12 Volt Electric Winch
A 12 volt electric winch is a battery powered device that has gears that turn a rope or cable around a drum to pull or lift very heavy loads. They are usually installed on tow trucks, passenger or work trucks, off road vehicles, atv’s, boats, jeeps and other types of vehicles.
The power to a 12 volt electrical winch is limited to the power that a 12V battery can supply. Individuals who use electrical winches generally will leave the vehicle’s engine running when operating the winch. This is done so that the winch will not be able to fully drain the battery. All winches have motors that cause opposing poles to spin a magnet which turns the drum on the winch. Winch motors are designed so that they can switch gears to handle heavier loads when needed.
A 12 volt electrical winch is able to pull up extremely heavy loads. The gears in an electrical winch are very simple and are similar to bicycle gears. When adjusting for a load, the small gear will turn a larger gear that in turn is able to handle heavier loads that need to be pulled. There are some very advanced electrical winches on the market that have elliptical gear trains or planetary gears. A truck and trailer 12 volt electrical winch runs off of the 12-volt-DC power from the truck’s battery. Even though a battery powers up the winch, it is the bears that really do all of the work.
There are many models of electrical winches that are available that can be easily installed on almost any vehicle with very little effort. They are typically sold with universal mounting kits. Usually, all you have to do is attach the wires as instructed in the kit and the winch is ready to go. A 12 volt electrical winch has many more useful features than a hydraulic winch has and is safer to operate. Electrical winches do have several advantages over hydraulic winches but they also have disadvantages as well.
An electrical winch will run with the engine off as long as you have power left in the battery. Almost every 12 volt electrical winch has a remote switch to operate it. You can also hardwire the controls to the winch directly into the cab a truck or other vehicle. Many people feel that the switch to a 12 volt electrical winch should be located somewhere on the outside of the vehicle for safety reasons. They can be operated by remote control while standing away from the vehicle also. An electrical winch is safer than a hydraulic winch because they generally do not slip when in operation. All you have to do is push a button or flip a switch and a 12 volt electrical winch will be able to pull large vehicles that are stuck in the mud or water.
You can use an electrical winch for a variety of reasons. They are used in both work and play situations such as in boating. Electrical winches used to only be used in tow trucks. Today, you can find them installed on ¾ ton and 1 ton pick-up trucks. The best rating for electrical winch on a ¾ ton or 1 ton pick-up is at least 12,000 pounds which is sufficient to pull most large vehicles.
You can also us a 12 volt electrical winch on a boat trailer. They come in handy to load or pull a boat out of the water and secure it safely in place on the trailer. All the boat owner has to do is push a button. It is advised that you install a winch bumper when mounting a winch onto your truck or ATV. The winch bumper is advised and can be mounted on the vehicle bumper. It is best to shop around before you purchase a 12 volt electrical winch so that you get the best winch and winch bumper for your needs and that will fit your vehicle correctly.
