Hi, all. I bought the Harbor Freight winch (2000 lb) this past weekend and need some help. First I would like to add a switch to the handle bars of the ATV (05 Honda Foreman), I would also like to install plugs (not sure where) for the remote hand held control that it came with. I'm not sure if I need a solenoid or not. Also, does anyone know where I can pick up a mount and fairlead for this winch. Thanks.

 

we just put one on my uncles off brand atv and had to make a plate 1/4in steel and got the fairlead at a tractor supply store. welded the lead onthe plate and bolt down. used leaf spring clamps to hold plate to front end and just have extra battery so we didnt have to hook into main harness. now he just hook bat up when he needs it.

 

I put a Champion winch on my quad. I have pictures in my bio page. I'm going to hook up some 10 guage wire to my battery and winch. Then, hook everything to a flat 4 prong trailer plug, that will be mounted just under the plastic, by the front end somewhere. Thought about putting a switch on the bars. But, decided that, if I need to winch up a hill, I wouldn't be able to sit on it and that, I also like to give it a little throttle, to keep the revs up for the battery. So far, I've used it twice with no problems[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] This way, I can just plug it in and stand next to it winching as I give it some throttle.

 

Check out my links below. View the KQ and Rancher page, they have some different pics. My system also works on the front or back. Plus the winches will work on either quad and controler. The key to making the HF winch work is the Ramsey contactor. I also used a trailer plug, you only need 3 wires so anything will do. You then make a couple simple changes(move some jumpers around) to the HF hand held and your good to go.

I hope you got the HF winch for $49.99. It goes on sell from time to time.

 

Thanks. I actually got the HF winch for $39.99 as the sales person told me I had to go home and get the internet printout for them to honor it. When I went back I gave a different sales person the printout and the manager came up for a price override. He didn't even look at the printout and when I asked him about it he said he already knew. I mentioned that would have saved me a trip home and he looked a little confused. Told him the story and that it was no biggy, he ended up giving me another $10.00 off. How much is the contactor. What I am really looking for is a hand control that will allow me to reverse and forward operate the winch. I guess I need a double terminal contactor. I've been looking around and they are really expensive. Thanks again.

 

Is the trailer plug big enough as far as the wire goes? The wire on the hand held controller looks like it is at least 6 guage.

 

Actually I have been thinking this over and if I use the hand remote that came with the winch I do not need the contactor. Basically I run two wires from the contectors on the winch motor to a plug. I also run a negative wire to the frame along with a positive wire off of the solenoid that is near the battery in the battery tray. On this wire I connect in line a 70 amp fuse (according to instructions). I run these two wires to a plug as well. Or I could run all four wires to a four wire plug and either hang it out the top near the bars or drill a hole in the plastic body and route the wires through a rubber grommet. Use a 4 plug connecting plug that corresponds to the wire hook up from the hand held remote and and power line and thats it! If I do it this way no contactor is required because the hand held remote is basically a big switch rated at the 150 amp draw at 2000lbs.

 

Anyone know if my idea would work? Also, does anyone know where to get a flush mount four prong connector, both male and female. I was wanting to flush mount a connector onto the the body of the ATV and then plug in the hand held control. I was looking at the trailer flush connector with the spring flip up lid and it looked like it might work. Any thoughts? Thanks.

 

If your using hand held controls or handle mount controls, you really should be using a solenoid like the Warn 2500 winch for example. If you've seen one installed, the winch power wires from the winch to the solenoid to the battery are all heavy guage because they carry the full load of the winch motor. The wires to the handle bar mounted control (or the handheld control) are all small guage, because they are only operating the solenoid (the solenoid switches the heavy load to the winch). In this case these small wires can be hooked to a trailer plug no problem.

The warn 2000 with the large circular switch actually switches the full load of the winch through the switch (there is one solenoid wired inline but that's only installed if you want the winch not to work with the key off). This works because the switch is a heavy duty unit, rated for the same amps as the winch and the wiring for the winch. If your wiring a trailer plug into this setup you will definantly run into a problem where either the winch will stop (becuase its not getting enough amps through the smaller wire) and/or the smaller wire will catch fire and melt. This will occour when the winch is being ran at close to max capability (winching something heavy - or stuck bad in a mud hole).

Its like installing a 3/8" copper water pipe in the middle of a 3" feeder and expecting the same max flow as a full 3" pipe. Something's gona break!!!

 

thats what i did i cut the wiring in half and used quick disconnect plugs to connect the remote when using the winch, i would like to find a nice 4 prong plug i haven't found one yet, and the wire guage is 10, not 6