[XJCountry]

I have a winch on the 450 that works but no switch for it...yet. Just wondering if I need to put a solenoid in or if the switch will conduct enough current (long term). It is a 1500 lb winch so not real big. Wanted to see how you guys set yours up.

I found a dual solenoid setup, but kinda pricey. My thought is that you might only need the solenoid if you have a big winch. Like 5k+ lbs...maybe?

Thanks!

XJ

 

[fishfiles]

they make a winch switch , it doesn't use a solenoid , just 4 wires , I had one on my 450 when I got it , took it off and went to a solenoid

 

[fishfiles]

here is a pic of a winch switch , they are expensive , the one in the pic is $82 , I would get a solenoid ---- I have two of those switches I would sell , but don't ship

 

[Nanook12]

The Terra Superwinch site has a $33 solenoid for sale. You can also buy the wiring kits on there. The solenoid handles the higher current flow of the winch motor.

 

[mrbb]

MY experience is, I would rather a solenoid than one of them above pic switches
I have used them and had them fail, faster than the basic winch switch(I go thru a LOT of switches due to excessive amounts of IN/OUT"S plowing)
so rather longer lasting switches
BUT I have also had several solenoids also go bad over the yrs too LOL
I THINK I averaged a new winch switch about 3 a yr for the first few yrs(1999-2005) till they came out with better model switches and since then about one very other yr or LESS till about 2010, when I got latest gen of switches , which now last about 2-4 yrs
from 1999 to 2018, I have gone thru maybe 4-5 solenoid's, ??
ALL on same ATV and same winch till 2012, when I replaced that winch with a NEW one, almost exact same model, old winch worked fine, but got a new one for like 50 bucks, and rather than replace switch/ and wire rope again, I just swapped out winch
old winch still works!
so that's 20 yrs of winching a maybe few THOUSAND IN/OUT"S per plow season of use!
winch's are Super Winch brand, as have all switches and solenoids(minus one solenoid I got locally in a pinch)

 

[XJCountry]

Thanks for all the input! I will take a look at the superwinch site and get an idea of what a switch and solenoid will cost. I did not see a solenoid on the machine while working on it, but wasn't really looking either. Could be tucked up under or beside something. I will look a little closer.

 

[SamUK]

The simple answer to your question is no, it doesn’t need a solenoid however, you must remember that the more load your winch is under the more current it will draw. The more current it draws the more resistance through components, the more resistance there is the more heat there is.. Making sense so far?

Basically if you just run a switch you need a switch capable of taking a large current to eliminate the possibility of melt down and of course an electrical fire.

You can pick up winch solenoids relatively cheap if you search google or winch/recovery websites. I’m based in England UK and picked one up for about £25 iirc.

Honest opinion.... Use a solenoid ;-)