Where to install winch isolator switch, battery or control?

[Kipper]

Where have people installed their switch?

Choices seem to be the main power line from winch to battery, or negative line from control box to ground.

Same effect at the end of the day in stopping someone plugging a controller in and getting up to mischief but is it better to not have power flowing to it all those daily drive trips when it's not being used and going the power line option?

What have you blokes done?

[AusTac]

I've got an isolator switch on the positive battery cable, wouldn't be surprised if it melts one day but so far so good, it came in the kit and yeah didn't want someone bridging the box with a paperclip tearing my rig to bits lol

[<<Genesis93>>]

As long as you break the circuit.... the electron move in the same manner, same 'intensity' through the + or - lead... if in the negative there will still however be potential at the winch, so if the winch body is 'ground' for some reason, it may be energised.... (so isolate the +ve to be safe)

[Die Judicii]

Yes,, agreed, isolate the positive feed to the winch.
Best place is wherever it is NOT accessible to naughty people.
But in saying that, if at all possible put it where you can get to it quickly and easily in case of a winch control solenoid sticking.
If that ever happens as you are winching in, and you cant isolate it quickly, it could get messy.

I use one of those that have the plastic key.
I attach the key to swing nearby on a stainless fishing trace so it never gets lost.
I also use a 2" long piece of heater hose that is a firm push fit over the dome where the key is inserted.
Plug one end of the hose with silicone, and it works a treat by keeping moisture out of the switch itself.
Also seal the flanges where the switch was assembled.
I found that before I started doing that, the moisture that was allowed in would corrode the contact plates, and the next time you needed the winch,, it couldnt get power.

Since keeping the "hose plug" pushed on when not using the winch, I have had the one isolation switch for approx eight years and its still reliable.
Before that,,, I found that they either failed completely or were unreliable after only 12 months or sometimes less.

[AusTac]

Good idea on the plug, got out to the bush on the weekend was doing all the usual pre checks and my stupid winch didn't work, took my 15 minutes to diagnose the problem, damn mud ruins all

[becks]

it came in the kit and yeah didn't want someone bridging the box with a paperclip tearing my rig to bits lol

I have a morbid fascination to see a picture of that