How to Choose a Hand Winch for a Tow Dolly

Updated 03/12/2018 | Published 03/10/2018

Question:

Hello. Im interested in purchasing the Fulton F2 winch. Can this winch be mounted on a tow dolly to pull cars onto it ? If so, do you sell mounting brackets for it ? I have a acme tow dolly with 3inch x 3inch bar for mounting. Thank you.

asked by: Henry

Expert Reply:

In order to choose the correct winch for your application, you would need to know both the weight of the vehicle and degree of the incline the winch must overcome to pull the vehicle onto the dolly. On level ground, a winch can pull 10 times its capacity if the load is rolling. For example, a winch rated at 1,600 lbs while pulling a rolling load can handle up to 16,000 lbs. However, while pulling that same load up a 17 degree incline, the winch's capacity is then reduced to 4,176 lbs. I have attached a help article to assist you with the process as well.

As long as the vehicle does not exceed 5,220 lbs and the incline does not exceed 17 degrees, I recommend the Fulton F2 Fully Enclosed Trailer Winch part # FW20000301. This which has a cast aluminum frame, 20' long polyester strap, and comes with a lifetime warranty. The winch does come with mounting hardware but there is not a specific bracket for it. Instead, you will want to make one yourself using the winch's plate as a template.

I have attached a review video for you as well.

expert reply by: Conner L