An electric winch device provided on a crane, the electric winch device comprising: an electric motor; a winch drum which is configured to rotate so as to hoist or lower an object by being driven by the electric motor; a brake which is configured to brake the rotation of the winch drum; an operation lever which is capable of being operated from a neutral position to a hoisting side and to a lowering side, the hoisting side being one side for instructing hoisting of the object, the lowering side being the other side for instructing lowering of the object; an ammeter which is configured to measure a value of a current supplied to the electric motor; and a controller which is configured to control the operation of the electric motor so that the winch drum rotates in accordance with the operation of the operation lever, and also to control the operation of the brake, wherein the controller includes: a first torque derivation unit which is configured to derive a value of a first torque applied to the winch drum due to the load of the object; a second torque derivation unit which is configured to derive a value of a second torque on the basis of the current value measured by the ammeter, the second torque being a torque generated in the winch drum in the direction of rotation for hoisting the object by a drive torque of the electric motor; and a brake control unit which is configured to determine a timing for releasing a braking action on the winch drum after the operation lever has been operated to the hoisting side or the lowering side from the neutral position, on the basis of a differential between the second torque value derived by the second torque derivation unit and the first torque value derived by the first torque derivation unit, and which is configured to cause the brake to release the braking action on the winch drum by transmitting, to the brake, a control signal instructing release of the braking action on the winch drum at the determined timing, characterized in that the brake control unit is configured to cause the brake to apply the braking action to the winch drum by transmitting, to the brake, a control signal instructing application of the braking action to the winch drum, at a timing at which the differential between the second torque value derived by the second torque derivation unit and the first torque value derived by the first torque derivation unit has decreased to a predetermined second specific value or lower from a value greater than the second specific value, after the operation lever has been operated so as to return to the neutral position from the hoisting side or the lowering side, and the second specific value is set to a value which is greater than zero by a predetermined amount. an electric motor; a winch drum which is configured to rotate so as to hoist or lower an object by being driven by the electric motor; a brake which is configured to brake the rotation of the winch drum; an operation lever which is capable of being operated from a neutral position to a hoisting side and to a lowering side, the hoisting side being one side for instructing hoisting of the object, the lowering side being the other side for instructing lowering of the object; an ammeter which is configured to measure a value of a current supplied to the electric motor; and a controller which is configured to control the operation of the electric motor so that the winch drum rotates in accordance with the operation of the operation lever, and also to control the operation of the brake, wherein the controller includes: a first torque derivation unit which is configured to derive a value of a first torque applied to the winch drum due to the load of the object; a second torque derivation unit which is configured to derive a value of a second torque on the basis of the current value measured by the ammeter, the second torque being a torque generated in the winch drum in the direction of rotation for hoisting the object by a drive torque of the electric motor; and a brake control unit which is configured to determine a timing for releasing a braking action on the winch drum after the operation lever has been operated to the hoisting side or the lowering side from the neutral position, on the basis of a differential between the second torque value derived by the second torque derivation unit and the first torque value derived by the first torque derivation unit, and which is configured to cause the brake to release the braking action on the winch drum by transmitting, to the brake, a control signal instructing release of the braking action on the winch drum at the determined timing, characterized in that the brake control unit is configured to cause the brake to apply the braking action to the winch drum by transmitting, to the brake, a control signal instructing application of the braking action to the winch drum, at a timing at which the differential between the second torque value derived by the second torque derivation unit and the first torque value derived by the first torque derivation unit has decreased to a predetermined second specific value or lower from a value greater than the second specific value, after the operation lever has been operated so as to return to the neutral position from the hoisting side or the lowering side, and the second specific value is set to a value which is greater than zero by a predetermined amount.