A hydraulic winch is powered by a vehicle’s hydraulic system, making it more powerful and able to operate in water. It also works better in cold weather and doesn’t overheat like electric winches. However, it can only work when the vehicle’s engine is running.
A hydraulic winch works from a vehicle’s hydraulic system, in most cases, the power steering pump. The hydraulic winch doesn’t require a powerful battery to operate and, in most versions, will pull harder and longer than a comparably sized electric unit. The windlass also has the ability to operate completely submerged in water. Perhaps one of the winch’s best attributes is its ability to pull for longer periods than an electric winch without overheating.
Another benefit of the hydraulic winch in vehicular applications is its superior operation in cold climates. Being fed by the vehicle’s power steering pump, the hydraulic fluid is preheated before entering the winch motor. This warm hydraulic fluid keeps the winch motor warm and ready to operate even in cold weather. The hot winch is able to pull harder than a cold winch and produces better results.
An electric motor produces heat and can draw huge amounts of energy from a battery. When the winch encounters difficult pulling conditions, the motor can start to overheat. Your electric winch can lose power and start damaging the winch motor, often the first time you use the winch. This results in a weaker and less effective winch with each use of the device.
The hydraulic winch is not damaged by ordinary use and will not overheat if a difficult pull is presented. The winch will continue to pull with the same force from the start of the pull until it is completed. It is seldom necessary to have the engine of the winch vehicle run at any speed above idle to operate the winch. The vehicle’s power steering pump supplies the required power from idle speed.
A major disadvantage of the hydraulic winch is that the winch will only work while the vehicle’s engine is running. In some circumstances, this can be an obstacle to the winch’s usefulness. Another drawback is that a broken power steering line not only makes the vehicle harder to steer, it also renders the winch inoperable.
The battery system in any vehicle is designed to operate at high power for a short time, such as when starting the engine. Your winch is designed to operate at full power for extended periods of time. Therein lies the main problem with an electric winch. The vehicle battery and charging system is overloaded when attempting to power the winch. The hydraulic winch may be the best answer to reliability and durability in a vehicle mounted winch system.
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