heeple wrote:Hi guys,
Wondering about the typical 2 winch power ratings that are on offer, 9,500 lbs and 12,000 lbs.
(4300kg and 5440kg for us metric folk)
Given that no 4WD(?) is every going to weight that much, is there any point going with a 12,000lb option?
Just seems like overkill as I'm thinking it.
Is the rated load a maximum working load or a breaking load?
If it's a breaking load then you only want to use half at the most to have a Factor Of Safety of 2, if 12,000lbs is the breaking load and you're pulling 6000 lbs then it has a FOS of 2, with 4000lbs pulling load then FOS of 3.
The higher the Factor of Safety the longer it should last, the cable will be thicker and stretch less on the 12,000lbs model.
Another thing to consider with winches is pulling 6000lbs on flat ground takes less energy compared to pulling 6000lbs uphill, what are the consequences if winch fails and no mobile phone coverage?