|
ALL PRICES SHOWN ON THIS WEBSITE EXCLUDE VAT @ 17.5%
.jpg) 
 
We offer the most comprehensive range of hydraulic winches and drive systems available for Land Rover vehicles. Choose from our ranges of Milemarker or RED winches, and match it with the choice of either one of our engine-driven or gearbox-driven drive systems to suit your performance needs. Complete the package with one of our SHADOW winch bumpers, and then enjoy the ultimate high-performance winching system for your vehicle with relentless pulling power.
WHY HYDRAULIC?
There is no doubt that the low cost and ease of fitment make electric winches a popular choice. But they do have their limitations. A good quality electric winch should retrieve you and your vehicle when you get stuck. But what happens when you need a winch for longer or more regular periods of use, or more power for serious recovery work, or for professional and commercial use or competitive winch-challenge use?
Attempting to improve the power or reliability of electric winches usually means spending large amounts of money on multi-battery systems with expensive control systems, all the time increasing water-sensitive complexity which threatens reliability. The high operating speeds of electric motors and the high temperatures produced also compromise their lifespan when used at full capacity.
To illustrate the science, a car battery is capable of providing high amounts of power for just a very few minutes, i.e. to crank an engine, or, they will provide low power levels for a much longer period whilst being recharged from an alternator. Electric winches require extreme levels of power 150-600amps (2 - 6 kW). As you might realise, 6 kilowatts produces very high temperatures. These temperatures severly limit motor duty-cycles, the length of time which a motor can safely operate. Conversely, slow running hydraulic motors as used on hydraulic winches don’t generate high temperatures. They provide enormous amounts of power for an indefinite period, that's why they are the norm in heavy commercial and industrial applications. Also hydraulic winch systems are genuinely unaffected by water and therefore completely submersible. Try that with an electric winch!
These slow running motors turn at around 25rpm, as opposed to electric winch motors that spin at 3,500-5,000rpm. Why the difference? The secret lies in the relative 'torque' or turning force that they each generate. The gear ratio on electric winches is usually around 250:1 partially to enable the motor to cope with the torque required for heavy loads. Hydraulic winch ratios are normally around 6:1 as the torque required is available in abundance.
Torque versus Power - What’s the difference?
Electric motors are capable of producing high amounts of power, but for winches, the imporant figure is the 'torque' rating. Torque (the turning force) rapidly drops off with electric motors as the load increases compared to hydraulic motor principles. This is due to the characteristics of the way they work.
Hydraulic motors are different, as the torque produced is constant. The power can be varied by the size of the pump, but the available torque figure never varies, it remains constant. The capability of any motor to turn a winch drum lies in the 'Torque' available, the 'Power' only varies the a rate at which it works.
"When it comes to heavy loads, hydraulic has no equal"
With electric motors, the linear relationship between torque and speed is inversely proportional. It can be seen from the graph below that the torque figure for the electric motor decreases with rpm. Maximum power is halfway along the rpm vector. For every motor there is a specific Torque/Speed curve and Power curve.
SUDDENLY IT MAKES SENSE.
 .jpg)
There are some incidental advantages with hydraulic winches too.
Almost silent running.
Immediate stop when the switch is released, no running on.
No worries about flattening the battery.
Waterproofing. Hydraulic systems by definition have to be waterproof as the system cannot let fluid out, or air into the system.
Milemarker hydraulic winches are actaully fully submersible, try that with an electric winch!
What drive system would I need?
The performance of a hydraulic winch depends on two factors, pressure and flow rate. As a comparison, in general terms pressure could be thought of as volts in electric winch terms, and flow rate would be equivalent to amps. Pressure provides the power but flow rate provides the speed. A flow rate of at least 10 litres/minute is desirable for useful performance.
Our range of Land Rover Drive Systems are tailored to suit all winching applications. They start with the engine-mounted ZF Pump system, which provides 12 litres/minute flow at up to 200bar. This is ideal for most recreational winching applications where high speed is not required, but it still provides plenty of power.
For more speed, our Gearbox PTO Systems for Defenders provide the same pressure but at 60 litres per minute flow rate, so you can see that this system provides huge amounts of power at a very good line speed. If you are used to electric winches it will probably be the constant pulling power without slowing down that you will notice most of all. You may have noticed that electric winch manufacturers quote their line speed at 'no-load' which is quite meaningless in the real world.This system is suited to the regular winching enthusiast or for commercial use such as forestry work. The gearbox driven system also gives you the feature of being able to vary the winch speed by changing the gear on your main gearbox.
We have two sizes of PTO, the A-Series for most applications which has a 26cc pump and the B-Series for our Type R competition winch which has a massive 55cc pump. Both are engaged and disengaged by a control rod in the cab
For Discovery or Defender you can also achieve these higher line speeds with our unique specially designed engine mounted drive kits. This enables you to fit a full PTO-sized pump, but driven directly by a toothed belt and pulley system.
So, you can see that we have a variety of kits for most vehicles. We can also supply components for special vehicle builds. Check the table below to check suitability for your vehicle.
THE ABOVE TABLE APPLIES TO 200 AND 300 Tdi ENGINES AND INCLUDES RANGE ROVER CLASSIC WITH THESE ENGINES.
|
