Bigger alternator

[BAGTIC]

I think I want more alternator/battery capacityfor use with sprayers, seeders, winches, etc. Is it possible to replace the little 20 ampere alternator with something larger; also, a larger battery?

Battery would not seem a problem as there seems to be room.

 

[dqdave1]

If you got the room for a larger alternator; then you could mount one; remember that it will rob HP from the engine when loaded.

 

[MossRoad]

Which engine do you have?

 

[BAGTIC]

I have the Robin.

 

[J_J]

I was looking through the Robin engine description, for the EH-72, and they say that the engine can be configured for an output of 30 amps. If yours is a 15 amp alternator, I believe that you can upgrade.

 

[MossRoad]

I'm gonna aska few questions... don't think I'm being rude or anything like that. I just like asking questions and don't want to come across as a know-it-all, which you folks know I am far from... so here goes...

Why do you want a winch? I can only think of two reasons to have a winch:
1. To get unstuck.
2. To haul stuff out of inaccessible places.

If you are getting stuck so often that a winch seems like a good idea, perhaps you should look at different tires and or tire chains. A PT425 is not a heavy machine. A comealong or hand winch, a couple lengths of sturdy cable with loops in the ends and a tree saver strap are cheap compared to a winch and much less strain on the charging system and they are very effective for the few times that you will use them.

If you are wanting to haul stuff out of inaccessible places, a length of sturdy cable will do the job very well. I have an old 5/8" wrecker winch cable that is about 100' long. If I can't get closer than that, it doesn't need to come out of the woods.

Sprayers and seeders are another story. I'll guess that the convesion of your engine's alternator to a larger output unit will cost more than a deep cycle marine battery. A deep cycle battery will run a trolling motor for hours and hours, so I see no reason why it wouldn't do the same for a spray rig or seeder. I'd look into a battery tray for the seeder and sprayer and keep a marine battery on a battery tender for when they are needed.


Anyway, I guess I'd have to see what the conversion costs for the alternator would be first.

 

[BobRip]

I was looking through the Robin engine description, for the EH-72, and they say that the engine can be configured for an output of 30 amps. If yours is a 15 amp alternator, I believe that you can upgrade.

I believe there was an earlier thread where someone had the 30 amp upgrade, had lots of problems and then went back to the 15 amp.
I like Moss's suggestions of a deep cycle battery. Even using the existing battery and then connect a maintenance charger when you were done would probably work, especially if you only need it a few times a year. How much current does the spreader pull? If its 20 amps or so it would take a long time to run the battery down while charging at 15 . Sorry to deviate so far from the initial request.

 

[BAGTIC]

Mostly I want to get stuff out of inaccessible places.

I have some ponds that seem to collect fallen branches and trees. I have tried , mostly unsuccessfully, dragging them out with the 425. Some of them are just too heavy and some I can not get good traction because of the levees around the pond. The top of the levee is too narrow to get a good pull and the levee too high to pull from the backside as I am in a hole. I thought perhaps I could strap the tractor to a sturdy tree for anchorage and winch them out.

I also have a pond dam that is high, steep, and runs alongside the neighbor's barbed wire fences. I need to keep deadwood cleaned out there and keep small saplings, etc. pulled so they don't infiltrate the dam.

I have not had much luck with the little manual cable winches over the years. Lots of broken pullers and frayed and broken cables. What do you think about a manual chain puller belted to a tree with cable extensions and perhaps a few extra pulleys for increased leverage? I am trying to keep the physical exhertion limited because of doctor's restrictions against strenuous activity.

 

[BobRip]

Mostly I want to get stuff out of inaccessible places.

I have some ponds that seem to collect fallen branches and trees. I have tried , mostly unsuccessfully, dragging them out with the 425. Some of them are just too heavy and some I can not get good traction because of the levees around the pond. The top of the levee is too narrow to get a good pull and the levee too high to pull from the backside as I am in a hole. I thought perhaps I could strap the tractor to a sturdy tree for anchorage and winch them out.

I also have a pond dam that is high, steep, and runs alongside the neighbor's barbed wire fences. I need to keep deadwood cleaned out there and keep small saplings, etc. pulled so they don't infiltrate the dam.

I have not had much luck with the little manual cable winches over the years. Lots of broken pullers and frayed and broken cables. What do you think about a manual chain puller belted to a tree with cable extensions and perhaps a few extra pulleys for increased leverage? I am trying to keep the physical exhertion limited because of doctor's restrictions against strenuous activity.

Have your considered the hydraulic driven winch from Power Trac. It can use about 12 or 15 horspower from the engine. This is far more power than you would get from an electric winch.

 

[MossRoad]

Mostly I want to get stuff out of inaccessible places.

I have some ponds that seem to collect fallen branches and trees. I have tried , mostly unsuccessfully, dragging them out with the 425. Some of them are just too heavy and some I can not get good traction because of the levees around the pond. The top of the levee is too narrow to get a good pull and the levee too high to pull from the backside as I am in a hole. I thought perhaps I could strap the tractor to a sturdy tree for anchorage and winch them out.

I also have a pond dam that is high, steep, and runs alongside the neighbor's barbed wire fences. I need to keep deadwood cleaned out there and keep small saplings, etc. pulled so they don't infiltrate the dam.

I have not had much luck with the little manual cable winches over the years. Lots of broken pullers and frayed and broken cables. What do you think about a manual chain puller belted to a tree with cable extensions and perhaps a few extra pulleys for increased leverage? I am trying to keep the physical exhertion limited because of doctor's restrictions against strenuous activity.

I understand about the doctor's restrictions, so let's get some discussion going on this.

I see a couple problems with putting a winch on the 400 series tractor.

1. The tractor is light in weight; we don't have much traction for winching.
2. The factory winch mounts on the FEL arms. A strong sideways pull may bend or twist the FEL arms.
3. An electric aftermarket winch will suck the battery down quickly and the little alternator on the gas engines will take a long time to catch up.

We could lessen the effects of #1 and #2 a bit by doing a few things. Different tires, tire chains, anchoring the PT to an immovable object like a tree, or mounting some teeth or fangs onto the bottom of the winch plate to dig into the ground and anchor it that way.

If it were me, and I needed the winch, I would probably choose the factory winch and modify the mounting plate with some gussets and teeth so that I could use the FEL down pressure to push the teeth into the ground before a pull to act as the anchor. I would also make sure that I am lined up directly with the pull so that I would not pull at an angle and risk damaging the FEL arms. I would also consider a removable steel screen that I could hang on the ROPS in front of the operator just in case the cable snaps.

Anyhow, just some thoughts.