The R45 is the working man's version of Warn's 4,500 lb R-Series winch: same capacity, same all-metal three-stage planetary gear train, same IP67 sealing and automatic load-holding brake, but with 50' of 1/4" wire rope over a roller fairlead instead of synthetic line. On a side-by-side that spends its time in timber, rock or on a job site, steel is the rope you stop thinking about. Warn ships it with a corded remote and a dash-mounted control switch, and backs it with a five year mechanical warranty.
What's Included:
Warn R45 powersports winch, rated at 4,500 lb
50' of 1/4" (6.4mm) wire rope, factory spooled on the drum
Roller fairlead
Forged clevis hook with Warn hook strap
Corded remote and dash-mounted control switch
Wiring harness and terminal hardware
Warn installation and operating instructions
Vehicle-specific winch mount kit NOT included, sold separately
Features
4,500 lb of Rated Pull for UTVs and side-by-sides Warn rates the R45 at 4,500 lb on the first layer of the drum, and positions this capacity for UTVs and side-by-sides. As with any winch, the effective pull falls as the drum fills, so for a hard recovery spool out enough rope to work on the lower layers or rig a snatch block to halve the load on the line.
50' of 1/4" Steel Wire Rope on a Roller Fairlead This is the steel-rope build. 50' of 1/4" (6.4mm) wire rope runs over a roller fairlead, which is the combination that survives being dragged across rock, gravel and stumps without you having to think about the line. It costs less than synthetic and it is far more tolerant of abrasion and heat. The trade is weight and the broken strands steel eventually develops, so wear gloves once the rope has some seasons on it.
Maximum Durability per Dollar If you rank Warn's powersports winches by how much abuse they absorb for the money, the R45 is at the top. It is 4,500 lb of capacity on 1/4" steel rope over a roller fairlead, at the lowest price Warn charges for that combination. It is also the heaviest winch in the R-Series at about 36 lb, which is the honest cost of steel line at this rating. For a working side-by-side where the winch is a tool and not a talking point, it is the sensible buy.
All-Metal Three-Stage Planetary Gear Train The gear train is all metal and runs three planetary stages, which is the same architecture Warn uses further up the range rather than a cheaper two-stage set. It is the single component that most decides whether a standard-duty winch is still smooth after a few seasons, and on the R45 it is not where Warn saved money.
IP67 Sealing Against Water, Dirt and Debris Sealing is IP67: dust-tight, and rated for temporary immersion rather than for sitting underwater indefinitely. For a winch mounted at the front of an ATV or side-by-side that is the specification that matters most, because grit in the gear case does more winches in than any single hard pull ever does.
Automatic Load-Holding Brake Warn specifies a spring-type automatic brake here. It engages without input the moment the motor stops turning, which is what lets you work in stages on a difficult recovery instead of committing to one continuous pull.
Compact Housing That Fits Where Others Will Not The R-Series was drawn small for its rating. On most machines the binding constraint is not how hard the winch pulls, it is whether it physically sits in the space behind the bumper on the mount you can actually buy. A winch that does not fit is not a candidate no matter what the box says.
Engineered in Oregon and Backed for Five Years The R-Series is engineered in-house at Warn's Oregon headquarters, built to Warn's own specifications and put through Warn's testing and quality-control programme. The R45 carries a five year mechanical and three year electrical warranty backed by a US-based customer service team, which is a longer mechanical term than most standard-duty powersports winches carry.
Fitment & Compatibility
Machine
Fit
UTVs and side-by-sides
✓ Yes, this is what Warn rates the R45 for
Large ATVs
● Works, with plenty of headroom
Four-seat and heavily loaded UTVs
● Consider the 6,000 lb R60-S for more margin
Full-size trucks and SUVs
✗ No. This is a powersports winch. Warn builds a separate truck and SUV winch line for those vehicles
Any machine without a winch mount fitted
● Requires a vehicle-specific mount kit, which is sold separately. The R45 bolts to a 6.59" x 3.0" pattern
Fit guidance: This is a universal-fit powersports winch, not a vehicle-specific part, so there is no year, make and model lookup for it. You size it by machine and by how hard you expect the winch to work: Warn rates the R45 at 4,500 lb and positions it for UTVs and side-by-sides. A winch running near its rating draws its highest current, runs its hottest and moves the line slowest, so buying a size up is buying margin rather than bragging rights. The fitment question that actually decides whether you can use this winch is the mount. Powersports winches bolt to a vehicle-specific mount kit that is sold separately, and the mount has to match both the bolt pattern (6.59" x 3.0", 4 holes) and the physical space behind your bumper. Confirm the mount kit for your machine before ordering. Do not use this winch to recover a full-size truck or SUV; it is not rated for that and Warn builds a separate line for it.
Specifications
Model: R45
Part Number: 110045
Vehicle Class: Powersports, ATV and UTV. Not a truck or SUV winch
Rated Line Pull: 4,500 lb (2,041 kg) single line, first layer
Motor: 12V DC, permanent magnet
Gear Train: All-metal three-stage planetary
Rope: 50' of 1/4" (6.4mm) wire rope
Fairlead: Roller fairlead
Hook: Forged clevis hook
Brake: Automatic load-holding, spring type
Clutch: Free spooling
Controls Included: Corded remote and dash-mounted control switch
Waterproof Rating: IP67
Finish: Black powder coat
Mount Type: Fixed mount. A vehicle-specific winch mount kit is required and sold separately
Dimensions: 14.6" length, 4.7" maximum height, 4.6" maximum width
Mounting Bolt Pattern: 6.59" x 3.0", 4 holes
Country of Origin: China, engineered in-house at Warn's Oregon headquarters and built to Warn specifications
Shipping Weight: 36.29 lb
UPC: 012748119142
Warranty: 5 year mechanical, 3 year electrical
Installation
Type: Bolt-in to a vehicle-specific powersports winch mount kit, plus a battery connection · Time: About 1 to 2 hours, most of it the mount and the wiring · Tools: Metric sockets and wrenches, a torque wrench, and wire cutters or crimpers for routing the battery leads · Difficulty: Straightforward for anyone comfortable working on their own machine
The winch itself is four bolts. The work is the mount and the wiring. Fit the vehicle-specific mount kit for your machine first, then bolt the R45 to it on the 6.59" x 3.0", 4 holes pattern and torque the fasteners to Warn's specification. Route the power leads to the battery away from moving suspension, hot exhaust and steering components, and keep the run as short and as well supported as you can. Mount the control switch where you can reach it without taking your eyes off the machine. Before you rely on it, disengage the clutch and pull the rope out by hand, then power it back in under a light load so the first layer beds evenly on the drum. A winch spooled loose from the factory will bury its own line into the lower layers on the first hard pull.
Resources
Everything you need for your Warn R45 Powersports Winch, in one place.
R-Series Winch Operator's Manual (PDF), Warn's operator manual for the R25, R35, R45 and R60, covering mounting dimensions, electrical connections, operation and maintenance.
Warranty, Shipping & Returns
Warranty. Warn five year warranty on mechanical components and a three year warranty on electrical components, supported by a US-based customer service team.
Free shipping. This item ships free to the lower 48 states. Because it is an oversized item, it ships by freight and typically arrives in 3 to 7 business days.
Inspect on delivery. Please inspect the packaging before signing. If you see any damage, note it on the delivery receipt and contact us right away, and we will make it right.
About Warn
Warn Industries has been in the winch business since 1948 and has spent most of that time defining what a vehicle recovery winch is supposed to do. The company is headquartered in Clackamas, Oregon, and the R-Series was engineered in-house there, built to Warn's own specifications and put through Warn's testing and quality-control programme before it was allowed to wear the red W.
The R-Series is Warn's answer to the standard-duty end of the powersports market, and Warn is straightforward about what it is: an Oregon-engineered winch manufactured offshore to hit a price, rather than a US-assembled one. What it does not compromise on is the hardware that decides whether a winch survives a season. It runs an all-metal three-stage planetary gear train, an automatic load-holding brake, IP67 sealing against water and grit, and a compact housing that fits mounts other winches will not. Warn backs it with a five-year mechanical and three-year electrical warranty through a US-based support team, which is a longer mechanical term than most standard-duty winches in this class carry.
Prestige Truck is an authorized Warn dealer. Every winch we ship is new and factory boxed, carries the full Warn factory warranty, and is supported through Warn's own dealer and service network.
Powersports Basic Guide To Winching
Warn's own primer for anyone new to running a winch on an ATV or side-by-side. It covers the parts of the winch, what the recovery accessories are for, and how to rig a pull without hurting yourself or the machine.
This is a general technique guide from Warn, not an installation walkthrough for this part.
Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers on specs, fit and support
This is the heaviest winch in the R-Series. Does that matter?
At about 36 lb it is the heaviest of the seven, and all of the difference against the 30 lb R45-S is the steel rope and roller fairlead. It matters if your machine is already nose-heavy or if you are close to a rack or accessory weight limit at the front. For most side-by-sides the trade is worth it, because steel handles the abrasion that comes with the kind of work this capacity implies.
Is the R45 strong enough to recover a small truck?
No, and it should not be used that way. This is a powersports winch rated for UTVs and side-by-sides. A full-size truck or SUV needs a purpose-built truck winch with the mounting, the rope length and the electrical capacity to match, and Warn builds a separate line for that. Using a powersports winch on a vehicle it is not rated for risks the winch, the rope, the mount and whoever is standing nearby.
Do I need anything else to fit this winch to my machine?
Yes, a mount. Powersports winches are universal in the sense that they are not tied to one model, but they bolt to a vehicle-specific winch mount kit that is made for your machine and sold separately. The R45 uses a 6.59" x 3.0", 4 holes bolt pattern, so the mount has to match that pattern and there has to be room behind your bumper for a winch of this size. Confirm the mount kit for your year, make and model before ordering, and check the electrical connection to the battery while you are at it.
How do I look after the steel rope?
Watch for kinks, flat spots and broken strands, and retire the rope if you find a cluster of them in one place. Spool it back under light tension so it lies in even wraps; a loose wrap will bury itself into the layers below under the next load and damage the rope. Wear gloves when handling used steel line, because broken strands are sharp. Steel is far more tolerant of abrasion than synthetic, which is the main reason to choose it, and it runs correctly over the roller fairlead this winch ships with.
How waterproof is it really?
The R-Series is rated IP67, which covers dust and temporary immersion. Water crossings, deep snow and hosing the machine down are all inside what the seals are designed for. It is not rated for continuous submersion, and after any deep water it is worth running the winch briefly under light load to warm it and drive moisture out of the housing.
Does it really pull its full rating no matter how much rope is out?
No. Every winch is rated on the first layer of the drum, and the effective pull drops as the drum fills, because a fuller drum is a larger effective radius and therefore less leverage. Warn does not publish a pull-by-layer table for the R-Series, so no layer figures are quoted here rather than estimated. The practical advice is unchanged: for a hard pull, spool out enough rope to get down to the lower layers, or rig a snatch block to halve the load on the line.
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