Which winch?

[domeguy]

I'm looking for recommendations for a winch for my 40' high 12' Otherpower genny.  I would prefer an AC-powered winch.

By the way, said wind turbine is working GREAT.

-Lee

[Royalwdg]

You are going to have to do some math. a lot depends on yout gin pole geometry, angles of cables, weight of the turbine and tower, if you can double up your pulling strand with a snatch block pulley.  Then over build by a long shot. Dropping your equipment because of a poor design is depressing.  Dave M

[domeguy]

Thanks for your reply Dave M.  I guess my real issue has to do with not wanting to use my expensive cordless drill to run my winch.  I'm hoping somebody will chime in with the (hopefully AC-powered) type of winch that they've been using and happy with.

[birdhouse]

how far is your turbine from your battery bank/inverter?  many here use a hand winch, and have rigged the handle to be removable, then use an AC powered (sizable) drill to operate the hand winch.  the hand winches offer a few safety auto stop type features.  this also gives you the option of using the handle manually if you're in a pinch for some reason. 

something like this might do:
http://www.etrailer.com/Winches/Fulton/FKW30000103.html

3000lbs capacity, decent drum capacity for 1/4" or 5/16 cable.  won't freewheel.  ect. 

i was all about trying to rig something like that a while back for my 70' tower.  i only raise/lower my tower once a year, and find the pickup does a great job.  4-wheel LOW make for a very smooth raise/lower.  but that's just me   

adam

[SparWeb]

Compared to keeping an AC winch motor out in the field, where it gets covered in snow, rained on, collecting dust in the summer, all for the 1 or 2 uses per year average when it suddenly must be 100% reliable....   I am happy with my power drill and an extension cord.  If anything goes wrong with the drill, I have a spare, and the change-out takes 20 seconds.  Failing that, I also have a hand-crank that I can put on with two wrenches in 5 minutes. 
On the other hand, if something goes wrong with an AC winch mounted motor, repair could become very inconvenient, especially if the tower is only 1/2 way up at the moment.

But don't use a cordless drill.  Nearly burned up a battery pack trying to raise the tower with one of those.  It has to be plugged in, though I admit the long extension cord becomes an issue for some folks.

[jlt]

 I would check out harbor freight. they are showing a 12000 lb  12 volt winch                         
 for 299.00
   

[DanG]

Gee... no one mentioned worm-gear style winches that can not runaway and drop the tower unless the entire frame/gear assembly goes splody - why trust a ratcheting latch pawl when there is a fail-safe alternative?

[birdhouse]

the winch i linked to is a worm gear...

[jlt]

Why would you want to buy a manual winch that doesn't come with a cable.
 and is only rated for 3000 lbs. and costs 239 bucks.
 
       when you could get a 12000 lbs with cable and automatic load holding brake and is powered.
 

[DanG]

Now Class, can you say 'Worm Gear' this time without snickering!!!

Links examples can and often do vanish minutes after posted.

Say it aloud for the 5,000 people who may read this post in the next X years!

Want to see good choices follow along on DanB & crews installations...

[SparWeb]

I'll definitely add my voice to Dan's.
The inherent safety to a worm-gear winch is a major asset.
They typically have a 40:1 gear ratio in just one single gear stage.  The weight of the tower cannot cause the drive shaft to turn.
High Reliability and workability in the field.  Mine is 3 years old, sits quietly under a bucket when I don't use it, and is easy to use when I do.
I grease it before I use it.
A number of potential failure modes will be fail-safe in a worm-gear winch (compared to numerous catastrophic results from the same failure in a boat-winch).
Mechanical advantage is so great that a 40-foot tower can be lifted by a 400 watt motor such as a common power drill (and on one occasion a pair of human arms).

I'll even include a photo.  Since the initial installation, I have added a fairlead (rollers) and changed the handle to a "shepherd's hook" so that the power drill is easy to attach.  The adapter plate is there to allow future replacement of the winch (so far I haven't needed to) without resulting bolt-misalignment problems.  There are many many bags of concrete in that base, in which the threaded anchors are welded to a re-bar cage.