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12v winches on 24v

General Tech Talk

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12v winches on 24v

Post by garrycol »

My truck is 24v but also has a secondary 12v system. I have a 12v winch rigged up to the 12v system but the 24v system is a bit beefier. What are the pros and cons of running a 12v winch on 24v. I have heard it will not burn out and will pull better but I may have problems running the motor in the unloaded state - like spooling out under power but low load.

Thanks

Garry
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Post by oldmate »

i read that you aren't supposed to run high current 12 volt devices of one battery in a 24 volt system. something to do with the way it charges. I likely read it on here so search. as for running a 12 volt winch at 24 volts, well it doesn't sound like a good idea.

having said that i do know that 24 volt devices generally use half the current of a 12 volt one. for example a cruiser starter motor 12 volt draws about 180 amps, where as a 24 volt one for the same motor draws 90. i imagine it's the same for a winch.

if i had a 24 volt system i would definitely be running a 24 volt winch for the efficiency alone.
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Post by GeneralFubashi »

it may be slightly more efficient running 24v gear, but an average 12v car system has 100A alternator and uses x horsepower to generate that 100A. A 24v system in the same vehicle will use x horsepower to turn a 50A alternator. So you're not really gaining double the power going to 24v.

Running a big 12v load off 1 battery in a 24v system can cause charging issues with the other battery, and can shorten their lives significantly. 12v motors running on 24v: it should certainly work, and fast too, it just comes down to how the motor is made as to how long it works under heavy load. You may be super successful, or not.
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Post by money_killer »

it will eventually f**K out as far as i am aware
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Post by SIM79 »

Both your batteries get charged at the same rate, so they both need to drain at the same rate. Hooking 12v winch to one battery will drain that battery and then it can't charge properly because the other battery will still have 12V. Your car then won't start because you don't have 24v.
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Post by nzdarin »

The 6hp Warn motor will handle it better than most. But if you want a strong reliable winch then put a 24v winch in. For a low mount my pick would be a Premier / Come Up (whether Oz or NZ). Or use the 12v you have and upgrade to a 7.8 Superduty motor that will bolt on to any Warn, Superwinch Premier etc. The extra pull power, not speed, is seriously worth it!
93 Nissan Pathfinder / Terrano Turboed VH45, GQ Trans and T-case, coil overs, hydraulic winch and fair bit of other stuff. (Currently a pile of parts in the workshop)
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Post by garrycol »

[quote="oldmate"]i read that you aren't supposed to run high current 12 volt devices of one battery in a 24 volt system. something to do with the way it charges. I likely read it on here so search. as for running a 12 volt winch at 24 volts, well it doesn't sound like a good idea.

having said that i do know that 24 volt devices generally use half the current of a 12 volt one. for example a cruiser starter motor 12 volt draws about 180 amps, where as a 24 volt one for the same motor draws 90. i imagine it's the same for a winch.

if i had a 24 volt system i would definitely be running a 24 volt winch for the efficiency alone.[/quote]

As I said - two seperate systems - 24v alternator charges the 24v system and a 12v alternator charges the 12v system. Batteries not an issue but as you indicated I believe a winch on the 24v system will only pull half the amps.
Garry
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Post by garrycol »

[quote="SIM79"]Both your batteries get charged at the same rate, so they both need to drain at the same rate. Hooking 12v winch to one battery will drain that battery and then it can't charge properly because the other battery will still have 12V. Your car then won't start because you don't have 24v.[/quote]

Doesn't apply top my systems - as I said - two seperate systems - 24v alternator charges the 24v system and a 12v alternator charges the 12v system. Batteries not an issue.
Garry
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Post by garrycol »

[quote="nzdarin"]The 6hp Warn motor will handle it better than most. But if you want a strong reliable winch then put a 24v winch in. For a low mount my pick would be a Premier / Come Up (whether Oz or NZ). Or use the 12v you have and upgrade to a 7.8 Superduty motor that will bolt on to any Warn, Superwinch Premier etc. The extra pull power, not speed, is seriously worth it![/quote]

As I said - I already have a 12v winch - so not buying another - if the 12v cannot run on 24v then it will stay on 12v and stay as a backup to my PTO.
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Post by chunderlicious »

the inch guys run 24V through there 12V winches. burns them out quicker but they pull alot harder and faster.
turbos are nice but i'd rather be blown
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Post by AutoBalanceMan »

Garycol,
IMO I think your origional post is correct.
It needs to be unspooled in bursts as unloaded it will burn out prematurely using 24v. If you can rig up a 12v/24v system to the winch, you can unspool on 12v and qwinch in underload on 24v.
As posted it will shorten the life of the motor but speed up the winch when you jeed it!!
(This post refers to a high mount with a 6HP motor)
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Post by garrycol »

Thanks for the last two posts - that answers some of my questions - so I guess comp type people who can afford to renew gear it is a good idea - but not for long term reliability. - Emergency use only.

Cheers

Garry
Garry
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