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In the past decade, off-road activities have become even more popular. ATVs are commonly used for off-road adventures. As a result of increased interest in off-road adventures, demand for ATVs has been growing steadily.
The fact that they are available at different price points helps feed this demand. ATVs are designed nimble and reliable to handle off-road tracks with ease. But even with their off-road design, from time to time, they get stuck.
When this happens, you’ll need a winch to get it unstuck.
In the wilderness, calling roadside support isn’t much of an option. A winch is your best chance of getting home in time for dinner. If you are sold on getting a winch, the next step is deciding which one to purchase and how to install a winch on your ATV.
But so that we are on the same page, let’s start from the top.
A winch is a device designed to lift and haul cars out of sticky situations. It consists of a cable, chain, or rope winding around a drum rotating horizontally. They are powered by an electric or hydraulic motor. Though they started getting a lot of attention in recent decades, they aren’t new devices. Moreover, they’ve evolved into better, more efficient devices.
Today, you can install a winch on your ATV for a couple of reasons to aid your off-road endeavors:
For an ATV, the best winch to purchase is a bush winch.
A Bush winch is the best ATV winch since they are portable and easy to use. Bush winches are powered by the ATV’s engine and are perfect for when you are stuck in mud, ice, or sand.
Bush winches are easy to install, and you don’t need complicated tools to complete this task. Even better, you can remove them just as easily. Simply pull it out when you need to, and you are done.
Now you are probably wondering if it’s safe enough to use. Yes, it is. But even then, you should be cautious with your handling and use. Below are some precautions and safety tips to apply.
Remove your ATVs stock nuts, replace them with those that came with your Bush Winch, and secure them. Below are some tips to know:
Align the Bush Winch base plate holes and then push them in and twist. The twisting is done in the opposite direction to the wheel’s direction.
Note: you should only attach the winch when you need it.
Weave your winch rope through the spool’s cutouts and later put three extra wraps on the spool. The winch rope is kept in place by friction. The spool accepts a maximum of 60 meters of rope. If you end up with any extra winch rope length, add it to the winch line.
Bush winches work best when the anchor points are parallel or at an acute angle from the ATV’s side. When finding a stable position for your ATVs anchor, have the following in mind:
Note: Sometimes, there are additional instructions on the winch’s user guide. Always refer to it when installing your Bush Winch.
A good way to determine what winch size will fit your ATV is to multiply the weight of your winch by 1.5. Most often, a winch rating between 2500 lbs and 3500 lbs should be enough for ATV winching. A smaller ATV may require a smaller winch than a larger ATV.
The purpose of a winch is to exert a force that pulls objects towards it using a cable or rope. If your ATV is stuck in the mud or sand, tie a cable to an object with a higher mass and act as the anchor. Boulders and trees make for perfect anchors.
You can mount many ATVs upside down provided you ensure the cable or rope spools on the inside of winch drum closer to the winch base. However, there are some exceptions where manufacturers don’t recommend mounting their winches upside down.
Now that you have an idea of installing a winch on the ATV, you should be more confident taking it off-road. Remember to take necessary precautions and read through the instruction manual before starting the installation.
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I’m Ruiru Kibet, an avid writer and techie that has taken a keen interest in offroading. As I explore nature and troubleshoot with different offroad products and techniques, I’ll share them with you. The goal is dumb it down and help you experience the best of nature.
When you’re thinking of which aftermarket upgrades to stick on your ATV, is a winch at the top of the list? Hauling, hoisting, and towing are usually tasks reserved for larger machines, like a side-by-side or truck. But what you may not realize is just how much you can accomplish with a winch installed on your favorite four wheeler.
There are lots of reasons why a winch is your best friend if you’re into hunting or camping with your ATV.
But the perks aren’t limited to those activities! Let’s take a look at all the ways you can benefit from putting a Black Ops Winch on your quad.
When it comes to getting things done around your property, the possibilities for using a winch are endless. One of the biggest reasons: tension. When pulling out old fence posts or tensioning new fence line, having a winch with a wireless remote can make your job a million times easier.
A winch-equipped four wheeler is a great tool to have when working around the property. It can help with everything from tensioning new fence lines to hauling wood to ripping old stumps out of the ground.You can also decrease your manual labor by using your winch to remove fallen logs or collect large amounts of firewood. Just like we suggested with hunting, you can pull out your winch rope (Black Ops Winches give you 50 feet of rope to work with) and use it to haul heavy loads up hills or over unsteady ground.
Having an ATV with a winch is great for landscaping, too. You can easily use it to rip stumps out of the ground. And if you have a large garden or lots of property to take care of, your four wheeler is perfect for transporting you from plot to plot. Not only will this save you some time, but you’ll save your legs, too.
They might not be as big as side-by-sides, but ATVs can be just as useful on the hunt if you have the right winch installed. If the animal fell somewhere that’s inaccessible, you can use your ATV winch rope to pull it closer, getting it in a better position to transport.
After the hunt, when it’s time to butcher, you can use your winch and an A-frame construction (or just a big, sturdy branch) to hoist the deer. You’ll need a snatch block—chances are you’ve got one in your recovery kit. Just run the winch line through the pulley, secure the pulley in the tree or A-frame, connect the winch hook to your gambrel hook, and use the winch to lift the deer.
We’re willing to bet you’ve taken your ATV camping once or twice, but have you truly taken advantage of the ways a winch can help on those trips? Here’s a life hack for you: pull out your winch line and hook it to a nearby branch to make a clothesline! You’ll never know when you need to dry out wet clothes or gear.
And we’re hoping you came prepared with a tent, but if something happens to it or you end up having to seek shelter at the last minute, use the same winch-on-a-tree trick and throw a tarp over it. Voila! You’ve got yourself a quick, impromptu, (very) rugged emergency shelter. Hope you don’t mind roughing it for a night or two!
An ATV with a winch can be a lifesaver on camping trips, especially if you need to throw together a quick clothesline to dry your gear or an emergency shelter for the night. Just winch out, secure your rope to a nearby tree, and you’re good to go!Why break your back shoveling snow by hand when you can let your ATV do the work for you? With a Winch-Operated Snow Plow System from SuperATV, clearing your driveway (and your neighbor’s, and your grandma’s) is quick and painless.
This is an extra special lifesaver if you have a really long driveway or if you live in an area where the city’s snow plows rarely visit.
Save your back this winter by investing in a winch-operated snow plow for your quad. It makes for a fast, easy, and kind of fun way to keep your driveway clear so that wintertime travel is a breeze.
We’ll end this list with the most obvious reason why you’d want to have a winch at your disposal at all times. Inevitably, you or someone you know is going to get stuck. And when that happens and a winch is your only way out, you’ll be glad you invested in one.
Of course, there’s times like these where you need to get unstuck. This peanut butter mud is no challenge for a SuperATV ATV winch.So the next time you start to think that a winch would be better suited for a side-by-side or truck, think again! With the right equipment, even smaller ATVs can prove to be the biggest workhorses.
And when we recommend always having a winch installed on your four wheeler, we don’t just mean any winch.
We’re talking about SuperATV’s waterproof Black Ops Winches. They utilize flexible and rust-proof synthetic rope and are made to pull 2,500, 3,500, 4,500, or 6,000 pounds, making them the best ATV winch you can get. We’ve also got plenty of winch accessories for you to choose from, including mounting plates and rocker switches. When it comes to equipping your ATV to be the ultimate one-seater workhorse, SuperATV has got you covered.
Now head down to the comments and tell us what we missed! What odd jobs or random uses have you found for your ATV winch?
For extreme off-road ATV riders, an electric winch is a real lifesaver when stuck in potholes and mud. The electric winch is very easy to install and operate, it is controlled by a remote control, which is installed on the steering wheel of the ATV. Most importantly, such a winch will not require much physical effort from you to pull out the ATV. It has an electric motor powered by a battery.
When choosing, you need to proceed from engine power and tractive effort. It is recommended to choose a winch with a pulling force of 1.5-2 times the weight of the ATV. And how to install, connect and use it, we will tell in this article.
Electric winch is a drum with an electric motor. To connect it to the battery, the kit includes an electric unit and a set of wires, with the help of which the battery and the winch are connected. The control panel can be wireless and wired, which is also connected to the unit.
To mount the winch to the ATV, you need a platform, brackets, bolts and clamps. The kit also includes a roller lip, and a cable complete with a hook may also be included.
8 mm. It is mounted on the frame with bolts of different sizes, it can also be welded to the frame. The electrical box is recommended to be installed slightly away from the winch, but most often it is installed on the site. Next, we connect the power cables in accordance with the connection diagram specified by the manufacturer in the product data sheet.
We connect the control panel and install it on the ATV steering wheel.
It is recommended to pull the wires tightly, excluding their friction with other parts. They also need to be protected with cable corrugations.
Next, we fix the roller lip to the platform using bolts. And you can assemble all parts of the ATV back.
Once you've installed your electric winch, it's worth testing it out on level ground before driving it off-road. Using a winch requires certain knowledge and compliance with safety rules. Below, we will tell you what you need to know when pulling an ATV out of a hole or mud with a winch.
To do this, you need to attach the block to the anchor, pass the winch cable through it and fasten the cable to another anchor or back to the machine. Important!
When working with a winch, all safety rules specified in the equipment passport must be observed. You must not approach the cable and winch in working condition and allow other people to approach it.
It is necessary to use a cable damper, as in the event of a break, it can damage people and objects around.
Before use, you need to make sure that all elements are in working condition, that they do not have breaks or damage, and that all fasteners are fixed sufficiently securely.
After using the winch, it must be cleaned of dirt, dried and lubricated with special oil.
Author Petr Vershinin Reading 3 min Views 65 Published
Installing a winch on the ATV will be required if you will operate the vehicle on rough terrain. This mechanism will help to pull the four-wheeler out of a deep puddle, hole or viscous mud. Once trapped, you will not be able to push the heavy ATV manually. Therefore, you need to install the winch on the ATV with your own hands.
To do this, follow the manufacturer's instructions. High-quality and inexpensive ATVs, accessories, items of equipment can be bought in our online store motogo.com.ua.
When considering how to install a winch on an ATV, you need to start by installing a platform. The installation process is quite simple, but responsible. It is important to perform all the steps correctly, double-checking everything several times.
To fix the ATV winch anchor with your own hands, you need to use bolts with nuts. The fixation must be tight. The platform must be purchased separately or made independently. Some manufacturers supply this structural element with a winch. But it is worth considering that even purchased platforms usually have to be finalized. Due to the design of the ATV, purchased standard anchors are not suitable for all models of four-wheelers.
It is on the platform that all the load will fall when pulling out the ATV. Therefore, its fixation should be as strong as possible.
To install your ATV winch, follow the manufacturer's instructions. The work is carried out in several stages:
The electrical box must then be installed. It is mounted a little further from the winch, but you can fix the knot on the site. The wires are connected in accordance with the manufacturer's diagram.
A control panel is mounted on the steering wheel. The wires must be installed tightly so that after they are pulled out, friction of the power wires is eliminated. This will ensure the durability of the equipment. It is advisable to run the wires through the corrugated pipe. This will provide additional protection for electrical communications.
The roller structure is fixed to the platform with bolts. After that, the quality of fixation of all elements and the operation of the winch are checked. If the mechanism is working properly, and the mounts are firmly in place, you can reassemble the removed parts of the ATV.
In order for the mechanism to operate for a long time and be reliable, it is important to fulfill the manufacturer's requirements in full. You need to learn the rules for operating the winch. Before going on a ride on hard off-road, you need to test the operation of the system. Improper operation of the winch is not safe, so it is important to strictly follow the manufacturer's recommendations and use the mechanism strictly for its intended purpose.
