A Simplistic Winch Guide For Amateurs

The applications of electric winches are almost endless. The difficulty when it comes to electric winches is not finding ways to utilize them; it's searching for the winch with the right features and capacity to do what you want, at the right price.

Electric winches come at different speeds and sizes like fast electric winches, small electric winches, vehicle recovery electric winches, etc. An average winch is adept in doing so much more than pulling your car along or out of a spot, as these can help you to collect firewood, stretch cable, or pull a fence upright and tight. They are multi-faceted, and thus, have a wide range of applications. There are not many equipment in the world that are capable of doing so many things but are still as under-rated as the winch.

The winch was first invented several years ago, and over the time it has kept the same basic construction, but have got more powerful and efficient. Electric winch derives its power from motor and has a rotating crank that pulls out and winds up a cable, which ends with a hook, and attaches itself to a load for lifting and dragging. Winches employ a dynamic braking mechanism, that uses the resistance in the winch gear to counteract the weight of the load. In this blog, we will focus on the vehicle winches.

While buying a winch, you should remember these points:

1.Winch sizes

If you want to invest in a winch, the heavier your vehicle, the more powerful winch you need! The winch should be able to pull at least 1.5 times the weight of the vehicle.

2. Motor options

If you’re an occasional user, then the PM motors are fine. For heavy workload or cold weather use, the series wound motor is the best.

3.Rope type

You have two choices to opt from: steel cable or synthetic rope. Steel cable is a cheaper option alternative and is easy to maintain while synthetic ropes are good for trail and recovery vehicles.

4.Mount options

The Bumper mount is the most versatile mounting option and is simple to install.

The multi-mount offers you safety without any permanent installation on the vehicle.

The winch bumper provides protection to your vehicle from the front side.

5. Line Length

Selecting the length of the line of a winch is very important. Many users prefer less line on the winch but carry an extra 50-foot length to be used as an extension.

The major precautions that you should take while using a winch are as follows:

1. Release the winch cable out then roll back at least once a month if it’s not being used. This prevents corrosion of the solenoid contacts.

2. If you are working in a high-humidity region, leave the winch cover off or else the covering will not allow the winch to dry out.

3. Don’t pressure-wash the winch. This water might get into the solenoid pack and motor, causing serious damage.

4. If a solenoid is degraded, replace both in the pair; two for in, two for out.

5. If the winch fails make a pull, don’t use the power of the vehicle and use the winch as a snatch strap. It will destroy the internal brake mechanism or explode the gear set.

End Note:

There are many winch suppliers available in the United Kingdom. Starting from 12v electric winch suppliers, there are many voltage and capacity that you can choose for. After carefully determining your requirements, you should opt for the best available winch in the market. When you have bought a winch, make sure to follow the above mentioned precautions to extend its tenure.