WINCHMAX 17,000lb 24v Winch Review: a heavy, hard‑pulling workhorse for recovery trucks

I’ve been using this WINCHMAX 17,000lb 24v winch on a recovery truck setup, mainly for dragging dead vans and 4x4s onto a beavertail. No sponsored stuff here, just a normal buyer who needed a strong 24v winch that wouldn’t die after a few heavy pulls. I picked this one because of the 17,000lb rating, the steel rope, and the fact it already comes with wireless remotes and a cover, so no need to add loads of extras.

In day-to-day use, the first thing you notice is the weight. The whole kit is about 60 kg, so it’s not something you just throw around on your own. Once it’s bolted down though, it feels solid. I’ve used cheaper 12,000lb winches before on 12v and they always felt like they were on the limit. With this one, on a 3.5-ton truck, you feel like there’s a bit of margin when you’re pulling something properly stuck or with seized brakes.

Most of my pulls have been short but heavy: loading non-runners, cars with flat tyres, and the odd 4x4 half buried in mud. So far it hasn’t cut out or smoked, but you can tell when you’re pushing it because the motor and cables get warm and the truck’s electrics feel the hit. It’s not magic – you still need a decent battery setup and good wiring – but when everything is installed properly, it just gets on with the job.

Overall, my first impression after a few weeks is pretty simple: it’s not perfect, but it’s a strong, no-nonsense winch. There are some annoying bits, especially the weight and the noise, and the wireless remotes feel a bit cheap, but in terms of pure pulling power for a 24v recovery truck, it does what I bought it for.

Price-wise, this WINCHMAX sits in that middle ground: not the cheapest Chinese gamble you find on auction sites, but also not at the level of the big premium brands that cost a small fortune. For a 17,000lb 24v winch with steel rope, wireless remotes, and a cover included, I’d say the package is pretty decent. You’re paying for pulling capacity and a full kit that’s basically ready to go once you’ve got your mount and wiring sorted.

Compared to the 12,000lb 12v winches I’ve used before, this feels like a step up in both strength and overall seriousness. Those cheaper units worked, but they always felt like they were on the edge with heavier vans or proper off-road recoveries. With this one, you can tell it’s more comfortable handling big loads. If your work involves regular recoveries or you tow a lot of dead weight, the extra capacity is worth paying for, in my opinion.

The downsides from a value point of view: it’s heavy, it’s power-hungry, and the wireless remotes feel a bit cheap for the overall price. Also, if you’re only occasionally pulling stuck cars out of a field, this might be overkill and you’d probably be fine with a smaller, cheaper winch. Where it makes sense is on recovery trucks, serious off-road rigs, or anyone who actually uses a winch as a daily tool rather than a show accessory.

Overall, value for money is pretty solid if you actually need this level of pulling power. It’s not a bargain toy, but for a working vehicle where breakdowns cost you time and money, paying a bit more for something that feels robust and complete out of the box makes sense. There is better gear out there if you want top-tier brands and are ready to pay much more, but in this price bracket, this WINCHMAX holds its own.

Design-wise, this winch is clearly built around function, not style. The bright orange casing is very WINCHMAX, you can see it from a mile away, which is actually handy when you’re working under a truck or in bad weather – you can quickly spot what’s what. But let’s be clear: this is a chunky bit of kit. The unit plus rope and hook weighs around 60 kg, and you feel every kilo when you’re trying to manoeuvre it into place on the front of a truck.

The layout is pretty standard: drum in the middle, motor on one side, gearbox on the other, with the control box usually mounted either on top or separately depending on your setup. The free spool lever is easy enough to grab, even with gloves, but you need to make sure it’s not blocked by bull bars or bodywork. On my install, I had to tweak the position slightly so I could actually reach and move the lever without skinning my knuckles.

One thing I noticed is that the winch doesn’t try to be compact. For a 17,000lb rating, that’s not shocking, but if you’re trying to fit it into a tight bumper or a hidden mount, you might struggle. This is more suited to open-frame or tray installs on recovery trucks or big 4x4s with plenty of space. The mounting feet and bolt pattern are standard enough, but double-check your plate thickness – this kind of weight and pull will bend thin plates over time.

Overall, the design is practical but not refined. It’s noisy, it’s big, and it screams “work tool” rather than “show truck accessory”. For my use – recovery and off-road pulls – that’s fine. Just don’t expect something sleek or discreet. If anything, the orange casing almost feels like a warning sign: this thing is heavy, powerful, and you need to respect it when you’re using it.

This isn’t a cordless tool, but the way it hits your truck’s 24v system is worth talking about. A 17,000lb winch like this pulls a lot of current, especially at high loads. On my 24v recovery truck with twin batteries in good condition, you can feel the voltage drop when you’re doing a heavy pull. Lights dim slightly, and if the engine isn’t revving a bit higher, the strain is obvious. That’s not a fault of the winch, just the reality of big electric motors.

I wired it with thick cables, proper lugs, and a good isolator, and I’d say that’s mandatory for this level of kit. If you try to run it on skinny cables or with dodgy crimps, you’re just asking for heat and voltage drop. On long pulls, I keep the engine at slightly raised revs to help the alternator out. So far, even on the toughest jobs, I haven’t had a full power cut or the winch stopping unexpectedly, but I’m careful not to overdo it in one long continuous pull.

The wireless remotes run on small batteries (the usual coin or small cell type). They seem to last, but I always keep spares in the cab because nothing’s more annoying than a dead remote when you’ve already hooked up a vehicle. The wired controller obviously doesn’t care, so it’s a good backup when you’re having one of those days.

If you’re thinking about this winch, just be honest about your truck’s electrics. Good batteries, clean earths, and thick cables are non-negotiable. The winch itself is hungry but manageable when everything is set up right. If your electrical system is already weak, this will find every flaw very quickly.

The materials are pretty straightforward: lots of metal, a thick steel cable, and a forged hook. The 26m x 12mm galvanized steel rope is clearly the main feature. In hand, it feels solid and a bit stiff, which is normal for a new cable. I’ve done several heavy pulls with it already, including dragging a dead Transit with seized rear brakes up ramps, and I haven’t seen any broken strands yet. I still run gloves every time though – it’s steel, not a toy.

The 1/2 inch clevis hook is G70 grade forged, with a safety catch. It’s not fancy, but it feels trustworthy. The latch closes properly and doesn’t look flimsy like some cheap hooks I’ve had before. It’s also zinc plated, same as the rope, so you get some corrosion resistance. I’ve used it in rain and on salted winter roads, and so far there’s just the usual light marks you’d expect, nothing that looks like early rust or peeling.

The winch body itself is a mix of metal housing and some plastic covers for the electrics. The motor casing and gearbox feel robust. You can tell it’s not a lightweight hobby winch. The solenoid box looks decent, but I did add extra protection around the wiring because I don’t trust any plastic casing completely when it’s sitting in road grime and spray all year.

Overall, I’d say the materials are work-grade, not pretty but solid. Steel rope has its downsides – it’s heavy and can fray – but for this pulling capacity and the kind of abuse a recovery truck sees, I actually prefer it over cheap synthetic lines that get cut easily on edges. If you look after it a bit, re-spool it properly, and keep an eye on any damaged strands, this setup feels like it’ll last a good while.

Durability is always the big question with winches that see daily use. I’ve had this WINCHMAX on the front of a truck for a while now, living outside in typical UK weather – rain, road salt, mud, the lot. The supplied cover is actually more useful than I expected. It’s not luxury quality, but it does a decent job keeping the worst of the road grime and water off the winch body and the electrics. I still take it off now and then to check things over, but it’s definitely better than leaving the winch fully exposed.

The galvanized steel rope is holding up fine so far. Obviously, steel cable will always pick up some marks and light surface rust if you don’t maintain it, but I’ve been reasonably careful with re-spooling and not dragging it across sharp edges. No broken strands yet and no serious flattening on the first layers. The hook and safety catch still move freely; the zinc plating has only light scuffs from shackles and recovery points.

The motor and gearbox haven’t shown any worrying signs. No oil leaks, no weird grinding noises. The only thing I’ve noticed is that the solenoid box benefits from being mounted in as sheltered a spot as possible – on a previous winch (different brand) I had water ingress issues, so with this one I went a bit overboard with positioning and sealing. So far, no electrical issues in wet weather, and the wireless remotes have always connected.

So, in terms of durability, it feels like a proper work tool, not a weekend toy. Time will tell over several years, but based on current use, I’d trust it for regular recovery work. You still need to look after it – rinse off salt when you can, check the rope, and keep an eye on bolts – but nothing has made me think it’s fragile or poorly built.

This is where the winch earns its keep. On paper you’ve got 17,000lb (7,711kg) of rated line pull at 24v, which is plenty for a 3.5-ton recovery truck. In practice, it feels strong. I’ve used it to load fully loaded vans, 4x4s with flat tyres, and a couple of cars that were half stuck in mud before I could get the ramps under them. Each time, the winch pulled steadily without any weird noises or cutting out. It slows down under serious load, as expected, but it doesn’t feel like it’s about to stall.

Line speed is not crazy fast, especially under heavy load, but for recovery work I’d rather have slow and controlled than fast and sketchy. With lighter cars, it pulls them up the bed at a decent pace. With heavier stuff or seized brakes, you just have to be patient. The motor does get warm on longer pulls, and if you’re doing repeated heavy loads back-to-back, I’d recommend giving it short breaks so you’re not cooking the internals or your wiring.

The wireless remotes do their job. There’s a slight delay sometimes, which is normal for cheapish wireless setups, but nothing dramatic. Range is fine around a truck – I can stand to the side, watch the vehicle come up the ramps, and still control it without stretching the cable. When I want precise control or if the wireless feels laggy, I just plug in the wired controller.

Overall, performance is solid and reliable so far. It’s not the fastest winch I’ve used, but it feels more confident than the usual 12,000lb 12v units. As long as your truck’s electrical system is up to it – good batteries, proper cabling, and decent alternator – it pulls like a workhorse. If your wiring is weak or your batteries are tired, you’ll feel it straight away because this thing draws serious current when it’s working hard.

Out of the box, you’re looking at a full kit that’s basically ready to bolt on, as long as you’ve already sorted a proper mounting plate on your truck. You get the 17,000lb winch itself, pre-spooled with about 26m of 12mm galvanized steel rope, a 1/2 inch clevis hook, the control box with solenoids, two wireless remotes, a wired control lead, and a branded cover. No fancy extras, but at least you’re not chasing bits and pieces to make it work.

The steel rope is thick and looks serious – 12mm is no joke. Compared to the 10mm ropes I’ve used before, this one inspires more confidence when you’re dragging something heavy at an angle. It’s zinc-plated and feels stiff at first, which is normal for new steel cable. You also get a hand saver strap on the hook, which sounds basic but is actually very handy when you’re tired and just want to get the job done without shredding your gloves.

The wireless remotes are the usual small plastic fobs you see on most budget and mid-range winches. They do the job – on/off and in/out – but don’t expect them to feel premium. Range is decent enough for working around a truck or a short distance away when guiding a vehicle up ramps. There’s also a backup wired controller, which I like because wireless always fails at the worst time eventually, either due to batteries or signal.

In short, the package is pretty complete: winch, rope, hook, remotes, cover, and control box. No real surprises, but also nothing major missing. For a working truck, that’s exactly what I want – open the box, install, and start pulling. Just be ready with proper mounting hardware, heavy cables, and fuses, because this thing draws serious current and you don’t want to cheap out on the installation.