mount KFI if your plate needs it. Buy the SE45 only if clearance forces your hand.
What else you need on day one
A winch alone gets you stuck differently. Carry a snatch block, a tree saver strap and a pair of gloves. The snatch block doubles your pulling power and halves your line speed, which is exactly the trade you want when the machine is buried.
Never wrap the rope around a tree. Use the strap.
Related guides
- How to install a winch on your UTV
- How to wire a UTV winch
- How do you use a snatch block for a UTV winch
FAQ
Can I run a 2,500 pound winch on a small UTV?
On a light two-seater, on flat ground, sometimes. It leaves you nothing when the machine is loaded or the pull is at an angle. The money saved is not worth the walk.
Synthetic rope or steel cable?
Synthetic for almost everyone. Steel for people who winch through rock and abrasion constantly and are willing to handle a cable that stores energy.