To What battery?

[mailman1]

I have a powerwinch 912. It was given to me. I have a extra deep cycle battery and hooked up the cable to it, It is in the back of my truck, ???, It does not have much power for the last couple of feet. It labors. The battery is full charge. Could it be I have to have it hooked to my truck battery because that is being charged all the time?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: To What battery?

Think about it! The first layer of cable wound on the drum is on a small diamter and is wound relatively easy. As each layer builds, the diameter increases (more cable comes in with each revolution of the drum and the harder it is to turn). The last layer requires the most power and that may just be at the limit of the winch. Wiring it to your truck battery will probably not help but would be more convenient. Using a double pull essentially doubles the power of the winch but takes twice as long to do the job.

 

[mailman1]

Re: To What battery?

Single pull is rated at 3500 lbs, my boat is 2500 lbs

 

[Silvertip]

Re: To What battery?

Yes, but pull is rated at the first layer of cable on the drum. Measure the diameter of the empty drum and then measure the diameter of the last layer of cable. The percentage difference can be applied to the 3500 to roughly derate the winch for the last layer of cable. If the empty drum is roughly 2/3 the diameter of the last layer, you've lost 33% (1155#) of the pull. That puts the pull rating at about 2345#.

 

[mailman1]

Re: To What battery?

Can the battery be load tested to make sure it has the guts to work the winch? Maybe the battery is not strong enough.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: To What battery?

Yes -- make sure its fully charged and stop at most NAPA or other auto parts stores. They can do a load test. There should be a label on the battery as to its capacity (it will be labeled either in CCA (cold cranking amps) or AH (amp hours). Buying a bigger capacity is no guarantee the winch will work any better. Regardless of battery size, the motor will draw only a certain amount of current (amperage). If the battery can deliver that amperage or more, it doesn't make it work any faster or any better. Only longer. On the other hand, if the battery is indeed too small in capacity, a new battery is in order. Check the winch case for a plate that identifies the maximum current draw. If it has a fuse or circuit breaker, check its rating. Chances are it will be 40A or less in which case, almost any battery will do the job.

 

[mailman1]

Re: To What battery?

The battery has a 550 CCA and the motor has a 60 amp breaker.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: To What battery?

A 550 CCA battery will spin the starter on a pretty good size auto or boat engine and it should work just fine on the winch. I really doubt a bigger battery will improve performance (unless the existing one is not up to par. You might use jumper cables from the truck battery to the auxiliary battery to see if that helps. (Leave the truck running).