2" receiver mount for Harbor Freight 12,000lb winch

[Sodo]

The 12000 lb winch alone weighs 87 lbs. i suppose my 2" receiver might weigh 13 lbs so 100 lbs.

I read lots of reviews but nobody was using it portable so nobody mentioned the weight. Also the wires are bigger, everything. So now I need to run 2ga wires on any vehicle thats gonna run this winch. I wish Ida asked what winches other TBN members are running but usually that ends up as an Arms race and I'd still have to buy the biggest one. :laughing:

I would have guessed 80 lbs. And thats not because I'm strong or anything. Whew! Kinda wish I bought 8,000; can use a snatch block if I need more.

 

[dragoneggs]

The 12000 lb winch alone weighs 87 lbs. i suppose my 2" receiver might weigh 13 lbs so 100 lbs.

I read lots of reviews but nobody was using it portable so nobody mentioned the weight. Also the wires are bigger, everything. So now I need to run 2ga wires on any vehicle thats gonna run this winch. I wish Ida asked what winches other TBN members are running but usually that ends up as an Arms race and I'd still have to buy the biggest one. :laughing:

I would have guessed 80 lbs. And thats not because I'm strong or anything. Whew! Kinda wish I bought 8,000; can use a snatch block if I need more.

Live and learn... sounds like you may have created the need for a second winch. I am looking at my wimpy 2500b thinking I need to go bigger even though I don't yet see the room for this one on my BX! :laughing:

 

[Ron Hatcher]

Sir ,We are on the same page exactly. I just got through building a rear hitch and bucket hitch with hooks.
Next project is 12,000 lb winch from Harbor Freight and a mount EXACTLY like yours. I thought ,Howd my pics get on here. Not really , but they are exact.
Maby if ya game we can share some ideas. Cant hurt.

My E-mail is congq4@gmail.com Good Job , Keep it up !

 

[Sodo]

I can provide dimensions if you want. But you may want to consider adding wheels,,,,

 

[truckdiagnostics]

The 12000 lb winch alone weighs 87 lbs. i suppose my 2" receiver might weigh 13 lbs so 100 lbs.

I read lots of reviews but nobody was using it portable so nobody mentioned the weight. Also the wires are bigger, everything. So now I need to run 2ga wires on any vehicle thats gonna run this winch. I wish Ida asked what winches other TBN members are running but usually that ends up as an Arms race and I'd still have to buy the biggest one. :laughing:

I would have guessed 80 lbs. And thats not because I'm strong or anything. Whew! Kinda wish I bought 8,000; can use a snatch block if I need more.

I don't think you will need to run two maybe a 4 awg, you won't get to the max amperage. Next thing is make sure you use a breaker under the hood. I use a much smaller winch for the very reasons you mentioned below. So I could run a 100 amp breaker. works well for pulling cars up on the trailer. I do believe to get to the higher amps you can put them in parallel. I have seen couple delivery vans with electric rear lift gates burn to the ground, so you want a breaker.

 

[franklin2]

I don't think you will need to run two maybe a 4 awg, you won't get to the max amperage. Next thing is make sure you use a breaker under the hood. I use a much smaller winch for the very reasons you mentioned below. So I could run a 100 amp breaker. works well for pulling cars up on the trailer. I do believe to get to the higher amps you can put them in parallel. I have seen couple delivery vans with electric rear lift gates burn to the ground, so you want a breaker.

The harbor freight 12000lb winch comes with a bar with about 4 or 5 small circuit breakers all mounted in parallel that you mount to the battery.

 

[Sodo]

My 12,000 lbs BadLands was supplied with a bus bar of three 50A breakers in parallel. That tells me that they want to limit the current in the 2ga cables to 150A.

I suppose a guy could remove one breaker for a 100A limit and run 4ga cables but then the winch can't pull 12,000 lbs which makes its 100lb weight (as a portable) all the more "unjustified".

 

[Sodo]

Here it is pulling bushes out. 12,000 lbs is less power than I expected, I had to use a snatchblock. I made a long tail adapter to keep the winch straight. It works OK. To keep it wrapping correctly, it needs a large handle (perpendicular to the "tail"). Worked "OK"as shown.

 

[pat32rf]

Breakers are designed mostly to protect the wire, not the motor. If you look at the amperage draw on a series motor you find that it climbs the same as a starter motor as the load increases. Now 150 amps isn't much and as those breakers heat up they are going to open quicker, leaving you with cool wire on a truck that is stuck. Look at the Warn and Ramsey winches and see if they have breakers......Just sayin..

 

[Cord]

I built a very similar one several years ago. I used a 12k Warn on mine. I used 1-0 cable with 1,000 amp clamps for the power. It's gotten more use than I would have anticipated, certainly has paid for it's self. Most recent use was to extract my skid steer when it got high centered and dug some deep holes with the chained tires. Winch was pulling the truck! Ended up having to chock all 4 tires to get the winch to start pulling the skid steer.

Yes, all of my winches do not wrap pretty. Sucks because 20,000 lb winch actually broke several strands when the cable slipped down. Gave the person in the truck being winched up a hill a **** of a scare!