The 2018 SEMA Show is giving us a glimpse at what’s new in the off-road market. Today, we’re looking at WARN and its VRX and Axon lines of winches for UTVs.

Chad Schroll was our guy to get the details on these winches and what they mean for UTV owners. “We offer these winches in weight ratings of 2,500 pounds, all the way to 5,500 pounds,” he said. Given that a standard RZR weighs about 1,300 to 1,700 pounds, these winches will more than suffice when it comes time to recover one from the mud, sand, or snow.

Both the Axon and VRX lines have 50 feet of rope tied to their drums, but that is about where the similarities end. The VRX is geared a little more toward the entry-level UTV owner, while the Axon caters to the upgraded UTV owner. This is reflected in their weight ratings – VRX winches handle 2,500 to 4,500 pounds, while Axon winches handle 3,500 to 5,500 pounds. Also VRXs have steel or synthetic rope, Axons have steel or Spydura synthetic rope.

“The Axon winch has internal contactors, so wiring is simple,” said Schroll. “You don’t have to mount the contactor and have four power leads and all that rigamarole. By simplifying and putting the pieces inside the winch, you can plug the power in and you’re ready to go.”

We look at the VRX and Axon winches as very good recovery gear to install onto a UTV. To find out more about these and other WARN winches, head over to the WARN website and Facebook page.