winch battery?

Hey guys,
about to pick up a winch in the near future. I dont want to do a dual battery setup if I don't need to, since I hope to never have to use the winch at all This will be mounted on a 2" front receiver

I don't do any hardcore wheeling, but I do a lot of motocross so this is just for the emergency times where I get my bikes and truck in somewhere and can't get the prerunner out.

I was going to pick up an optima yellow, but after checking here a lot of people think they have gone downhill. What do you guys think?

SHould I just stick with my stock Toyota battery for now? And if it dies one day, so be it, and pick up a different one?

Thanks!

 

Put a load tester on it and see how good it is. Load tester will make it seem like you have something hooked up to your battery. If it is good stay with what you got. I have winch on mine one battery. When I do use it I keep the rpm's up a little while I winch. haven't had no problems yet been on my truck for 2 yrs. and it's been used quiet a bit.
Sittingbull2

 

i also have a front mounted receiver. (also ran wiring to rear) check the amp rating on your winch for max pull, the stock battery won't yield as much, but it will still work. I ended up getting an optima blue dual purpose version.

 

Check out the Sears Die Hard Platinum batteries. They use the same cells as the expensive Odessey batteries. I've used my Die hard with the winch about a dozen times (sometimes for long pulls) and the battery hasn't skipped a beat.

 

The main purpose of dual battery set up is to isolate your starting battery such that it can restart your engine. Car starting batteries are designed with thinner plates for a lot of shallow discharges and not deep discharges. So to avoid premature car battery failure, it is best to use a deep cycle battery for deep cycle applications.

If you use one battery for both starting and deep cycle applications, than a deep cycle battery with enough CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) to start you engine is preferred. While using a single battery for deep cycle application, running your engine concurrently at 1500 RPM or more will produce all or most of the current required to minimize the discharge of your battery.

 

I prefer the security of my dual battery set up...

but if I were going to go with a single battery
for both starter and winching...

I would be looking a wedging in a deep cycle group 31

It's big... and heavy...
but a powerful beast with lots of reserve

 

I wouldn't bother with a second battery for just winching.

Your not supposed to connect the winch to the secondary battery anyways, not directly. You keep it on the starter battery as its closest to the alternator. A better alternator would do better then a second battery.

That said. doesn't sound like you'll use it extensivly. So a Die Hard would work great.

 

wut ?

I'm gonna ignore everything you just typed

 

Lol then I'm sorry..your an idiot.

You want the winch closest to the alternator connected to the starter battery. You then simple connect the two batteries with your isolator to gain the extra power from the second battery. Then use your handy hand throttle to kick up the alternator so you have the extra power too.

Don't believe me? Look up any wiring diagram on dual batteries from a big name company. Will be like I said above.

 

2x he is correct on this...

 

I think you'll be fine with your current battery as long as you leave the engine running while you are winching. Keeping a starting battery charged is the key to its longevity. It is quite possible the alternator will not be able to keep up with the drain the winch puts on the system if the engine is just idling. So if you are forced to run the winch quite a bit on a recovery, either pause winching and raise the idle for a while to allow the alternator to recover the state of the charge or have someone keep the engine RPMs raised while you are winching.

FWIW, I am using a single yellow top. I went this route mostly because the deep cycle properties of the yellow top allow it to handle deep discharging that can occur when winching.

 

yep, I'm that idiot whom runs his winch directly off the Aux. battery.

Been doing it's job since '05
And with the very same YT installed back in '05
~Optima's aren't supposed to last that long tho'~

There's more then one way to skin a cat...
Same goes for dual battery installs and winch hook up.

My system works to isolate the starter battery and e system
from the heavy loads associated with winching.
An internal short or short at the winch's leads...
could spell disaster for other winch install methods.
but some precautions can be taken for that as well.

My Aux. battery carries all the heavy loads...
So if failure occurs...
The starter battery/e system will be unaffected
and I will be driving home that day.
(possibly with a fubar'd Aux. battery and winch, but oh well)

If the winch is hooked up directly to the starter battery...
I might suggest that a breaker be run on the +POS side of the winch.
To better protect your electrical system.

If not... make sure you bring along some fuses/relays with ya.
Hopefully a fuse/relay blows before too much heat occurs and melts shit.

The the method you may follow may be more popular/efficient...
tho' it still doesn't mean it's what's right for everyone.
If the winch is farther from the alternator...
Using larger (awg) cable should be able to compensate.
Resistance might be slightly higher...
but is likely not a deal breaker.

I use my winch for self recovery and assist...
it's not really meant for industrial use.

It's most important to me (security)
to have the starter battery and e system separated
From the winching duties.

Alternator voltage remains the same/constant to either my Stater or Aux. battery.
The Isolator will send the power to which ever battery
is demanding power the most, first.

I do not use a battery combiner... never needed that.
My winch load is only drawn off the Aux. battery/Alt.
It's a deep cycle 34/78 YT...
and I have never irreversibly drained it during use.

The alternator has kept both batteries charged and ready.
Even during a heavy pull...
the Start/Aux. battery are able to effectively maintain/regain any lost charge/capacity.

But then... I don't run my winch continuously like some nimwits would.
Instead... I pull in timed increments while letting things cool down in between.

I have a HO alt. I have yet to install...
Haven't really needed that as of yet...
But will be installed to insure that supply meets demand.


I never said you were wrong...
nor that... others advice was wrong.

Just said I was ignoring your comments

Not every dual battery set up
has the same intended purpose or goal in mind.
A winch can be run to either start/aux battery...
and made to be equally effective and efficient.
The batteries can even be combined...
if you think you need that. ( I never have)

If my system were fubar...
I think I'd be the first to know.

For me...
Having security is more important then have anal-retentive efficiency

I'm not really offering any advice here...
just defending my own choices.

to each their own of course...
follow whatever advise you think is best for your needs/use.

idiot out

 

What??

Post up a diagram on how your setup is wired. Your making it sound like its in parallel not isolated..

 

So your isolator is automatic that switchs back and forth between the batteries.

With that setup basically like having two starter batteries. So that way works. But I think most newer systems don't do it that way. They have the alternator + go to starter battery then a + cable to an isolator that goes to second battery. So when the isolator is on it links the batteries and charges both or you can use them when winching. But then turn off the isolator and you can still use your fridge lights or whatever that is on the secondary battery so it'll drain but the starter won't.

 

yep, dependent upon demand.

except the Aux batt. is removed from the vehicle's e-system.
And I'm not using starter type batteries.

I'm old... so that's my excuse. (old dogs suck at new tricks)
I'll leave that newer digital age stuff for you youngsters.

Tho' I do wish I could afford a diode type isolator.
That would bring the efficiency up a notch.

You seem fairly smart for a youngster
so I'll give you that

idiot out

 

Right. My secondary bat doesn't run my trucks electrics either. But they are still linked if needed..so really can just jump myself if the starter bat dies.

But there are a million ways to skin a cat. I never came across that kind of setup in my research. But I like it.

Youngster out

 

I have my truck setup with a gell cell starting battery, isolator, and two yellow tops for auxillary loads. Never been able to kill the batteries even overnifht and i can jump the starying battery from the aux if i leave the radio on overnight or something. Probably overkill but its been near impossible to get stranded so far...

 

Where do you have the yellow tops mounted? Got an pics?

 

No pictures right now but i have them mounted in the toolbox. Had one mounted in the engine bay but it was too cramped. Have a 2-0 wire ran to the batteries with a circuit breaker in case of a short.