Winches are normally found on the front bumper of off road vehicles. They are also found on trailers that are used to help load boats. It is a motor-driven unit that contains a spool of wire or rope. Some electrical winches use a 12-volt motor to power them, while others use hydraulic fluid from the power steering unit. The latter is mostly found on military applications. Depending on the direction chosen, when the winch is turning, it rotates the spool, which either sends the winch cable in or out.
The primary reason to have a winch on a vehicle is to aid in recovering it should it become stuck such as in mud or sand. The winch line is spooled out of the winch, and connected to another vehicle or something solid via a large clevis hook on the end of the cable. The winch is then put into gear using a switch on the body; once power is applied, the cable is brought back toward the vehicle and spooled onto the winch, effectively getting the vehicle unstuck.
Safety
When purchasing a winch, you should first know the weight of the appliance or structure that the winch will go on. This is because different winches are rated for specific weight limits. For example, putting a winch that has a maximum pull rating of 2 tonnes on a vehicle that weighs 2 tonnes wouldn’t be a good idea. If the vehicle gets stranded then the winch would not be able to help it get out. In the case of a vehicle that weighs 2 tonnes, a winch with a maximum pulling rating of 3 tonnes would be adequate.
When using the winch, it is important to always wear gloves. Grabbing the steel winch cable can fray and cut the hand. It is a good idea to place a heavy jacket or other soft weight in the middle of the winch line when pulling, because if the cable snaps, it can release a lot of energy at once and snap violently. A weight will transfer that energy to the ground and make it safer for everyone around it.
If using an electric winch, it is probably a good idea to pull for only 30 seconds at a time, so the motor does not get hot and burn up. A hydraulic winch will not experience this and have a 100 percent pull cycle. With an electric model, pull for 30 seconds and wait for a minute, then repeat until the vehicle is free.
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