The 10 Best Boat Winches
This wiki has been updated 16 times since it was first published in January of 2020. A boat winch is a dedicated piece of equipment that mounts to the bow-stop of a trailer. It is used to either pull the boat out of the water or allow the boat to slide backwards into the water at a controlled rate. Essentially, there are two choices when it comes to these: the manual hand-cranked variety or those with electric motors that draw their power from a car battery. When users buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
1. Fulton F2
2. Bravex Electric
3. Xingxingns 304
Editor's Notes
April 07, 2020:
There are several questions you will need to answer before you decide which boat winch will be the best buy for you. Namely, the size and weight of your boat, (including engine, fuel and equipment) and the angle of decline at your preferred launching point, as these factors will determine the load capacity required. Another point to consider is the environment: Will you mainly be going out in the ocean or on a lake, as saltwater corrodes metal five times faster than freshwater does. It is generally accepted that solid constructions of aluminum or stainless steel are less corrosive than plated versions like zinc or galvanized metal.
For smaller vessels the hand-cranked options, such as the Camco Marine, the AC-DK and the Goldenrod Dutton-Lainson should all do the job just fine. If you want something that will last longer, then the Fulton F2 is made from solid aluminum, and the Xingxingns 304 from stainless steel. For heavy applications then an electric winch will save you time and energy, however, they do need to be connected to a car battery. The Bravex Electric and the Smittybilt 97495 XRC are both reasonably priced models with plenty of safety features, and the Powerwinch 912 and the Fulton 500621 XLT are both capable of hauling up to a whopping 10,000 pounds.
4. Fulton 500621 XLT
5. Powerwinch 912
6. Smittybilt 97495 XRC
7. Goldenrod 2-Speed
8. Goldenrod Dutton-Lainson
9. AC-DK
10. Camco Marine
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