Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

How to use a hand winch

Updated: 22 October 2026

You have the winch on the bench or bolted to the trailer post, and the dangerous moment is not the first crank. It is when you assume the ratchet will hold while you shift your grip, or when you try to free a jammed pawl with a screwdriver. The twelve listings in our [hand winch comparison](/hub/lifting-equipment/hand-winch) do not share one diagram, so this page cannot give one winding arrow for every model. It follows the sequence Fulton, Einhell and brake-winch manuals repeat, set against UK reviews of ratchet drums and AB Tools pullers. Peter F. read the listings on 19 October 2026. There was no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have the winch on the bench or bolted to the trailer post, and the dangerous moment is not the first crank.

Our top picks

KATSU KATSU 325924 630 kg

Best overall

KATSU KATSU 325924 630 kg
9.1/10about £24.99
View offer
Einhell Einhell TC-WI 500

Rank 2

Einhell Einhell TC-WI 500
9.3/10about £51.12
View offer
AB Tools AB Tools TE817 2 ton puller

Alternative

AB Tools AB Tools TE817 2 ton puller
8.4/10about £21.12
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Before you crank
  2. 2.Pay out and hook on
  3. 3.Crank in and hold
  4. 4.When you stop

Before you crank

Practice with no load on the hook. Wind a metre of line in and out and watch which way the pawl clicks and where the freewheel or selector sits. Einhell's English manual says the selector lever must be latched before load, demands at least three complete winds of wire on the drum, and forbids crossing layers. Wear gloves. Wire frays, and a strap edge cuts when tension spikes. The base twists if you under-bolt it. Use the stated M10 fixings in the holes that match your plate. On a trailer post, the strap or wire should run straight onto the drum without rubbing the frame. Axforth's UK trailer guidance adds a rule that is not on the box: do not stand in line with a tensioned strap or cable. Choose the machine before this sequence, in the hand winch buying guide. If the tool is AB Tools TE817 or TE694, you are holding a cable puller, not a post winch. Keep the hooks closed, keep fingers out of the ratchet path, and refuse to release the pawl under full load.

Pay out and hook on

Pay out enough line to reach the bow eye or anchor with the hook closed and the safety latch engaged. On a ratchet drum, move the pawl to the freewheel or pay-out position only when the sheet says that is safe, and keep your hand on the handle until you know the drum will not spin back. Fulton's instructions are blunt: the ratchet pawl will not hold the load while the load is being let out. A click during payout is not a hold. Lead the line straight. On a webbing drum the strap must lie flat so it does not ride into the gear teeth. On a wire drum, keep enough tension to spool evenly. Amtech and Einhell reviews both describe tangles when the cable was slack or crossed. Hook onto a bow eye, D-ring or recovery point rated for the pull, not a handrail or a towball adapter.
KATSU KATSU 325924 630 kg

Testsieger

KATSU KATSU 325924 630 kg
9.1/10about £24.99
View offer

Crank in and hold

Crank steadily and listen for the pawl clicking in the pull direction. Do not let go of the handle until the pawl or brake is engaged for holding, and do not put fingers into the gears while the line is loaded. If the handle spins freely when you expected a hold, stop adding load and wind back to a known safe state. Keep at least three wraps of wire on the drum where the manual requires them. etrailer's FAQ explains that capacity often drops on upper layers. On a strap, watch the last metres onto the drum: uneven layers cut webbing or chew the teeth. The winch finishes the recovery pull. It is not the restraint for the journey. After the boat sits on the rollers or bunks, add the bow chain or strap the trailer maker specifies. GOV.UK trailer checks still expect a secure load. The breakaway cable on the coupling is a separate part.

When you stop

Stop if the pawl will not release while the line is tight, if the handle spun when you expected a hold, if the strap bunches, or if wire strands fray at the hook. UK reviews of AB Tools describe a screwdriver on the pawl and a failure to release under full load. That is the failure to refuse, not a method to copy. FreeTec and KATSU reviews mention handles that came off and locks that failed at the water. Abort the pull and re-rig with slack. Stop as well if someone is under the load, if you are improvising a road recovery, or if the pull needs two machines and you own one. A cable puller's stroke can end while the boat is still halfway up the trailer.

Common questions

Which way do I wind the strap?
Follow the arrow or diagram on your winch or in its manual. Einhell specifies clockwise to pull and anticlockwise to release with the lever latched. Other brands differ. There is no single direction for all twelve listings.
Can I let go of the handle while the boat is on the ramp?
Only when the hold mechanism is engaged for pulling and you have confirmed it on your own sheet. Do not treat clicks during payout as a hold. Fulton states that the pawl will not hold the load while you are letting it out.
How do I pay the line out without the handle spinning?
Use the documented freewheel or release position, keep control of the handle, and never release the pawl under load on a puller or a drum that is still tight.
What if the pawl will not release and the cable is tight?
Stop. Do not use a screwdriver on a loaded pawl. Slacken the load by another safe route, or get help. AB Tools reviews exist because people tried the screwdriver and still could not release under full load.
How many turns must stay on the drum?
At least three complete winds where the manual requires them, especially on wire. Einhell's English manual states that minimum. Upper layers reduce effective capacity on many winches even when a listing stays silent.
Should the strap lie flat?
Yes on a polyester drum. A bunched strap can ride into the teeth or fail at the stitching. DASBET reviews describe that kind of damage on light pulls.
Is the winch the tie-down for the drive home?
No. Add bow and stern restraints once the boat is seated. The winch completes the pull. It does not secure the road journey, and the coupling breakaway cable is a different part again.
When do I stop and get help?
When the load is above the printed capacity, when someone is under the boat, when the pawl or lock fails, or when the line is frayed or the stitching is torn. Re-rig with slack rather than cranking harder.

Related pages

Boat trailer winch

Winch strap vs wire rope

Hand winch

Best hand winch: wire, strap, and who should skip it

Hand winch buying guide: capacity, line, and mount

Sources

Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these twelve listings were read on 19 October 2026. Page updated October 2026.

  1. HSE: LOLER overview (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. HSE: L113 Safe use of lifting equipment (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. HSE: Thorough examinations of lifting equipment (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. GOV.UK: Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, Great Britain (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. GOV.UK: Tow a trailer, safety checks (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. BSI: BS EN 13157 hand-powered cranes (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Dutton-Lainson: Hand winch selection guide (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. amazon.co.uk Best Sellers: Manual winches (retrieved 20 October 2026)