A hand winch is akin to a jack. Until you get into a force majeure situation, you don’t even remember about it. But as soon as emergency circumstances arise, you immediately begin to think: “Oh! And why didn’t I buy a winch then? Yes, it's just too late. We have to rely on the help of third parties, which does not always come on time. You will drive like this, for example, into a ditch on a deserted highway in the dead of winter, it will not seem enough. Therefore, useful items, fixtures and tools in the trunk should never be shy. And the winch is included in this set in the first place.
Hand winch - what is it?
Such a winch is a means by which a person acquires the ability to manually move objects weighing more than 2 tons alone. The limit of gravity depends on the model of the winch, as well as the quality and strength of the materials from which it is made. All hand winches are knowledgeable professionalsdivided into three types:
- Chain (chain hand hoists).
- Drums.
- Lever.
But despite the fact that some craftsmen make chain hoists into the category of manual winches, in fact, these lifting devices are not, although the principle of their operation is not far from the principle of the lever variety. Therefore, in the future we will focus on the review of drum and lever winches.
Where is it used?
Such devices can come in handy in the most unexpected cases. In an apartment, of course, there is absolutely no need to have them, but in the garage and trunk of a car, they will not be superfluous. Removing the engine from the car, putting it on wheels or dragging a car that has fallen on its side or a car that has gone off the road back onto the track - all this suggests that a manual winch for a car is an indispensable thing.
It can also be used to deliver building materials to the upper tiers at a construction site, lift heavy things to the attic, it is also indispensable in the utility yard. With its help, the same carcass of cattle for cutting can be pulled to the right place and lifted without resorting to the help of a neighbor.
Drum varieties
Each drum hand winch consists of a frame in which the drum, shafts, gears and other functional devices are built. The rotation of the handle drives the gear train, which, in turn, causes the shaft with the drive gear to rotate. Further, the structure of each variety may be different, but the meaning is reducedto the fact that by turning the handle, the cable is slowly wound onto the drum, thereby ensuring the movement (pulling) of the load to the winch itself and to the object for which it is hooked by the second hook.
Pros of drum winches:
- Versatile and easy to use.
- Can be used alone.
- Allow both lifting and moving loads along the plane.
Cons:
- The device allows you to manipulate objects weighing up to 1300-1500 kg. This is the ceiling for hand drum varieties.
- It may be necessary to secure the winch frame to a stationary object to rotate the handle. Otherwise, when manipulating heavy objects, it becomes difficult, and often impossible, to turn the handle.
More details about the device and functional features of drum varieties in the following video:
Lever varieties
Such a device is simpler and, according to experienced motorists, more reliable. Any lever hand winch, as well as a drum winch, primarily consists of a frame, to which all components of its functionality are attached. Here, winding the cable and transporting the load becomes possible by manipulating the direct lever, that is, moving it back and forth.
The pluses of the device are the same as those of the drum variety, but there are absolutely no minuses. Unless the cable is a bit short, but this is a disease of all manual winches withoutexceptions.
Choice depending on the tasks to be solved
The choice should be based on how much weight you have to manage. A manual winch that is going to be used around the house, that is, dragging a trunk of a fallen tree, lifting a cow carcass on a butcher hook or sending things to the attic, can be any, including a drum winch up to 500-1000 kg. If you are taking a winch with you on an off-road run on ATVs, you should not bother with the load capacity either. But if you are a motorist and often cruise on snowy roads, then you should opt for a more powerful lever model.
Top models
From drum-type winches, models have proven themselves well:
- Sportsman W1000 is a reliable device for moving loads up to 450 kg. Cable length 10 meters, width 5 mm.
- Trailer Winch 11149-4 - hand winch on a nylon belt. Withstands manipulation with weights up to 550 kg.
- TEKTON 5552 is another Western model designed to handle loads over half a ton (1200 pounds). A very strong thing, made of thick steel, but because of this, it is also quite heavy.
- "Caliber LB-1100" is a Russian variant that outperforms Western ones both in power, reliability and durability. Inferior in the length of the cable due to its greater width - 5.6 mm. Designed to work with weights up to 1100 kg.
Of the lever winches, the LR 1, 6 manual winch is rightfully considered the most popular type today. Despite the fact that its declared traction power is up to 1600 kg, the device can handle much more weight. With a dead weight of up to 9 kg, it has a cable of about 9 m. An excellent and reliable device for any motorist.
The following models compete with LR 1, 6:
- MTTM 1, 6 - longer cable length (12 m) but less reliable in power.
- 4ton puller is a Chinese model, even less reliable and less powerful (claimed - 4000 but in fact failed at 1200) than the Russian MTTM. But, despite this, it is popular due to its low price (more than 7 times cheaper than LR-1, 6) and small volume and own weight (3.5 kg, which is more than 3 times less than the weight of LR-1, 6).
- Jun Kaung 2ton is a Taiwanese invention on a belt with a claimed pulling capacity of up to 2000 kg. It fails at 1750 - checked. But despite this, a completely trustworthy copy.
- Jun Kaung 4ton is a more serious Taiwanese piece on a tether. With the declared 4000 kg, when tested by our specialists, it broke at 3800, which is quite good for itself. Whether you're heading out in a sedan or SUV, this item will come in handy in any situation.
Conclusion
The main criterion for choosing hand winches is primarily the thickness of the steel of the frame itself. If it is less than 3 mm, it is best not to buy such a winch, as it will fall apart into parts at the slightest significant load.
You can learn more about the selection criteria for manual winches by watching the following video.
