How to Use a Winch

Whether you're a seasoned adventurer or a weekend warrior, knowing how to properly use a winch is essential for tackling tough terrains and unforeseen challenges. A winch not only provides peace of mind but also opens up possibilities for solo travel and remote explorations. In this guide, we'll walk you through selecting the right winch, key components to remember, safe winching techniques, and maintenance tips to ensure your winch remains reliable when you need it most.


Choosing the Right Winch

Capacity: Choose a winch with a 12,000lb capacity for most non-competition uses. Higher capacity is more reliable.

Foot-Forward or Foot-Down: Ensure the winch fits your vehicle’s bullbar. Most Australian bullbars suit foot-down winches.

Fairlead and Winch Rope Type: Opt for synthetic winch ropes over metal cables. Use a Hawse fairlead for synthetic ropes.

Important Winch Components

Clutch/Free-Spool: Prefer winches with a free-spooling option for ease of use.

Wired or Wireless Remote: Wireless remotes can fail; always carry the wired option.

Isolator: Ensure your winch has an isolator to prevent battery drain.

How to Use a Winch Safely

  1. Positioning: Never stand between the winch and the anchor point.
  2. Components: Use synthetic soft shackles over metal ones. Always use a dampener on the winch rope.

Connecting to Your Winch Point

Off Another Car: Avoid using the tow ball. Use a recovery hitch or suitable chassis point.

From a Tree: Use a tree-trunk protector and soft shackles. Never connect to a snatch strap.

Operating the Winch

Leave the Car Running: Keep the car running during and after winching to prevent battery drain.

Assist by Driving: Drive while winching except in soft conditions like salt lakes.

Double Line Pull: Use a pulley for increased pulling power.

Using Maxtrax: Combine Maxtrax with winching to help the vehicle get out of deep bogs.

Winch Maintenance

Every 6 Weeks: Free spool the rope and winch up a slight incline to maintain tension.

Every 24 Months: Check motor brushes, clean, and re-grease the gearbox.

Winch Rope Cleaning: Rinse with a garden hose, soak in soapy water, and re-spool under load.

Battery Capacity

Requirements: Use a battery with at least 750 CCA. Consider a second starting battery for reliability.