Author Topic: Electric Winch & Tower Possibilites  (Read 3565 times)

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freejuice

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Electric Winch & Tower Possibilites
« on: April 02, 2010, 09:57:42 AM »
Hi Everyone,

 While the 2 tom chaon fall does a swell job on the 60 ft tower, it is however kind of slow and tiresome....slow I can live with but tiresome is well, just dog on tiresome!


So I scour craigslist and find a 9000 lb 12v winch, the guy has 1/4 cable on it...probably could stand 3/8 cable, but he said he had no problem pulling a ford 350 duel wheel onto a trailer with it. Well, since rolling stock is easier than a dead weight...or the kind of weight a 60ft tower produces, I wondering if these truck mounted winches are up to the task?

 Any folks out there expereinced with truch monted winches pulling up about a 1400 lb tower or more?

 Thanks,

 Gavin

« Last Edit: April 02, 2010, 09:57:42 AM by (unknown) »

fabricator

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Re: Electric Winch & Tower Possibilites
« Reply #1 on: April 02, 2010, 06:12:41 PM »
A worm winch is best for pulling up a tower, they are inherently self braking, if it is a planetary winch it must have some kind of brake system.
« Last Edit: April 02, 2010, 06:12:41 PM by fabricator »
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Dave B

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Re: Electric Winch & Tower Possibilites
« Reply #2 on: April 03, 2010, 09:29:27 AM »
I've got an 8000 lb Warn winch pulling my 85' tower with a 16' axial on it. I figure right around 1300-1400 lbs. total with machine. The winch does it but the trick is getting enough power to it. At 12v you'll need some good size cables and proper connections along with a healthy battery and charge source. The winch is not the issue, it's the power it takes to drive it under load.  Dave B.
« Last Edit: April 03, 2010, 09:29:27 AM by Dave B »
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TomW

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Re: Electric Winch ...
« Reply #3 on: April 03, 2010, 10:52:42 AM »
Dave;


Good point.


9000 pound pull seems enough to drag the vehicle over flat ground wheels locked?


My 1000# ATV winch will drag it with the brakes locked and it weighs 600# or so or a bit over half the winch rating.


#4 copper cables get hot doing it.


My bigger concern would be the traction of the vehicle resisting the lifting forces but never tried it so just a thought. That can be fixed by tossing a load in the pickup if it is lighter than needed.


Tom

« Last Edit: April 03, 2010, 10:52:42 AM by TomW »

Dave B

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Re: Electric Winch ...
« Reply #4 on: April 03, 2010, 05:25:45 PM »
I've got my winch mounted seperate from the vehicle used for power. 6" thick web I-beam 6' long with a T piece of beam welded on the bottom. It's all set 5' deep in 2 1/2 yards of concrete with a 5/8" steel mounting plate. These are my guy anchors also, not going any where.  Dave B.
« Last Edit: April 03, 2010, 05:25:45 PM by Dave B »
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freejuice

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Re: Electric Winch ...
« Reply #5 on: April 03, 2010, 06:34:37 PM »
Dave, wow, A bunker buster would have a hard time with that kind of armor.


When you say the turbine and 85ft tower weighs in together at 1400lbs...what size pipe/tubing are you using? Is that 16 footer similar to the Dans' 17 footer?


My winch point is puny in comparison, I have Two, Ten inch diameter holes spaced about three feet apart about four feet deep...Here in South Carolina the soil is compacted clay.

 I took three pieces of 1/2 rebar and welded them together in the middle ( where it spans from one hole to the next, then I splayed out the each end which was about 3-1/2 feet long into a triangular fashion and shoved it down into the holes...each hole was back to back, inline with the gin pole

From a top view top it looks something like this:


O----0-------( Tower lifting cable)---------

   ^(rebar) spanning the holes


 Then each hole took about 4- 80 lb. bags of concrete

 This arraingement is about 60 feet past the gin pole in the down position...hopefully far enough back to exert a pulling force rather than a lifing force....If I was to get the winch, I would probably drill two more of the same holes, into a  box like formation; shove rebar into them and anchor some flat bar stock across all four and bolt the winch to it.


 Dave an Tom, Thanks for the heads up on the cable sizing I would need to use...I had no idea...

 Thanks,

 Gavin

« Last Edit: April 03, 2010, 06:34:37 PM by freejuice »

SparWeb

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Re: Electric Winch + Tower Possibilites
« Reply #6 on: April 03, 2010, 09:29:52 PM »
Dave,


Just a point of detail, to some, but I don't want someone mis-led.  When lifting one pound of tower with a gin pole, it usually takes 2 pounds of tension on the cable.  Depending on the geometry of the cables, length of gin pole, etc....


My tower weighs more than 600 pounds.  Takes 1200 pounds to lift it.  Bounce and wiggle as it goes up will easily make for peaks of 1400+ pounds.


Your winch is probably pulling more than 3000 pounds.

« Last Edit: April 03, 2010, 09:29:52 PM by SparWeb »
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SparWeb

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Re: Electric Winch & Tower Possibilites
« Reply #7 on: April 03, 2010, 09:32:22 PM »
Gavin,


Watch out for the "freespool" feature.  Sure it's great when you need to take out 20 feet to wrap around the tree stump, but think of what the tower does when it's half-way up, and your sleeve catches on the freespool switch....


Vehicle winches often come with the feature, but some might have a way to lock it out.

« Last Edit: April 03, 2010, 09:32:22 PM by SparWeb »
No one believes the theory except the one who developed it. Everyone believes the experiment except the one who ran it.
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TomW

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Freespool
« Reply #8 on: April 04, 2010, 04:25:31 AM »
Steven;


Mine [on ATV] will not release the freespool catch with a load on the cable.


Not sure of others just how mine works.


Tom

« Last Edit: April 04, 2010, 04:25:31 AM by TomW »

freejuice

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Re: Freespool
« Reply #9 on: April 04, 2010, 12:00:18 PM »
Hi Guys thanks for the advice on the free spool featute...I have posted several responses to you folks in this thread, but it appears they have spiraled into the internet abyss
« Last Edit: April 04, 2010, 12:00:18 PM by freejuice »

fabricator

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Re: Electric Winch + Tower Possibilites
« Reply #10 on: April 06, 2010, 05:59:39 PM »
Steven, if you put a pulley on the gin and double line it, your winch will only see 600lbs, put enough pulleys back and forth and it will practically raise itself. :)
« Last Edit: April 06, 2010, 05:59:39 PM by fabricator »
I aint skeerd of nuthin.......Holy Crap! What was that!!!!!
11 Miles east of Lake Michigan, Ottawa County, Robinson township, (home of the defacto residential wind ban) Michigan, USA.

SparWeb

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Re: Electric Winch + Tower Possibilites
« Reply #11 on: April 08, 2010, 08:54:39 AM »
You bet - there are ways to reduce the load, that's probably the best one.  However even if you are using a block and tackle, there are STILL parts that must see the full load, even if the cable isn't.  Details, details...
« Last Edit: April 08, 2010, 08:54:39 AM by SparWeb »
No one believes the theory except the one who developed it. Everyone believes the experiment except the one who ran it.
System spec: 135w BP multicrystalline panels, Xantrex C40, DIY 10ft (3m) diameter wind turbine, Tri-Star TS60, 800AH x 24V AGM Battery, Xantrex SW4024
www.sparweb.ca