Aldi Winch - Failed

Not sure on how beneficial the fuse would be Howsey as I doubt it would be big enough to allow the full pulling power of the winch. For example a Warn 9,000lb winch will only pull 1.8 tonnes at 255 amps & this is on the bottom layer. On the top layers it may pull as little as 2/3's of that for the same power usage meaning a poultry 1.2 tonne. At it's full capacity a 9,000lb winch uses up to 460 amps!
Although the vehicle only weighs 2 tonne you fail to take into account the suction of the mud or sand which you may be bogged in so in reality the full pulling power of any winch will at some time be needed.
Even if your wiring did short out to the body a 250 amp fuse would be unlikely to blow anyway, more likely to burn something off. For these reasons it is why fuses are not generally not fitted to recreation 4 wheel drives. Best protection would be to simply leave the positive lead off at the battery until you need it.
Cheers Craig.............
(Winch capacity's off Warns Specs)

I wouldn't recommend that you fuse you winch. You only have to drop a very small amount of voltage across your fuse to significantly reduce the power of your winch.

Not only that 250 Amps is probably not enough anyway. A Bosch GF starter motor used in a winch (similar characteristics to Warn 9000) pulls 400 amps at near stall - ie peak load.

Dave

I get what your saying but so far its done a bit of work and the last pull was a falcon ute with no wheels on it dragging it on its belly up an embankment to the top and it went no worries without working up a sweat. Like I said its on 2 posts, to bypass you just got to undo a wing nut and move it across(2 secs work)

G'day Craig.

I've helped a couple of people stuck with dysfunctional winches. Generally when you ask anyone who owns a winch when it was last serviced you get a blank look...

Yet it's the first thing that gets drowned in a river crossing.

Dave

Definately will be fitting an Isolating switch under the bonnet when fitting the new winch.
Without knowing for sure my guess would be water related, the desert had only been reopened after the rain so there was plenty of water crossings out of Birdsville and into the desert.
That night at camp the cranking battery was completely drained in around 5 hours.
We were lucky, as you say crackles could have been a lot worse.

If you decide to fit an isolating switch fit a BIG one as load prior to stall is 450 plus amps. (Have seen several of those 100amp red key switches fail) Easier & cheaper way is to fit the battery terminals with the wing nuts for a fast connection.
Water as a rule wont short out a winch in fact they'll happily run submerged for some time. It's only a few weeks later when the corrosion sets in :-(
Certainly right Dave. The winch is so hard to get out on a modern profile bar that maintenance is done either when they break down or when the winch is fitted to the next car. (I'm guilty;-)
Cheers Craig............

Not sure what warranty covers abuse and misuse. Must be good, I might have to buy one.

Dave

The aldi winch is the old Ironman winch no doubt about it, but the new one I have from ironman is completely different to look at & the solenoid box is pretty much water tight as well.