The ULTIMATE Harbor Freight WINCH Build!!!
2024 ж. 13 Мам.
512 681 Рет қаралды
Scratching another Project off the list and getting a receiver hitch mount fabricated for my 12,000 lb winch I got from the Harbor Freight, I think it turned out really well, Now I just need to get the electrical connections for the truck!
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Music Credits:
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Custom Music made for me by Vinnie Longhi of the Semi-Supervillains
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Matt. From an old timer. When you finish spraying a job, turn can upside down and spray until no paint comes out. this keeps the nozzle clear.
That unfortunately doesn't work with those "any angle spray" cans they have now days.
A clean workbench is the sign of a sick mind
Oh ya, I like shit organized just so I know where to find, say a pair of scissors but my garage ya forget it, to many projects on the go!
That’s what the clearing stick is for, you need a spot to do something on your work bench you take your clearing stick and just clear your self a space by knocking most of the shit off the ends of the bench then you have a place to work lol 😂. Good ole clearing stick
A clean workbench is a sign of someone with nothing to do…
With the location of the handles, could run a pipe through the handles so two people could lift and carry it.
A clean desk, is the sign of a sick mind.
The real reason for getting a forklift becomes evident in this episode: paint stand. BTW nice spindown on the turbo.
yeah that spindown....without oil pressure!
Love the sound of the turbo after you stoped the engine :)
like a jet engine slowing down lol
@@DieselCreek Hope your mileage is better though :-)
@@dc4931 I love the sound too. is it a 6.0 or a 7,3
@@northshorenative6160 6.0
@@montygram I'm new to your channel, do you have a video on the set up you have for your 6.0
I mounted my Badland 12,000 winch like you did over 3 years ago with a receiver front & rear. I got the wireless remote & have had no trouble with it. I enjoy watching your work. Keep it up.
Worked at a warehouse way back and they hired a genius to install an overhead crane type deal intended to lift stock upwards of 800lbs and 10 feet up in the air then across the line 5 feet at most. Dude mounted one of those winches to the main roof truss of an old metal building with no other support. To move the stock lateral he just hooked a smaller winch around the cable of the first one to just pull it perpendicular.. if you know anything about physics that puts a force on the first winches mount multiple times the weight of the load.. so first time they go to use it, the thing took down the building damn near.. to top it off after that happened i saw the dude come back and take that bigger badland winch and bolt it on his truck then put his crappy winch in the pile.. some people are bred to be piles of crap. Lol
Hi: The idea of the loose straps is 1st. class.
I enjoy watching your videos Matt and I would like to continue to do so. My years working in logging shops, chemical plants as well as the automotive repair industries have taught me to be careful when welding or using an open flame, ( torch) around aerosol cans. you are taking a mighty big risk with those cans setting all around where you are welding, burning with a torch or your plasma torch. Please store them in a safety cabinet or a home made one so you won't get hurt or worse. Please don't take this comment wrong young man, we care about you and yours. Lee
Nicely done. You should checkout synthetic ropes, they have become the norm in the UK for off-roading, mainly because they are much *safer* to use, easier to handle and they float. In a pinch you can even safely splice them in the field with a small screwdriver or centre punch. Weight for weight they are a lot stronger than steel wire. They are also thinner than steel wire for the same rating so can get more on the spool for a longer pull.
Synthetic winch line has been very popular in the United States since the early 2000s.
I snap the synthetic ropes on the first day
I did something similar except I used a trailer hitch and mounted it instead of a receiver hitch. That way you can latch onto a 2" ball and it can swing up, down, or sideways and still pull straight through the fair lead and will mount on any hitch, whether on the front or back. And I put a trailer ball on the front of my equipment trailer to use it to pull heavy loads up onto it. I use it with my 1000 amp power pack so it is completely portable.
I saw some set ups like that but I prefer the rigid mount
With my set up, you can sit on the side of the road instead of cross-ways and tow someone out of the ditch. Or pull a moose out of the woods and use your vehicle perpendicular to the pull for stability.
Looking good! Now I know it' probably way too late but if you haven't already worked out how to connect it to the truck for power then I would strongly recommend that you give the Anderson connectors a look, they come in a couple of different current ratings and I would guess the 175A one would work for you for this. You can use them everywhere where you need to connect up DC power from a battery or chargers and so on!
I built one of these about 6 years ago. There are 2 things I did differently. Instead of anchor rings on the rear I welded a plates next to the receiver tube and drilled holes to accept 3/8 chain hooks. On the front instead of a single ring in the center I have eye bolts on either side of the feral lead. I do however like your idea of using straps!
You know you are not supposed to load the throat of a chain hook, right?
I am always amazed that welding and cutting is done with flammable papers and plastic on the bench you are working on.
As a welder (in training) myself, it's shocking how many flammable things can be safely right next to a weld and not catch. I've literally used styrofoam blocks as shims while welding, and had them not melt.
@@NikkiTheOtter Knowledge like that comes from personal experience ;-))
Sweet project. I was planning to do something similar. My plan was to weld a vertical 2" receiver tube somewhere on my flat bed for storage. You could do that maybe next to the tool box or in the tool box. Then use a locking hitch pin to prevent theft.
Multi purpose truck front and rear, trailer, tractor and free standing, great use of a tool. You'll get a lot of use out of that winch.
Great work! I almost built something exactly like this! But found a nice one on Amazon it was just too good of a deal to pass up. So I ended up buying one and welding on D-Rings
Great video ! You may wish to also consider adding a hitch receiver or welded tube up front on the truck, on the trailers, and perhaps the 2000 pound Harbor Freight winch to the 4 wheeler. All are available from HF...
I've had the same winch for 2 years. I've used it to load logs on my trailer and pull myself out of some tough spots. I've had it smoking several times. I just replaced the steel cable with the synthetic rope. Seems to work fine and it makes the winch lighter. Enjoyed the video.
The synthetic rope is nice, but the poor wear characteristics when being dragged and contaminated with mud and dirt kind of turn me off. The weight savings is impressive but the myth that it just drops when it snapps was its biggest selling point
The winch mount turned out great. I made one very similar a few years ago. I like the D-ring idea on the face for a double line pull. I put a square tube insert on my headache rack to store the winch for travel and to also pull big game into the truck during hunting season. Have a great day.
What an awesome job you did on that! Really thought of a lot of scenarios when you built this. Straps were genius!!
Thanks a bunch!
Love the sound of a mig welder. You make good welds.
Matt, great video, you have a solution for any unexpected issue, good job!
Matt, nice project that I may copy. Two things to look out for, the D-rings to tie it to a tree should have been installed vertically because if you tie into a large tree the chains will pull them outward and put undue strain on one side of the clamp. I noticed the constant sputtering sound while you were welding, that is caused by one of two things, not enough heat at the weld or too fast a wire feed.
Just use two shackles turned vertical problem solved vertical won’t sit right when hitched to truck
Love all the toys/tools you have to fabricate your builds with👍❣️ Awesome
The welding is impressive Matt. Great job.👍
Nice build, Matt. We have an HF 10k winch on our 30' gooseneck. Used it a couple times with zero problems, so far.
Really enjoyed this video. I can tell that if I ever want to be really effective with these kind of projects I need to learn to weld. That was some nice fabrication; really professional results!
You can do it!
I got the basics in welding from a night school course in local technical college, two nights a week for a few months to learn the correct way and then experience at my work. Not super brilliant still but the more you do the easier it becomes.
No critique here. I love what ya put together. I'm sure you don't need any advice from the sidelines! Thanks for showing me a great way to do something I was planning on! Great planning.
Brilliant build there Matt, well done! :-)
Thank you! Cheers!
I've never built one, however, I really do like your ideas on the mounting and handles. Thanks.
Well that's definitely one heavy duty setup don't know how portable it is I know I wouldn't want to Lug it around but she'll damn sure work
@@josephburkhalter5105 yeah thanks for the reply Joseph definitely is in the work description not something you'd want to Lug around all the time by hand but something you definitely need to have so yes I agree it is in the work description thanks again
I use a winch quite often, like the one you have. Mine is 1 8000 lb. @ things that make mine very handy, I added a receiver to the nose inside my trailer, and added a remote for the winch. The remote helps when guiding something on the trailer. It also helps me get my tractor unstuck, I connect to my truck, and rub the cable to the tractor, drive the tractor, while pulling toward the truck. I also added 15ft jumper cables nto connect winch battery to my truck battery, even reaches to trailer tongue for winch.
I have the exact same winch on my 21,000 lb triple axle trailer. A word of warning. The battery leads on that winch are super fine stands inside the insulation. My winch started running slow after only a year on my trailer. When I got to looking at it, I found that moisture had gotten under the insulation and started corroding the inside of the wire. I ended up cutting about a foot off the wire in order to bypass the corrosion. I was surprised that it went so far up the wire. It was almost corroded in half! So if you have that issue with your winch, look at the battery leads. They looked fine on the outside. It wasn't until I opened up the insulation before I found it. Good channel.
Not gonna hate on building stuff when you are able, but these hitch brackets are available for like $70 and saves all the work and getting everything to line up right... but then again if you have the materials and the free time that you aren't taking away from anything more important then by all means I love fabricating stuff too
all the store bought ones I looked at were super cheap this thing is skookum as frig
Somebody watches AvE........
Enjoy your videos. I admire your tenacity and common sense knowledge. Disregard the critics from the building industry as I have built things on my own without building knowledge.. chicken coop,barn,garage and family room Couldn’t hire contractors, no money. I’ll bet you two bits those building people couldn’t diagnose and repair an engine as you have done several times. Keep up the common knowledge and keep your wallet,credit card in your pocket..looks aren’t everything. If it works for you that’s all that matters. Notice you are left handed,that’s good means you’re smart. Ps. I’m left handed and 81 years old..
I got one of those winches from harbor fieght& had great service with that big Napa battery holds charge Good! Martin in South Ga
When ever your done painting with spray paint, turn the can upside down and give it a couple of shots, of the compressed air, it will shoot out what paint is left in the nozzle, hence less chance of being clogged the next time you paint. Just a tip, from someone who's father sold in the paint industry for half of his career. Luv the videos, they always pick me up on rainy days. Thanks for sharing, especially the dog and his ball, he is to funny, he should have his own, Instagram channel, he's a riot, Thanks again, and Keep on Truckin. Andrew T Barrie Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦
Used to operate a 4x4 tour and offroad training business in New Zealand. Live in USA now, have had the same Badland winch on my H2 Hummer for a year now, used it on my car trailer and other eauip also. So far I'm impressed its taken all the punishment I've put it through so far. I plan to buy a second one for my 83 GMC ramp back car hauler soon. I have a small ranch, build and restore muscle cars and machinery and have a Bobcat 620, sounds familia eh. Enjoy your videos, thanks Matt Cheers Rusty Douglas AZ
I am watching this in my garage/shop. You have inspired me to clean my workbench.......as soon as I finish watching this.
Me too! And I have my whole shop to clean right after I catch up on Jonathan W, Musti 1, Abom, Mr.Pete, Steve Summers, ... Ah! What the hell! I can work in A dirty shop!!!
Perfect! mine could use a little going through hahah
Great mount for that winch! You can use your propane torch and lightly go over your nylon handles where they are frayed and it will help it last longer.
Matt! A word to the wise from Matt's off-road recovery Channel, he says never use a trailer ball to pull on because they will snap off causing Pain & Injury. Thanks for all the great videos
There's 1 1/4" shank balls not likely gonna snap that.
I built one very similar to this last year with a 12k lb winch but found it to be too cumbersome and extremely heavy which got old as I used to carry it out into the woods for tree felling assistance, most of my rigging wouldn’t be much good over 10k lbs anyways so I sold the whole setup and built another one with a HF 5k lb winch instead, much easier on the back and if I need more beans I’ll just put the block in her. With your heavy equipment though you’ll be much better off with the 12k plus you get double the length of cable versus a smaller winch with the block, very good craftsmanship and I love how every step was thought out before execution, appreciate the videos!
Love the build! I didn't use D rings (but I should have). I just used the safety chain hook attachments for connecting snatch blocks. People knock HF but those little suckers can do some work! And with the 4 snatch blocks I prefer to keep with me at all times, you don't need the big expensive set up that people try to sell you instead. Also recommend a hitch attachment up front. It's nice in case you get stuck in a tricky spot and a more controlled pull if you happen to come across a person in need of assistance in a ditch. I also made a hinged attachment that had a winch hook point and a hitch on the end. That comes in handy to be able to add a trailer tongue to push people from behind (hooks your truck like a trailer but you push and they steer), or put a ball on it and move trailers. That way you can use the winch to raise or lower the ball. And I have always loved that wind down on the turbos!
This winch turned out really nice. Looks like it was bought in a store!
Except they dont sell anything that heavy built in the stores! or id have saved myself the trouble! lol
Great job, Matt. I couldn't have built it better myself.
You should get their wireless remote for that, it's a game changer! I would put some heavy gauge anderson connectors on the cables so you can move it around. That's what I did too mine, but I'm going to rebuild my hitch mount to mimic yours! I love my winch for the price and how little I use mine it's a great work horse!
Looks like a good winch there. Not bad for a Harbor Freight purchase. Harbor Freight really seems to be coming up in the world. I've bought quite a few things in the past from them and I've been happy
Pretty much the same way I did mine and it worked great. I did add the wireless remote and it was a must. Definitely hardware some quick disconnects to the front and rear with some good sized welding cable, it will definitely pull amperage and won't run well enough for one battery without an alternator at a good idle to help. If you don't already, you should put a 2" receiver on the front of your truck. Too many times it's been a life saver for safer pulls. Keep up the good work and cheers
I have a Badlands winch on my equipment trailer and have never had a problem of any kind unlike a couple Warn winches that caused me trouble regularly. I built a similar mount years ago and after using it several times I modified it by replacing the tube with a little longer one and didn’t weld it solid I put it on a 1 inch pivot pin with a hall moon plate underneath it much like a grader blade on a tractor pivots and pins, most of the time I left the pin out so that the winch would turn directly towards what ever I was pulling. I love watching except when you time lapse but I’m sure others like it that way and no one can please everyone, God Bless and stay safe!
That must be some hard steel! I've never seen anyone struggle so much to center drill before. That was wild!
You must always predrill steel with a smaller bit before going to the size required,,,it helps guide the larger drill bit.
Nice build that should be indispensable to you on future projects Matt 👍🏻
Nicke job - looks handy! A trick we used to do was to put a rubber cylinder (3x4”)at the end of the wire. That way you can crank it all the way in and it will not rattle around.
Nice job. Very neatly done. Been wondering about it! I think they good wenches too. Enjoyed watching. Be safe!
great job on the set up. Just FYI i added a receiver to the front of my truck also and ran the power leads to the front and back for easy hookup and use on either end.
Awesome winch setup brother, your a man of many skills, your friend from Larned Ks Eric Houser.
Krylon paint.best spray can paint out there. I have been using that paint since I was a kid in my teens painting bikes. I found none better and I have be painting with paint cans all my life and I am 77 now. Forced to use others from time to time when I could not find dealers that carried Krylon. But never found anything near as good. Love that paint. Hope they never go out of business.
Really great video Matt! Thanks for doing it.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great build. The strap handles are genius.
They are! I was amazed I came up with that haha
A comment about your work area. You may be unbelievably short on work space, otherwise a suggestion is to move your steel work "plate" away from the workbench - maybe to a roll-able work table? Or at least make a shield of some type to keep grinding debris and welding splatter confined to your steel work plate. I like hearing your thoughts as you design. Nice fabrication, nice design.
That things sweet! Defiantly on my project list at some point
Go for it!
That hooked up slick ! Nice neat job on the install 👍👍
Thanks 👍
Great job on the winch build, Harbor freight seems to build a good quality winch
Seems to be so far
Nice & strong! It's maybe a good idea to put one of these "sheetmetal cable eye protection things" in the loop where the hook-pin goes trough. It propably protects the cable from getting kinked under high loads... Greetings from germany.
I can’t believe it doesn’t have one. You’d think it would , you can’t really add them after the cable is crimped
i've got an 8000 lb. harbor freight winch, and i bought the mounting plate when i got it. i've used it on my 4x4 truck, and a couple of trailers to pull vehicles on to the trailer, and my truck out when it got stuck off road. had it over 10 years, and it's still going strong. a comparable warn was triple the price. other than the actuator button, i'm happy with it. the surplus center has one i'm thinking of getting to replace the crappy one.
Looks like you did a great job. I'm a licensed engineer and feel that you made a strong frame. I'm unsure about a Hf winch. Please keep us informed about the winch.
The HF badlands winch has proven itself a thousand times over in the field and on the gnarliest off road trails in the United States, its a very robust winch
Finding this video was sooooo timely. I was just in need for a semi-portable winch...
Good video. I know you are going to enjoy the new winch. Have a great day and stay safe.
Thanks 👍
Good job Matt. Well fabricated. You are a man after my own heart. What ever it takes to get it done.
Great job on the winch mount. My setup is similar to yours but with a 9K HF winch and I just purchased the HF reciever hitch mount, not near as sturdy as yours but certainly lighter to carry. But, I didn't want to do wiring on the truck so I bought 25ft jumper cables to run to the truck battery, works well. I cut the jumper cables in two, a couple of ft from one end, and added an HD battery cable connector at the cut. Then put an additional HD battery connector on the winch pigtail. This allows the jumper cables to easily convert to a winch extension cord.
I love the sound of your turbo on your ford!!
it sounds cool for a while but gets on your nerves after a while too
Really liked the build! I've used straps like that before and with heavy load they eventually pull through. To combat the issue I used a small metal plate on the outside of the strap under the washers of the bolts to sandwich the strap. You are probably using a better strap than I was though.
they arent intended to be used for anything other than a carry handle ( although they prob could)
@@DieselCreekI hear ya there, thanks for the reply
Looks good! I wish I had all those nice toys/tools you have (and the knowledge of how to use them). One thing that I have learned, When drilling in metal, Go slow with good pressure. You can tell if you are going too fast by the size of the curls that come off with a good bit. Also, that way you wont heat up your bits so much. Thanks for the video!
Also when drilling in metal it’s a good idea to use a bit of oil or wd-40 to lubricate a little bit
This set up is exactly what I was looking for! Didn’t want a hard install. Thanks man!
I looked at your Evolution Saw and almost bought one. Then I found a 65amp plasma cutter and opted for it. It is rated at 5/8" but went thru 3/4 like your saw. I watched another feller cut 1" steel with it and even he was amazed. Great plan on bldg your winch skid. An angle cut on the back end of the hitch tube would have been a nice touch. However, your welds were not too shabby!!!!! I love the straps and making the holes. You may be out in the boonies but ya ain't no country hick!!!!! Neat hearing the turbo spool down when you shut the engine down.
Handles look great well done sir👍
If you can I would look into installing a cable thimble eyelet to protect the cable because how HF does it severely weakens the cable. Also if at some point you need to replace the cable switch to synthetic for a 20lb weight saving.
think you did great, i would not know what to do, but I enjoy watching someone who does know!
Thanks for watching!
A great episode of Diesel Creek ! Wish we could hang out I think we would get along great.
I was planning on being available for a meet and great this summer but with all the craziness Im not sure!
Diesel Creek where are you located ??
that's a nice build you did there! The only thing I can tell is in the first part of welding: you may want to keep in mind the pressurized cans around your work surface, that can be dangerous, or messy, or both. It happened at my work with a can of ink for dye penetrant testing, the welding box (and welder) got an instant paint job. It was hilarious because no one was hurt, but, with flammable fluids, that can go wrong very quickly.
Some toys for work cost quite a bit especially when you want quality and for them to last Matt. I was wandering when you was going to get that winch installed. It will come in handy to use while working man.
I like the nylon strap idea, never thought of using them but will do the same on mine. I used a swivel hook from Grainger on my gooseneck winch, has tapered roller bearings and sealed too. I have a 3500lb ATV winch on my dads old utility trailer thats pulled several 7-8000lb logs onto it, some straight line after the snatch block exploded but it has done much more than i expected it to do and still chugging along. I used forklift charger plugs to connect at the bumper directly to my truck battery, i have a battery on the trailer for the winch that charges when driving but the extra 2 battery reserve is nice when pulling heavy loads on. Keep the vids coming, i have 12acres im clearing and likely to build a 30X40 shop as you did but with wooden trusses and concrete floor.
yes I want to get those connectors for mine eventually, just takes time and money!
Diesel Creek this is true, hit up Ebay and they are cheap some comes with vertical mounting brackets for bumpers too. I bought 8 at the time and was discounted $1.50 each
It’s almost two years later, but this video provided great entertainment on the night of 2-15-22. Thanks for posting it.
Hi, Matt... While I was watching your winch mounting plate build, I had an Idea. I'm just getting started on a refurb build on a squarebody Suburban. It already has front and rear Reese hitches. I'm going to do a mounting plate very similar so I can use the winch front or rear. Your idea of adding the D-ring was definitely good, but I'm thinking about Instead of welding a D-ring to the front, I'm going to pre drill the square tubing for a second pin before I weld it to the plate. I'm also thinking about notching the c-channel plate on both sides so the tube goes completely through the channel. That should also provide more surface for welding. My thinking is that it will allow me to mount the winch to my receiver (front or rear) and then insert a clevis ring mount (available commercially) into the tubing and insert a pin to hold it in place. Same purpose, just a little different way of doing it... Enjoyed this video... Keep 'em coming! :-)
Some folk that know a lot more about winches than I have found them to be a good unit. There are two friends that have just bought one with the high tech fiber rope and they love them.
That was neat and tidy . Looks good to me. But then I'm just an old truck driver. Lol. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks 👍
If you want to lighten up your winch, you could try something like the following: X-line synthetic rope 22k rating. There are many different names, but they all work very well. If the synthetic line snaps, it just falls dead to the ground. Unlike a steel cable, that when it breaks it is like a bullwhip and will cut through anything in its way. You could also change the steel rollers to delrin rollers.
Well done...(as usual) Looks really good! Thanks
I’ve had great luck with HF winches , I have 4 of them that I use on different applications !
We put small 4" wheels on ours. Made handle that hooks to receiver stub. To move it around. Still have to pick up to put in receiver . Added receiver to front of trailers too.
Bought my winch and winch mount from Northern. Not one thing wrong with building your own but I reckon by the time I built my own, the time I spent doing it would have been more than the value of the savings. In any event, nicely done, Sir.
The Badland Winch to me are the best that I have ever used. Great job.
Definitely a winch is a lifesaving tool to have to rescue ourselves of unforseen stucks!
I had a winch on my Duce-n-1/2, in the the Marine Corps, I would put grease on the cable and wrap the coil with a piece of canvas. Tied with twine. It kept it clean and rust free.
Very nice build wish I had one just like it. Cheers from Jacksonville Florida
I have spent many hours working around heavy duty winches on tugboats and a level wind feature on the lead in rollers can help extend the life of the cable many times over, what a crushed cable will provide. The one down side is if a snarl occurs at the level wind area, cause it’s a lot harder to clear. But if ones careful, that seldom happens and it brings a bit of reassurance knowing that cable is going to wind up straight and tight every time it works.
THANK YOU for the idea of the lifting straps. Buying a winch mount for a Bronco that theoretically could be removable fairly easily, but couldn't think of a good way to add a means to lift it off. This might be the way forward...
Nice job Matt. Built mine pretty much the same way. Minus the handles that lightweight me needs. I also like the anchor points on the backside for anchoring to a tree. Just used mine for pulling a military headstone up a very steep incline to the cemetery.
I don't own a pickup or a winch, so I am speaking from ignorance. In Texas, if you plan to drive around a lot with the winch always attached, you would have to relocate the back truck license plate to the left or right of the winch, so it would stay visible to cops driving by. Also, you might want to invest in a lockable pin thingy to hold the winch to the receiver. They are around $25, but beats having someone run off with your winch rig to stick into their receiver. You did a nice, clean job. Another channel, Andrew Camarata, that I watch a lot, he also put a receiver hole on the back of the winch, so he could place the winch first, then a trailer behind the winch. Sometimes, he uses the winch to pull things onto the trailer.
I have had the same winch for years. I mainly use it for pinching log and loading them onto my gooseneck trailer. I have used it to pull my neighbors vehicles out in wintertime including a Suburban uphill. I have mine mounted on a 1999 F-450 4×4 with a Curt Industry Front Hitch. I like you made my own winch mount. Unfortunately mine is not as elaborate as yours. I also bought 30' 1 ga. jumper cables, cut the clamps off, installed plugin ends to the cables and the winch. I can unhook the cable under the hood, move the winch to the rear,
and use the 30' cable to power the winch back there!