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Winch breaker and cut-off switch
Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2022 8:45 pm
by mushmasher
From reading the forums here it sounds like Warn doesn't recommend using a breaker when hooking the winch to the battery.
I'm wondering what peoples real world experience is with this topic. Has someone tried using a breaker and found that it keeps popping when in heavy use? Was thinking about using a 250 or 300 amp breaker switch. And normally I would keep it off until I want to power the winch.
Re: Winch breaker and cut-off switch
Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2022 11:00 pm
by rmel
I think it’s a good idea to have the power switched and not “hot” at the winch.
I put a switch behind the drivers seat parallel with the ground switch on both
my trucks. If for what ever reason a wire got shorted the default would be off
and no risk of drained batteries or fried cables.
Re: Winch breaker and cut-off switch
Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2022 12:05 am
by VinceAtReal4x4s
Never used one myself and I've had several winch trucks and used them all over 25 years, never installed one and I do winch related work every week and nobody I wheeled with had one that I know of either. Realistically you might get a short in some sort of bad accident maybe, but is that going to happen any other time? One in a million I bet. Good cables are well covered and extra protection on edges are a good idea and something I install. If you do use a switch, get a larger amp rating than you think you need!
More than once I've installed a ground kill-switch on the contactor/solenoid ground wire which makes sure they wont get activated until you are ready to use it, especially useful when installing a wireless system.
Re: Winch breaker and cut-off switch
Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2022 1:37 pm
by rmel
WRT a switch, I guess it all depends upon how much of a paranoid you are
My thought process is, well, what could go wrong even if not that likely.
I also tend to be a magnet for "sh*t happens" so that gets me more in the
belts and suspenders camp. Thus the Switch on the Battery side. As an FYI
I use Flaming River, USA made switches beefy 250 Amps steady state, with
Surge up to 2,500 Amps (5 seconds).
Re: Winch breaker and cut-off switch
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2022 10:56 am
by mushmasher
VinceAtReal4x4s wrote: ↑Mon Oct 10, 2022 12:05 am
More than once I've installed a ground kill-switch on the contactor/solenoid ground wire which makes sure they wont get activated until you are ready to use it, especially useful when installing a wireless system.
Exactly! This is one of the reasons I want to have a cutoff switch or breaker switch.