Winches are becoming increasingly popular with today’s outdoor enthusiasts. There are a variety of uses for diesel engine powered winch, ranging from work to play, which is always powered by gasoline, or diesel engine motor. It is important to consider the purpose for which you are seeking a winch when determining the strength and type of winch you need. It is always used for pulling, tensioning, and stringing wires in transmission line stringing construction, besides this, it is also applied in mining, shipyard, and bridge construction, with these wide applications, it becomes a more and more convenient machine nowadays industries.
Winches on ATVs:
If you ask any ATV enthusiast they are sure to tell you stories of getting into a precarious spot or a deep mud-hole and not being able to get the ATV unstuck or out of the potentially dangerous position. Most of these same enthusiasts will tell you that their ATV winch saved the day. With most of the newer ATVs the ATV winch can mount to either the front or the back of the ATV and in some instances can be moved from front to back depending on the need. Diesel engine powered winch come in a variety of strengths and can be used for nearly any purpose. The size of the winch you chose to put on your ATV depends greatly 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.
Winches for trucks:
It used to be that the only trucks that had winches were tow trucks. Not today. Today, winches are found in a large number of three-quarter and one-ton trucks. Back when winches were first becoming popular, they often were hand-cranked winches. Today, the majority of winches on trucks are electric winches. An diesel engine powered winch hooks up to the battery of the truck and is operated via remote control. Electric winches are extremely helpful when the truck is in a situation where it is likely to be slipping and sliding and having to hand crank the winch in would be dangerous. An electric winch is also useful on larger trucks that would be nearly impossible to hand crank. On a large truck such as an F-350, the stronger the winch the better. Most people who put winches on their large trucks use a winch rated for at least 12,000 pounds.
Winches for Trailers:
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 recall loading a boat onto a trailer and using the hand-cranked trailer to pull the boat onto the trailer and secure the boat into place. The boat owner almost always got wet while reeling in his boat. Today, there are trailer winches in a variety of strengths and horsepower that are electronic and will pull the boat onto the trailer with just the push of a button. These electronic trailer winches have made the process of loading and unloading boats much simpler.
Mounting the Winch:
When mounting a winch on an ATV or a truck it is important to ensure the winch is properly mounted. To do so, it is recommended that you purchase a winch bumper. The winch bumper mounts on the bumper of the truck, or in some cases replaces the truck bumper. The winch will fit down inside the winch bumper providing the winch protection from theft or damage. Adding a winch bumper will not affect the handling of your vehicle as long as the bumper selected is properly suited for your vehicle. Any truck accessory store can help you select the winch and winch bumper best suited for your needs.
Using A Winch:
Properly using a winch requires EXTREME care and attention to detail, or else you could damage your vehicle or, even worse, someone could end up hurt. Most importantly, ensure that the vehicle’s winching gear is properly mounted and know the weight limits! NEVER exceed the rating of your given winch and line!
- Starting, make sure you are wearing heavy-duty gloves on both hands.
- Disengage the gear/clutch.
- Pull the loose line from the winch (preferably via a hook strap) and attach it to the object you will be using as a recovery point/pulling (If you are using an object, such as a tree trunk, for pulling power, ensure you have properly attached a trunk protector and line via a D-shackle).
- During the attachment process, certify that the line/cable is kept taut to prevent any abnormal twisting. After connecting, it is imperative to inspect the line, spool, and connection points for any broken areas or abnormalities.
- If you have a remote, now is the ONLY time to attach it to the winching system. Now, you can re-engage the gear.
- After the remote is connected, engage the winch to slowly pull the line until no slack remains.
- After the winching line is taut, lay a heavy object, whether it be a weighted blanket or something else, to aid with absorbing any energy if the line happens to snap.
- Begin the winching process slowly and carefully, ensuring everyone is clear of the winching area.
Important Winching Factors:
A modern diesel engine powered winch is a mechanical device used for lifting, moving, and pulling items. Because of the mechanics and physics of a winch, they can lift extremely heavy objects. Larger, powerful winches with strong pull cables are capable of moving items weighing hundreds of thousands of pounds! Depending on the type of activity for which the winch will be used determines the strength and type of winch that will need to be purchased. ALWAYS wear heavy-duty gloves. Warn Industries, the “King of Winching”, has a great selection of winching accessory kits that include heavy gloves, along with other necessary winching accessories. Gloves are extremely crucial in protecting hands from wire barbs or cuts from a coarse line. These kits also include all of the necessities for a winching system. Most importantly, it is imperative to have A STRONG anchor point and a non-compromised winch system.
