A power winch is one of those tools that's just good to have around. It's a useful—if not inexpensive—device. We talked to winch manufacturer Warn Industries about the ins and outs of buying a winch for your truck.
Types: There are three kinds of winches. A low-voltage winch runs off 12- or 24-volt DC electrical systems. A high-voltage winch runs off 110-volt AC current. There is also a hydraulic-only winch.
Line Pull: This is the amount of load (weight) the winch can pull. There is a calculation important to this rating. Rating is accurate for the first layer of rope (the steel cable) wound onto the drum. For each additional layer, deduct 10% from the maximum rating.
Winch size: To determine the size of winch you'll need to buy, make this simple calculation: Multiply the gross vehicle weight of the truck (find it on the driver's side door) by 1.5. That's the minimum-size winch for the vehicle.
Ropes: There are different types and lengths of ropes. The higher-value winches have wire-core ropes; the less expensive systems have nylon cores. Most winches have 100 feet of rope.
Line Speed: There are two measures of line speed—the speed at which the winch recovers the rope. The winch shown here has a no-load speed of 38 feet per minute. There is also the full-load speed. This is the speed at which the rope is recovered when it is moving its maximum weight.
Gearing: Most often you'll choose between two types of gearing systems—a worm gear and a planetary gear. Gearing converts motor speed to line-recovering torque on the drum. The worm gear generates the highest conversion. The planetary gear, used by Warn, is a system that recovers the rope at a higher speed.
Motor: Permanent magnet motors are good for light-duty winching. Series-wound motors are best for heavy pulling.
Battery: Winches put a heavy strain on a standard electrical system. You'll want to consider alternator size, the battery type (or perhaps the addition of a second battery) and the grounding setup.
Front or rear mounted: There are systems that allow the winch to be moved from front to back. That portability is handy, but the maximum pulling weight will be reduced.