Going for an offroading adventure is fun. There are a lot of challenges. The unpredictability of the unknown gives a very thrilling euphoria. And there is just an overarching sense of freedom in the whole ordeal. However, it has its drawbacks too.
Isn’t it a pain in the neck to see your vehicle stuck terribly in the mud? Or in sand?
This is exactly why you need a good winch.
That being said, deciding on a perfect winch can be overwhelming and confusing.
Why?
Because you see a lot of brands manufacturing quality winches and people tend to recommend only the big guns.
Well, going for big brands is not bad, but they charge you more than some other cool brands like Rough Country.
Fortunately, a brand like Rough Country offers some high-quality winches without costing you a fortune.
That’s why I wanted to prepare this Rough Country winch review guide so that you get the opportunity to know about them in-depth first. Then decide if they are worth buying or not.
Let’s begin.
Rough Country Winch Review
Our Rating
This winch from Rough Country looks beefy and capable of towing up to 12000 lbs of weight.
Therefore, better use this winch to recover your vehicle or anything that is weighing up to 8000 lbs in total.
Why so?
Because you should use a winch that has 1.5 times more weight capacity than the gross weight of the stuck vehicle.
While this is not any hard rule, at the same time, you should follow this math to get the best performance and longevity from the winch.
Rough country winches offer both synthetic rope and steel cable versions of their winches. This 12000 lbs capacity version is not any different.
I prefer synthetic rope to steel cable because it makes the winch lighter, and it reduces the chance of injury if it breaks under load.
A steel cable is always dangerous if it breaks under load; hence, I recommend using a dampener if you prefer steel cable to synthetic rope.
The unit uses a powerful 6 HP series wound motor. It also comes with a sliding ring gear clutch and a clevis hook.
You can control the towing process quite smoothly because of the 3-stage planetary gear and sliding ring gear clutch.
To enhance safety, it provides an auto in-drum braking system.
Previously it used to come with a wireless remote, too, but currently not.
You don’t have the option to buy a wireless remote separately, either. I always expect a wireless remote with this kind of heavy-duty winch. Its handheld remote controller has a 12 foot lead.
The solenoid is movable, but remember, it doesn’t have a mounting bracket to hang it to the side.
This model also features an IP67 waterproof rating. For its price, this is already a good deal because that is the same waterproof rating that the big winch names offer. Of course, as much as possible, I still will not submerge this in water.
The Rough Country 12000 lbs winch is backed by a 1 year electrical warranty and a 2 year mechanical warranty.
- Easy and quick to install and operate.
- A strongly built winch.
- The package includes everything you need for the installation process.
- Both the synthetic rope and steel cable version are available for buying.
- It offers a 12 ft wired remote control that works flawlessly and provides a bigger space than its competitors for a comfortable grip.
- As it is equipped with series-wound motors, so you can expect less overheating and excellent efficiency at higher speeds.
- This winch comes with a high-quality 85ft synthetic rope going through a hawse fairlead. If you are not sure, 85ft is a quite substantial amount of length for towing.
- The solenoid is movable.
- Great value for the money.
- The company stands behind their warranty.
- It doesn’t offer wireless remote with the package.
Overall, this one is a well-priced winch from Rough Country for towing your truck, SUV, Jeep, or any other vehicle requiring a 12000 lbs winch.
Even though they claim IP67 rating for this winch but I want to put a question mark over this claim. Yes, this winch offers water resistance, but I don’t want to call it fully waterproof.
Except for a few hiccups, this is a worth buying winch, I must say. Though it is not the easiest winch to install, it still provides great value in the long run.
Our Rating
This winch from Rough country has the weight capacity of 9500 lbs.
Therefore, I recommend you to use this winch for towing up to 6333 lbs to get the best performance.
It shares the same features, benefits, and downsides as the previous winch of 12000 lbs weight capacity except for a few technical specs like motor HP.
The 9500 lbs winch is equipped with a 5.5 HP, 12 volt series wound motor, whereas the 12000 lbs one is fitted with a 6 HP motor.
This winch also provides both synthetic rope and steel cable versions for this same model.
It offers quite a reasonable price too compared to the other winches from different brands.
Considering all of the features that come with this model, the IP67 waterproof rating, the three stage planetary gear system, the automatic in drum brake and the accessories - this is a good bargain. Of course it can’t be considered perfect, but for its price, this is a whole package of a winch.
On the whole, this one is quite handy and well worthy winch for your SUV, Jeep, or any other vehicle where a 9500 lbs winch is required.
About The Brand - Rough Country
Rough Country Suspension System is quite well known to most of the offroaders due to its ability to manufacture quality off-roading products.
They know what it takes to ensure user acceptance and maintain the desired quality keeping the price within your reach.
They care about their customers and stand behind their warranty quite well.
An electric winch is one of their leading categories of products but not the only one. They are also experts in manufacturing other products like offroading LED lights, headlights, light mounts, light covers, fasteners, etc.
They are also up to producing several exterior parts, wheels and tires, steerings, etc.
In general, you can trust their winch quality, and none of them will break your bank.
Verdict On Rough Country Winch
In a nutshell, Rough Country is a well-established company in the off-roading arena. Even though they are not the most sought out brand, their quality is still on par with the bigger names in the industry. What makes them more of a better choice is how competitively affordable their price points are.
In this Rough Country winch reviews article, I tried to give you an insight into two of their quality winches that you can afford quite easily.
I tried to find out all the upsides and downsides of the winches, leaving no stone unturned. Later I gave a brief idea about the company itself.
If you don’t want to spend too much, at the same time looking for a quality winch, then I believe these winches are some of the best bets for your bucks.
I have also reviewed some other top winches from top brands. You can also read these:
