Winch Rope

Winch Cable

A winch is a device that can be used to pull, move or secure heavy objects.  They are found in a lot of different varieties.  You can find electric, hydraulic, pneumatic or even internal combustion driven winches.  However, heavy duty winches usually have one thing in common, the winch cable.  Traditional winch cable is made of wire.

This wire winch cable is created by taking several strands of thin small gauge wires.  These wires are twisted together in a helix fashion.  The material usually used for the winch cable is steel.  With many of these stranded winch cables there are multiple strands of small gauge wire wrapped in bundles.  They then take these bundles and again twist them in to a much larger helix.

The winch cable is usually very specific to your application.  Since there are winches for everything from ATV’s, 4x4’s to overhead hoists, you need to be careful to select the proper cable.

With the ATV winch cable, you will usually get a cable with a diameter of about 3/16”.  The length is usually between 40-60 feet, with 50 feet being the most common size.  You will want to find one that already has a hook on the end, and is rated for at least four times the weight of your ATV.  This shouldn’t be a problem as most standard ATV winch cables are going to have a rating of around 4000 lbs or more.  Make sure that, when wound, it will not be too much for your winch’s spool to fit.

It is preferred that with a 4x4 winch cable that you select a cable that has twice the strength that your winch is rated for.  The reason for this is because if you use a snatch block, you are essentially doubling the pulling power of your winch.  Most 4x4 winch cables are 5/16” or 3/8” and up to 70’ long.  Again, make sure that the cable will fit on your winch’s spool before making a purchase.

You may find that you can’t get a winch cable long enough for your desired use.  If that is the case, simply use a heavy duty tow strap, or winch extension cable to make up the additional distances.  These additional lengths can be easily stashed in the back of your vehicle, or in the trunk of your ATV without any problems.

While most of the winch cables on the market are a steel core, there are some synthetic fiber winch ropes.  These fiber core cables are always lighter weight than their steel counterparts, and often have a higher strength rating.  So by choosing a synthetic winch cable, you can potentially reduce the weight of your vehicle.  However, by doing so you need to be aware that the steel core cables are generally much more resilient than their synthetic counterparts.  Imagine winching over sharp volcanic (or just mountain) rocks with your cable.  Will the synthetic hold up to the potential cutting potential that the rock might have?  Do you want to risk it?