Winch Q's

Is it possible to build one for under a grand?? How much do people generally spend on them when the are homemade?? I have a welder, tools, etc to make it, I guess I am wandering if its possible to buy a motor, spool, torq a verter, etc for less than a grand. I think it would be fun to build one this winter, but I really do not want to dump more than a 1000 bucks total into it, i dont know maybe thats not really possible??

I built this one for about $800 when it was all said and done

to make a winch under a grand is pretty easy, i made mine for about $600

I dont know the actual number, but mine was around 1,000
I put a list of pretty much all the parts you need to buy to build one. obviously there will be a few misc things you cant get online. but this is a pretty good base. and these sites are where i bought them from



http://www.briggsengineoutlet.com/150212-2560.aspx -one-Motor
http://www.seattlemarine.net/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=9374#details ---Comes in a 600 foot spool, - Line
http://www.mfgsupply.com/m/c/4-8247.html?id=bhbgeVzu ---One -Sprocket
http://www.mfgsupply.com/m/c/AZ2569.html ---This matches the sprocket i posted. and i bought 3. one for the sprocket, and 2 for the spool. i did this to keep them all the same- Hubs
http://www.mfgsupply.com/m/c/218355A.html ----One- Tav
http://www.mfgsupply.com/m/c/11-386.html?id=bhbgeVzu ----One -Chain
http://www.mfgsupply.com/m/c/11-402.html?id=bhbgeVzu ---As many as you want. i bought 4 to have extras, one comes with the chain-Master link
http://www.4wheelparts.com/Winches-Winch-Accessories/ATV-Roller-Fairlead.aspx?t_c=18&t_s=124&t_pt=5143&t_pl=4601&t _pn=WAR29257--- One- Fairlead
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_21987_21987 ---Two-berrings
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_21285_21285 ---one. you will have to cut this to length-axle

Oh' and by the way. i used 2"by 2" square tube steel for the whole frame. you can make it cheaper and lighter by using smaller metal. i just stayed with 2 X 2 due to ease

You can definitely make it for less than $1,000, especially since you have your own equipment. Just shop smart. Don't sacrifice quality for something cheaper though (you'll end up having to pay double in the end when the part needs replacing).

Chalie is right, i went with a centrifical clutch, aluminum sprocket, cheap spool, and #35 chain

bought a tav, steel sprocket. #41 chain. and made a good strong spool.

more money now will save you money later

What about spool dimensions? I have a friend with a computer programable plasma arc who said he'd make the spool for me......what dimensions should I go? What material should I use for the side walls - Aluminum or stainless? I was thinking 500' of amsteel.

amsteel comes in any length you want, but it comes in a 600 foot spool also. and i made my spool 13" around, and as you can see in the second to last pic, tons of extra room.

and ive never heard of anyone using stainless for a spool. i would use diamond plate aluminum. will never rust, plus diamond plate looks bad ass!

For those of you that have built them is there any specific directions you used online anywhere?? Or are you guys just savy enough to do it on your own??

http://www.tahitimx.com/winch/

gives a good push in the right direction

check out winchskating.com as well. I got most of my information from browsing the forums there. Nobody posts anymore and I'm pretty sure the site is dead, but it's one of the best collections of DIY winch advice available. (This is coming recommended from me, who before building a winch had no mechanical experience whatsoever.)

no matter how much research you do though, you're always going to have to experiment a bit (esp with spool/sprocket sizes). I built mine to almost exact dimensions but my motor ran slightly different so it threw off my gearing. After 2 or 3 test runs and a rebuild, I've got myself one killer machine.

When you build a spool, definitely make the inner diameter adjustable, this way you can make slight tweaks without having to completely build a new spool every time. a 1" change made all the difference in the world for me when I was fiddling with different dimensions.

for spool diamter, i was told 6 inch is a great number. well i have a 48 tooth sprocket and its still to slow, by the time your 100 feet from shore is when its at a good speed. im actually getting more diamond plate today so i can build another spool with a bigger diameter.
I have a friend who has a winch that pulls at speeds up to 27 mph with a 65 tooth sprocket. and his spool diameter is 8 inches. im thinking like 7 1/2 for mine

I am in the same boat my winch runs a little slow. A smaller tooth sprocket on the spool will make it turn faster, hence a faster pull. How does the inside diameter of the spool work into this?

I am not the most mathematically advanced on this so any help would be great

I'm pretty sure the larger the spool diameter, the faster it goes, however you loose some torque. If you have a good engine it shouldn't be an issue though. In my case increasing my spool from 7" to 8" made the difference.

David- what size torque convertor are you using and where did you get it?

the larger diameter for where the rope wraps around, the more rope gets wrapper per revolution. this making it go faster. but bigger spool will give you less torque.

and i already took my spool apart and made a template for when i get the new diamond plate.

and what do you mean about the size? i have the tav 2, that fits a 1 inch bore, and has 10 teeth for the sprocket

http://www.mfgsupply.com/m/c/218355A.html and this is where i got it. its in that list i posted above

when you guys are talking about it pulling too slow, about how fast are you talking? 20mph?16-18mph?

16-18 would definitely be too slow. I don't know what mine pulls at but I'm guessing somewhere between 21 and 23 (likely closer to 23). Once I got it fast/powerful enough to deep water start me I made small adjustments to the motor to dial it in to where I liked it.

18 or 19 when the line is all the way in. i would like to be able to pull at 24 or 25 full throttle.

thats why im re building my spool

any thoughts on buying a spool like this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Wakeskate-Wakeboard-Wake-Winch-Spool-build-your-own_W0QQitemZ170384405506QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_Def aultDomain_0?hash=item27abb3b402&_trksid=p3286.c0. m14#ht_500wt_1031

It would be one less thing to have to build and it seems like thats not too bad of a price, than again i am assuming you could make the spool for much cheaper.

idk about that one
what about this one?
http://www.bulletlines.com/wakeboard-winch-spool-p/50.htm

good luck getting one from bullet lines... my buddy tryed to order one an they said 3months IF they even made them again.....

i didnt know that. i just know they make a spool that looks pretty nice, so i threw the link up

so did they stop making them, or just back ordered?

Well my spool is here and the specs are 15inch diameter with 6inch and 8 inch adjustable inside diameter and the spool is 6inch inches wide, my next question is on the sprocket and how many teeth i should use, I am planning on getting a TAV2 and getting probably this engine:

http://www.briggsengineoutlet.com/150212-2560.aspx

Should I get like a 41 tooth sprocket? Hoping to have it pull around 20mph, any help would be great, thanks!

41 tooth? where did you find a 41?!

how many teeth do you have on the tav? 10 or 12?

It would more than likely be 10

Sorry I meant should I get a 48tooth sprocket with a 10 tooth TAV or should I go with a 12tooth TAV and bigger sprocket?