If you venture off the road, you need to rely on strong pulling power. And the only way to get it is with a durable winch to help you get out of any situation.
But if you don’t know how to use your winch correctly, you might end up hurting yourself or your vehicle.
Follow these steps and you won’t do wrong next time you find yourself in a sticky situation.
Choosing the Right Winch
The first and most important step is to ensure your vehicle is equipped with the right winch. And to do this, you need to figure out how much line pull you’ll need from your winch.
As a rule of thumb, to get your minimum winch capacity your need to multiply your vehicle’s gross vehicle weight and multiply it by 1.5.
And remember that not all winches are built to the same quality and safety standards. Which is why you won’t regret choosing a winch from a reputable and trusted manufacturer. Especially when you’re in unexplored territory.
TDot Performance offers winches from leading industry brands like Westin, Warn, Smittybilt, and Mile Marker. Going with one of these brands will give you the peace of mind you need to fully enjoy your next off-road adventure.
I need to use my winch… now what?
Remember these quick rules the next time you need to use your winch.
1. Do not disengage the clutch when the winch rope is under tension.
2. Do not disengage the clutch when the winch drum is rotating.
3. Only winch if the drum has five or more wraps of wire cable around it.
4. Do not try to increase a pull’s length by attaching a recovery strap to the winch hook.
5. If you’re winching for a longer period of time, stop often to allow the winch to cool down.
6. Choose a secure anchor point.
| Smittybilt XRC Series | Westin Off-Road Series | Warn XD9000 Premium | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
|||
| Special Powers - Pull Rating of 2,000 lbs - 1 HP permanent magnet motor - 3-stage planetary gear train - Remote Control - Perfect for ATVs, boats and trailers |
Special Powers - Off-road use only - 3-stage planetary motor - mechanical brake - steel winch cable - 4-way roller fairlead - 12 foot hand-held controller |
Special Powers - Self-recovery winch - 12V DC Motor - 100 ft. wire rope - Includes roller fairlead - CE Certified |
|||
| Price: from $211.77 Free Shipping |
Price: from $664.57 Free Shipping |
Price: from $1,484.95 Free Shipping |
Can't decide which winch is right for your vehicle?
Drop us a line in the comments below and we'll help you figure it out!
