Winches & Accessories

Shop our range of winches, accessories & recovery equipment

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. The electric winch is designed for heavier loads and has greater pulling power than a manual winch. With great brands like Repco, Maxi Trac, Drivetech, Mean Mother and Runva we have all the pulling power you need.

What does a winch do?

A winch is designed to pull a heavy weight that is way beyond the strength of a human being. It is a very simple device consisting of a drum with a cable wrapped around it, a reduction gearbox and either an electric motor or handle to drive it. The new electric winches even have a wireless remote so you don't need to be next to it to operate it. The particular purpose of the winch is a recovery of some description. Rescuing or removing an item from where it is sitting.

Why do I need a winch?

For a boat trailer they are a necessity. You couldn't pull a boat from the water without one. The bigger the boat the more important it is to have a working winch. Car trailers are similar especially if the car being put on the trailer has broken down and can't move under its own power or is damaged. Lastly the 4x4 off roader. A winch on one of these is simply good insurance when travelling off the beaten track. It can help you unstick your vehicle from the surrounding scenery or help a mate unstick theirs.

Synthetic rope verses traditional steel cable on winches

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 can be 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.

4x4 Winch Recovery Gear

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. Even if you don't go off road they look pretty tough mounted on the front of your truck. 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. The purchase of recovery gear such as a winch and snatch strap for your four wheel drive gives you new found confidence on your next trip.

Winching Tips

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. 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 often involves running the cable through your hand so the use of a good pair of leather gloves when winching is essential. Don't pull the cable out to the fullest extent permitted, always leave a few loops on the drum.

You may also be interested in?

Repco have a range of manual and electric winches to suit your specific requirements. From entry level to professional. Browse the Repco website for our latest offers, use our click and collect or click and delivery service or contact your local Repco store. You may also be interested in:

• Vehicles Recovery - Get unbogged using our recovery tracks, hooks, straps and jacks
• 4x4 Accessories - Beef up your trucks body with fender flares , mudflaps, under body armour, front bumpers & rear bumpers
• 12V Air Compressors and Portable Air Compressors- Great for deflating/inflating tyres when travelling across soft sand