It is just an issue of electrical power, i.e. time multiplied by current draw.
Snowridge is right in pointing out that deep draws eat away at battery lifetime, but batteries are cheap in comparison to tows, at least around here, but YMMV.
So, a 35 amp alternater can put out 35 amps (surprise!), so if you run a 240A winch for two minutes, it will draw 480 amp-minutes. It will take your 35 amp alternator about 480/35= 14 minutes to recharge. In practice, it would take a little longer, and many alternators don't put out their full current at idle, but getting the engine just a little out of idle is generally enough.
I'v glossed over some advanced battery theory here, but it is close. Bottomline, it would be OK for the occasionaly retrieval, but if you want to skid logs through the forest, you should get a hydraulicly powered winch. (Check out Rip's on another thread.)
All the best,
Peter
P.S. Is your 1850 alternator really 35Amp? The newer 1011 engines are 55 amperes.
woodlandfarms said:
This is the confusion is the amperage. Every spec I read makes it an unlikely candidate for a PT (my tractor is at 35 amps I think). But I hear guys using winches all the time with no mods (on pickups with old alts, tractors, heck, quads....)
As the PT alt is so darn expensive I have no wish to fry the bad boy. And because I have the 1850 I am going places my truck will not go...
