Collection: Winches

An electric winch pulls a vehicle out when it's bogged or stuck, using a 12v winch motor to wind cable or rope onto a drum. For a 4wd winch, capacity, rope type and mounting are the main considerations. Winching puts enormous force through the line and everything attached to it, so rated gear and correct technique are not optional — a line failure under load can kill. Size the winch to your vehicle, use rated recovery gear, and learn safe procedure before you need it.

What capacity winch do you need?

A common guideline is to choose a winch rated at roughly 1.5 times your vehicle's gross vehicle mass, which gives capacity to handle a bogged vehicle rather than just its rolling weight. A vehicle stuck in mud or sand takes far more force to move than the same vehicle on firm ground, so sizing to the vehicle's weight alone leaves no margin. Check your GVM on the vehicle's compliance plate rather than guessing. Using a snatch block to double the line also effectively increases pulling power while reducing load on the winch.

Steel cable or synthetic rope?

Both are used, with real trade-offs:

• Steel cable: hard-wearing and resistant to abrasion and heat, but heavy, prone to kinks and burrs, and it stores energy under load so it whips dangerously if it breaks.
• Synthetic rope: much lighter, easier to handle, floats, and stores far less energy so it drops rather than whipping if it fails. It's more vulnerable to abrasion, heat and UV, and needs more care.

How do you winch safely?

The forces involved are extreme, so procedure matters. Use only rated recovery equipment — rated shackles, straps and recovery points, never towbar tongues or tie-down eyes, which aren't designed for it. Lay a heavy winch dampener over the line, which drops the line if it fails instead of letting it whip. Keep everyone well clear of the line and never step over it under load. Never use a snatch strap with a winch, since they work in opposite ways. Winch in stages and let the motor cool. If you're new to recovery, do a course before relying on it.

Common questions

What size winch do I need?
A common guideline is around 1.5 times your vehicle's gross vehicle mass, since a bogged vehicle takes far more force to move than its rolling weight. Check the GVM on the compliance plate.

Steel cable or synthetic winch rope?
Steel resists abrasion and heat but is heavy and whips dangerously if it breaks. Synthetic is lighter, safer on failure and easier to handle, but needs more care against abrasion and UV.

What is a winch dampener?
A heavy blanket laid over the line under load. If the line fails, it absorbs the energy and drops the line rather than letting it whip back, which is a serious injury risk.

Can I attach a winch to a towball?
No — use only rated recovery points designed for the load. Towballs, towbar tongues and tie-down eyes aren't rated for recovery forces and can become projectiles if they fail.

Can I pay for a winch with Afterpay?
Yes. You can split it with Afterpay, Zip, Klarna or PayPal Pay in 4. Our winches start from $60, which is four fortnightly payments of $15.

Complete your fit-out

A winch works with the rest of your 4WD gear. Add driving lights, roof racks, and work torches.

A $60 winch splits into four fortnightly payments of $15.0 with Afterpay, and Zip, Klarna and PayPal Pay in 4 do the same. Every order ships from our Australian warehouse, dispatched within 1–2 business days, with a 12-month warranty and 30 days to return it. We're a family-run Australian store, going since 2016, rated 4.66 out of 5 across 5,363 reviews.