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Basic FAQ. If you need more information or help, please contact our Customer Service.

FAQ

  1. 1
    CAN I PURCHASE DIRECT FROM POWERLINE?

    Powerwinch products are available through our website using ‘Order enquiry’, via e-mail and through authorized dealers. Check Contact section to find the nearest dealer from you.

  2. 2
    WHAT PAYMENT METHODS ARE AVAILABLE?

    We accept payment made by PayPal, PayU and wire transfer.

  3. 3
    DOES THE PRICE INCLUDE TAXES?

    All of prices shown on our website are including taxes. If you’re EU Citizen and you have company with registered European VAT, you can buy our products without Value Added Tax (23%), if you’re not from EU you can always buy products without VAT.

  4. 4
    DO WE SHIP WORLDWIDE?

    Yes, we provide worldwide shipping. Depending on destination we are using services of GLS, DPD, FedEx and Polish National Mail. If you want to know what would be the cost of shipping to your location – please use contact form on our website.

Ask yourself the following questions as you determine what type of winch will fit your needs

How to choose a rope for me?

  1. COMPARING SYNTHETIC ROPE VS STEEL WIRE ROPE

    You have two basic choices, wire rope and synthetic rope. Both will do the job and each have plusses and minuses. They both are rated for strength via diameter and the tensile strength of their materials. In the common 6,000-15,000 recreational 4×4 winch, cable diameters of 8-12 MM are seen in both wire and synthetic ropes. Tensile strength, the point at which the rope breaks (a.k.a. „parts”) varies according to type, characteristics and diameter, but is higher than the pull rating of the winch. Their ratings have some reserve for a safety factor to account for wear and minor damage.

    Wire Rope

    Wire Rope: Wire rope is the traditional choice. It’s made up of strands of carbon steel wire, usually seven bundles of 19 strands (a.k.a. 7×19). Less common is 6×37, which is more flexible and resistant to fatigue but less resistant to abrasion than 7×19 because of the thinner wires. With just a few exceptions, 7×19 wire rope is what comes with winches from the factory.
    On the plus side, wire rope is more resistant to abrasion than synthetic. It’s very heat resistant and relatively inexpensive. On the downside, it vulnerable to crushing when not properly respooled. It’s relatively heavy, with a 120 foot roll of 5/16 cable weighing about 28 pounds with a hook. Wire rope can be spliced but not easily or by novices. Individual wire strands routinely break and create small hooks that rend flesh, so gloves are vital. Wire rope can store large amounts of kinetic energy and can whip with deadly effect if something breaks loose.

    Synthetic Winch Rope

    Synthetic Winch Rope: Synthetic winch ropes are the new kid on the block and there’s lots to talk about. As few premium winch packages come new with synthetic rope. Powerwinch is offering a synthetic rope upgrade to every winch, so you can buy the rope separately.
    On the plus side, synthetic is light; a 28 m. roll with a hook weighs about 3 kgs. Synthetic generally drops dead with minimal „snap” when something breaks. It’s often stronger than an equivalent diameter wire rope and has appendage-friendly surfaces. It floats and in an emergency you can tie a knot into it. Knots do weaken it but if you perform a long splice at a break, it’s as good as new. Splicing 12 strand rope is lots easier than wire rope.

    Synthetic rope also has a few disadvantages. It’s more susceptible to chafing than wire rope. It has a high initial cost, though it’s superior performance makes it a good value overall. The most significant potential operational problem has to do with synthetic’s ability to withstand heat. The common planetary winch has a one-way brake built into the center of the winch drum. When spooling out under power, i.e. lowering the vehicle under a load, that brake will generate some serious heat. Winch manufacturers caution against this lowering practice and advise doing it only in short 20 foot increments with long cooling periods. Rope damage from heat can go unseen on that first layer and damage may start occurring at temperatures as low as 150 degrees.
    There are several ways around the temperature dilemma. Some winch rope has a higher temperature resistance but comes with lower tensile strength, so you would have to use a larger diameter rope to maintain the same tensile strength. An interesting cure is to have enough of the high temp rope spliced onto a stronger rope to cover the first later of the drum. Larger diameter rope can be splices to smaller to compensate for the strength difference. An even easier solution is to place an insulating sheath of nylon over that first layer. The easiest solution is to follow the winch manufacturer’s recommendation and not power out in long stretches. Remember that most worm or spur gear winches do not have this problem.

  2. HOW TO CHOOSE CORRECT SIZE OF THE ROPE?

    Choosing the right synthetic rope could be a little intimidating with so many diameters and types. Here are some guidlines that should help make the selection process easier.

    • Synthetic rope diameter equates to its strength. For safety purposes it is recommended to use ~2:1 ratio. It means that synthetic rope should have almost twice bigger breaking strength than pulling capacity of the winch. So if your winch has 12000 lbs (5500 kgs) pulling rate, you should use rope with MBL ~10 tonnes.
    • If you are going to use your rope in mud, sand, dust etc. very often, you should consider overbraided synthetic rope. It is much more resistant to abrasion, ingress of dirt and easier to clean.
    • Most of our ropes have 28 m. length – they perfectly fit standard drums. You can always make it shorter or order longer rope (10 mm and 12 mm ropes available).
  3. WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I WANT TO CHANGE MY STEEL WIRE ROPE TO SYNTHETIC ONE?

    Most of winches can be equipped with synthetic rope. You should choose correct size and type of rope using our guide. You have to change the fairled also – standard roller is not proper for synthetic ropes, you will need aluminum hawse (e.g. Powerwinch PWALU – check here). Such hawse is safe for synthetic rope, it won’t make any damage.

    That’s all – simply take off old rope and roller fairlead and mount new stuff!

  4. SHOULD I CLEAN MY SYNTHETIC ROPE?

    Unlike metal wire cable, synthetic ropes need to be cleaned regularly. It is indispensable for its long useful life. Stranded synthetic rope is vulnerable to fiber damage, when exposed to dirt, mud etc.

    As grime builds, so does its abrasive properties between the strands – each time you’re using it under load. The rope gets tightened and all of grime is forced into strands. Rope gets weaker and potential risk of future failure is growing up.

    Cleaning of the rope is very simple. You need to find a place free of sand, mud, grit etc, take the rope off from the winch and clean it using water hose or bucket with water. If you’ll use the second method, to get the out precisely, you should use your hands to push strands toward each other (piece by piece), opening the fibers and clean in it the soapy water.

    Remember to dry the rope before use, e.g. to avoid risk of getting your drum rusty.