Posted by Charlie on December 06, 1998 at 18:59:05:
In Reply to: ELECTRIC WINCH? posted by Jim C. on December 05, 1998 at 19:14:33:
I agree with the other comments. I've calculated that electric winches have 90% of the input energy (amps X volts) goes to heat, only 10% goes to work (pull X line speed). PTOs are the other way around. Hydraulics are even better than PTOs: use engine power, efficient, but easy to control and safe for a solitary user. But expensive to install (hydraulic winches themselves are just a PTO with a hydraulic motor, but you also need a hydraulic pump on the PTO, a spool valve, reservoir, hoses and fittings, and ideally electrhydraulic controls which make it as controllable as an electric). If you have a Power Wagon or M37, get a PTO (or PTO/hydraulic) winch. You don't HAVE to get the original winch; Braden makes other models, so does Ramsey, Tulsa and even Warn makes hydraulics. There's also some "economy" (made in Taiwan) $6-700 new 8000 lb PTO winches. But there are lots of used PTO Bradens around.
Charlie