We heat with wood, so getting firewood out of the forest is important to us. In the old days we would attach a chain to the drawbar and drag it out, but the logs would roll, get caught up, and arrive covered with mud. Besides, it's just plain unsafe on slopes. Enter the winch.

The Farmi is a compact unit with 165' of 10mm steel wire, a chain hook on the end and three "travelers" for additional chains. So I can hook up to and reel in four logs at a time. The unit has 6000# of pull, more than enough for the work I do. My winch has the butt plate. You reel the logs in till they're up against the butt plate, lock the cable, then raise the winch with the 3ph and drive away with just the ends dragging. Saves the turf and yields logs mostly free of chainsaw-dulling grit.

I've also used my winch to pull myself out of mud (just for practice so far) and to pull wayward tourists out of ditches. It gives you variable power depending on how hard you tug on the lanyard. Be sure to read the safety instructions, though. Pulling from the side will get you in serious trouble, since this winch is more than strong enough to pull your tractor over.

Email me if you need more info. Pete

Date Purchased: 3/2001
Purchased: New
Price Paid: US$2200
Pros: compact, powerful, easy to use and maintain
Cons: None so far
Rating: