Best Champion Winch Review [Updated 2020]

As you have landed on this page, it is very likely that you are comparing different winches among various market-leading brands.

In this Champion Winch Review, I am going to save you from becoming “Hulk” to recover the trailer during your off-roading adventure.

How?

Well, here I’m going to review some of the top-notch winches manufactured by “Champion”. Champion is one of the most popular brands in off-roading industry.

By the way, here are some of the best seller winches on Amazon:

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Hold your horses with me. Your towing experience is going to be easier than ever.

Before diving into the product review section, let’s see top 5 Champion winches short comparison first.

Best Champion Winch Comparison Table

Top 5 Champion Winch Review

1. Champion 10,000-lb Truck/SUV Winch Review

Pros

• Easy mounting, storage, portability with the help of the mount handle and speed mount 2-inch hitch adapter.
• Can be mounted anywhere if you have a 2-inch receiver.
• The speed mount can be removed and the winch can be mounted with a mounting channel as the speed mount and the winch work independently.
• The required components for mounting will be there with the kit and you don’t need to go for buying an extra component.
• High pulling capacity of 10,000 lb with 85 ft durable and strong steel rope guided through the 4-way roller fairlead make this model altogether a perfect winch for the heavy trucks and SUVs.
• 12 ft wired remote control, dynamic braking system, three-stage planetary gear, and free spooling clutch gives you perfect control during the towing / winching.

Cons

• Instruction manual could have been clearer. Although the easy to install facility won’t make your life hard here.
• You need to get a longer cable to mount the winch to the rear of your vehicle.
• Steel rope can cause serious injury if it breaks under load. You must use gloves to handle this type of lines.
• Although the remote control does have 12 ft wire which is enough to control the winching, but not getting the wireless remote control is a minor downside of this model. But it highly depends on personal preferences.

The performance of a winch depends on a number of parameters, right?

I won’t be surprised if you tell me that you are even not sure about the different factors that are required to measure the performance of a winch.

I am here for the rescue. I will guide you step by step so that you can make yourself educated by knowing the key factors that influence the performance of a winch.

The capacity of this winch is 10,000 lb meaning it can pull up to 10,000 pounds of load.

What does that mean?

That means this winch can pull your vehicle if its gross weight is anything less than 10,000 pounds.

Well, the golden rule is, the winch got to have a pulling capacity that is 1.5 times greater than the loaded capacity of your vehicle.

So this winch is perfect if your loaded vehicle weighs around 6666 lb during the recovery process (Loaded vehicle weight = Weight of vehicle+baggages/others if you have any).

While having 1.5 times more load capacity than the vehicle gross weight is the golden rule, I must say this is not something that you must follow at any cost.

Your winch can have 2 times more capacity than the gross weight as well. The higher the safer for you.

So, suppose the loaded weight of the trailer is around 5000 lb, then it is even better to use this winch of 10,000 lb capacity.

The next thing to consider is probably one of the most important factors: the rope/line type of your winch.

This model of Champion winch is facilitated with 85 ft galvanized steel rope guided onto the drum through the 4-way roller fairlead.

In Layman’s terms, it is a steel rope that is liable to deliver the durability, less fraying, heavy-duty and ease of maintenance.

But I would like to remind you that the steel rope/line can cause a serious injury if it breaks under load, snapback and hit someone. Make sure to keep a safe distance.

Mounting / Installing this winch is easy with the help of the mount handle and speed mount 2-inch hitch adapter. Speed mount hitch adapter is manufactured by Champion that helps to store and move the winch with ease.

You have got to keep yourself free from the mud or water during the winching, No?

The remote control with 12 ft cable will help you operate the recovery process avoiding the mud or water. Yes, the control that you will get from the remote is good.

Well, what else do you need along with the remote control to get the maximum control of the towing?

Of course, the gear system, braking system, and the clutch play the key role of control. Here in this model, the three-stage planetary gear, free spooling clutch, and dynamic braking system help to perfectly control the winch.

Hold on! There’s something else that you should know too.

Now, I am going to point out some downsides of this model as well.

The instruction manual is not up to the mark in terms of comprehensiveness. This is not a major issue though as the whole installation process is easy.

This winch can be mounted anywhere but you need to get longer cables to mount it to the rear.

There is always a tradeoff. Having two or three cons of this winch is not going to make your life harder for the recovery process.

To me, this is a perfect heavy-duty winch to make the pulling of truck/SUVs safe and hassle-free.

Let’s Watch an unboxing video of champion 10,000 lbs winch.

2. Champion 4500-lb. ATV/UTV Wireless Winch Review

Pros

• The wireless remote control makes the towing easier than their wired cousins. It can be operated easily within a 50-foot radius.
• Easy to mount and install.
• Mountable rocker switch and wiring kit with contactor make the recovery process even smoother.
• Automatically turns off when not in use; helps to save the battery resource.
• Affordable price range.
• 4500 lb capacity having 38 ft galvanized steel rope going through the 4-way roller fairlead turns this winch a heavy-duty performer for vehicle weight 3000 lb or less.
• Powerful but lightweight, quiet.
• Steel rope is durable and requires less maintenance effort.
• Three-stage planetary gear, dynamic brake system, free spooling clutch makes the recovery process easier by providing you the proper control.

Cons

• The quality of the washer, nuts, and bolts that come with this model could have been better in terms of quality.
• The quality of the remote control is below par and has got a slight delay when you push forward or backward.
• The winch gets overheated for continuous use. You have to use it for 1 min and give 5 mins rest. Although 1 min is enough to pull an ATV / UTV, I don’t like this overheating drawback.

As you can see from the title this particular model has the capacity of 4500 lb. So, you can use this winch to pull any vehicle weighing under 4500 lb.

But as per the golden rule, to get optimum performance, you will want to use this winch if your vehicle’s gross weight is anything equal or less than 3000 pounds.

It has long-lasting, heavy-duty 38 ft steel line. I believe longer than 50 ft would have made this winch handier.

Along with the wireless remote control, the mounting rocker switch helps to control the recovery process with ease.

But I think the remote control is not up to the mark in terms of quality and you will see a slight delay during pushing forward or reverse. But the rocker switch is great and works instantly.

Similar to the Champion 10,000 lb Truck/SUV winch that I reviewed above, this particular winch is also equipped with three-stage planetary gear, dynamic braking system, free spooling clutch. These will help a lot to control the winching process.

All in all, this is a powerful but lightweight winch with an easy to install facility. Has all the credentials to pull your ATV/UTV efficiently.
Let’s watch a test video of this Champion 4500 winch below:

3. Champion 3500-lb. ATV/UTV Synthetic Rope Winch Review

Pros

• Easy to install.
• 50 ft synthetic rope going through the hawse fairlead makes the pulling process smooth.
• The synthetic rope is flexible, does not cause injury if it breaks, can be repaired in the field, floats in water, lightweight.
• The synthetic line is less prone to curl or fray.
• The wired remote control has got 10.30 ft of wire; enough to keep the distance from the vehicle and operate the towing.
• Larger up/down button of the remote control helps to operate the remote easily even when you are wearing gloves.
• There is no issue with the performance of the remote control.
• Along with the handy remote control, the three-stage planetary gear system, free spooling clutch, dynamic braking system helps to control the winching efficiently.
• One of the best synthetic rope winches for the money.

Cons

• The leads could have been a bit longer.
• Synthetic rope requires more maintenance than its steel counterpart.

One of the main differences of this winch than the other ones that I have discussed so far is the synthetic rope.

The core benefit of a synthetic line that attracts me is having almost the same performance as the steel rope.  But without worrying about the serious injuries that may cause if the rope breaks during the recovery process.

On the other hand, the line is flexible, can float in the water, can be fixed in the field and super lightweight.

Altogether this is a 50 ft rope going through the hawse fairlead having all the good characteristics to make the towing efficient and smooth.

I found this winch super easy to install ( this is also what the majority of other users said). It’s a very powerful but quiet and lightweight winch.

The remote control is wired and the length of the wire is 10.30 ft. The best part of the remote control to me is the larger and convenient buttons.

This particular build also has got three-stage planetary gear system, dynamic braking, and free spooling clutch that make the whole recovery experience a pleasant one.

If you are not a big fan of wireless remote control and maintenance of a synthetic rope is not a big deal to you then you can go for this winch to pull your ATV/UTV weighing anything less than 3500 lb. Ideally less than or equal 2400 lb.

4. Champion 3000-lb. ATV/UTV Winch Review

Pros

• Easy to install.
• Durable and heavy duty 45.90 ft galvanized steel rope going through a 4-way roller fairlead helps the pulling smooth and efficient.
• Three-stage planetary gear, free spooling clutch, and dynamic brake keep the recovery process under control handsomely.
• Large size switch on the remote control to make your life easier when you wear gloves particularly in winter.
• Worth the money.

Cons

• The size of the remote can create a problem when mounted on the handlebar and holding both the handlebars and trying to push the buttons at the same time. But quite ok if the remote is mounted on a trailer.
• You got to press the remote button dead center to make it work instantly. Otherwise, sometimes it causes delay.
• No solenoid included with the package.
• A bit noisier than other winches I have listed here.
• The battery wires could have been slightly longer.

This particular Champion 3000 lb winch is something I recommend you to try for your ATV/UTV if you are looking for quality performance at an affordable price.

This is a powerful build with 45.90 ft steel rope going through a 4-way roller fairlead making the towing process smooth.

When you use a steel rope, you’ll have a minimum or no maintenance headache but you gotta be careful about the injuries. Because, if the steel rope breaks and snap back, it can cause serious injury.

10.30 ft wired remote control is big in size which is helpful to press the buttons with ease when you are wearing gloves. However, if you mount this remote on the handlebar then it is difficult to press the button and holding both the handlebar at the same time due to the humongous size of the remote. But mounting it on trail creates no issue.

I believe the battery wires could have been slightly longer and this particular winch is a bit noisier than other Champion winches I reviewed here.

This is an easy to install winch providing great control during winching by its free spooling clutch, dynamic braking system, and three-stage planetary gear system.

Despite having a few cons, I still believe this is an excellent winch for ATV/UTVs if someone is looking for performance over anything else.

5. Champion 2000-lb. ATV/UTV Winch Review

Pros

• A nice build to use for winching small ATV/UTVs, raising or lowering plow blades, or any other vehicles related to farming and gardening.
• Easy setup.
• Long lasting and handy 49 ft steel rope going through the 4-way roller fairlead ensures smooth winching.
• 30 ft wired remote control to make the winching hassle-free.
• Free spooling clutch, dynamic braking system, and single-stage planetary gear system helps to enhance the control during the winching process.
• Steel rope requires less maintenance.

Cons

• You may not find the handlebar control a convenient one.
• Motor gets overheated and requires frequent cooling.
• Different bolt pattern.
• Creates a little noise.

I think this is the best lightweight yet powerful solution for winching small ATV/UTV or any vehicles weighing below 2000 lb, perfect if the weight of the vehicle is equal or less than 1400 lb.

Though I like synthetic rope, a 49 ft galvanized steel rope does not bother me either as it requires less maintenance than its synthetic cousin.

It has 10.30 ft wired remote control, free spooling clutch, 4-way roller fairlead, planetary gear, dynamic braking. All these will help you to control the winching with perfection. The length of the wire is always a subject of debate though.

Despite being a bit noisy this particular winch satisfied me and lots other users with its performance.

Overall, to me, this is a high-performance budget-friendly winch despite having few drawbacks.

Brief About Champion Power Equipment

Let’s get to know briefly about ‘Champion’ as a brand itself.

Champion doesn’t only manufactures winches but also some other power equipment as well with great reputation since 2003.

Having the original headquarter at California, they have expanded to other cities in North America with their estate of the art technologies.

They produce products like portable generators, winches, log splitters, home generators, inverter generator engines, and many more.

I have seen so many users praising the quality and durability of their products including winches. That speaks about the quality of Champion winches.

Final Words: Should You Buy?

I tried to present this review of top Champion winch in a way so that you can understand easily even if you are not a technical guy. Among all the variables I only focused on the parameters that are related to the performance and usefulness of each of the winch.

As a final verdict, I must say, Champion winches are powerful, high-quality and sustainable products with some alluring features in an affordable price range. Now that I completed my research on Champion winches,  I can honestly recommend you to give it try as well. I’m sure that you’ll love it.

Have you got anything to ask? Please comment below.

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