On the basic level, all winches are designed and meant to pull load either laterally or vertically. However, the particulars of the winches may vary, especially with regards to the power driving the pull action of the winch. Winch users have the option of using the hydraulic winch or the electric winch.
As you can guess, the electric variety uses the electricity to power the winch. In this regard, for factory plant installed devices, they make use of power from the mains to power the winch. On the other hand, the hydraulic winch(malacate hidráulico) variety uses a hydraulic system consisting of hydraulic lines and a pumping system to power the winch. This is the fundamental difference between these two winch systems.
Nonetheless, there are other differences between the two winch system when you consider the intricate details of the systems. For instance, in terms of the operational environment, electric winches can only work in dry conditions. On the other hand, hydraulic winches can also work even in wet environments. Operating a winch that runs on electricity comes with a lot of risks, especially electrocution risks. On the other hand, since the hydraulic system only operates using a hydraulic pump(bomba hidráulica) and hydraulic lines, it can comfortably work under water, or in we environment such as on ships.
On the performance front, there are also differences in power output as well as how long either winch can operate. Generally, electric winches tend to have a powerful pull when compared to equal sized hydraulic winches. This means that electric winches tend to have ample pull heavy loads. However, they tend to draw a lot of power and are thus require a constant supply of a high amount electricity. As such, they are less optimized for use with battery supply. When operating with a battery supply of electricity, they tend to drain batteries fairly quickly. This limits the period the winches can operate for a short period while using battery power.
On the other hand, hydraulic winches can operate with a higher efficiency which does not require the use of high-powered power lines or high-powered batteries. The supply of hydraulic power from the system’s hydraulic pump usually gives this variety of pumps enough power to operate for a considerable longer period, while at the same time pulling harder. However, since they need hydraulic power to operate, the feeding hydraulic pump must constantly operate. Rarely will hydraulic winches operate using battery power.
With regards to the being hardy, the hydraulic winch tends to be hardier. For starters, it is not susceptible to overheating that emanates from operating the winch. This is the opposite of the electric winch(el malacate eléctrico), which tends to overheat when used for long periods or put under a great load for long periods of time.
As you can appreciate, each of these systems has its own pros and cons. While the electric option tends to be more powerful(más fuerte), it requires a supply of high voltage power to operate. On the other hand, the hydraulic system can work harder for longer. Nonetheless, it needs the hydraulic pump to work continuously.