Winches are becoming increasingly popular with today’s outdoor enthusiasts. There are a variety of uses for winches, ranging from work to play. It is important to consider the purpose for which you are looking for a winch when determining the strength and type of winch you need.
A. Winches on ATVs
If you ask any ATV enthusiast, they’re bound to tell you stories of how they got into a precarious spot or deep quagmire and couldn’t get the ATV unstuck or out of a potentially dangerous position. Most of these same enthusiasts will tell you that their ATV winch saved the day. With most newer ATVs, the ATV winch can be mounted to the front or rear of the ATV, and in some cases moved from front to rear as needed. ATV winches come in a variety of strengths and can be used for almost any purpose. The size of winch you choose to attach to your ATV depends largely on how the ATV is operated and the size of the ATV itself. Regardless of the size chosen, ATV winches are a must-have for a true outdoor ATV enthusiast.
B. Truck winches
It used to be that the only trucks that had winches were cranes. Not today. Today, winches are found on a large number of three-quarter and one-ton trucks. Back when winches were becoming popular, they were often manual winches. Today, most truck winches are electric winches. An electric winch connects to the truck’s battery and is operated via a remote control. Electric winches are extremely useful when the truck is in a situation where it is likely to slip and slide and having to manually turn the winch would be dangerous. An electric winch is also useful on larger trucks that would be nearly impossible to drive manually. On a big truck like an F-350, the stronger the winch, the better. Most people who winch their large trucks use a winch rated for at least 12,000 pounds.
C. Trailer Winches
Not only do trucks and ATVs have winches, but many trailers today come with a winch. Trailer winches can be electronic or hand crank. It is common to find trailer winches on most boat trailers and some RVs. Most people can remember to load a boat onto a trailer and use the hand crank trailer winch to pull the boat onto the trailer and secure it in place. The boat owner almost always got wet while he was reeling in his boat. Today there are trailer winches in a variety of power and horsepower that are electronic and pull the boat onto the trailer with the push of a button. These electronic trailer winches have greatly simplified the process of loading and unloading vessels.
D. Winch Mounting
When mounting a winch on an ATV or truck, it is important to ensure that the winch is mounted correctly. To do so, it is recommended that you purchase a winch bumper. The winch bumper mounts to the truck bumper or in some cases replaces the truck bumper. The winch will fit inside the winch bumper, providing protection for the winch from theft or damage. Adding a winch bumper will not affect the handling of your vehicle, as long as the bumper selected is suitable for your vehicle. Any truck accessory store can help you select the winch and winch bumper that is best suited for your needs.