Installing a winch on primary battery

[evltoy Member Find all posts View Profile Close evltoy]

Hey Guys,

The family and I are now starting to venture out to beginners 4wd trails. I currently have a set of Treds and recovery gear and just for insurance I was planning on getting a winch which I highly doubt I would ever use.

Can anyone see why I should not hook it up to my factory cranking battery? Once the battery needs replacing I will get a better battery. Also I don't plan to get a secondary battery as yet.

Thanks
evltoy

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

Most of us with winches have it hooked direct to the primary (starting) battery. The engine should be running during the winching process. This ensures plenty of amps to drive the winch motor. I have a dual bettery set-up where I can link the batteries but have never needed both to run the winch.

[Ben21 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Ben21]

I was talking to a bloke at battery world a couple of weeks ago about a dual battery setup.
He told me to keep my winch on the starter battery otherwise it will drain the second in no time.
Also that it isn't good for the kind of battery I want. (Deep Cycle)

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Yeah I have my winch on the crank battery, my second battery is in the cargo area, so crank was the only option. Pretty common practice.

Cheers Andrew

[120D4D Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close 120D4D]

Most of us with winches have it hooked direct to the primary (starting) battery. The engine should be running during the winching process. This ensures plenty of amps to drive the winch motor. I have a dual bettery set-up where I can link the batteries but have never needed both to run the winch.

I'm doing something a little different and running the winch of the aux (optima yellow) not the (factory) cranker, but wiring up a changeover relay so that both batts are linked during winching.

[Corigator Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Corigator]

I have done the exact same as you, 120D4D. So far it has worked very well.

As others have said I always run the engine when winching.

[120D4D Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close 120D4D]

I have done the exact same as you, 120D4D. So far it has worked very well.

As others have said I always run the engine when winching.

Have you gone down the manual switch path, or auto swtiching via a +ve feed in winch control box mate?

[evltoy Member Find all posts View Profile Close evltoy]

Well it looks like what I plan to do is the norm.

Thank you to all for responding... it has made my planning decision an easy one.

Now to get myself a winch

[Corigator Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Corigator]

Have you gone down the manual switch path, or auto swtiching via a +ve feed in winch control box mate?

I just have a manual isolator under the bonnet and use the standard +ve wired switch to the control box or remote as desired. (If that's what you are asking)