Winches Whats a good location for an electric winch?

[CDN Farm Boy]

I know all about the electrical stuff. I'm a retired EE and have installed and used winches. I have just not put one on a tractor before.
Here's a pic of the truck showing the winch installed in the front bumper.
View attachment 461764

and here's a pic of the dual battery setup I made for it. Yes, I gold plated the solid copper buss bars so they would not turn green.
View attachment 461765

Still got the Toy? I can't comment on the electrical setup but love the truck. Still wish I had my '85 xrtacab

 

[dickfoster]

Still got the Toy? I can't comment on the electrical setup but love the truck. Still wish I had my '85 xrtacab

I'll probably take it to the grave with me. Still drive it about every other day to get to town.

 

[dickfoster]

Holy Cow Dick nice job! I'll just bug you if I have an idea lol.

Bug away.

 

[dickfoster]

That's an idea but it looks like the winch would rip the ROPS right off if you put any real load on it.

I'd like to get it up front but space is at a premium up there. No place in front of the grill guard due to the loader, no place in the rear due to the backhoe. Maybe I'll just have to put the idea on hold for now or perhaps just put some class III hitch receivers front and rear somewhere for when the loader and or backhoe aren't mounted and put the winch in a carrier for a class III hitch. Those are pretty common so I wouldn't even have to make it.

 

[sdef]

I installed a 12k winch on my Kioti DK45 HSE at the 3PH using a purpose built portable winch mount for a 2" receiver I had laying around. Ran 0 or 1 gauge cable from the standard tractor battery back to the winch using Anderson QD type mounts. Exact same setups I use in my 1996 Jeep GC and 2015 Ram 2500 diesel. I have never had any power problems for relatively short pulls in getting out an old Ford tractor at max. single line pull that was mud bogged to the frame at the bottom of a hill or a myriad of large oak trees needing directional coaxing or other "projects" using a single battery. Of course multiple batteries and high amp. alternators would be a nice option.

On the tractor the winch was used to pull trees towards the direction I wanted them to fall versus their natural leaning path, regardless of how the chainsaw cuts were made. Had some heavy leaners that required mechanical persuasion.

Use large, solid rubber tire chocks if unable to chain down the tractor against the pull for the heavy pulls. Heavy duty, non solid tire chocks have always worked okay on my 9k winch but failed miserably on the 12k winch. Long story for the failed chocks in the pic involving wife at the tractor with winch remote and me at the tree cutting and providing directions.

 

[dickfoster]

Good job! Now that's what I'm talkin about. If ya got it, you may as well use it.

BTW, I went to HS in Cheraw which isn't too far away.

 

[Oldpath05]

I installed a 12k winch on my Kioti DK45 HSE at the 3PH using a purpose built portable winch mount for a 2" receiver I had laying around. Ran 0 or 1 gauge cable from the standard tractor battery back to the winch using Anderson QD type mounts. Exact same setups I use in my 1996 Jeep GC and 2015 Ram 2500 diesel. I have never had any power problems for relatively short pulls in getting out an old Ford tractor at max. single line pull that was mud bogged to the frame at the bottom of a hill or a myriad of large oak trees needing directional coaxing or other "projects" using a single battery. Of course multiple batteries and high amp. alternators would be a nice option.

On the tractor the winch was used to pull trees towards the direction I wanted them to fall versus their natural leaning path, regardless of how the chainsaw cuts were made. Had some heavy leaners that required mechanical persuasion.

Use large, solid rubber tire chocks if unable to chain down the tractor against the pull for the heavy pulls. Heavy duty, non solid tire chocks have always worked okay on my 9k winch but failed miserably on the 12k winch. Long story for the failed chocks in the pic involving wife at the tractor with winch remote and me at the tree cutting and providing directions.

View attachment 461877View attachment 461878View attachment 461879View attachment 461880View attachment 461881View attachment 461882

Nice winch mount, probably could use some vertical legs like some pto winches have, made out of square stock, that would keep the tractor in place.

 

[dickfoster]

I thought those PTO logging winches had blades that dug themselves into the ground. At least that's what I figured they did. Don't know what the pull capacity on those things but I think it's somewhere right around a whole heap and a bunch. More than the electric jobs anyway. I wonder about the pulling capacity of the 3Pt too but I guess they are made for pulling plows and such so it must be enough to take an electric winch.
I suppose a tractor Cat 1 hitch is different than a Cat1 like you'd put on a car as far as how much you can pull with it. I can see dimensions between the arms, link diameters, lift capacity etc. but nothing on how much force they can pull or even how much force the drawbar is good for pulling. Pull until the tires start spinning?

 

[lennyzx11]

I used a receiver mount from harbor freight.

ran #4 wire to battery and put a quick disconnect near the rear. It's only a 5k and I only use it with engine running and short pulls. Never really push it. I also had it laying around.
An extra disconnect set lets me connect jumper cables to the winch if using it on truck or trailer or I want to use the tractor to jump start something without raising the hood.

 

[Oldpath05]

Your tractor looks like something out of Mad Max... I like it!

Ye-ha a compliment, I'll take it, and last summer when I ran over a yellow jacket nest while getting out logs, I did drive it like Mad Max.

 

[Oldpath05]

Moving a couple of feet vs. "...for dragging logs, stumps etc..." is two different tasks.

Helping to lift the 3 point hitch... what a foot or two maybe? Have you run your hitch to the max cable???

Don't get me wrong, I would LOVE to hear that it can do it... Can you test it out skidding a log or stump???

PS. cool as heck roll cage :thumbsup:

!0-4 on the different task. I haven't bottom out the power of that winch yet. When I first hooked it up, with no tractor help, I have pick the pto winch up with a full hitch on my chokers, a few times just to see if the winch could do it, and it did, but it's only purpose it to help the tractor hydraulics.

I have the winch bolted to a 1/2" angle bar and that is bolted to the ROPPs with 4, 1/2" caseharden bolts that was already there. Probably If I tried using the winch to pull logs where it's mounted, 9000 lbs off force might bend/brake something on my roll cage, which actually is a $300.00 brush guard.
And speaking of running the cable to max, only done that once 4 years ago, I think the instructions that came with it says to do that at least once a year, something about lubrication, another thing I got to do if I can remember it.

 

[Oldpath05]

View attachment 461893
I used a receiver mount from harbor freight.

ran #4 wire to battery and put a quick disconnect near the rear. It's only a 5k and I only use it with engine running and short pulls. Never really push it. I also had it laying around.
An extra disconnect set lets me connect jumper cables to the winch if using it on truck or trailer or I want to use the tractor to jump start something without raising the hood.

Darn it, I cant see the winch mount, to much shadow, gut turn the tractor around so it's facing the sun.

 

[dickfoster]

"I was hoping one of you geniuses had run across and solved this little problem before."

I'm no genius, yea I know, I was disappointed to when I found that out, but here's a pic. of my front heavy duty grill/bumper, for me that would be a good place to mount a winch. You should have something like that on your tractor.

Sorry I didn't see this post before. Still getting used to this board.
I do have a grill guard but there is not enough space between it and the hood or it and a cross bar on the FEL to mount the winch. It's kinda early on to start with body mods but I've been known to take matters into my own hands before. Maybe down the road a bit. Maybe you can see how tight it is from this pic.

I'm not too sure what good the grill guard is at this point so maybe removing it could be an option. There are four nice bolts holding it on that could be used for a winch mount. The frame looks to be beefy enough.

 

[Oldpath05]

That's an idea but it looks like the winch would rip the ROPS right off if you put any real load on it.

I'd like to get it up front but space is at a premium up there. No place in front of the grill guard due to the loader, no place in the rear due to the backhoe. Maybe I'll just have to put the idea on hold for now or perhaps just put some class III hitch receivers front and rear somewhere for when the loader and or backhoe aren't mounted and put the winch in a carrier for a class III hitch. Those are pretty common so I wouldn't even have to make it.

I'm thinking, first you have to get the winch you want, and fabricate a new front grill to mount it on. But to do that, it might require some Yankee ingenuity and to get that, you might have to move to New England. OR take the faster then lighting quick disconnect back hoe off and mount it like these other guys have.

 

[dickfoster]

I'm thinking, first you have to get the winch you want, and fabricate a new front grill to mount it on. But to do that, it might require some Yankee ingenuity and to get that, you might have to move to New England. OR take the faster then lighting quick disconnect back hoe off and mount it like these other guys have.

Well, I'll likely settle for taking the hoe off maybe twice a year, mainly to push some snow around in winter. I don't think it's such a lighting fast proposition but I have seen it done on YouTube.

As far as knocking something together and yankee ingenuity, you should see my truck. I started by putting it on jack stands then gas axing the entire suspension off and started over with my own creation. It also has 20 forward gears and 4 reverse with on board air, a welder and a list as long as your arm of other stuff.
I don't have to move to yankee land, I'm a southern boy and we know a few things about how to do mechanical stuff too. How do you think NASCAR got started?

 

[lennyzx11]

Darn it, I cant see the winch mount, to much shadow, gut turn the tractor around so it's facing the sun.

Hitch Receiver Mount for Winches

Oops and sorry. I used a Titan 3 pt hitch and then mounted the winch on the attached mount from harbor freight.

One caveat though. My 5000 lb is probably a lot lighter than your 9500 lb to hoss around. I do cheat(read as being lazy) and lower the 3point and stick the winch but that isn't really necessary. Would have to put my beer down though if sticking it by hand though.

 

[Beltzington]

I used part of a brush guard I got with a used Warn M12000 winch and also found a used military AGM sealed battery to power it. Have to install a cable before I can test but currently on hold for other projects. The Box Blade makes a great base and works great as ballast. Obviously not going to work with a bucket attached.

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

"I was hoping one of you geniuses had run across and solved this little problem before."

I'm no genius, yea I know, I was disappointed to when I found that out, but here's a pic. of my front heavy duty grill/bumper, for me that would be a good place to mount a winch. You should have something like that on your tractor.

I saw this pic the day you posted it and thought, sure....factory grill guard, then focused on the (appropriately described) Mad Max roll cage. What I completely missed is the additions to the grill guard. I guess you don't work at night too much do you? Those rail road ties can't be good for air circulation at the rad.

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

Sorry I didn't see this post before. Still getting used to this board.
I do have a grill guard but there is not enough space between it and the hood or it and a cross bar on the FEL to mount the winch. It's kinda early on to start with body mods but I've been known to take matters into my own hands before. Maybe down the road a bit. Maybe you can see how tight it is from this pic.
View attachment 461898
I'm not too sure what good the grill guard is at this point so maybe removing it could be an option. There are four nice bolts holding it on that could be used for a winch mount. The frame looks to be beefy enough.

Looks to me like there is room to take off the factory grill guard and make your own with a winch mount built in. Keep the factor one to go back on if/when you take the winch off. The grill guards are nice to have, keeps you from smashing the front of the tractor when you have the loader raised.

What's the distance between the loader cross bar and the grill? Looks like it's on the way to a foot.

 

[dickfoster]

Looks to me like there is room to take off the factory grill guard and make your own with a winch mount built in. Keep the factor one to go back on if/when you take the winch off. The grill guards are nice to have, keeps you from smashing the front of the tractor when you have the loader raised.

What's the distance between the loader cross bar and the grill? Looks like it's on the way to a foot.

Haven't measured it but it's closer than a foot. I think doing something to reuse the space where the current grill guard resides is in the works if a front mount is ever gonna happen. I'd likely just modify the grill guard that's on it now to allow for the winch and getting the hood up and down. I think the crossmember the grill guard is mounted to is beefy enough but I might put a doubler plate on that just to be on the safe side.
I like to build stout. I think the front bumper on my truck came in somewhere right around 300lbs. If I ever hit anything with it, it's going down. I've been meaning to get one of those windshield banners made up that reads "enoz elpmurc ym era !UOY".