I just put on my new Warn 2000 on the front of my 98 300 xplorer. I built a new grill guard and rear bumper that make it so I can move the winch from front to back if needed. It looks awesome mounted on that grill guard, but anyway I have a couple questions. First of all I know the Warn pulls 145amps at full load and I only produce 150amps. When is it producing 150amps? Is it when it is idleing (surely not) or do I need to rev the engine when using the winch. The other question is, what do ya'll think of putting another battery on the other side to increase the over all reliability of the winch and the starter makeing it so the battery does not go dead as quickly?

Thanks,
Chuck Holler

 

Chuck, I'm only the messenger, but there's no way you Polaris electrical power generation system produces 150 AMPS!

Your main electrical system is probably fused at only 30 amps (check your manual).

Maybe 150 WATTS (at 12 volts, we're talking 12.5 AMPS).

Your battery is probably rated at around 14 amp-hours; meaning, it will deliver 14 amps for an hour, 28 amps for 30 minutes, 56 amps for 15 minutes, and so on.

At full load, your battery will power your Warn winch for about 5-6 minutes. Then, you'd have to wait while your alternator charges the battery up again.

How does a system, capable of producing only 12.5 amps, power a winch drawing 150 amps? The battery stores electrical energy, providing the capability of delivering high-current surges for short periods of time. Winches (fortunately) only require high current for short periods (typical operation).

Will another battery give your winch additional life? Yes; however, without sophisticated switching, charging two batteries in parallel halves their total charging resistance, threatening overload damage to your charging system.

Fortunately, your Warn draws around 150 amps ONLY at full 2000 # rated pull; one hopes you don't need that much yank for very long; if you do, you're SOME stuck!

Surely the readership tires of reading this, but: a ****** block doubles extraction force/halves winch current load . . .

Tree Farmer

 

You know that we are tired of reading it, But i want to know when will you get tired of saying it?

 

Boner, repetition sometimes becomes effective, transmitting information!

Guy's concerned about maximum current draw, here's a way to halve it; I share the idea (again, I admit!).

I assume you now have a winch on your own swamp-buggy; however, YOU have no ****** block, right? Boner don't need no stinkin' ****** block!

When you're up to your racks in the Limberlost, despite your best efforts at winching,and your battery's dead, and you can't get your AC started, engine buried down there in all that mud, you're gonna think: "Now, what'd that guy say about a ****** BLOCK?"

Best of luck,

Tree Farmer

 

Tree Farmer,
Thanks for straightening me out on all of that electrical. I am still learning. I just recently built a ****** block out of an old come-a-long pulley, works great.

 

Good man, csholler! ****** blocks forever!

I appreciate your ingenuity and resourcefullness, rigging up your own ****** block, winch mount, and bumper. I don't worry about you getting stuck and abandoning your quad in the boonies!

Now, as for Boner, that's another case . . . (hehehehehe!)

Tree Farmer

 

Tree Farmer,
A ****** block does indeed lower the amp draw a winch has on a battery by 50%, but it increases the time of the amp draw by 50%. I am saying that if you pull l00 amps for two minutes single line, you would pull 50 amps for four minutes double lined. The same amount of work would be done and the same amount of energy would be used. I am by no means saying not to use a ****** block. I have the same thoughts as Tree Farmer on the ****** block, but it is important to know it isn't any kind of magic fix for all of your winching problems.
A battery doesn't store electrical energy, it stores chemical energy; a capacitor stores electrical energy.

Kirk

 

Kirk, that's not always true. A Warn A2000 winch draws 145 amps at max pull (2000 lbs) and spools in at 7 fet per minute. Now the same pull with a ****** block (1000 lbs) the winch draws 70 amps and spools in at 16 feet per minute (moving machine at 8' PM). So,in this instance the the ****** blocked pull is faster and drawing less than 1/2 the current. Used Warn's numbers on first layer on drum.

 

Sorry, did it again.

 

Also using warn's numbers at 1000 lbs pull the winch draws 70 amps and line speed of 16 feet per minute. double500 pound pull, winch drawing 43 amps, and line speed at 20 feet per minute, so in that instance it is less that 50% decrease of amps. Making a single line more efficient for 1000 lb load. My only point here was that a ****** block doesn't cut Work in half. (work= force X distance)
I know electric motors don't follow a linear scale, so there will be a little difference in the math from load to load. Power is the rate work is done. Power= work divided by time. But this won't help get you out of the mud. Just run the winch line and winch yourself free, and be happy this is America! An carry a ****** block, just in case you need it!
Kirk