By Ian A., Trade Connectors
Short answer: SB175's "175A" is a continuous rating, not a ceiling on what the connector can survive for a second or two — but it's also not a guarantee that it's the right choice for your winch. A mid-size recovery winch (9,500-12,000lb) typically draws somewhere in the 260-420A range under a genuine working load, and stall current — drum locked, motor still trying — commonly spikes to 400-600A or more. That's well past 175A. The connector itself can handle brief spikes like that without drama; what it can't do is carry that kind of current continuously without heating up. So the real question isn't "is 175A enough" — it's "how hard, and for how long, does my specific winch actually pull," and whether a single SB175 pair is the right way to feed it, or just the most convenient one.
This is the same connector we sell for the 175A tail-lift and HGV work covered elsewhere on this site — and for a lot of installs it's exactly right. Winching is the one application where the numbers deserve a closer look before you order.
Continuous rating vs stall current — the distinction that actually matters
Every Anderson SB175 housing is built to a UL continuous rating of 175A at up to 600V DC, using conductor sizes from roughly 21mm² up to 53.5mm² (our cable runs 35mm² copper, comfortably inside that range). "Continuous" means sustained current the connector can carry indefinitely without exceeding its temperature rating. It is not the same figure as what the connector can briefly tolerate — the contacts are rated to handle currents well over 1,000A for genuinely short pulses (well under a second), tapering off the longer that current is sustained.
A winch produces two very different current profiles, and it's easy to conflate them:
- Rated-load current — what the motor draws pulling at or near its rated capacity, drum reasonably wrapped. Published figures for popular 9,500-12,000lb winches commonly fall in the 260-420A range, depending on motor type and how many wraps are on the drum. Lighter winches draw less, but "lighter" doesn't always mean "under 175A" — check the spec sheet rather than assuming.
- Stall current — drum locked, motor stalled against a load it can't move (the worst case, and the one that matters for wiring safety). On 9,500-12,000lb winches this is routinely 400-600A or more; even an 8,000lb-class winch commonly spikes to 350-450A at stall. It's the figure you should size against, not the "typical pull" number, because a stall is exactly when things get hot.
The pulse-current spec on an SB175 is there for exactly this kind of brief spike. The risk isn't a one-second surge — it's a sustained hard pull or a genuine stall held for several seconds while you work out what to do next, because that's when "brief pulse" turns into "continuous load the connector wasn't rated for."
Why this actually bites people
Nobody sizes their wiring around the one clean, easy recovery. They size it around the one where the vehicle's properly stuck, the drum's on its first layer (highest torque, highest current), and the winch is working hard for longer than a few seconds. That's the load case that exposes an undersized connector or cable — not the demo pull in the yard.
It's also worth being honest that a single 175A connector is genuinely fine for plenty of setups: lighter winches, good technique (see below), and pulls that don't involve holding a stall for any length of time. This isn't a case for always buying bigger — it's a case for actually checking, because "SB175 is standard for winches" and "SB175 is definitely sized for my winch" are two different claims.
Sizing it properly: a practical checklist
- Find your winch's actual current draw. Check the manufacturer's spec sheet or motor housing for rated-load and stall/locked-rotor current, not just line pull in lbs/kg. If you can't find stall current listed, treat rated-load current at the first layer of cable (not the last) as your working figure — that's the highest-torque, highest-current condition.
- Compare that to 175A continuous, not the pulse rating. If your winch's rated or stall current sits meaningfully above 175A for anything longer than a quick pull, a single SB175 pair as your only power path is a real compromise, not a technicality.
- Use mechanical advantage on the hard pulls. A snatch block roughly halves the load on the winch for double the cable speed — which proportionally cuts the current draw for the toughest recoveries. It's the single easiest thing you can do to keep a genuinely tough pull inside safer current territory, and it protects your vehicle's alternator and starter battery as much as the connector.
- Keep the run as short as the install allows. Voltage drop and heating both get worse with cable length, which is exactly why we supply this cable in short, specific lengths (0.5m up to 4m) rather than one long generic reel — measure your actual run from battery to winch and order close to it rather than adding slack "just in case."
- Know when to go beyond a single SB175 pair. If your winch's stall current regularly sits well past 175A and you're doing genuinely hard recovery work (not occasional light pulls), a direct, permanently terminated heavy-gauge connection — sized and fused properly for your specific winch — is the safer long-term setup. Get in touch with your winch's spec sheet and we'll talk through whether SB175 is right for your install or whether it isn't.
What we actually supply, and where it fits
Our 175A cable is 35mm² high-flex copper, sold in 0.5m-4m lengths, either with a ring terminal for a permanent battery-end connection or Anderson-to-Anderson for a full quick-disconnect lead:
- 175A Grey Anderson Cable, ring terminal end — from £29.00
- 175A Red Anderson Cable, ring terminal end — from £29.00
- Anderson to Anderson Lead — 175A Grey — from £33.00
- Anderson to Anderson Lead — 175A Red — from £33.00
- 175A Anderson-to-Anderson Lead Kit (5m) — £117.49
- 175A Ring Terminal Lead Kit (5m) — £112.49
- 175A Anderson Plug Dust Cover — £7.50
- 175Amp Anderson Connector Plug Pull Handle — £6.99
Full range: Recovery & Winch collection
If your winch is genuinely light duty — a smaller ATV/UTV unit rather than a vehicle recovery winch — check its actual draw against our smaller SB50 connector cable rather than assuming you need SB175 at all; don't size up "just to be safe" without checking the numbers either way.
Frequently asked questions
How many amps does a recovery winch actually draw?
It depends heavily on size and load, but as a general guide: published figures put a 9,500-12,000lb winch's rated-load draw commonly in the 260-420A range, with stall current (drum locked) reaching 400-600A or more. Even an 8,000lb-class winch commonly spikes to 350-450A at stall. Check your specific model's spec sheet rather than relying on line-pull rating alone — two winches rated for the same pull can draw noticeably different current depending on motor type.
Is 175A enough for my winch, or do I need something bigger?
It depends on what your winch actually draws, not on the fact that SB175 is the "standard" connector for winching. If your winch's rated and stall current stay reasonably close to 175A and you're not routinely holding hard stalls for long periods, a single SB175 pair is a sound choice. If your stall current is well beyond that and hard pulls are routine, treat 175A as a limit you're working around, not a spec you've met.
What's the difference between rated-load current and stall current?
Rated-load current is what the motor draws pulling at or near its rated capacity with the drum reasonably wrapped. Stall current is what it draws when the drum is locked and the motor is still trying to turn against a load it can't move — routinely 1.5-2x higher, and the figure that actually determines whether your wiring and connector are safe under worst-case conditions.
Does a heavier cable gauge fix a connector that's rated too low?
No — the cable and the connector both need to be adequate, and the connector is usually the tighter limit of the two. Thicker cable reduces voltage drop and heating in the cable itself, but it doesn't raise the continuous current rating of the SB175 housing it's crimped into. If the connector is the bottleneck, upgrading the cable alone won't fix it.
Can I reduce the current my winch draws on a hard pull?
Yes — a snatch block or pulley block roughly halves the load on the winch (at the cost of pulling in cable at half speed), which proportionally cuts the current draw. It's genuinely one of the most effective things you can do for a tough recovery, and it reduces strain on your alternator and starter battery as well as your wiring.
Should I wire my winch straight to the battery instead of through an Anderson connector?
For winches whose stall current comfortably exceeds 175A and that see regular hard use, a permanent, properly fused, direct heavy-gauge connection is often the more robust long-term choice over a single quick-disconnect pair. It's not that Anderson connectors are wrong for winching — they're widely used for exactly this — it's that the connector needs to be matched to the winch, not assumed. If you're not sure which applies to your setup, contact us with your winch's spec sheet and we'll help you work it out before you order.
Not sure whether SB175 is right for your winch? Get in touch — happy to check before you order.