There are perfect tools for moving heavy loads. A winch drags them horizontally and a hoist lifts them vertically. You don’t have to be the incredible Hulk. A cable is wound or unwound on a drum and allows loads to be raised or lowered. There are portable, fixed, manual, electric, or hydraulic. If you want to make the right choice then follow AutoPartsGuideline.com .

A winch is a machine used to lift and move loads from one point to another by towing them. This machine consists of a winch that turns and wraps around a cable from which the load is held. Later we will see how the different operating systems give them the ability to handle more or less heavy loads and not only tow them, but also raise them.

A hoist is a set of pulleys with a fixed group and a mobile group with an endless chain or cable that is used to lift heavy loads.

When choosing elements to move loads it is relatively easy to get confused because they can also appear named as elevators. These consist of a motor-driven by a control that turns the winch where the cable that pulls up the load is wound.

The maximum load capacity of a winch

Winch capacity is the maximum load it can pull. The capacity or feed force is expressed in kilograms and the nominal pulling force is specified for the first layer of rope on the winch drum, which corresponds to the amount of force it needs to produce to move an object. The more turns of cable that are wrapped around the drum, the lower the resistance of the winch. It is estimated that the loss of force for each turn of cable is 13%.

ATTENTION: This capacity is usually given for rolling loads with a perfectly

horizontal cable. Therefore, it is necessary to choose a greater capacity than the loads to be moved, taking into account both the loss of power during winding and the non-horizontality of the cable, and the possible friction of the load. It is advisable to calculate a capacity 50% higher than the weight to be towed. If you want to use the lifting load winch -the hoist-, check well that the capacity is not expressed in rolling load.

Traction speed … and what is that?

For a certain power, the traction speed and the loading speed must be taken into account. A heavy load will be towed slowly. Therefore, it is not surprising that the towing speed of a load is low with a very fast winch. Generally, a loaded winch works at 1.5 meters per minute. To be faster than average you will need to have a more powerful motor, which will instantly translate into higher power consumption. Attention if you are using it with the car battery!

Types of winches

There are different types of winches: manual or driven by an external power source:

Manual winches

They are the simplest. They have a modest pulling capacity (up to two tons the largest) and the only source of energy they receive is your arms. Perfect for construction work and for lifting small loads. Highly recommended for developing forearms!

How to install the manual winches?

In this section, we give some basic notions of how to install manual winches once you have selected the most suitable one for you.

Follow the next steps:

Set the base of the pre-drilled lathe in place on the tongue of the trailer. Mark with a permanent marker through the holes the place to be drilled, both on the side of the lathe base, and in the places on the trailer tongue where the mounting holes of the lathe base should be drilled.

Drill the holes in the tongue of the trailer with a drill.

Holding the winch base in place, slide the bolts through the winch base and the tongue of the trailer. Install the washers and nuts corresponding to the diameter of the bolt. Tighten the lock nuts with an adjustable wrench.

Place the winch on top of the manual winch base (non-slip galvanized), insert the corresponding screws through the winch mounting holes. Fit the corresponding washers and locknuts. Finally, tighten the lock nuts with an adjustable wrench.

Electric winches

Can be connected to a battery car or truck (12V or 24V), or the electrical network (220V). They have a higher capacity than mechanical winches and are affordable. The problem is that they get hot while they work.

The energy dissipated in the form of heat is proportional to the square of the intensity consumed (expressed in amperes). In other words, this means that a winch without a thermal fuse (also called “overload protection”) runs the risk of being burned if towing too heavy a load. To prevent this risk, it is best to choose a winch with a much higher capacity than you need.

In addition, an electric winch can draw more than 400 amps at 12V (400 A). If the winch is connected to a vehicle, the battery must be in good condition, charge it fully and leave the vehicle running during and after use. You also have to allow time for it to cool down, so the winch can only be used intermittently. Attempting to lift or pull a load without pausing it runs the risk of damaging it.

Mechanical winches

They are equipped with a heat engine (gasoline). They are heavier and more expensive than electric ones, although they allow continuous work. To connect them to a vehicle they need a specific installation. They cannot be easily transferred from one vehicle to another.

Hydraulic winches

They are connected to a hydraulic circuit that drives the drum. They offer the same robustness and performance as the mechanical ones. Its installation on a vehicle requires the intervention of a specialist. The hydraulic circuit to which it will be connected must have sufficient flow and pressure to operate it. In general, we can find winches that work with a circuit of 120 to 160 bars for a flow of between 45 and 60 liters per minute. These hydraulic winches are reliable and offer better performance (load, speed) than mechanical and electrical ones, although they are heavier and more expensive.