Drag Racing Discussions > Electronics

Circuit Protection for a Winch

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MikenMpls:
Just curious if anyone has a fuse for their Winch (Trailer)? I got a new Winch and it did not mention adding circuit protection for the device. They gave me everything to mount and wire the Winch but no fuses. Just seems strange to me that it would not have one. If it did have one what size fuse would it need to be? Not sure of the amperage used by a winch. Pulling an FED into the trailer does not take a lot but I struggle to push it in by myself. Thanks!

denverflatheader:
MikenMpls - your winch acts similar to a 12 volt DC car engine starter, when first engaging motion, it requires much more amperage.  And even more so for a winch, I’m guessing maybe 2-4 times until the load (i.e. dragster or stuck vehicle) is moving.  Due to this initial amp loading, selecting a correct fuse is not so easy without calculating your specific locked rotor amperage.
 
If you’re interested in a safeguard, an easier route is to install a shutoff switch inline on the positive cable between the battery and winch.  When using your winch, turn on power.  If your winch overheats or has another issue, you can turn off power immediately, as opposed to having to disconnect a cable from a battery terminal.

My latest Summit catalog, page 100 shows a Hella Battery Disconnect switch for $17.25.  Max continuous rating is 100 amps at 12 volts, Max peak load (for 10 seconds) is 1,000 amps at 12 volts.  Alan

MikenMpls:
Thanks for the suggestion, I'll do that!

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