The terms "winch" and "capstan puller" are often used interchangeably, but they refer to two distinct types of pulling machines with different operating principles.

• Cable Winch (or Drum Winch): A winch pulls a cable by wrapping it onto a fixed drum. The pulling force is generated by the rotational force of the drum. The pulling capacity of a winch can vary as the rope layers build up on the drum.

• Capstan Puller: A capstan puller uses a rotating drum, but the pulling rope is not stored on it. The operator wraps a few turns of the rope around the spinning capstan and uses friction to control the pulling force. This design allows for a constant pulling force and a continuous pull of any length, as the rope is fed off the capstan and stored elsewhere. This makes capstan pullers ideal for long, continuous cable runs in underground conduit.