Brake Winches are suitable for many lifting and lowering applications. Self-locking brake winches provide additional safety and control for many lifting and pulling jobs. The automatic friction brake supplies constant, positive holding action and prevents a runaway load. Brake is fully automatic and the load remains in position any time the handle is released. A load is required to pull line from the winch drum.

Boat Weight To Winch Capacity Ratio
A commonly used ratio of boat size to winch capacity is 2 to 1. Example: a 2200 lb boat requires 1100 lb winch. There are, however, many factors to consider in selecting the proper size winch which are beyond the control of the winch manufacturer. For example, the ratio can sometimes be stretched to 3 to 1 when using a trailer equipped with good quality free-turning rollers maintained in excellent condition and most commonly used on ramps where the boat floats most of the way onto the trailer. The ratio should be reduced to as much as 1 to 1 on trailers using wooden bunks with no self-alignment capabilities, most frequently used on boat ramps requiring that the boat be winched a long way onto the trailer. Note that pontoon boat trailers and other special designs require special consideration to winch capacity selection.