Planning to get my first winch... I've never used one.
06-24-2024, 05:31 AM
#11
JK Newbie
I'm a pretty big fan of the modern synthetic winch ropes. I've had enough steel splinters in my hands for one lifetime. Some went right though heavy gloves.
Winch sizing is a funny thing. When they say it's a 10,000lb winch, that usually means that at the bottom wrap on the drum, the winch will pull that hard & at the top wrap of a full drum, it will be a lot less. You can do the math to get the actual values, but ball park it by expecting about half of stated pull capacity at the top of the drum, when most of the line is rolled up.
That being said, my JK weighs about 4,000 pounds & I don't plan to lift it up off the ground, so I don't feel the need for a winch that will pull 5k at the top of the spool. There are some conceivable situations where you may need to pull at a strange angle & you may need the extra beef, but I don't go to those places, so for me it's not needed. A hard core off roader will have needs that are different from mine. For me, a winch just needs to lend a helping hand when I have poor traction.
As was said, a snatch block will double your pulling force when used correctly. It will also halve your pulling speed & halve your pulling range. Using 2 snatch blocks will triple your pulling power & cut the other features to 1/3. It's possible to use more than that, but it gets messy to set up & deal with.
Many winches have a limited duty cycle. 5% is not uncommon on the cheap ones. That means use it for 1 minute & let it sit to cool for 20 minutes. In cold climates, you can cheat on this some.
One cute little trick that I like to pull, is mounting a receiver hitch on both the front & back of my Jeep. This lets me mount my winch on a 2" square tube & then move it to the front or back of the Jeep as needed. Depending on how you get stuck, pulling from the back is sometimes your best bet & can be a nice option to have. It also lets you swap a single winch between different Jeeps. I find this to be practical for winches in the 5,000 pound size or less. You also need to check the ratings for the receiver. Some that go on Jeeps are rated for only 3,500 pounds of straight pull. Then again, some of the "winch mounts" that I see on $200ish Jeep bumpers these days, look like they came out of a sheet metal shop, rather than a steel fabricator, so I doubt they would go undamaged at that same load level.
A little 2,500# winch will likely draw about 30 amps & can probably be wired up with AWG #10 wire & a traditional automotive ice cube relay. A big winch may need closer to 100 amps & will need much more serious wiring. Don't forget the breaker.
Another thing to consider is how it will be controlled. Some winches have a hand held remote on a long wire that lets you stand back & operate it. Some have dash board mounted controls. Some have wireless remotes. Many have a combination of 2 options.
Of course, if you just want to look cool, get the biggest bumpers & the biggest winch you can find. In this case, it doesn't even need to be wired.
Winch sizing is a funny thing. When they say it's a 10,000lb winch, that usually means that at the bottom wrap on the drum, the winch will pull that hard & at the top wrap of a full drum, it will be a lot less. You can do the math to get the actual values, but ball park it by expecting about half of stated pull capacity at the top of the drum, when most of the line is rolled up.
That being said, my JK weighs about 4,000 pounds & I don't plan to lift it up off the ground, so I don't feel the need for a winch that will pull 5k at the top of the spool. There are some conceivable situations where you may need to pull at a strange angle & you may need the extra beef, but I don't go to those places, so for me it's not needed. A hard core off roader will have needs that are different from mine. For me, a winch just needs to lend a helping hand when I have poor traction.
As was said, a snatch block will double your pulling force when used correctly. It will also halve your pulling speed & halve your pulling range. Using 2 snatch blocks will triple your pulling power & cut the other features to 1/3. It's possible to use more than that, but it gets messy to set up & deal with.
Many winches have a limited duty cycle. 5% is not uncommon on the cheap ones. That means use it for 1 minute & let it sit to cool for 20 minutes. In cold climates, you can cheat on this some.
One cute little trick that I like to pull, is mounting a receiver hitch on both the front & back of my Jeep. This lets me mount my winch on a 2" square tube & then move it to the front or back of the Jeep as needed. Depending on how you get stuck, pulling from the back is sometimes your best bet & can be a nice option to have. It also lets you swap a single winch between different Jeeps. I find this to be practical for winches in the 5,000 pound size or less. You also need to check the ratings for the receiver. Some that go on Jeeps are rated for only 3,500 pounds of straight pull. Then again, some of the "winch mounts" that I see on $200ish Jeep bumpers these days, look like they came out of a sheet metal shop, rather than a steel fabricator, so I doubt they would go undamaged at that same load level.
A little 2,500# winch will likely draw about 30 amps & can probably be wired up with AWG #10 wire & a traditional automotive ice cube relay. A big winch may need closer to 100 amps & will need much more serious wiring. Don't forget the breaker.
Another thing to consider is how it will be controlled. Some winches have a hand held remote on a long wire that lets you stand back & operate it. Some have dash board mounted controls. Some have wireless remotes. Many have a combination of 2 options.
Of course, if you just want to look cool, get the biggest bumpers & the biggest winch you can find. In this case, it doesn't even need to be wired.
Last edited by JimWPB; 06-24-2024 at 05:47 AM.
06-25-2024, 04:51 PM
#12
JK Newbie
Thread Starter
Thanks for all the information!
I think I'm definitely planning for a synthetic rope. A 10k fits my budget, so I'll very likely go that route. Mostly likely a Smitty.
I didn't really think about the power requirements, so that's going to take some research on my part.
You guys are great!
I think I'm definitely planning for a synthetic rope. A 10k fits my budget, so I'll very likely go that route. Mostly likely a Smitty.
I didn't really think about the power requirements, so that's going to take some research on my part.
You guys are great!
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JimWPB (06-25-2024)
06-25-2024, 05:00 PM
#13
JK Jedi
I've never had an issue powering my winch off the starter battery, though any time I've used it I have left the jeep engine running.
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JimWPB (06-25-2024)
06-26-2024, 06:37 PM
#14
JK Freak
For a short winch, the battery will provide enough juice. If the winch is longer than a few minutes, then you definitely want the motor running. It's just that if you're pulling somebody else out, having the engine off and in gear with parking brake set is better than trying to winch with the motor running and only the parking brake holding you in place. If you're pulling yourself out, then obviously motor running is the way to go.
06-28-2024, 01:50 AM
#15
JK Newbie
I just looked up a few spec's. According to these guys -
https://www.morris4x4center.com/supe...00lbs-12v.html
This particular 9,500# winch draws 80-340 amps depending on load. ...but they only put AWG #4 wire in it? I think they mean AWG 4/0, if they are going to draw 300+ amps. That's going to be about as big around as your thumb.
This is a chart of wire sizing for fire safety -
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/w...ges-d_419.html
The above is what you use to select the size of your breaker.
This page shows a chart of wire sizing for limited voltage drop -
http://assets.bluesea.com/files/reso...on_chartlg.jpg
If you need to run wires more than 10 feet in a 12vdc system, voltage drop becomes a consideration. When you run an electric motor on lower than normal voltage, it produces less maximum power & runs extra hot for the amount of power provided.
The farmer's test is to feel the wire after the winch has been under a heavy load for a little bit. If the wire is mildly warm, it's OK. If the wire is hot, it's a problem.
https://www.morris4x4center.com/supe...00lbs-12v.html
This particular 9,500# winch draws 80-340 amps depending on load. ...but they only put AWG #4 wire in it? I think they mean AWG 4/0, if they are going to draw 300+ amps. That's going to be about as big around as your thumb.
This is a chart of wire sizing for fire safety -
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/w...ges-d_419.html
The above is what you use to select the size of your breaker.
This page shows a chart of wire sizing for limited voltage drop -
http://assets.bluesea.com/files/reso...on_chartlg.jpg
If you need to run wires more than 10 feet in a 12vdc system, voltage drop becomes a consideration. When you run an electric motor on lower than normal voltage, it produces less maximum power & runs extra hot for the amount of power provided.
The farmer's test is to feel the wire after the winch has been under a heavy load for a little bit. If the wire is mildly warm, it's OK. If the wire is hot, it's a problem.