Can Winch Snatch Block Increase Weight Capacity of Winch

Published 12/29/2017

Question:

Ok I have a winch and yes it came from the manufacturer, however it is scary to be near the cable as it goes up and down. It’s a single cable and yes I use it to get the door near the closed point and then just push it the extra few inches and close the handles on door. I learned this method as my friend used his and damaged the ceiling as he pulled it completely closed. My question is how can I use a snatch block as I see this method used on vehicle recovery. A tow driver said it reduced the weight and increased the pulling power. Will I have to purchase a new winch or is there a way to reconfigure the current system to use a snatch block or does it make a difference?

asked by: Ken

Expert Reply:

Using a snatch block like the # BDW20049 you can basically double the capacity of the winch you are using. You should note that when doing this you end up slowing down the speed of the jack by 50 percent. The same amount of weight will be present on the cable, but if you are worried about the location of where you have the winch mounted it would have 50 percent less of a load on it.

If you check out the lovely picture I edited you'll see how a winch and pulley/snatch block need to be set up to gain the additional capacity.

expert reply by: Jameson C