Traveler Winches Review

A winch is a lifting device comprising a rope or chain around a rotating drum, which turns by crank or motor. When your car gets stuck, you can use a winch attached to the front or back bumper to free the vehicle. It is thus a handy device that you should have in your car at all times. Winches not only help in freeing cars, but they also work in hoisting other items such as bridges.

A winch consists of a cable wire, drum, motor, and gear train. All these components work together in delivering the power needed to free the car.

• The cable wire can be steel or synthetic, and it wraps around the drum to prevent entangling. It can be as long as one hundred feet.
• The drum is circular, and you wrap the wire around this. It rotates thanks to a spool which winds the cable either in or out.
• The drum relies on the motor for power. However, not all winches have a motor, and you only get this feature when you invest in an electric winch.
• A gear train that converts power from the motor into pulling power. With this, you can pull in materials that are in line with the pulling power of the winch.

How do winches work?

You pull out the cable wire and attach it to the material you wish to tow. Once the attachment is firm, you can now turn the motor on, which turns the spool and pulls the cable towards the car. You can now tow the item along. When choosing a winch, it helps to note that there are different kinds of the same. Your choice will depend on the weight of your car. You will find that some machines cannot handle loads that are heavier than one thousand pounds. Others can handle more than this. Figure out what you need and how long you wish to use the winch when making this decision. Do not let price be the leading determinant in this case. 

Safety

A winch is a machine, and you thus run the risk of getting hurt when handling it. You should, therefore, exercise some safety precautions when using this machine.

• For one, you should wear thick gloves to protect your hands when using the machine. It would help if you rewound the cable without it running through your hands. This force can hurt you a lot, even when wearing gloves.
• Secondly, when using a tree as an anchor, aim at the base, as closest to the ground as you can get. If you anchor the cable wire at a high level, you could uproot the tree and thus destabilize the car. When the winch is under a lot of strain, wrap it with a blanket or other such material. In this way, where the winch snaps, it will fall to the ground and will not harm people in the vicinity.
• Three, communication is vital when using machines. When working alongside someone, have signs that you can use to alert each other of problems. In this way, you can deal with emergencies as they occur, reducing the risk of injuries.
• You must stay far from the winch line such that you are safe if it snaps. Else, it could hit and injure you.

Note that you should regularly inspect the state of the winch. Where there is damage in the cable such as frays and rust, ensure that you fix this before using the machine. It also helps to clean the machine as this will help you note any problems from the onset.

Finally, do not hook the cable to itself; else it can easily snap. Use another anchor instead and ensure that the opening of the hook faces upwards.

Winch Selection

How should you choose a winch? It helps to know the factors that you should consider when making a selection. The determinants are as follows:

• The weight rating.
  • One, the weight rating is a critical aspect. Suppose your car weighs seven thousand pounds, the winch should have a rating of at least ten thousand five hundred pounds. Go for a weight rating that is one and a half times the weight of your car. Where you can, aim for a rating that is twice that of your vehicle to provide you with a strong pull. A high rating also assures you of safety.
• The rope.
  • Two, you have to think about the rope. Steel cables are common owing to their high strength. However, they have the downside of being heavy, and when they snap, the damage caused is high. Synthetic ropes are the alternative. They are light and cause less damage when they snap. They have the disadvantage of reduced durability and are hard to maintain.
• The Brand is important.
  • The winch you choose will be the difference between staying safe and getting injured. In some cases, your life may be on the line. You thus have to be choosy when it comes to the brand. This article will delve into Traveler winches, their features, and what people have to say about them. Let’s get started:

Traveler 9000 winch reviews

This electric winch is suitable for use with trucks, snowplows, pickups, and jeeps. It works based on a 12V motor with a 2.8 HP output, with a maximum load of nine thousand pounds. It features automatic braking action coupled with a rubberized remote switch. The roller fairlead ensures there is minimal damage to the wire when you pull from varying angles. It comes with steel rope with a powder coat finish, and the winch weighs 84 pounds on average. You can find useful information on its handling in the traveler 9000 winch manual.

Traveler 3500 ATV winch reviews

This electric winch works for boats, snowplows, and ATVs. It has a permanent magnet DC 12 V 1.3 HP motor on which it relies. It can carry loads of up to three thousand five hundred pounds and features a free spooling clutch and automatic braking action. It comes with a traveler winch remote with a handlebar mount as well as a universal flatbed winch mounting plate. Thanks to the roller fairlead, there is minimal wear and tear on the wire as you work on it from varying angles. It uses a galvanized aircraft cable, and it weighs about twenty-seven pounds.

Traveler 12000

The Traveler 12000 winch manual details how you should use this electric winch. It works for trucks, jeeps, pickups, and snowplows and comes with a 12 V motor with 3.0 HP output. It can carry as much as twelve thousand pounds, and it features automatic braking action. Additional features include a rubberized remote switch, roller fairlead, and a steel cable. It measures about 86 pounds and has a steel finish with powder coating.

Traveler 2500

This electric winch is suitable for snowplows, ATVs, and boats and has a maximum load capacity of 2500 pounds. It features a 12V motor with 1.1HP output as well as a universal flatbed winch mounting plate. It has automatic braking action, a free spooling clutch, and a roller fairlead, among other features. It measures sixteen inches and weighs about 25 pounds. Refer to the traveler 2500 winch manual for more information as to this machine.

The Traveler 10000 has more or less the same features outlined in the winches above, save for the weight capacity. You can refer to the traveler 10000 winch manual to get more details as to this product.

Traveler winch vs. Badland winch

Both these winches have great features and are available at affordable prices. However, on seeing what Traveler has to offer, the former option would be the best in this case. You are free to do your research on the same and see what works for you. After all, only you know best what would work for your situation. That said, all the best of luck in this regard.