Read the manufacturer's warranty as they vary widely in warranty coverage time from a few months to years as well as what the warranty covers. Also consider serviceability in the event that the winch breaks. Can you find a service center that will fix it for you or can you order parts to fix it yourself?

Drum Clutch - Also known as a "dog-clutch" or "jaw clutch", consists of two or more drive lugs which engage similar driven lugs to transmit torque to the cable drum. Free Spooling - The operation of manually unspooling wire rope from the cable drum by pulling on the free end of the rope while the cable drum is disconnected (declutched) from its power train.

The brake on a winch is used to hold the load in place when the winch motor is not in use and to prevent the winch from freespooling. Different brake types are used from winch to winch and is partially dependant on the type of gear train within the winch.

Winch controls vary from a hard-wired 10, 12 or 15 foot long lead to wireless controls or both. If the type of control matters to your application, review what options are available.

Wire rope refers to the steel cable included with most winches. The diameter of the wire rope typically is 5/16" and length varies. Some winches come from factory with a synthetic rope such as AmSteel braided Rope, which has many advantages over wire rope including increased strength, lighter weight and does not recoil like steel rope if it breaks during a pull.

The drum size refers to the size and diameter of the spool that holds the winch wire rope cable. The larger the drum size, the greater length of wire rope the spool is able to hold.

Electric winches rely on the battery for power and not the alternator. An automotive battery is designed to supply a large draw of amps from the battery in a short period of time, such as when you start your engine. Alternators typically supply under 100 amps. A winch during the pull may demand 400 or more amps from your electric system. It is the job of the battery to supply the the power. Therefore it is important that your battery is capable of supplying the required power. Manufacturers of winches typically recommend a Battery that can supply 650 CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) minimum for winching. Battery Leads to the winch should be at least 2 gauge and shorter than 72" (1.83m).

Overall dimensions refers to the length, width and height of the entire winch. These numbers are important if you have limited space to install your winch.

The mounting bolt pattern is the bolts that attach the winch to the winch plate or winch bumper. 10" x 4.5" is a common pattern for most winches.

The weight of a winch can vary considerably. If overall weight is important, the winch is one place where model selection can trim a good deal of pounds. Also consider synthetic rope to cut further pounds.

The Drum diameter & Gear Ratio have a direct effect on pulling power while affecting line speed at the same time. The width of the drum determines the inevitable loss of pulling power as the cable spools in. As the layers on the drum increase, the effective gear ratio drops reducing the pulling power. The narrower the drum, the quicker the cable spools up and therefore, looses it's pulling power quicker as compared to a wider drum.

Winches are rated in line pull, and are usually measured pounds (lbs) or kilograms (Kg). The advertised rated line pull is with the first layer of wire rope on the winch drum, a single layer. Line pull is reduced with each layer of wire rope added to the drum.

The line speed on any specific layer that results from rated input speed. It is expressed in feet/minute or meters/minute. This is the length of line that a winch can spool off and on it's drum in one minute. Faster line speeds provide quicker winch pulls and are generally found in more expensive winches.

An ampere, or amp, represents the amount of current in a circuit at any given time or under a specific load. Most winch ratings are generally limited by the maximum amperage draw, with right around 400 being the cut-off point. Anymore than that would most likely damage the power source or charging system. In order to reduce the amperage usually the gear ratio will need to be increased numerically, to relive the motor from the increasing stress, however, this will also reduce the line speed at the same time.

Read the manufacturer's warranty as they vary widely in warranty coverage time from a few months to years as well as what the warranty covers. Also consider serviceability in the event that the winch breaks. Can you find a service center that will fix it for you or can you order parts to fix it yourself?

Drum Clutch - Also known as a "dog-clutch" or "jaw clutch", consists of two or more drive lugs which engage similar driven lugs to transmit torque to the cable drum. Free Spooling - The operation of manually unspooling wire rope from the cable drum by pulling on the free end of the rope while the cable drum is disconnected (declutched) from its power train.

The brake on a winch is used to hold the load in place when the winch motor is not in use and to prevent the winch from freespooling. Different brake types are used from winch to winch and is partially dependant on the type of gear train within the winch.

Winch controls vary from a hard-wired 10, 12 or 15 foot long lead to wireless controls or both. If the type of control matters to your application, review what options are available.

Wire rope refers to the steel cable included with most winches. The diameter of the wire rope typically is 5/16" and length varies. Some winches come from factory with a synthetic rope such as AmSteel braided Rope, which has many advantages over wire rope including increased strength, lighter weight and does not recoil like steel rope if it breaks during a pull.

The drum size refers to the size and diameter of the spool that holds the winch wire rope cable. The larger the drum size, the greater length of wire rope the spool is able to hold.

Electric winches rely on the battery for power and not the alternator. An automotive battery is designed to supply a large draw of amps from the battery in a short period of time, such as when you start your engine. Alternators typically supply under 100 amps. A winch during the pull may demand 400 or more amps from your electric system. It is the job of the battery to supply the the power. Therefore it is important that your battery is capable of supplying the required power. Manufacturers of winches typically recommend a Battery that can supply 650 CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) minimum for winching. Battery Leads to the winch should be at least 2 gauge and shorter than 72" (1.83m).

Overall dimensions refers to the length, width and height of the entire winch. These numbers are important if you have limited space to install your winch.

The mounting bolt pattern is the bolts that attach the winch to the winch plate or winch bumper. 10" x 4.5" is a common pattern for most winches.

The weight of a winch can vary considerably. If overall weight is important, the winch is one place where model selection can trim a good deal of pounds. Also consider synthetic rope to cut further pounds.

The Drum diameter & Gear Ratio have a direct effect on pulling power while affecting line speed at the same time. The width of the drum determines the inevitable loss of pulling power as the cable spools in. As the layers on the drum increase, the effective gear ratio drops reducing the pulling power. The narrower the drum, the quicker the cable spools up and therefore, looses it's pulling power quicker as compared to a wider drum.

Winches are rated in line pull, and are usually measured pounds (lbs) or kilograms (Kg). The advertised rated line pull is with the first layer of wire rope on the winch drum, a single layer. Line pull is reduced with each layer of wire rope added to the drum.

The line speed on any specific layer that results from rated input speed. It is expressed in feet/minute or meters/minute. This is the length of line that a winch can spool off and on it's drum in one minute. Faster line speeds provide quicker winch pulls and are generally found in more expensive winches.

An ampere, or amp, represents the amount of current in a circuit at any given time or under a specific load. Most winch ratings are generally limited by the maximum amperage draw, with right around 400 being the cut-off point. Anymore than that would most likely damage the power source or charging system. In order to reduce the amperage usually the gear ratio will need to be increased numerically, to relive the motor from the increasing stress, however, this will also reduce the line speed at the same time.

Read the manufacturer's warranty as they vary widely in warranty coverage time from a few months to years as well as what the warranty covers. Also consider serviceability in the event that the winch breaks. Can you find a service center that will fix it for you or can you order parts to fix it yourself?

Drum Clutch - Also known as a "dog-clutch" or "jaw clutch", consists of two or more drive lugs which engage similar driven lugs to transmit torque to the cable drum. Free Spooling - The operation of manually unspooling wire rope from the cable drum by pulling on the free end of the rope while the cable drum is disconnected (declutched) from its power train.

The brake on a winch is used to hold the load in place when the winch motor is not in use and to prevent the winch from freespooling. Different brake types are used from winch to winch and is partially dependant on the type of gear train within the winch.

Winch controls vary from a hard-wired 10, 12 or 15 foot long lead to wireless controls or both. If the type of control matters to your application, review what options are available.

Wire rope refers to the steel cable included with most winches. The diameter of the wire rope typically is 5/16" and length varies. Some winches come from factory with a synthetic rope such as AmSteel braided Rope, which has many advantages over wire rope including increased strength, lighter weight and does not recoil like steel rope if it breaks during a pull.

The drum size refers to the size and diameter of the spool that holds the winch wire rope cable. The larger the drum size, the greater length of wire rope the spool is able to hold.

Electric winches rely on the battery for power and not the alternator. An automotive battery is designed to supply a large draw of amps from the battery in a short period of time, such as when you start your engine. Alternators typically supply under 100 amps. A winch during the pull may demand 400 or more amps from your electric system. It is the job of the battery to supply the the power. Therefore it is important that your battery is capable of supplying the required power. Manufacturers of winches typically recommend a Battery that can supply 650 CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) minimum for winching. Battery Leads to the winch should be at least 2 gauge and shorter than 72" (1.83m).

Overall dimensions refers to the length, width and height of the entire winch. These numbers are important if you have limited space to install your winch.

The mounting bolt pattern is the bolts that attach the winch to the winch plate or winch bumper. 10" x 4.5" is a common pattern for most winches.

The weight of a winch can vary considerably. If overall weight is important, the winch is one place where model selection can trim a good deal of pounds. Also consider synthetic rope to cut further pounds.

The Drum diameter & Gear Ratio have a direct effect on pulling power while affecting line speed at the same time. The width of the drum determines the inevitable loss of pulling power as the cable spools in. As the layers on the drum increase, the effective gear ratio drops reducing the pulling power. The narrower the drum, the quicker the cable spools up and therefore, looses it's pulling power quicker as compared to a wider drum.

Winches are rated in line pull, and are usually measured pounds (lbs) or kilograms (Kg). The advertised rated line pull is with the first layer of wire rope on the winch drum, a single layer. Line pull is reduced with each layer of wire rope added to the drum.

The line speed on any specific layer that results from rated input speed. It is expressed in feet/minute or meters/minute. This is the length of line that a winch can spool off and on it's drum in one minute. Faster line speeds provide quicker winch pulls and are generally found in more expensive winches.

An ampere, or amp, represents the amount of current in a circuit at any given time or under a specific load. Most winch ratings are generally limited by the maximum amperage draw, with right around 400 being the cut-off point. Anymore than that would most likely damage the power source or charging system. In order to reduce the amperage usually the gear ratio will need to be increased numerically, to relive the motor from the increasing stress, however, this will also reduce the line speed at the same time.

Read the manufacturer's warranty as they vary widely in warranty coverage time from a few months to years as well as what the warranty covers. Also consider serviceability in the event that the winch breaks. Can you find a service center that will fix it for you or can you order parts to fix it yourself?

Drum Clutch - Also known as a "dog-clutch" or "jaw clutch", consists of two or more drive lugs which engage similar driven lugs to transmit torque to the cable drum. Free Spooling - The operation of manually unspooling wire rope from the cable drum by pulling on the free end of the rope while the cable drum is disconnected (declutched) from its power train.

The brake on a winch is used to hold the load in place when the winch motor is not in use and to prevent the winch from freespooling. Different brake types are used from winch to winch and is partially dependant on the type of gear train within the winch.

Winch controls vary from a hard-wired 10, 12 or 15 foot long lead to wireless controls or both. If the type of control matters to your application, review what options are available.

Wire rope refers to the steel cable included with most winches. The diameter of the wire rope typically is 5/16" and length varies. Some winches come from factory with a synthetic rope such as AmSteel braided Rope, which has many advantages over wire rope including increased strength, lighter weight and does not recoil like steel rope if it breaks during a pull.

The drum size refers to the size and diameter of the spool that holds the winch wire rope cable. The larger the drum size, the greater length of wire rope the spool is able to hold.

Electric winches rely on the battery for power and not the alternator. An automotive battery is designed to supply a large draw of amps from the battery in a short period of time, such as when you start your engine. Alternators typically supply under 100 amps. A winch during the pull may demand 400 or more amps from your electric system. It is the job of the battery to supply the the power. Therefore it is important that your battery is capable of supplying the required power. Manufacturers of winches typically recommend a Battery that can supply 650 CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) minimum for winching. Battery Leads to the winch should be at least 2 gauge and shorter than 72" (1.83m).

Overall dimensions refers to the length, width and height of the entire winch. These numbers are important if you have limited space to install your winch.

The mounting bolt pattern is the bolts that attach the winch to the winch plate or winch bumper. 10" x 4.5" is a common pattern for most winches.

The weight of a winch can vary considerably. If overall weight is important, the winch is one place where model selection can trim a good deal of pounds. Also consider synthetic rope to cut further pounds.

The Drum diameter & Gear Ratio have a direct effect on pulling power while affecting line speed at the same time. The width of the drum determines the inevitable loss of pulling power as the cable spools in. As the layers on the drum increase, the effective gear ratio drops reducing the pulling power. The narrower the drum, the quicker the cable spools up and therefore, looses it's pulling power quicker as compared to a wider drum.

Winches are rated in line pull, and are usually measured pounds (lbs) or kilograms (Kg). The advertised rated line pull is with the first layer of wire rope on the winch drum, a single layer. Line pull is reduced with each layer of wire rope added to the drum.

The line speed on any specific layer that results from rated input speed. It is expressed in feet/minute or meters/minute. This is the length of line that a winch can spool off and on it's drum in one minute. Faster line speeds provide quicker winch pulls and are generally found in more expensive winches.

An ampere, or amp, represents the amount of current in a circuit at any given time or under a specific load. Most winch ratings are generally limited by the maximum amperage draw, with right around 400 being the cut-off point. Anymore than that would most likely damage the power source or charging system. In order to reduce the amperage usually the gear ratio will need to be increased numerically, to relive the motor from the increasing stress, however, this will also reduce the line speed at the same time.

Read the manufacturer's warranty as they vary widely in warranty coverage time from a few months to years as well as what the warranty covers. Also consider serviceability in the event that the winch breaks. Can you find a service center that will fix it for you or can you order parts to fix it yourself?

Drum Clutch - Also known as a "dog-clutch" or "jaw clutch", consists of two or more drive lugs which engage similar driven lugs to transmit torque to the cable drum. Free Spooling - The operation of manually unspooling wire rope from the cable drum by pulling on the free end of the rope while the cable drum is disconnected (declutched) from its power train.

The brake on a winch is used to hold the load in place when the winch motor is not in use and to prevent the winch from freespooling. Different brake types are used from winch to winch and is partially dependant on the type of gear train within the winch.

Winch controls vary from a hard-wired 10, 12 or 15 foot long lead to wireless controls or both. If the type of control matters to your application, review what options are available.

Wire rope refers to the steel cable included with most winches. The diameter of the wire rope typically is 5/16" and length varies. Some winches come from factory with a synthetic rope such as AmSteel braided Rope, which has many advantages over wire rope including increased strength, lighter weight and does not recoil like steel rope if it breaks during a pull.

The drum size refers to the size and diameter of the spool that holds the winch wire rope cable. The larger the drum size, the greater length of wire rope the spool is able to hold.

Electric winches rely on the battery for power and not the alternator. An automotive battery is designed to supply a large draw of amps from the battery in a short period of time, such as when you start your engine. Alternators typically supply under 100 amps. A winch during the pull may demand 400 or more amps from your electric system. It is the job of the battery to supply the the power. Therefore it is important that your battery is capable of supplying the required power. Manufacturers of winches typically recommend a Battery that can supply 650 CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) minimum for winching. Battery Leads to the winch should be at least 2 gauge and shorter than 72" (1.83m).

Overall dimensions refers to the length, width and height of the entire winch. These numbers are important if you have limited space to install your winch.

The mounting bolt pattern is the bolts that attach the winch to the winch plate or winch bumper. 10" x 4.5" is a common pattern for most winches.

The weight of a winch can vary considerably. If overall weight is important, the winch is one place where model selection can trim a good deal of pounds. Also consider synthetic rope to cut further pounds.

The Drum diameter & Gear Ratio have a direct effect on pulling power while affecting line speed at the same time. The width of the drum determines the inevitable loss of pulling power as the cable spools in. As the layers on the drum increase, the effective gear ratio drops reducing the pulling power. The narrower the drum, the quicker the cable spools up and therefore, looses it's pulling power quicker as compared to a wider drum.

Winches are rated in line pull, and are usually measured pounds (lbs) or kilograms (Kg). The advertised rated line pull is with the first layer of wire rope on the winch drum, a single layer. Line pull is reduced with each layer of wire rope added to the drum.

The line speed on any specific layer that results from rated input speed. It is expressed in feet/minute or meters/minute. This is the length of line that a winch can spool off and on it's drum in one minute. Faster line speeds provide quicker winch pulls and are generally found in more expensive winches.

An ampere, or amp, represents the amount of current in a circuit at any given time or under a specific load. Most winch ratings are generally limited by the maximum amperage draw, with right around 400 being the cut-off point. Anymore than that would most likely damage the power source or charging system. In order to reduce the amperage usually the gear ratio will need to be increased numerically, to relive the motor from the increasing stress, however, this will also reduce the line speed at the same time.

Read the manufacturer's warranty as they vary widely in warranty coverage time from a few months to years as well as what the warranty covers. Also consider serviceability in the event that the winch breaks. Can you find a service center that will fix it for you or can you order parts to fix it yourself?

Drum Clutch - Also known as a "dog-clutch" or "jaw clutch", consists of two or more drive lugs which engage similar driven lugs to transmit torque to the cable drum. Free Spooling - The operation of manually unspooling wire rope from the cable drum by pulling on the free end of the rope while the cable drum is disconnected (declutched) from its power train.

The brake on a winch is used to hold the load in place when the winch motor is not in use and to prevent the winch from freespooling. Different brake types are used from winch to winch and is partially dependant on the type of gear train within the winch.

Winch controls vary from a hard-wired 10, 12 or 15 foot long lead to wireless controls or both. If the type of control matters to your application, review what options are available.

Wire rope refers to the steel cable included with most winches. The diameter of the wire rope typically is 5/16" and length varies. Some winches come from factory with a synthetic rope such as AmSteel braided Rope, which has many advantages over wire rope including increased strength, lighter weight and does not recoil like steel rope if it breaks during a pull.

The drum size refers to the size and diameter of the spool that holds the winch wire rope cable. The larger the drum size, the greater length of wire rope the spool is able to hold.

Electric winches rely on the battery for power and not the alternator. An automotive battery is designed to supply a large draw of amps from the battery in a short period of time, such as when you start your engine. Alternators typically supply under 100 amps. A winch during the pull may demand 400 or more amps from your electric system. It is the job of the battery to supply the the power. Therefore it is important that your battery is capable of supplying the required power. Manufacturers of winches typically recommend a Battery that can supply 650 CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) minimum for winching. Battery Leads to the winch should be at least 2 gauge and shorter than 72" (1.83m).

Overall dimensions refers to the length, width and height of the entire winch. These numbers are important if you have limited space to install your winch.

The mounting bolt pattern is the bolts that attach the winch to the winch plate or winch bumper. 10" x 4.5" is a common pattern for most winches.

The weight of a winch can vary considerably. If overall weight is important, the winch is one place where model selection can trim a good deal of pounds. Also consider synthetic rope to cut further pounds.

The Drum diameter & Gear Ratio have a direct effect on pulling power while affecting line speed at the same time. The width of the drum determines the inevitable loss of pulling power as the cable spools in. As the layers on the drum increase, the effective gear ratio drops reducing the pulling power. The narrower the drum, the quicker the cable spools up and therefore, looses it's pulling power quicker as compared to a wider drum.

Winches are rated in line pull, and are usually measured pounds (lbs) or kilograms (Kg). The advertised rated line pull is with the first layer of wire rope on the winch drum, a single layer. Line pull is reduced with each layer of wire rope added to the drum.

The line speed on any specific layer that results from rated input speed. It is expressed in feet/minute or meters/minute. This is the length of line that a winch can spool off and on it's drum in one minute. Faster line speeds provide quicker winch pulls and are generally found in more expensive winches.

An ampere, or amp, represents the amount of current in a circuit at any given time or under a specific load. Most winch ratings are generally limited by the maximum amperage draw, with right around 400 being the cut-off point. Anymore than that would most likely damage the power source or charging system. In order to reduce the amperage usually the gear ratio will need to be increased numerically, to relive the motor from the increasing stress, however, this will also reduce the line speed at the same time.

Read the manufacturer's warranty as they vary widely in warranty coverage time from a few months to years as well as what the warranty covers. Also consider serviceability in the event that the winch breaks. Can you find a service center that will fix it for you or can you order parts to fix it yourself?

Drum Clutch - Also known as a "dog-clutch" or "jaw clutch", consists of two or more drive lugs which engage similar driven lugs to transmit torque to the cable drum. Free Spooling - The operation of manually unspooling wire rope from the cable drum by pulling on the free end of the rope while the cable drum is disconnected (declutched) from its power train.

The brake on a winch is used to hold the load in place when the winch motor is not in use and to prevent the winch from freespooling. Different brake types are used from winch to winch and is partially dependant on the type of gear train within the winch.

Winch controls vary from a hard-wired 10, 12 or 15 foot long lead to wireless controls or both. If the type of control matters to your application, review what options are available.

Wire rope refers to the steel cable included with most winches. The diameter of the wire rope typically is 5/16" and length varies. Some winches come from factory with a synthetic rope such as AmSteel braided Rope, which has many advantages over wire rope including increased strength, lighter weight and does not recoil like steel rope if it breaks during a pull.

The drum size refers to the size and diameter of the spool that holds the winch wire rope cable. The larger the drum size, the greater length of wire rope the spool is able to hold.

Electric winches rely on the battery for power and not the alternator. An automotive battery is designed to supply a large draw of amps from the battery in a short period of time, such as when you start your engine. Alternators typically supply under 100 amps. A winch during the pull may demand 400 or more amps from your electric system. It is the job of the battery to supply the the power. Therefore it is important that your battery is capable of supplying the required power. Manufacturers of winches typically recommend a Battery that can supply 650 CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) minimum for winching. Battery Leads to the winch should be at least 2 gauge and shorter than 72" (1.83m).

Overall dimensions refers to the length, width and height of the entire winch. These numbers are important if you have limited space to install your winch.

The mounting bolt pattern is the bolts that attach the winch to the winch plate or winch bumper. 10" x 4.5" is a common pattern for most winches.

The weight of a winch can vary considerably. If overall weight is important, the winch is one place where model selection can trim a good deal of pounds. Also consider synthetic rope to cut further pounds.

The Drum diameter & Gear Ratio have a direct effect on pulling power while affecting line speed at the same time. The width of the drum determines the inevitable loss of pulling power as the cable spools in. As the layers on the drum increase, the effective gear ratio drops reducing the pulling power. The narrower the drum, the quicker the cable spools up and therefore, looses it's pulling power quicker as compared to a wider drum.

Winches are rated in line pull, and are usually measured pounds (lbs) or kilograms (Kg). The advertised rated line pull is with the first layer of wire rope on the winch drum, a single layer. Line pull is reduced with each layer of wire rope added to the drum.

The line speed on any specific layer that results from rated input speed. It is expressed in feet/minute or meters/minute. This is the length of line that a winch can spool off and on it's drum in one minute. Faster line speeds provide quicker winch pulls and are generally found in more expensive winches.

An ampere, or amp, represents the amount of current in a circuit at any given time or under a specific load. Most winch ratings are generally limited by the maximum amperage draw, with right around 400 being the cut-off point. Anymore than that would most likely damage the power source or charging system. In order to reduce the amperage usually the gear ratio will need to be increased numerically, to relive the motor from the increasing stress, however, this will also reduce the line speed at the same time.

Read the manufacturer's warranty as they vary widely in warranty coverage time from a few months to years as well as what the warranty covers. Also consider serviceability in the event that the winch breaks. Can you find a service center that will fix it for you or can you order parts to fix it yourself?

Drum Clutch - Also known as a "dog-clutch" or "jaw clutch", consists of two or more drive lugs which engage similar driven lugs to transmit torque to the cable drum. Free Spooling - The operation of manually unspooling wire rope from the cable drum by pulling on the free end of the rope while the cable drum is disconnected (declutched) from its power train.

The brake on a winch is used to hold the load in place when the winch motor is not in use and to prevent the winch from freespooling. Different brake types are used from winch to winch and is partially dependant on the type of gear train within the winch.

Winch controls vary from a hard-wired 10, 12 or 15 foot long lead to wireless controls or both. If the type of control matters to your application, review what options are available.

Wire rope refers to the steel cable included with most winches. The diameter of the wire rope typically is 5/16" and length varies. Some winches come from factory with a synthetic rope such as AmSteel braided Rope, which has many advantages over wire rope including increased strength, lighter weight and does not recoil like steel rope if it breaks during a pull.

The drum size refers to the size and diameter of the spool that holds the winch wire rope cable. The larger the drum size, the greater length of wire rope the spool is able to hold.

Electric winches rely on the battery for power and not the alternator. An automotive battery is designed to supply a large draw of amps from the battery in a short period of time, such as when you start your engine. Alternators typically supply under 100 amps. A winch during the pull may demand 400 or more amps from your electric system. It is the job of the battery to supply the the power. Therefore it is important that your battery is capable of supplying the required power. Manufacturers of winches typically recommend a Battery that can supply 650 CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) minimum for winching. Battery Leads to the winch should be at least 2 gauge and shorter than 72" (1.83m).

Overall dimensions refers to the length, width and height of the entire winch. These numbers are important if you have limited space to install your winch.

The mounting bolt pattern is the bolts that attach the winch to the winch plate or winch bumper. 10" x 4.5" is a common pattern for most winches.

The weight of a winch can vary considerably. If overall weight is important, the winch is one place where model selection can trim a good deal of pounds. Also consider synthetic rope to cut further pounds.

The Drum diameter & Gear Ratio have a direct effect on pulling power while affecting line speed at the same time. The width of the drum determines the inevitable loss of pulling power as the cable spools in. As the layers on the drum increase, the effective gear ratio drops reducing the pulling power. The narrower the drum, the quicker the cable spools up and therefore, looses it's pulling power quicker as compared to a wider drum.

Winches are rated in line pull, and are usually measured pounds (lbs) or kilograms (Kg). The advertised rated line pull is with the first layer of wire rope on the winch drum, a single layer. Line pull is reduced with each layer of wire rope added to the drum.

The line speed on any specific layer that results from rated input speed. It is expressed in feet/minute or meters/minute. This is the length of line that a winch can spool off and on it's drum in one minute. Faster line speeds provide quicker winch pulls and are generally found in more expensive winches.

An ampere, or amp, represents the amount of current in a circuit at any given time or under a specific load. Most winch ratings are generally limited by the maximum amperage draw, with right around 400 being the cut-off point. Anymore than that would most likely damage the power source or charging system. In order to reduce the amperage usually the gear ratio will need to be increased numerically, to relive the motor from the increasing stress, however, this will also reduce the line speed at the same time.

Read the manufacturer's warranty as they vary widely in warranty coverage time from a few months to years as well as what the warranty covers. Also consider serviceability in the event that the winch breaks. Can you find a service center that will fix it for you or can you order parts to fix it yourself?

Drum Clutch - Also known as a "dog-clutch" or "jaw clutch", consists of two or more drive lugs which engage similar driven lugs to transmit torque to the cable drum. Free Spooling - The operation of manually unspooling wire rope from the cable drum by pulling on the free end of the rope while the cable drum is disconnected (declutched) from its power train.

The brake on a winch is used to hold the load in place when the winch motor is not in use and to prevent the winch from freespooling. Different brake types are used from winch to winch and is partially dependant on the type of gear train within the winch.

Winch controls vary from a hard-wired 10, 12 or 15 foot long lead to wireless controls or both. If the type of control matters to your application, review what options are available.

Wire rope refers to the steel cable included with most winches. The diameter of the wire rope typically is 5/16" and length varies. Some winches come from factory with a synthetic rope such as AmSteel braided Rope, which has many advantages over wire rope including increased strength, lighter weight and does not recoil like steel rope if it breaks during a pull.

The drum size refers to the size and diameter of the spool that holds the winch wire rope cable. The larger the drum size, the greater length of wire rope the spool is able to hold.

Electric winches rely on the battery for power and not the alternator. An automotive battery is designed to supply a large draw of amps from the battery in a short period of time, such as when you start your engine. Alternators typically supply under 100 amps. A winch during the pull may demand 400 or more amps from your electric system. It is the job of the battery to supply the the power. Therefore it is important that your battery is capable of supplying the required power. Manufacturers of winches typically recommend a Battery that can supply 650 CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) minimum for winching. Battery Leads to the winch should be at least 2 gauge and shorter than 72" (1.83m).

Overall dimensions refers to the length, width and height of the entire winch. These numbers are important if you have limited space to install your winch.

The mounting bolt pattern is the bolts that attach the winch to the winch plate or winch bumper. 10" x 4.5" is a common pattern for most winches.

The weight of a winch can vary considerably. If overall weight is important, the winch is one place where model selection can trim a good deal of pounds. Also consider synthetic rope to cut further pounds.

The Drum diameter & Gear Ratio have a direct effect on pulling power while affecting line speed at the same time. The width of the drum determines the inevitable loss of pulling power as the cable spools in. As the layers on the drum increase, the effective gear ratio drops reducing the pulling power. The narrower the drum, the quicker the cable spools up and therefore, looses it's pulling power quicker as compared to a wider drum.

Winches are rated in line pull, and are usually measured pounds (lbs) or kilograms (Kg). The advertised rated line pull is with the first layer of wire rope on the winch drum, a single layer. Line pull is reduced with each layer of wire rope added to the drum.

The line speed on any specific layer that results from rated input speed. It is expressed in feet/minute or meters/minute. This is the length of line that a winch can spool off and on it's drum in one minute. Faster line speeds provide quicker winch pulls and are generally found in more expensive winches.

An ampere, or amp, represents the amount of current in a circuit at any given time or under a specific load. Most winch ratings are generally limited by the maximum amperage draw, with right around 400 being the cut-off point. Anymore than that would most likely damage the power source or charging system. In order to reduce the amperage usually the gear ratio will need to be increased numerically, to relive the motor from the increasing stress, however, this will also reduce the line speed at the same time.