!#8# An Inroduction to Winches and Their Common Uses in ATVs, Trucks and Trailers!

!±8± An Inroduction to Winches and Their Common Uses in ATVs, Trucks and Trailers!

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 seeking a winch when determining the strength and type of winch you need.

A. Winches on ATV's

If you ask any ATV enthusiast they are sure to tell you stories of getting into a precarious spot or into 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. ATV winches 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.

B. Winches for trucks

It used to be that the only trucks that had winches were tow trucks. Not today. Today, winches are found 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 electric winch hooks up to the battery of the truck and is operated via a 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.

C. 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 winch 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.

D. 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.