Why Electric Winches?

12-volt winch comparison review
18/08/2017

Why Electric Winches?

Bumper & Winch Mounting Kits

The fact that this guide focuses solely on electric winches is not a sleight in any way to trusty hydraulic counterparts. In fact, many off road enthusiasts would tell you that hydraulic winches are the only way to fly. In either case, both hydraulic and electric winches have advantages and disadvantages.

Here’s a quick comparison of the two for anyone who needs to be brought up to speed:

Electric Winches
An electric winch is exactly as its name would suggest: it is electrically powered by a vehicle’s battery, and as a result its duty cycle is limited by the amount of juice in your battery. Oftentimes, it is wise to run your engine while operating an electric winch to prevent your battery from fully draining.
Hydraulic Winches
A hydraulic winch is powered by a vehicle’s power steering pump. What this means is that they are capable of an extended, seemingly endless duty cycle for longer pulls and a persistent flow of pulling power.

Again, Why Electric Winches?

On the outset, it may seem like hydraulic winches are clearly superior to electric winches. This is true from a conceptual standpoint, but in practice, each has its benefits and detriments.

Essentially, there’s no wrong decision either way. But what this guide boils down to is the fact that electric winches are far more universal. There are many more models of electric winches available, and they can be installed on just about any vehicle with universal mounting kits. Additionally, they are much easier to install or remove, and often include more choices in slick features than their hydraulic counterparts.

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