Utility Terrain Vehicles, or UTVs, are heavy-duty, powerful vehicles. Generally, UTVs are mainly used for work purposes rather than recreational activities, though you can use them for both. UTVs have a more passenger-friendly design with side-by-side passenger seats. It is essential to take proper precautions when hauling heavy loads or recreational activities[1]. You should always equip a UTV with a UTV winch, which would provide you with the required assistance in difficult situations.
What is a UTV Winch?
Most heavy-duty vehicles are equipped with a winch. Winches are devices designed like heavy-duty spools often seen on the back of towing trucks and off-road vehicles like ATVs, UTVs, etc. A winch in its basic form features a horizontal rotating drum, which is wounded by a cable or rope. Since UTVs are mainly used for work purposes, having a UTV winch is necessary. A UTV winch is generally mounted on the front or rear part of the UTV. It makes the vehicle versatile and helps to haul large and heavy loads.
How to determine what size winch you need?
When buying a UTV winch, there are many factors that one needs to take into consideration to make sure that the winch is compatible with their UTV. If you are getting a winch for the first time and have little or no idea about UTV winches, one of the first things that you would need to consider is the size of the winch. As there are various models of UTV with different capacities, UTV winches are also designed in different sizes, making them compatible with particular UTVs.
Pairing a big winch with a small vehicle can be destructive for the vehicle, and pairing a small winch with a large vehicle can overload the winch. The capacity and pulling power of the winch also depend on the size of the winch. To determine the size, you can follow a general rule of thumb: if you take the gross vehicle weight and multiply it by 1.5, you will get an estimation of the pulling rate.
Though you cannot use this method for all winch applications; for instance, if you are winching on an incline like on hilly terrain, you would need more pulling power, for which you should opt for a large UTV winch. Getting a larger winch will be a problem in case you do not have enough space to accommodate it. Generally, for a UTV, buying a winch with at least a pulling capacity of 4000 pounds is recommended.
If you have a UTV for doing heavy-duty work or anything in the mud, you should go for a winch with a 4500 to 5000 pounds pulling rate. You can follow the given steps to determine the size of the UTV winch.
Step 1: Know the weight of the vehicle
It is important to know the gross vehicle weight as it helps you find out the winch’s pulling rate. To find the pulling capacity, you would need to multiply the gross vehicle weight by 1.5. For a UTV, a winch with 4500 to 5000 is most suitable.
Step 2: Choose the winch line type
Two types of winch cable are mainly used in the winch line- wire rope and synthetic rope. The two types are used in a winch according to the purpose that they are meant to serve. Wire rope is generally made of aircraft-grade galvanized steel[2], which provides resistance against corrosion. Working with a wire rope winch line requires the user to wear thick gloves as they can fray and injure ungloved hands.
On the other hand, a synthetic rope has a polymer construct, making the winch line sturdy, lightweight and flexible. It also has a higher tensile strength and is said to be 25 per cent to 40 per cent stronger than steel cable[3]. However, it is not resistant to heat and abrasion.
Step 3: Choose the winch
Once you have gained the basic idea, you can start looking for winches. You will find many manufacturers and brands of the winch in the market. It is essential to check out UTV winches from all reputed brands and compare them, and only then should you buy one, as the quality, functionality, and features differ from brand to brand.
Things to take care while choosing winch size
Mounting Plate
When buying a UTV winch, you must decide how to mount the winch on your vehicle. Most UTVs donors have a dedicated spot for mounting the winch on it, which makes it necessary for you to think about it in advance. It is essential to ensure you have a winch mounting plate, as a winch without a mount will be no use. Proper installation make sure that your winch won’t break away from your UTV
Mounting plates of most brands have a universal design so they can fit winches of all brands. Although, you do need to make sure before you buy a mounting plate that it is suitable for the type of vehicle you own and will be able to support the line pull capacity of the winch.
Ride style and application
The type of winch you are willing to buy also depends on the riding style and the work in which the winch will be applied. As one can use a UTV winch for work and recreational activities, the winch you will buy must be suitable for that particular application.
If the UTV is used for such works where it can get stuck or involves pulling heavy items, you would need a high solid, capacity winch which will be able to provide the necessary assistance and a smooth pulling motion. Similarly, if the winch is applied for more simple tasks, buying a winch with a high weight rating will be useless and a waste of money.
Machine Size
Determining whether the winch can handle the vehicle’s weight is essential. Therefore, when buying a winch, the size of the winch is a crucial factor to consider. Usually, for a UTV, it is generally suggested to buy a winch on the larger end.
To properly determine the compatible size of the winch, you can follow the general rule of thumb, which states that if you multiply the gross vehicle weight which the winch manufacturer gives by 1.5, it will provide you with the pulling capacity. A winch with a rated pulling capacity of about 1.5 times the gross weight of the ATV is considered suitable for the job.
Short drum or wide drum
All winches feature a winch drum which is an essential part of the winch system, as the winch rope or cable is wrapped around it. Generally, the two types of winch drums differ in width and are categorized into short and wide drums. Each type has its own purpose of serving, and the type used depends on the brand and type of winch. Therefore, when buying an ATV winch, it is essential to check the drum size.
When deciding whether one should buy a winch for a UTV with a short or a wide drum, it is always recommended to opt for a winch with a wide drum. A wide winch drum has more surface area, as a result of which it is able to have more winch cable or rope in comparison to a short drum winch.
A long winch line is very beneficial as it will assist you in reaching your vehicle anchor point with your hook more quickly, without much struggle. The main benefit of having a wide drum winch over a short drum is that it provides an additional length of the winch line along the bottom part, which is highly impacted by the pulling force. If the space in which you will be working is not ample, a short drum winch will be the better option.
Cable type
The winch line is an essential component of the winch system, as the strength of the winch is determined by the sturdiness of the winch line. Therefore, it is crucial to choose a suitable type of winch line. There are mainly two winch lines – synthetic rope and steel cable. Different winches have different winch lines based on the work for which the winch is designed and the brand. Each winch line type has its purpose of serving.
A steel cable winch line is the most common and is recommended by many seasoned wheelers for apparent reasons. When it comes to utility work in an abrasive environment, it is recommended to use a steel cable winch line. Steel cable is sturdy, durable, reliable and requires little maintenance.
If you are planning to use the winch in rugged terrain where you might encounter rocks or tree stumps, it is better to buy a winch with a steel cable winch line, as steel cable is resistant to abrasion. Usually, steel rope is more affordable and is also resistant to heat. Although, a steel winch line can break and corrode over time. If you are working with a steel cable winch line, it is highly recommended to wear gloves as steel cable often gets kinks and barbs. Steel rope is heavy and is more prone to breakage as it stores more kinetic energy under load.
Synthetic rope has also gained popularity over the last two decades and is a solid option if your work involves handling the winch line with your hands. A synthetic rope has a super light polythene construct, making it easy to handle, repair, and spool. When working with a synthetic rope winch line, the chances of getting injured or any other damage are meager, as synthetic rope does not get any kinks or barbs.
Also, a synthetic rope does not store much kinetic energy under load; therefore, less prone to breaking under load. However, synthetic rope is more expensive than steel cable and is not resistant to abrasion. As a result, it gets damaged easily. Also, a synthetic winch line requires regular maintenance to prevent the winch line’s service life from degrading. It is not resistant to heat.
Pull capacity or Pulling line rating
The pulling capacity or the pulling line rating of a winch indicates the maximum weight it will be able to pull before it stalls. The pulling line rating on the winch is generally indicated in pounds. It is vital to get a winch that has a suitable pulling capacity for the kind of work in which you will be using the winch.
The pulling power is maximum at the bottom of the winch drum. The pulling line rating is determined by a single layer of winding of the winch line on this part of the drum as the power is maximum. The pulling line rating of the winch decreases as more layers of the winch are wrapped around the winch drum.
If you are going to use the winch for heavy-duty work, it is recommended to do the work with one or two layers of the winch line wrapped around the winch drum, as winding more layers will decrease the pulling line rating. This is called the pulling zone, which helps the winch to pull with fewer efforts and also increases the service life of the winch
Waterproof
It is essential to determine the type of work you will be using the winch as all winches are not resistant to all harsh elements. Therefore, it is best to buy a waterproof winch as it will protect you from harsh elements like water, mud and dust particles that can be detrimental to the winch. Whether the job you will be using the winch involves exposure to water or not, waterproofing is an important feature.
The winch will be exposed to water when driving in rain and snow, which can damage the electrical connection of the winch. To understand the level of waterproofing, you can refer to the Ingress Protection[4] or IP ratings, as it varies from brand to brand. The Ingress Protection or IP ratings indicate the degree of protection from water, dust and other debris that might enter the system. The rating ranges from one to eight, showing different levels of waterproofing.
Generally, it is recommended to buy a winch with an IP68 rating, as it will provide resistance against water, debris, and dust particles and resist submersion up to a maximum depth of 1.5 meters for half an hour.
Your ride style
Everyone has a riding style of their own. How you ride your utility vehicle highly influences the type of winch, you should pair with your vehicle. A UTV can be used for both recreational and work activities. Therefore, the winch you will buy should be compatible with that purpose. For instance, if you use your UTV for off-roading in the countryside, there is a high chance the vehicle will be stuck in the mud.
In such situations, you would need a winch with a strong pulling capacity that can provide you with the necessary assistance to pull you out of such a situation. Similarly, you would need a high weight rating for hauling heavy and large objects. Contrary to this, if you plan to use the winch for more simple tasks like plowing snow, getting a winch with a high weight rating will be unnecessary and cost more money.
Thus, if you own a utility terrain vehicle or UTV, it is a must to pair it up with a suitable winch. The right UTV winch will add to the vehicle’s versatility and provide you with the required assistance to get your job done. Given the wide variety of UTV winches available in the market, it can be difficult to choose the right winch, especially if you are buying it for the first time. There are certain factors that you would need to take into consideration before buying a winch.
Summary
As the size of UTV varies, winches are also made in different sizes so that you can pair them accordingly. One easy rule of thumb is to choose a size winch with a rated pulling capacity of about 1.5 times the vehicle’s gross weight. Besides the size of the winch, other factors like mounting plate, ride style, pulling capacity, whether the winch is waterproof, and you must consider the winch line type.
References
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PowerSportsMuskoka. (2021, April 20). How To Use Your UTV Recreationally – Muskoka ATV. Muskoka ATV. https://powersportsmuskoka.com/a-guide-to-using-your-utv-for-recreational-purposes/
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Chouhan, S., & Butola, B. S. (2023). Exploration of UV absorbing functional materials and their advanced applications. In Elsevier eBooks (pp. 187–243). https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-323-85788-8.00013-6
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Simons, V. (2020). Synthetic Winch Rope vs Cable, Which is Best. MotorTrend. https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/wire-vs-synthetic-winch-rope/
IP ratings | IEC. (n.d.). https://www.iec.ch/ip-ratings
