How to hook up a 12v winch to pull logs into a processing table?

[Automender]

I bet the amp draw of the smallest 12 volt winch is about 50 to 100 amps with the larger one being 100 to 200 amps.

 

[Billhook]

Nice setup! Ever consider using a longer bar and doing 2 or more logs at a time?

Not my setup! Just copied off the tube like this one. The principle is there but things could be speeded up a little!

 

[Breckinridge Elkins]

How about skip the 12v and use a Lewis or one of those Honda powered capstan winches?

 

[sean donato]

I bet the amp draw of the smallest 12 volt winch is about 50 to 100 amps with the larger one being 100 to 200 amps.

you're a bit low, the 13k lb winch I stuck in my red trailer came with a 500 amp breaker. My amp clamp won't read above 400, and i maxed it out trying to stall the winch when I was winding the new cable in it. Load and wraps on the drum make a big difference, but don't underestimate what they will draw.

 

[jblnut]

I bet the amp draw of the smallest 12 volt winch is about 50 to 100 amps with the larger one being 100 to 200 amps.

My 3k Warn winch draws 130a when it’s about to stall and my 12k Warn draws 430ish when it’s about to stall. Both read off a 1000a clamp meter. They take serious power.


Something like this would work well. You could get a smaller unit and run a double line snatch block setup but the one review on this one says they ran it off an EU2000i.

https://www.amazon.com/Dutton-Lains...keywords=120+volt+winch&qid=1707847064&sr=8-8

 

[Lightning Performance]

Obviously depends on how large a winch and how often it’s used but I doubt a trickle charger would be enough to keep up. I use Battery Tender Jr’s and I think they only put out 3/4 amp. I run a big commercial Schumacher charger off my EU2000i so I’m sure that 10k unit would run a normal full sized charger.


You’d need some serious 12v power supplies to power a winch. A 3k winch draws 120-150a and a 12k winch can draw north of 400a under full pull.

Do you think 1200 or 1300 amps 12V will cover it with a simple solar charger?
I really like these cheap portable solar chargers. You can add two more small panels or a big one to the standard smaller charge controller. I do believe they are 30 amps or there about. Ordering more soon with some bigger panels. Already have half a dozen big batteries to use on the winches. 2500lb, 3500lb, 6k and 12k. Add one to roll logs on my band sawmill deck. Possible another to pull big slabs off the mill. The big big winches are on the trailers.

Having a complete portable winch is a must for me so this one is small and doesn't draw a whole bunch of current loaded. It is very handy to have around.

My portable one

and one of three quick plates for the mount. One is a stationary bolt on. One is a shackle type and the third drops over a tow ball.

 

[woodchuckcanuck]

How about skip the 12v and use a Lewis or one of those Honda powered capstan winches?

I have one of those honda capstan winches, they are no more quicker than the winch. At least the one I have, certainly has the torque required though.

 

[woodchuckcanuck]

All interesting info guys. Thanks.

 

[woodchuckcanuck]

This is the gen and the winch I have here.

 

[Lightning Performance]

This is the gen and the winch I have here.

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Get an 800-1000 amp commercial flooded deep cell or a common starting battery for that little winch. If two 6V batteries pop up buy them cheap. Many people sell the leftover cores they never turned in from mail order golfcart batteries at scrap prices. Most times two or more are still good. They enjoy a long slow charge monthly on .5 to 1 Amp. I found the Hotwheels Power Qheels wall pack charger to be one of the best over time. I've already fried most brands of battery tenders in a year or so. They are all cheap trash if used to actually charger the battery when not already peaked. These simple wall packs have been with us for decades charging all kinds of batteries from 2AH to 20 AH 12V. Just cut the plug and add alligator clamps. Marine chargers never lasted either.

 

[rancher2]

Over the years I have operated at lot of 12 volt winches. At one time I mess with a lot of dead equipment. Cars, trucks and a lot of farm equipment. 12 Volt winches are nice until you need to run them a bunch. They like lots of amps and get hot and don't want to pull. One the the best days I have had is when I upgraded low boy trailers and got one with a hyd winch. Sound like you have a splitter near by. Hyd winches aren't cheap but they work and they keep working. Forget the 12 Volt winch and go hyd.

 

[JRM]

The batteries were always the downfall for me, even with 4 group 31 deep cycles on tap the cost and maintenance was too much. Id get 2-3 years out of a set.

Jump box makes a world of difference. I've never had the need for more than one battery. Being I use whatever I have laying around it's been a starting battery more often than not.

 

[Breckinridge Elkins]

I have one of those honda capstan winches, they are no more quicker than the winch. At least the one I have, certainly has the torque required though.

Right, but it has it's own power source.

 

[woodchuckcanuck]

Over the years I have operated at lot of 12 volt winches. At one time I mess with a lot of dead equipment. Cars, trucks and a lot of farm equipment. 12 Volt winches are nice until you need to run them a bunch. They like lots of amps and get hot and don't want to pull. One the the best days I have had is when I upgraded low boy trailers and got one with a hyd winch. Sound like you have a splitter near by. Hyd winches aren't cheap but they work and they keep working. Forget the 12 Volt winch and go hyd.

I've thought of doing that too. Maybe once testing the concept is proven worthwhile I might update to something like that. That splitter is a 2 stage, 16 gpm, 3200 psi.

 

[cantoo]

Jim, I don't think that a winch is a practical solution for something like you are trying to do. Takes as long to pull a small log as a long one and they over heat quickly. I use roller conveyors for lots of things. I'll post some pics of a few different things I've used them for. I buy them at auctions usually. Your log deck would work good with rollers to feed the saw. The ones on the trailer are for unloading insulation, plywood, lumber etc. I also use them on a tilt trailer. The rollers on the sawmill deck allow me to move different length logs back and forth to the sawhead. This setup would work for your firewood cutting station.

 

[cantoo]

Jim, here is my rounds table setup. The type of table would also feed your cutting station. Instead of blocks under the end you would place blocks under the sides so the logs roll easily to your saw end. It wouldn't need to be near this steep for logs. I load this table with my tractor using manure tine forks. I have this table empty right now so this weekend I'll set it up so you can get a better idea of what it would look like.

 

[Woody912]

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I built this fours years ago, mostly for cutting small diameter logs and slabs off of the sawmill. Now I want to toy with the idea of adding a 12V winch above the trough to pull logs in direct from the wood pile. Similar to the way that Wallenstein's mobile firewood processors use a winch to pull logs to the chainsaw for blocking.
The quickest 12V hookup may be a deep cell battery. But what sort of longevity would the battery have I wonder? The only power source that would be nearby would be either the quad machine which has a 12v plug on it (would mean running the quad to keep the battery topped up). Or, rig something up on the honda gx390 that would already be running on the wood splitter nearby. The honda is a pull start. So would it mean converting the engine to a electric start. Then run the two winch leads to that battery.

Is there an alternative solution? What would you do?

I get at best 3 minutes of hard pull off the winch mounted on front of my tractor, 360 amp draw and 560 amp battery and that is with the tractor running. Would a hand crank winch be a better option. Can't be any slower.

 

[JRM]

I use a snatch block on hard pulls to decrease the draw on the winch.

 

[woodchuckcanuck]

Jim, here is my rounds table setup. The type of table would also feed your cutting station. Instead of blocks under the end you would place blocks under the sides so the logs roll easily to your saw end. It wouldn't need to be near this steep for logs. I load this table with my tractor using manure tine forks. I have this table empty right now so this weekend I'll set it up so you can get a better idea of what it would look like.

Nice set up you have there. Although I just don't see rollers working for the logs we get. Nor would the rollers last very long. Rarely are they straight, and a lot of the time they have knobs and limbs sticking off of them. It's why we sold the Hakki Pilki last year. Plus I don't have the option of harvesting my own logs. Having to buy them from foresters, we get what we get.

This idea I am chasing is to avoid having to use the skidsteer with grapple. Simply looking to work from/off of the log pile. This discussion around heavy amp draw is news to me. And the slow pull speed could make it a moot endeavour. I only need to be faster than the wife at the splitter. We won't know unless we try it out. Time will tell! Now if only it would stop snowing.

 

[lloyd786]

Get a pair of 100 watt solar panels?