A winch can be one of the most viable options when it comes to recovering a vehicle out of strife during off-roading, particularly when you’re travelling without any other vehicles. What is a winch? A winch is a mechanical device that consists of a rope, chain or wire cable that is wound around a rotating spool called a winch drum. The rope spins rapidly with the help of the car’s battery or a power steering pump that helps in pulling out one’s car from being bogged or stranded. What kind of a winch? The three main types of winch that are sold in the market include the power take-off winch, hydraulic winch and an electric winch. However, these winches might be a wise choice for frequent off-roaders. The ones who do not take their 4x4s on tough terrains often can opt for a mechanical one. This not only saves the driver from unnecessary expenses of getting an electric one installed but also reduces the weight of the fixated equipment on the vehicle. A mechanical winch is favourable under several circumstances as it can be carried anytime and does not need to be mounted on the vehicle. The option to use the winch at the rear should not be understated, as the easiest way out of a stuck predicament is going back the way you came in. However, even mechanical winches have their own disadvantages. This includes its availability during unprecedented situations and needless to say, the physical efforts required to operate it. On the other hand, being a frequent 4×4 driver, using a mechanical winch might become exhausting. Hence, one can use an electric winch which is connected to the car’s power system that provides with the required amount of power to extract the vehicle. Setting up the mount One of the most common ways to mount a winch is to do so on to a bull bar. However, one must make sure to have a winch-compatible bull-bar to ease the mounting. At Ironman 4×4 we have a wide range of bullbars available for a host of 4x4s. Most of all the winch-compatible bull-bars come with a winch cradle with standardised mounting holes to accept many winch brands of varying capacities. Steel cable or synthetic rope? Occasional 4×4 drivers with a mechanical winch do not possess the option to have synthetic ropes. However, when it comes to electric winches, synthetic ropes are now been considered as a viable option. Until a few decades back no synthetic ropes were developed which was strong enough to safely pull out the vehicle. However, they are one of the most widely used options majorly because of its weight which can make the equipment 10 to 15kgs lighter. Winch accessories Mounting your winch and choosing the right rope is, however, not the end of the job. In order to successfully carry out winching one might need several accessories including rated shackles, winch extension strap, tree trunk protector, snatch blocks, cable damper and gloves. These additions not only helps in successful winching of the vehicles but also helps keep the ones indulging in the recovery safe. Ironman 4×4 has a wide option of winches to choose from. You can visit our dealers across the Middle East to learn more about our products.