No that they will fail, just at full load you'll get what I consider to high volt drop, meaning they get warmer/hotter and the winch motor turns slower. #1 would be better, but like I said, unless you run it at full load a lot, you'll be fine with the #2. You can give yourself additional margin by using a ****** block when you can, which is generally better to do anyway.

 

Check. This winch is just an insurance purposes for the just in case. Should I wore a fuse in to the circuit though Tom?

 

A high capacity (500amp min) disconnect switch would be better than a fuse, located somewhere with easy access in case the winch sticks 'on'.

 

Check. Sounds like a good safety measure.