Winch Wisdom

Winching can be traced back to the Greeks around 600 BC, when many people were required to operate the first simple pulleys.

- Leonard Chester

The Romans invented multiple pulleys and capstans used mainly in construction, which made lifting by humans and animals much easier. However, by the 21st Century, the principles used in these devices had evolved to modern winches which use 12V, 24V, 220V and hydraulic power sources.

What is a winch?

A winch consists of four major parts: the drum, motor, gear train and brake. Variations come in the type of power supply and the use of either steel cable or synthetic line. All of this is packaged in a compact casing that, in the 4x4 application, is mounted to a vehicle able to handle the power draw needed to pull more than its own mass.

Selecting a winch

Only a select few winch brands design, engineer and manufacture all the components required to make their own winches. Clearly, this aspect of the premium end of the market allows the quality level of the various parts to be precisely specified.

For most users, the first question to ask is, “How often will I use a winch?” This can assist one in deciding between a premium brand and an entry-level brand.

The second question to ask is, “What will the winch be used for?” To answer that, one needs to match the line pull capacity of the winch, to the mass of the vehicle that it must haul out of trouble. To calculate this, take the Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) and multiply by 1.5 (to take into account environmental factors and frictional losses). This gives one the minimum winch capacity required.

For example: A fully loaded vehicle weighs 2000kg. 2000 x 1.5 = 3000kg. Most winches are rated in pounds, so dividing 3000 kg by 0.453, gives 6607lb. Add a safety margin, and the minimum requirement is an 8000lb winch.

There are several other considerations: