Winches & Accessories

Winches come in a range of different pulling capacities and in two basic forms, manual and electric. Manual winches are hand cranked and designed for lighter loads. Commonly found on boat trailers and used as recovery gear for getting the boat onto the trailer. The electric winch is designed for heavier loads and has greater pulling power than a manual winch. Normally found on a the front of a four wheel drive or on a trailer used for towing a vehicle.

They are a simple device made up of an electric motor, reduction gearbox and drum housing the cable. Control buttons for forward and reverse are found on the electric winch and they have a remote control to make it easy to operate. Early versions were a cable remote that plugged into the electric winch, newer ones are a wireless remote giving a greater freedom of movement. They have a clutch arrangement that disengages the motor from the drum and lets the drum with cable to rotate freely. This allows you to easily pull out cable and attach it to what you are winching.

All winches were once fitted with steel cable and a lot of the newer models are now synthetic rope winches. The reason is synthetic rope has some give when winching to smooth out sudden jerks where a steel cable doesn't. Winches need to be built tough, from strong materials so there is less risk to the user operating it as the tension on the winch cable is quite high. The materials found in the cable and links used to connect it to the object being pulled are subject to a lot of strain and their performance needs to exceed the pull rating of the winch.

Without doubt the 4x4 winch has become one of the most popular accessories to add to your vehicle especially for those going off the beaten track. When off track it is your own responsibility to have the tools in your recovery equipment to help you if you get stuck. Outback Australia has limited services and stores so it is added security to have equipment like an electric winch and a snatch strap in case of trouble.

A snatch strap will let you extend the range of your winch cable which can come in very handy in certain situations. You take the tracks at your own risk and they are tough on the vehicle. Such use makes the purchase of a 4x4 winch cheap insurance.

Some good tips to know when using winches are make sure the cable or rope feeds on the cable drum evenly. You don't want it bunched on one side or another and this goes for an electric winch as well. Keep the cable tight when winching in is also important and helps the cable feed onto the drum without causing loops in the cable. This also applies to electric winches. Don't pull the cable out to its fullest extent.

Repco have a range of manual and electric winches in the following brands Repco, Runva, MaxiTrac, Mean Mother and DriveTech to suit your specific requirements. From entry level to professional. Shop the Repco website, browse a catalogue for our latest offers or talk to one of our staff at your local Repco store today to view our whole range of winches & accessories.