for light compressor and winching which is better

for light compressor and winching use which is the better buy?

a red top battery

or a high output alternator?

i cant afford both, thought id point that out before it was suggested!

I suspect everybody will have a different opinion, but for light use, I wouldn't bother with either.

You could fit a second standard battery on the opposite side to the standard one to get twice the winching time.

im going to be adding a second battery to run my winch, it will be linked to the standard battery, so easly installed,

the one im going to get,

Numax CXV24MF
Sealed Leisure Battery
12V 86Ah 1000MCA
500 Cycles XV24MF


www.tayna.co.uk/Numax-CXV24MF-P3126.html

i was thinking of the red top as a replacment not a second as im going to mount my compressor under the hood.

will a second battery or larger battery not strain the alternator to the point of death?

It won't make any difference when they are both charged up. If you drain them with a winch, it would only be the same as if you drained a single battery to the same extent.

Starter batteries are not designed to be drained flat, and the alternator is not designed to run at maximum output for very long, only to supply the current for the lights and the heater fan, with a couple of amps into the battery.

For occasional light use, don't waste time & money: what you have will be ok. A second battery with an isolator switch comes in handy if you stall the engine and discover that you have killed the battery with the winch, you can join both together to give yourself a jump-start.

For heavy prolonged winching, more battery capacity and a proper rated alternator are needed, these cost quite a lot. For continuous winching duties consider hydraulic winches.

A normal lead acid battery will fail very quickly if used for winching whether on it's own or joined with a proper deep cycle battery.

Also different types of battery charge differently so you should not join deep cycle and normal batteries together.

For light winching and a compressor I would suggest the Numax as mentioned above, it;s only about £60.00 but will need mounting in the boot as would a red top. It can be used as the vehicle's sole battery. This is what I use with a 9000ib winch and it;s fine after several winches.

I don;t have a compressor but I'm sure it will cope.

If you really want get 2 of them - works out the same as 1 red top!

Kirkynut