Tags:Pulling Winch    Vehicle Winch    Recovery Winch

Winches are a quickly growing product market in the off road parts industry. Along with big name companies like Mile Marker or Warn winches offering up contributions, smaller niche-market companies are beginning to join the fray.

While the general premise of off road recovery and utility has remained the same, new advancements in winch technology make choosing the right winch more difficult than one might suspect.

Whether it's a military-grade Mile Marker hydraulic or sophisticated X-series Warn winches, it's no secret that a winch is a complicated piece of equipment, but then who could expect any differently.

Here we'll take a closer look at several parts that make up a winch, taking into consideration more technical factors that normally go overlooked when ultimately deciding on one to purchase.

The Framework of a Winch

Think of a winch as its own individual vehicle with its own internal components. Listed here are the interrelated pieces that come together to deliver enough power to pull a few tons out of a jam.

Keep in mind that items like winch rope, fairleads, or other such universal winch parts are not the focus here, but rather parts that are factors in the makeup of a winch.

Drivetrain

Winches come in different drivetrain configurations, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. While there is no do-all universal drivetrain system that can handle anything and everything that comes its way, the good news is it's hard to make a wrong choice.

Here are the 3 types of drivetrains most commonly found in winches:

Spur Gear: The basic design of a Spur Gear winch dates back to the 1960s, yet still remains a practical choice today. Spur Gear winches excel at providing dependable winching with a faster line speed than other drivetrain types; however, this comes at the cost of less stability when holding loads, particularly without a strong brake.

Worm Gear: Think of Worm Gear Drivetrains as something of a polar opposite of Spur Gear drivetrains. They specialize in holding and lowering heavy loads, making them ideal for industrial and workman application -- you'll find many tow trucks equipped with Worm Gear drivetrains. On the other hand, the main drawback is their slower pulling speed.

Planetary Gear: Planetary Gear drivetrains are like the healthy median between Spur and Worm Gear ones. They offer middle-ground line speed and load holding, which is more than enough to handle most any situation. Additionally, Planetary Gear drivetrains have been optimized over the years. Their more compact and lightweight composition makes them the most cost-efficient of the 3 drivetrain types. On the downside, heat-accumulation, particularly in or around the brake components, is something of an issue with Planetary Gear drivetrains, and should be monitored closely during operation. The news come from http://www.bossgoo.com