Winches Used in Construction

Winches are mechanical devices used to pull in or safely release a load. Their primary purpose is vehicle recovery, but their nature allows them to pull just about anything. Construction sites are adopting them for hoisting material or clearing obstacles (trees and boulders) during landscaping. There are a variety of winches that are used in construction sites. The choice of a winch is dependent on site set-up and load. Here are a few of them and the type of jobs they can perform:

1. Gas Powered Winch – This winch a portable winch with a gas powered engine. It is very useful for hoisting construction material, bringing down trees and pulling electrical cables. The capstan model can pull one ton single line and up to two tons double line. It can pull just about anything that is in that weight bracket.
2. Warn Winch – This winch has two operation modes. The high range increases the speed when retrieving the cable or pulling a light load. The low range pulls the full load at a much slower speed. Warn winches are sturdy and useful in construction sites requiring everyday pulling.
3. Air Winch – This type of winch is powered by compressed air. It is useful for lifting and suspending loads. It has a reliable breaking system that makes it safe when the load needs to be suspended for extended periods of time
4. Lift-Safe Winch – This winch has redundant braking systems for increased safety. A counter balance is also incorporated to control the load and pulling speed. Among the various types, it has the best weight control, making it suitable for unbalanced loads.
5. Power Winch – This is the regular winch but electrically powered. The source of energy can be a 12 V DC battery or 230 V AC mains electricity. Remember to check the type and voltage before installation as the winch will not work if it is wrong.

Knowing the right type of winch to use on a construction site is useful to contractors. It prevents cases of equipment damage, load destruction, and injuries. The list is not extensive enough to cover all models available in the market but will guide the contractor in determining the right type for his preferred load. Contractors should always read the manufacturer instructions on how to operate the winch for their type of load. Remember that a winch is a powerful machine and care should be taken when running one.

For other types not used in construction, click here.