Essential ATV Winch Accessories

Winches are essential accessories to get your offroad vehicle out of tough situations, as well as to help others do the same out on the trail. It’s also an accessory that has its own assortment of accessories.

Having just a winch on your ATV or UTV on its own is not always enough to get the job of offroad vehicle recovery done. With that in mind, here are some essential ATV winch accessories we think you should have.

Wireless Winch Remote Control

Winches typically come standard with a remote control, but not all of them are wireless. A stock wire remote control can be a hassle, since you have to route the limited range cable right to the winch, often times running cables over the hood. 

Wire winch cables can also get tangled up. On the other hand, wireless winch remotes allow you to recover your four-wheeler from a safe distance without worrying about injuries from things like snapping cables.

Some brands offer wireless remote upgrades that can operate the winch from up to 90 feet away. But obviously before you buy a wireless winch remote, make sure it’s compatible with the winch installed on your ATV or side-by-side.

Snatch Block

A recovery snatch block is basically a pulley designed to take on a lot of weight. Snatch blocks double or triple the pulling capacity of your ATV’s winch by adding extra break strength to your setup. They reduce heat and stress on the winch’s motor to prevent overheating.  

Using a snatch block also helps save power by drawing less amperage from the battery. Another benefit of snatch blocks is they allow you to change direction as needed when operating the winch, which is useful for challenges such as getting around obstacles. Just make sure the snatch block you get is designed for your winch’s steel or synthetic cable. 

Tree Saver Strap

When there isn’t another vehicle around to help recover your ATV from a rough spot such as a mud pit, a tree saver strap will not only save the day, but also the tree the strap is tied to. 

These straps can be looped around the base of a sturdy tree to help you winch your own way out. Tree saver straps eliminate the need to wrap your winch’s cable around the tree, which is incredibly dangerous, as the pressure of doing so could easily snap the cable and injure or kill somebody.  

Besides protecting winch cables, tree saver straps also prevent damage to the tree you use as your anchoring point, hence the name. Not using a tree strap is considered poor offroad etiquette, as it’s not only harmful to the tree, but also to offroad riders’ reputations as a whole. Nobody wants a tree-killer stigma attached to trail riders, so use tree saver straps when the need arises.

Recovery Tow Strap

A recovery tow strap is typically used to have one vehicle pull another one out to safety. Recovery straps are not to be confused with tree saver straps. They’re much longer, typically measuring 20-30ft in length, and are designed to stretch out. 

NOTE: Tow straps and tree straps may look similar, but they’re not meant for the same purpose, so make sure you have at least one of each when you’re out on the trail.

Winch Shackles

Shackles are useful for combining winch hooks with both tree-saver and recovery straps. They connect both loop ends of the strap for whatever setup is needed. Shackles basically provide a secure way to attach various pieces of recovery equipment together. You should always have a handful of shackles available to attach straps, winch lines and snatch blocks to your offroad vehicle. 

Winch Cable Cushion (Hook Bump Stop)

A winch cable cushion or stopper is a hard rubber attachment that prevents the clevis hook from pulling though the roller fairlead. It also keeps the cable straight, protects it from bottoming out on the rollers, and acts as a shield against rust and corrosion. A cable cushion or hook bump stop (whatever you want to call it) is an inexpensive winch accessory that goes behind the hook, protects the winch’s fairlead and stops you from reeling in the cable too far. 

Winch Cover

While winches are built to last and withstand a ton of punishment, that doesn’t mean they don’t need protection. Winches are also expensive, so you want to protect your investment, no matter how durable it may be. A cover keeps dirt, mud, rain and sunlight off the winch to protect its components from corrosion and damage. 

A winch cover surrounds the top and sides of the winch to shield it from contaminants. Without a cover, steel winch cables will rust, while synthetic rope will deteriorate faster and snap easier.

Winch Accessory Kit

If you can’t or don’t want to buy a bunch of accessories individually, save some time and money by getting a winch accessory kit. Which kit you buy varies in contents, but they typically include the following winch accessories:

• Tree saver strap
• Recovery tow strap
• Snatch block
• Shackles
• Heavy duty gloves

A winch accessory kit usually includes the carrying bag or case to bring it along, so it’s a convenient all-in-one solution for your offroad towing and winching needs.