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Winch Wiring Question

VKSheridan

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Assuming the battery has the ability to send 1200A, which it doesn't. Any fuse large enough to allow for a long pull at 400A is too big to pop even if the battery is pushing it's full CCA rating, which it can't do for long anyway.
If opinions were fire retardant, you fart asbestos mate.… :facepalm:
 

Zandcwhite

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If opinions were fire retardant, you fart asbestos mate.… :facepalm:
It's not opinion it fact. If you look at the trip curve of even a 300A fuse it will flow the full 650 amps your battery can put out for over a minute... longer than your battery can continously push that current and more than long enough to melt insulation etc. Glad you're fuse makes you feel good, but it doesn't actually protect anything. Which is why you'll still never find a single manufacturer that recommends fusing thier winch.
 

Flip

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@azjl#3

You talking about this?

Its factory, I don't know what that's for. The positive terminal has a fuse on it for the winch.

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Flip

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It's not opinion it fact. If you look at the trip curve of even a 300A fuse it will flow the full 650 amps your battery can put out for over a minute... longer than your battery can continously push that current and more than long enough to melt insulation etc. Glad you're fuse makes you feel good, but it doesn't actually protect anything. Which is why you'll still never find a single manufacturer that recommends fusing thier winch.
Some articles I've read recommend using a fuse with a winch, in theory the fuse should protect the wire. Other articles said, they're ineffective, they're unreliable, its hit or miss, the damage was already done by the time the fuse popped. I actually didn't know that. IMO there's nothing good about hit or miss especially when it comes to electrical. A cut off switch is highly recommended, it sounds like the best option and some manufacturers do include a cut off switch.

Learn something new everyday. 👍
 

VKSheridan

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It's not opinion it fact. If you look at the trip curve of even a 300A fuse it will flow the full 650 amps your battery can put out for over a minute... longer than your battery can continously push that current and more than long enough to melt insulation etc. Glad you're fuse makes you feel good, but it doesn't actually protect anything. Which is why you'll still never find a single manufacturer that recommends fusing thier winch.
It doesn’t work that way and I’m not going to pop a $35 fuse to prove how fuses work to ya so let’s move on and debate brands of oil……

Peace
 

Terrymo

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It's not opinion it fact. If you look at the trip curve of even a 300A fuse it will flow the full 650 amps your battery can put out for over a minute... longer than your battery can continously push that current and more than long enough to melt insulation etc. Glad you're fuse makes you feel good, but it doesn't actually protect anything. Which is why you'll still never find a single manufacturer that recommends fusing thier winch.
If only we knew a professional commercial electrician on the forum with 25 years of experience. Oh well.
 

Flip

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It doesn’t work that way and I’m not going to pop a $35 fuse to prove how fuses work to ya so let’s move on and debate brands of oil……

Peace
Well, I'm not really debating it, I'm just basing it on articles I've read online. I've always had good luck with inline fuses in the past myself. I've also used my winch many of times and it hasn't ever popped the fuse. Does that mean its working? I don't know. From what I've read even if I did a test run and it popped, it might not pop the 2nd or 3rd time.

Your thoughts?
 

Flip

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If only we knew a professional commercial electrician on the forum with 25 years of experience. Oh well.
I actually know an industrial electrician (35 years in the field). I haven't been in touch with him in a long time. I'll see if I can find his email address.
 

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Terrymo

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I actually know an industrial electrician (35 years in the field). I haven't been in touch with him in a long time. I'll see if I can find his email address.
I was referring to @Zandcwhite unless I’m not remembering right. His street name is Sparky. Pretty sure he plays with some shocking things for a living.
 

Flip

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I was referring to @Zandcwhite unless I’m not remembering right. His street name is Sparky. Pretty sure he plays with some shocking things for a living.
Oh, my bad bro.

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Zandcwhite

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If only we knew a professional commercial electrician on the forum with 25 years of experience. Oh well.
I think it's cute when everyone's nervous about shorting a little 12v car battery. Making the final connection on a large battery bank pushing 480v and 1,000A will have your full attention.... and there's still no fuse. We regularly wire 2x12v batteries in series on the trail and use them to weld (also known as intentionally shorting them to melt metal together) and people act like the potential shorting of 1 battery is going to cause a nuclear explosion. Relax, it's not that scary.
 

VKSheridan

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Well, I'm not really debating it, I'm just basing it on articles I've read online. I've always had good luck with inline fuses in the past myself. I've also used my winch many of times and it hasn't ever popped the fuse. Does that mean its working? I don't know. From what I've read even if I did a test run and it popped, it might not pop the 2nd or 3rd time.

Your thoughts?
Sorry John, was directing my reply to Zach.

He and I have different approaches to avoid molten copper. I prefer fuses and the best I can surmise is he prefers luck.

The goal for me is to protect the circuit.

If the winch is rated at 300 amps, anything higher isn’t really helping winch out, it’s heating copper. Whether we’re cooking the windings, glowing a lock washer or arcing a cable, it’s not enhancing the moment.

If a cable takes damage from a rock, routing, raccoon or a parking lot punk jumpers the hot lug for amusement, the ability to remove potential before things light the trail is important.

Some folks rely on a manual disconnect which can arc weld closed and burn fingers.

Some rely on a power relay which can also struggle to open with high flow and guys like me prefer to use a Class T inline fuse WITH my power relay.

If nothing bad happens and the fuse never blows, that’s cool. If a bad day comes and it does pop, I’ll be happy it blew before my Jeep lit up.

Your thoughts?
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