Atlas Winch and Hoist Services (Southern) Ltd

Winches come in all sizes and for varying applications. Nowadays, many businesses and individuals rely on them for a number of reasons, whether it be as simple as living in the countryside and needing one to tow a vehicle out of the mud in an emergency, or requiring the use of heavy duty winches for the smooth operation of a business.

Of course, these aren’t your average everyday item that you can buy from your local shop down the road, not to mention they also cost a pretty penny to buy outright. This is why it is a smart idea to employ the services of a winch company. By opting to hire your winch(es), you will benefit from quality equipment for a fraction of the price, as long as you need it for.

We’ve put together this guide offering you our top tips on what to look out for when choosing a winch hire company, so that you are receiving the best service possible to cater to your needs. Keep reading on to learn more.

1 | PROVEN WINCH SPECIALISTS

When choosing a winch company to hire or buy your pulling equipment, one of the most reasonable factors to look at is whether or not the company you are looking at specialises in winches. If they sell some types of winches alongside their other products but this isn’t their focus or speciality, then they may not be as adept at assisting you with your winching needs as a specialist winch company.

By hiring from a company who specialises predominantly in winches, not only are they more likely to have a better supply of relevant products that you may need, but they will have the knowledge and expertise in this area should you require any advice or guidance.

For example, if you know that you need a winch for a project but aren’t sure what type of winch you require or if the winch you have in mind will be capable of performing that task you require it for safely and efficiently, then a winch specialist company would be able to offer you advice on whether the winch you intend to hire will be suitable or if there is one that is better suited to your needs.

Furthermore, this could even end up saving you money, as they appreciate the importance of using the right winch for the right job; so, if there was a smaller, cheaper winch that would be perfect for your needs as opposed to an unnecessary larger one that you otherwise intended on using, they would be able to make you aware of this.

On top of that, you will have more peace of mind knowing that you are purchasing your equipment from a company who knows their stuff, which is then likely to be reflected in the products they offer, as well as offering you reassurance that they will be able to help should something go wrong later down the line.

2 | TESTED PRODUCTS

Due to the often large-scale and dangerous applications with which many winches are required for operation, it is vital that they are safe to use with no faults. As such, you want to know that the company you plan to hire your winch from sells reliable, safe-to-use products.

Reliable winch companies, as part of their professional responsibilities, should perform rigorous testing and inspections on their products before supplying them to customers. If they do not offer reassurance of this anywhere on their website, then don’t be afraid to reach out and ask them what, if any, tests they perform on the winch equipment that they sell.

Since winches involve the hoisting of heavy items, should they fail when in use, the damage and safety risks that could occur as a result have the potential to be extensive. Of course, this could also cause delay in your business operations, whereby time and money are truly of the essence. No doubt, you want your business to function smoothly and your workers to be safe, which is why hiring winch equipment that has been thoroughly tested should be in your best interest.

3 | SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE

Even if you have workers who are trained to work with winches and hoisting equipment, that’s not to say that they are qualified to fix these should they develop a fault. Established winch companies are aware of this, which is why they may offer servicing and maintenance as part of their services.

Subsequently, you can rest assured that if you do hire a winch from them and something goes wrong with it, that they will proactively resolve this so that it is up and working again for you to use as required, rather than having to return it or receiving absolutely no form of compensation for the inconvenience.

This is extremely useful, as you won’t be responsible for having to find a reliable third-party to carry out any repairs or servicing on the equipment you purchase. If this is offered by a winch hire company, we recommend that you still check that the engineers they provide to carry out any maintenance or repair work are fully qualified.

If these engineers are fully qualified and experienced, then they may also be offered to help operate the equipment you hire (both onshore and offshore), or even your own winch and hoisting equipment, should you or anyone within your company not have the necessary training to do so – which leads us on to our next point.

4 | TRAINING

It’s all very well hiring winch equipment to help progress with a specific project, but this seems a tad redundant if you then don’t have the necessary understanding or experience in how to safely and correctly use this.

A good winch company will account for this and offer training to you to teach you how. It could be in-house training or on site, but check to see that they offer accredited training for standard cable pulling winch operation. Some may even offer more bespoke training for non-standard winch operation, tailoring this to suit your specific needs.

Whether or not you actually require any training in this regard, noting that a winch company offers this suggests that they are reliable, knowledgeable and trustworthy, offering the best solutions to their customers. Customer satisfaction is (at least it should be) prioritised by every legitimate business, as it is the customers that are ultimately required for keeping a business thriving and having a positive reputation, which in turn attracts even more customers and profit.

5 | RELIABLE TRACK RECORD

One of the best evidential indicators of a reliable company is by seeing examples of their work. When it comes to a winch company, if they have any case studies showcasing how their products or services have been used in action, then this shows that other businesses have faith in their business to trust them to help their own.

This is also a good way to learn more about the products they offer and how they can be used in different applications. It also gives them an opportunity to show off their knowledge, further painting themselves as a company who knows what they are doing and can be trusted with your requirements. Boasting is not a bad thing when it comes to business, as competency is essential for potential customers to see.

Another way to learn how good a winch company’s track record is, as with any company, is by reading any reviews and testimonials from previous customers. These should be found on trustworthy review websites only, such as Google reviews, so that you know the feedback is genuine and from a real person, rather than fake or biassed.

ATLAS WINCH HIRE & HOIST SERVICES

If you’re in need of winch equipment, then look no further than Atlas Winch & Hoist Services – we’re here to meet all your lifting needs.

We have over 30 years of experience providing lifting equipment hire for all major industries, including utilities, construction, oil, gas, renewables and engineering. Though we are based in Essex and Scotland, we offer our winch hire services all across the United Kingdom, providing you with reliable winch hire and lifting equipment to meet your professional needs, no matter how big or small your project is.

Get in touch with us today to enquire about the products and services we offer and how we can help you. For our Scotland office, please call 01899 221 577; for our Essex office, please call 01371 859 555. Alternatively, you can email us at info@winchhire.com.