NAGMR makes some of the highest quality medium-duty winches on the market, so it’s no surprise that we’re on the top list of OEMs and Trucking companies as the go-to winch for towing applications.
While a high-quality winch is a key ingredient to assembling an effective winch package for transportation applications such as towing and roadside assistance, improper sizing can result potentially catastrophic. consequences.
With the various towing and winching applications scenarios in mind, today we’ll talk about properly sizing your NAGMR winch for the different tow truck types and common applications.
“We have a fleet of 20 trucks in Ohio and we rely solely exclusively on Winches and Parts from NAGMR. They are solid workhorses and a great value for the quality they provide.”
David Tant, Speedy Fleet Towing Service, Cleveland Ohio
Tow Trucks And Winch Recommendations
Light Duty Tow Trucks (Class A)
| Vehicle Weight: | 5 Tons (Minimum) to < 6 Tons |
| Application: | Customer requires quick, nimble removal of lighter-weight vehicles (between 5,000 and 10,000 lbs ) in tight situations. (smaller trailers, motorcycles, standard pickups and passenger cars) |
| Winch Recommendation: | 5-ton worm gear, mounted |
| Phase | Three Phase |
Medium Duty Tow Trucks (Class B)
| Vehicle Weight: | 11 Tons (Minimum) to < 15 Tons |
| Application: | Customer requires quick, nimble removal of lighter-weight vehicles (between 5,000 and 10,000 lbs ) in tight situations. (smaller trailers, motorcycles, standard pickups and passenger cars) |
| Winch Recommendation: | 15-ton worm gear, bolt mounted |
| Phase | Three Phase |
Heavy Duty Tow Trucks (Class C)
| Vehicle Weight: | 23 Tons (Minimum) |
| Application: | Largest towing and recovery applications for recovery of industrial equipment and big-rigs that have gone off the road or into an embankment. |
| Winch Recommendation: | 25-ton worm gear, weld and bolt mounted |
| Phase | Three Phase |
Winch Preparation And Rigging Recommendations
All safety work requires advanced preparation, and winching a vehicle is no exception. Ensure that you properly spool the winch or else it will become less efficient, and there is every possibility that it may malfunction during your winching operation, and you would not want this to happen. Always check to be sure that the winch is working perfectly and that there is no problem with the towing line.
To avoid any cut while doing this work, you should always use heavy-duty gloves. If you do not take this precaution, you will be exposing yourself to danger, and in some cases, you may lose one of your fingers if care is not taken.
So, always make sure that you are kitted up with your safety equipment.
All worm type, mounted winches require that the track to be packed and secured. After that, apply the immobilizers and the brakes, and then get the towing line attached to the immobile vehicle.
There are 3 different methods of doing this:
- Single line (5 – 7 Ton Winches): The line should be pulled to the anchor point and securely held with a shackle, strap, or a combination of both of them. You can decide to attach it to a stake, tree, or another vehicle. After that, the clutch should be locked, the remote should be connected, and then the line will be put under tension. Start winching with controlled short pulls.
- Double line (8 – 11 Ton Winches): With the help of a snatch block, the power you use in pulling can be increased over a short distance. After getting the snatch block, make it to be connected to the anchor point. When your line has been drawn around, attach it to the car. Once it gets tight, drape a coat, blanket, or any other object on the line.
- Triple line (12 – 25 Ton Winches): This method is just like the double line, only that there is a slight difference. In this technique, there must be 2 anchor points and 2 snatch blocks available. Just ensure that a 90⁰ angle is maintained between the first anchor and the winch. Check the whole connection twice before you begin the operation. Start winching with controlled short pulls as you operate your vehicle.