HF Winch

[Walkin Horse]

Last week when they were on sale I bought a 12000# winch. I plan on putting it on the back of my truck.

I am thinking about using 1/0 welding cable with twist lock connections at the winch. Running it from the battery to the back is about 25'. Does this sound ok electrically. Or am I going to burn something up.

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[JRP]

You need to tell us the amp load specification for the motor. All wire heats up when current goes thru it. NEC tables show the maximum allowable amperage to prevent the heating from damaging the insulation. The fine wires of welding cable will help with current capacity. I think 1/0 will be cod, but look for a spec. It is pretty simple, if the cable gets real hot, like above 60 C then stop and let the cable cool off.

 

[BHD]

I would use welder lead connectors for the "plugs"

 

[ishiboo]

The cable is going to have a better duty cycle than the winch, 1/0 sounds like plenty. Sometimes it's better to mount another battery near the winch with an isolator and some #10 wire for charging, if you are going to be frequently using it for stuff.

 

[Walkin Horse]

The cable is going to have a better duty cycle than the winch, 1/0 sounds like plenty. Sometimes it's better to mount another battery near the winch with an isolator and some #10 wire for charging, if you are going to be frequently using it for stuff.

I like that idea even better than stringing welding lead from under the truck. I am going to use welding lead plugs for the connections. I said twist lock but I meant lead connectors.

 

[Walkin Horse]

You need to tell us the amp load specification for the motor. All wire heats up when current goes thru it. NEC tables show the maximum allowable amperage to prevent the heating from damaging the insulation. The fine wires of welding cable will help with current capacity. I think 1/0 will be cod, but look for a spec. It is pretty simple, if the cable gets real hot, like above 60 C then stop and let the cable cool off.

It draws 300 amps at full pull. The table I have only goes to 200 amps. At 30 feet it calls for # 2 wire.

 

[George2615]

I have a similar setup on my trailer. The trailer has its own battery for the tilt bed hydraulics and I wired my winch to the battery. The trailer battery gets charged when it's plugged into the truck and the truck is running.

 

[CNC Dan]

I would use Anderson power connectors. They are used on electric fork lifts to connect the battery. They have polarity (+/-)but not gender(M/F). Might be important if there is any electronics in the forward/reverse parts.

 

[BukitCase]

I wouldn't worry so much about overkill on wire size - at full load the duty cycle of the winch itself is 5% - 45 seconds on, 14 minutes 15 seconds OFF -

http://manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/61000-61999/61256.pdf

This is why most people who intend to use a winch heavily tend to go hydraulic if they can... Steve

 

[franklin2]

I just bought one of those myself, but haven't hooked it up yet. The big one seemed to be the best deal, and I thought "why not, might as well get the big one in case I need it". I started having second thoughts as soon as I went to get it off the shelf, that thing is heavy. I had ideas on moving it around from the front of the truck to the trailer and back, but if I add a quick mount of some sort, that's going to make it even heavier to move.

 

[CNC Dan]

I just bought one of those myself, but haven't hooked it up yet. The big one seemed to be the best deal, and I thought "why not, might as well get the big one in case I need it". I started having second thoughts as soon as I went to get it off the shelf, that thing is heavy. I had ideas on moving it around from the front of the truck to the trailer and back, but if I add a quick mount of some sort, that's going to make it even heavier to move.

If you use a snatch block, you can use a smaller winch. So long as you have enough cable.

 

[chuck172]

I have the 12000# badlands winch, no matter how I try I can't get it to wind back evenly on the spool.
Get the extended warranty, you can get a new one every two years.

 

[2458n]

That two years still leaves you without a winch for a year after you burn the first one up in year one.

 

[woodchipper]

I would use Anderson power connectors. They are used on electric fork lifts to connect the battery. They have polarity (+/-)but not gender(M/F). Might be important if there is any electronics in the forward/reverse parts.

I will second CNC Dan. Forklift connectors are the best suited for this application, as well as for boosting cables purposes. 1 gauge wire is just perfect for your application. Check your owners manual, to see if they talk about it.

 

[Threepoint]

That two years still leaves you without a winch for a year after you burn the first one up in year one.

Hmm. How do you figure that? I've never bought the HF extended warranties (and fortunately have never needed them). But if you burned the first winch up in year one in, seems to me they'd replace it right at the store.

 

[Walkin Horse]

Could someone double check me on the wiring. The first pic shows the long wire going to the motor and the breaker on the short wire. The parts breakdown calls the long red wire the battery wire and the 3 wires with the rubber jackets motor wire. The first one seems wrong even though it shows the breaker on it. If someone could look at theirs I would appreciate it.

 

[truckdiagnostics]

Something like this? I have a much smaller winch and only use it to pull a car up on trailer. 4 awg wire and 125 amp breaker. Using a breaker is a must! I've seen a couple trucks burn to the ground because there lift gate motor stuck.

It is an Anderson connector you can get a boot for the backside and the rubber cap to protect from water.

 

[Walkin Horse]

No not exactly. The directions aren't Real clear to me. The wiring diagram shows the longer red wire going to the motor and the short red wire with the breaker on it. It doesn't seem right. I will take a pic in the morning.

 

[Deere Dude]

I have the 12000# badlands winch, no matter how I try I can't get it to wind back evenly on the spool.
Get the extended warranty, you can get a new one every two years.

Did you try dragging a 500# log as tension in order to wind it in. That is the only way mine will wind in decently.

 

[chuck172]

Hmm. How do you figure that? I've never bought the HF extended warranties (and fortunately have never needed them). But if you burned the first winch up in year one in, seems to me they'd replace it right at the store.

Get the extended warranty and your protected. If anything goes wrong within two years, bring it back to the store and get a new one.