Propickup Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/105105
pounds. Overkill? Maybe. But Bimson's thinking is spot on. THINK BIG The point is many winch buyers think too small. When push comes to pull, they end up kicking themselves as smoke boils from the winch or there's not enough muscle to get the job done. It's better to have a lot more pulling power at your fingertips than too little. At a bare minimum you should get a winch with the capacity twice that of your pickup's loaded weight. A 1/2-ton 4x4 pickup shouldn't have anything less than a 10,000-poundcapacity winch, while a 4x4 dually diesel 4x4 should be set up with a 16,000-pound model. Bigger is better on both. The type of winch depends on need and application. An electric is easier to install and there's a wide range of models from which to choose. They also work whether the engine is running or not. es But electric winches tend to overheat d under hard use and take a toll on the vetem hicle's battery system if the winch operator e doesn't pay close attention to what's going ches on. Electric winches are good for short pulls. ow But they all slow down on long, hard pulls as er battery power drops. d, Hydraulic winches, on the other hand hand, ng d keep pulling strong no matter the load or they duration of the pull. The downside is t installat ation are a lot more expensive, the installation is nvolved k more involved and they don't work when ckup's the pickup's engine stops. WINCH BUYERS GUIDE T he winches shown here are the biggest and baddest 12-volt and hydraulic models we could find. They have a minimum-pull rating of 10,000 pounds and top out at 18,000. Winch manufacturers are constantly fine-tuning their offerings much like the vehicles they are mounted on. Today's heavy-duty self-recovery winches are sleeker, more efficient, stronger, and more reliable than ever. Whichever model or brand winch you choose depends on many factors. But in the end it all boils down to which one you have the most confidence in when it's time to run out the cable. Shop smart. Let function and quality be your guide. Remember, in our world a winch is a safety necessity – not a cosmetic accessory. * Listed prices are retail price, not street NORTHERN TOOL 15 With 15,000 pounds of rated line pull, a four-stage planetary gear system, and a 6hp 12-volt motor, the model 141541 winch ($1,100) meets heavy-duty needs. The 143-pound winch that includes a 2-in-1 hand-held remote uses either wired or wireless, has an automatic brake, free-spooling clutch and integrated solenoid module designed d for long service life. Winch comes with 94 feet of 7/16-inch cable and roller fairlead. One-year warranty. northerntool.com; (800) 221-0516 N0RTHERN TOOL 15 2 L Northern Industrial Tools 12-volt truck winch, model 143758 ($1,400), packs 15,000 pound of sheer pulling capacity for easy recovery of full-size pickup trucks and SUVs. It also boasts a four-stage planetary gear drive with a 355:1 ratio for increased torque and pulling capacity. This 165-pound winch comes with remote control, cable, roller fairlead and a one-year warranty. northerntool.com; (800) 221-0516 PIERCE PS15000 The Pierce 12-volt 15,000-pound-capacity planetary-gear winch, PS15000 ($679), features a compact solenoid assembly for electrical efficiency and reliability while its heavy-duty 6hp motor offers highampere resistance and output strength. The 115-pound winch comes s with automatic braking, 7/16-inch aircraft cable and uses a 358:1 ratio o three-stage planetary drive. The Pierce PS-series also includes 6-, 9-, 12122 and 20,000-pound winches. Piercesales.com; (800) 658-6301 WINCH ACCESSORY KITS Having a winch on your rig without a proper accessory kit is like having a socket set without extensions: Both can be used do the basic jobs, but they are worthless for more demanding situations. Every pickup equipped with a heavy-duty winch should also carry a winch accessory kit that includes tree saver straps, choker chains, shackles, a snatch block, winch straps and leather gloves. Notice many of the items listed above are plural. Most winch accessory kits come with one item each. But heavy-duty winches being used around the jobsite or in the field often require longer, heavier and more difficult pulls than those encountered during a weekend hunting outing. Two 30-foot winch straps, a pair of 10-foot choker chains, a double-sheave snatch block, and three or four shackles in your truck will handle most winching situations. Having these items at your disposal when the winch on your rig might be the only one for miles around is smart thinking. Sure, they take up a bit more room, but the time these winching necessities save in a pinch is well worth that little bit of lost space in the tool box or under the back seat. That equipment needs to be up to the pulling task as well. Keep safety at the forefront. Make sure whatever accessories you carry are capable of handling twice the load for which the winch is rated. Like the Boy Scout motto says, "Be prepared."