Winches Whats a good location for an electric winch?

[dickfoster]

Just an FYI to the OP. I have a 9000# winch on my tilt bed trailer. It runs on a separate trailer mounted battery for the short pulls I use it for such as winching a rolling vehicle onto the trailer. A rolling load doesn't draw the amps that dragging or skidding a load would. My truck alternator is 150 amp. I have a 10 gauge charge wire from the truck to the trailer which charges the trailer battery when towing. It is protected by a 30A auto reset breaker. My truck battery, alternator, and charge wire alone are not capable of running this winch without that extra battery on the trailer.
My tractor has an 85A alternator and a small battery. It may power a small 2K winch but not a 9K.

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.


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.

 

[George2615]

Great wiring job. I wasn't aware of your creds till this post so wiring isn't going to be a problem for you. It's just a matter of where and how to mount the winch. I still like the receiver type front mount if you can figure out how.

 

[dickfoster]

90 amps? Wtf! I never would have guessed that. If I had 90 on mine, I'd use my HS9500i on my skidding plate and not be that worried. Hmmm, maybe I should look into adding a bigger alternator rather than trying to find a decent PTO winch or a chough, reasonably priced hydraulic one

Well I guess that would depend on how much you intend to use it. No electric winch is ever going to do the work of a good PTO winch nor for anywhere near as long before your battery is all pooped out. Electric winches under load pull hundreds of amps or at least try too before your electrical supply is exhausted. For off road use all you usually ever need is an occasional tug to get you out of a jam. However I did use the winch in my truck to skid and deck some logs summer before last at the cost or needing to replace my ball joints. A PITA job to be sure so I won't be pulling that silly stunt again.

 

[brasco426]

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

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

 

[dickfoster]

Great wiring job. I wasn't aware of your creds till this post so wiring isn't going to be a problem for you. It's just a matter of where and how to mount the winch. I still like the receiver type front mount if you can figure out how.

Yeah that would be nice if I had the space for it. That way you could maybe move it to the rear if you needed it although not with a cat1 hitch. Of course the backhoe would have to be removed for that. I was hoping one of you geniuses had run across and solved this little problem before. Far be it from me to reinvent the wheel and I've seen a lot of folks do some interesting stuff on this board so far.

 

[Oldpath05]

I put a 9000 lb DC Northern Tool winch on my L3400 in (08). Used mostly to help pick up my 3 point PTO winch when I have a couple logs on it. I probably don't need it this big, but at $300.00, why not. Now that I hear that the winch draws to many amps, and my battery not big enough, my alternator is not big enough, probably wont work now.
This not in a good place for getting a tractor unstuck, for that purpose, I'd mount a winch up front behind the steel grill/bumper.

 

[Oldpath05]

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

Is that front end modified? lot of articulation going on there, nice pic.

 

[Oldpath05]

"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.

 

[teg]

I put a 9000 lb DC Northern Tool winch on my L3400 in (08). Used mostly to help pick up my 3 point PTO winch when I have a couple logs on it....

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:

 

[TSO]

"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.

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