The Winch Using Guide for Beginners

Winching is the act of pulling out your vehicle when it is stuck. It may seem very difficult and even dangerous to the average people and beginners, and let us tell you, it can be but only if you don’t do it right.

In fact, the steps to follow in winching correctly require not much physical strength, action, or knowledge. All you need to know are the parts and how the winch system or machine works.

And our winch using guide for beginners will teach you everything you need to learn to get started. Get familiar with using your winch the right way!

The Main Components and Parts

Before we get started on using the winch, it is essential to understand what the part and components in a winch stand for and their purpose. This will make it easier to follow through, so let us get familiar with them!

Motor

For electric motors, the vehicle’s battery powers it. Keeping it on for too long will eventually drain out the battery of your vehicle. The motor powers the gear train and causes the drum to turn.

Gear Train

The gear train or system, with the help of the motor's power, is responsible for the heavy load capacity that the winch rope ends up pulling. So, the better the quality of the gear train, the better the performance you will receive.

Drum

The drum is the part of the machine where the winch line or rope gets wrapped. It is a cylinder shape hollow metal tube and is also commonly called the winch spool. A longer and thin drum size will make it easier to spool the rope.

Winch Rope

This is the part you will use to pull your vehicle out. There are steel cable and synthetic rope. They go through the fairlead and typically get attached to a hook to get a more secure fix while pulling.

Fairlead

The fairlead is the part that goes on the front and acts as a guide for the winch rope when you are pulling it at an angle. It comes in two types: roller fairlead and hawse fairlead. These fairleads also protect the winch rope from damages.

Brake System

The machine comes with an internal built-in braking system. This brake gets into action when the motor stops, thus stopping the winch rope from getting pulled any further when there is a load on the other side.

Remote Control

The remote controller is there to control which direction you want the winching to happen. It is also handy for keeping yourself away from the winching location while controlling everything. You can find both wired and wireless remotes.

Clutch

The clutch has two settings: engaged and free-spool. When it is in free-spool mode, it will allow the drum to continue rotating while pulling the rope. And when the engaged setting is on, it will lock the drum in place to prevent further winch rope from pulling out.

Winch Using Guide for Beginners

There are roughly three steps you have to go through when you are using the winch. First is the rigging process, then pulling out your vehicle, and lastly, the unrigging process. It is not so difficult, so let us go through it step by step.

Step One: Winch Rigging

Rigging includes the setup process of attaching it to a stable object. There are actually a few steps you need to remember and some important ones you don’t want to miss.

First is your safety. Remember to wear gloves during the entire process, especially handling the ropes.

Next, find that stable object or anchor point you want to connect your vehicle for winching. If you have trees nearby, avoid ones that are dead since they can actually break-off during winching.

Now, it is time to release the winch rope from the system. Use the lever to disengage it.

Start by pulling a moderate amount of rope first, then continue pulling till it reaches the anchor point. If it turns out short, look for another one that is close to the vehicle.

Once you have found the perfect one, wrap the pole or tree trunk with a tree trunk protector. Make sure to wrap it at its bottom, so it forms a secure and leveled line while pulling.

Then, use the D-ring shackle to hook both the tree trunk protector’s loops together. Keep it a little loose to avoid any power loss during the process.

Next, use the hook at the end of your winch rope to hook it to the D-ring shackle.

After hooking it up, lock the clutch to make sure no excess cable pulls out while winching.

To make it absolutely secure, use the remote controller to pull the rope until there is tension. You don't want to pull fast, use the controller to pull the winch rope back slowly.

Step Two: Pulling Out the Vehicle

After doing all the steps above correctly, it is time to pull out your stuck vehicle to safety.

Before starting, make sure no one is around the system. Don’t stand in between the rope or nearby and also near the vehicle.

Get in your vehicle’s driver seat and use the remote controller to pull. Make sure the controller’s cable is out of the way.

Just like before, pull slow and steady until the vehicle is out and not stuck anymore. Remember to do the process with continuous breaks to prevent the motor from overheating and also to save battery life.

Press the gas pedal in the process to help move the vehicle out faster. Once it is out on stable land, stop winching by pressing the off button on the remote.

Again, press the gas pedal to get your vehicle moving and out of the area.

Step Three: Winch Unrigging

After taking your vehicle out safely, it is time to unrig the system as before.

Start by taking the hook out of the D-ring shackle.

Next, use the remote control to pull the winch rope back and wrapped around the drum.

Make sure the winch rope gets wrapped properly without tangling. Take your time during this step as it will only become frustratingly difficult when you use it the next time.

Then, unplug the remote control from your vehicle. Do it as soon as you are done with the previous step, as it can slowly but surely drain the vehicle's battery if forgotten.

Take out the tree trunk protector and the D-ring shackle like before. Make sure to store these and the remote in a safe and dry place.

Final Words

Hope this winch using guide for beginners helped you clear all the misunderstandings and confusion regarding winching. As long as you follow the steps properly, it won’t be difficult or dangerous.

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