What Does Minimum Operating Load Indicate on Hand Winches

Question:

I noticed that some of your hand crank winches have a minimum operating load. What exactly does that mean and what are some examples of situations where the minimum load rating would make a difference?

asked by: Dan

Expert Reply:

The minimum load rating indicates the load required to put enough tension on the line for it to be able to be cranked. The winch will not work properly when the line is slack.

The minimum load rating would be important if you knew for certain you would not have that much load on the line in the situations where you would be using the winch. Without the load on the line, there would not be enough tension.

expert reply by: Sarah L