Best Receiver Hitch Winch Mount: All There is to Know

Off-roading is such a fun way to push my limits. Overcoming obstacles on an off-road trail, such as getting stuck frequently, is one of the key objectives. A hitch-mounted winch is your greatest option for pulling yourself out of a jam. Even if you get stuck in mud or a ditch, the most important thing is to get out. 

Finding the perfect winch could be challenging because there are so many on the market. However, this is a detailed article to make your job easy to choose best receiver hitch winch, its capacity, variation, and many more.

Our Top Picks

These winches are at the top because of their many features and the facilities they provide.

Best Overall: Smittybilt Winch Cradle – 2811

It’s a multi-mount winch with a very easy and simple installation process fit with almost every winch up to 12000 lbs making it best for consumers.

Beginner-friendly winch: Champion Speed Mount 2-Inch Hitch

This budget-friendly, adjustable handles, easy transportation, and mounting won customer hearts to buy it.

Most powerful winch: Warn 89990 Zeon Winch Mount

It’s the best model for those who want an excellent winch mount with versatile features, and heavy build quality.

1. WARN 89990 ZEON Winch Mount

For a portable winch arrangement, you can mount your Warn winch on the Warn winch carrier. Black-coated steel construction with pre-drilled mounting holes for the ZEON 8 and 10 and the XD9000i, XD9000, M8000, VR8000, and M6000 winches.

Quick-connect wiring for the front of the vehicle is part of the carrier kit (winch and rear wiring are sold separately). The carrier is pre-drilled to accept the ZEON 8 and 10 winches and mounts to any class III 2-inch receiver made of steel with a black powder coating.

Pros:

  • Mounts to any Class III 2-inch receiver
  • Black powder coat steel
  • Pre Drilled to mount ZEON 8 And 10 winches
  • Includes quick connect wiring

Cons:

  • Only for Warn winches.
  • Costly

2. Smittybilt Winch Cradle – 2811

Smittybilt’s new Winch Cradle makes it simpler than ever to attach a winch to your car. This strong-duty item works with any 2″ receiver hitch, giving you various mounting options for front or rear installation.

It has a mounting plate for your roller fairlead and is made to fit most winches. For ultimate durability, the Smittybilt Winch Cradle is made of thick 3/16″ and 1/4″ cold-rolled steel and is coated in a tough two-stage satin black finish.

Pros:

  • Not Vehicle Specific
  • Fits 8,000 to 12,000lb winches
  • Finished in a two-stage satin black powder coat
  • Will fit the majority of all winches on the market today
  • Includes mounting plate for roller fairlead

Cons:

  • Holes did not line up with the bottom of the winch

3. WARN 70919 Winch Multi-Mount

The WARN 70919 Multi-Mount Winch Carrier Kit is a multi-mount winch carrier that offers multi-mount winches stability and support. It is expertly made to mount to the front and back 2″ class I receivers.

It works with the WARN XT40, RT40, and 4.0ci Side X Side Winches. Installation and use are incredibly simple. This winch mount’s stinger is 2 inches square by 4 inches long, and one inch in from the beginning end, a 5/8 keeper pin has been bored into it.

Pros:

  • Made with durable materials
  • Light weight
  • Easy to use

Cons:

  • Short hitch mount

4. Rough Country Winch Cradle Hitch Mount

This universal winch plate accommodates up to a 12,000lb winch from the majority of manufacturers and fits any typical receiver hitch with a 5/8″ pin. It has a 1/4″ plate steel cradle and a common winch mount bolt pattern.

In contrast to many receiver plates, this kit is made of 1″ OD solid handlebars and is powder coated in hammertone black for long-lasting toughness. It also has a completely welded center bracket rather than a less expensive bolt-on plate.

Pros:

  • Heavy Duty 1/4″ Steel | 1″ OD Solid Handles.
  • Center Bracket Fully Welded.
  • Fits up to 12,000 LB Winches | 4.5×10″ Bolt Pattern.
  • Black Hammertone Powder Coating.
  • Backed by Rough Country for 3 Years

Cons:

  • Heavyweight.

5. Champion Speed Mount 2-Inch Hitch

For 8000–12,000 lb. truck/SUV winches, Champion Power Equipment C90002 Speed Mount 2-Inch Hitch Adapter with Handles is the ideal accessory. Your winch installation, mounting, transportation, and storage shouldn’t take much time or effort.

In order to swiftly attach your winch, relocate it from the front to the back of your car, or move it to a new vehicle entirely, Champion created the Speed Mount 2-inch hitch adaptor.

Pros: 

  • Three-position adjustable handles
  • Easy installation, mounting, or storage
  • Budget Friendly

Cons:

  • Rear application may require a battery cable extension

6. KFI Products (100620 2″ Universal Receiver Carrier Mount

Except for a winch mount designed specifically for an ATV model, the KFI SE25 Stealth Winch comes with everything you need. The heavy-duty electric contactor that comes with the ATV switches the winch’s power distribution while also safeguarding the electrical system.

The included Cable Hook Stopper has the following advantages: it stops the rollers from being damaged by the hook, which can lead to cable deterioration.

Pros:

  • Fully American-made
  • constructed from 3/16 GR50 steel and finished in black powder
  • works with the majority of common 2 Receiver Hitches
  • a winch that is included with the Fairlead Bracket is necessary.
  • A lot of work One-Piece Welded Design

Cons:

  • Fixed handle position

7. Extreme Max 5600.3084 Universal 2″ Receiver Hitch Winch Mount

Any 2 or 4-bolt winch, including those made by Warn, Superwinch, Gorilla, Ramsey, Moose, and Bear Claw, can be mounted to the front or back of a tractor or to the rear of an ATV or UTV “With this all-purpose receiver hitch mount, a receiver can be located.

This mounting system is compatible with any UTV or ATV with a 2 “recipient hitch It fits practically all winch types and has pre-drilled holes for roller or hawse fairleads as well as the traditional 2 and 4-bolt varieties.

Pros:

  • Winch mount fits any 2″ receiver hitch
  • Universal design
  • Heavy gauge powder-coated steel mounting plate fits winches up to 3600 lbs.
  • Pre-drilled for 2 and 4-bolt winches
  • Hawse or roller fairleads
  • Two-year replacement warranty

Cons:

  • Can not support more than 3600 pounds

8. Rough Country 2″ UTV Receiver Hitch

The 2in Receiver Hitch for Polaris RZR models from Rough Country will provide your UTV a convenient, useful modification. This straightforward, 100% bolt-on update installs in a flash, allowing you to quickly improve your side-by-side to a more useful tool for the job.

Each 2″ receiver hitch is constructed of sturdy solid steel and has a black powder coat finish that will protect it from the weather for a long lifespan of reliable service.

Pros:

  • Simple installation using bolts.
  • Suitable for typical 2″ x 2″ attachments.
  • Powder coat finish is tough.
  • Simple bolt-on installation at home.
  • Backed by the limited lifetime replacement warranty

Cons:

  • Only applicable for ATV vehicle

9. Kolpin 2″ Receiver Hitch for Kawasaki

2″ Receiver Hitch for Suzuki ATVs is frame-mounted, unlike light-duty hitches, and has a durable powder coat finish for ground-engaging and strong towing capabilities.

The strongest duty hitches on the market are our Kolpin hitches! most 2002 and later Kawasaki ATV models.

Pros:

  • Best for off-road use
  • Heavy-duty straight-axle Swingarm mounted
  • Installation and mounting hardware included
  • Powder-coated steel construction

Cons:

  • Only for Kawasaki

10. Kolpin 2″ Receiver Hitch for Honda

Only for off-road use For ground-engaging and heavy hauling capabilities, the frame is fitted with a durable powder coat finish. Dimensions of the box: 12.7 L x 31.75 H x 15.24 W (centimeters). China is the origin country. 

Pros:

  • Robust straight-axle mounted on a swingarm
  • Hardware for mounting and installation included
  • Constructed using powder-coated steel
  • Only for off-road use
  • Vintage chassis with a single rear shock fit.

Cons:

  • Off-road use only

How To Mount A Winch To A Receiver Hitch?

  • Make sure a perfect receiver hitch mount for your winch
  • Unbox the receiver hitch winch mount
  • Remove all the components
  • Attach the handlebar with the hitch winch mount plate
  • Now place the winch to the winch mount plate
  • Get the four square nuts into the winch, and secure them from falling out with a bit of tape.
  • Depending on your setup, you may need to rotate the gearbox so you get easy access to the clutch.
  • That’s all set for using the winch.

For visual perception go here

FAQs

Can you mount a winch to a receiver hitch?

You can, indeed. For this job, you’ll need a winch mount with a receiver hitch.

What is a winch hitch?

A winch receiver is a specific kind of winch attachment that attaches to a vehicle’s receiver hitch mount which is secured into the receiver hitch hinge by a single, sturdy steel pin, making it possible for the user to take the winch out after use.

What size is the receiver tube?

Receivers are mainly in 4 sizes: 1-1/4″, 2″, 2-1/2″, and 3″

How much weight can a receiver hitch hold?

It varies on hitch classes ranging from 500-60,000 lbs.

Final Thoughts

In the end, we support consumer liberty. This article’s goal is to provide you with all the information you require about receiver hitch winch mounts. In order for you to always be able to choose wisely from these top picks.

Regardless of which option you select from our suggestions, pay close attention to the winch mount capacity and winch hitch receiver size. I sincerely hope that the information I provided above helped you make the best decision.

Ricardo Vaughn
Ricardo Vaughn

Vaughn is a seasoned off-roading expert and professional winch specialist. When he's not out on the trails, he shares his knowledge and experiences through his writing as a blog author in the off-roading and outdoor lifestyle space.

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