A 12v winch is one of the most useful pieces of equipment anyone with a trailer can own. Before you purchase one, though, it is important to take a few minutes to consider what use or uses you intend to put yours to.
12v winches come in a variety of sizes, capacities, and price ranges. While it is always better to get one a bit heavier than you think you need, there is no need to overdo this. If you plan to use your winch to pull a 300 pound ATV onto its trailer after a day of off roading in the desert, there is no need to purchase a winch designed to pull a full-size pickup truck onto a flatbed truck. Not only will the radically oversized winch be more expensive, heavier, and harder to store and move around, but the additional torque could end up damaging your lightweight vehicle if you neglect to stop it in time.
If you plan to use your winch for a variety of purposes, select a model with enough torque to lift the maximum weight of the heaviest load you think you will inflict on it and then add an additional ten percent to that figure just to be safe. If you are buying a winch to replace the manual winch on your boat trailer, make sure you opt for a marine grade unit. Marine grade winches are not only designed to resist short circuiting if they get wet, but they are made of corrosion resistant materials that will not rust in a saltwater environment.
Your new 12v winch will generally come with a cable rated at or beyond the weight capacity of the unit but, if you replace the cable, be sure to get one that is at least as heavy as the original. Nylon straps are superior to steel cable for most applications, as they are at least as strong, don’t fray when bent and never rust.
