I have a Norse 400 and it's built tough as nails. Now it's a few years old so I'm not positive if they have cheapened them up any. Also I've never heard a bad word from anyone with a Farmi winch. No real experience with the Fransgard so I'm sorry I can't help you there. But if you do go with the Farmi out of your two choices you will be more than happy. They have a real good clutch system.
Reguardless of what brand you buy make sure it has a butt plate. This helps to anchor the tractor to the ground and also comes in handy when landing logs as well.
Here is a copy of a post that I just did on a forestry board.
Farm tractor logging
Skidding logs with a farm tractor is not a widely used process in the U.S. as compared with other countries. The belief in the U.S. is that bigger is better so a large skidder is more productive when compared to the farm tractor, ergo, so the skidder must be better. But is the skidder better than the farm tractor for the small woodlot owner or small time operator?
A skidder is made to do one thing and do it well. Move the logs from the stump to the landing. Also most skidders have blades that can move slash dress skidding trails and bank logs at the landing. The skidder is much larger than the average farm tractor, so it can lift and pull out more logs in one pull. Articulation also dramatically increases the maneuverability of the skidder since articulated machines can make sharper turns than normally steered machines. Hiring a contractor is the simplest way to get logs out of the woodlot, but how do you handle small jobs or use your own labor without one? A skidding winch may be a safe and economical answer if you already have a farm tractor sitting in the barn..
No attachment to a farm tractor can actually equal the power and specialized features of a proper skidder, but skidding winches are very useful in the right situations. Many European woodlot operators use them and they are common in eastern Canada. Given the high cost of used skidders, they are the only option for most small-scale operations. Then again you might be able to find a skidder pretty cheap. Remember you usually get what you pay for.
A skidding winch is simply a cable winch mounted in a 3-point hitch frame at the tractor. Once lowered to the ground, a cable is pulled out to the logs, up to 150' from the tractor itself. Most have a buttplate that you can use as a (light duty) dozer blade but more importantly it digs into the ground and helps lock the tractor in place when the winch is tightened. Four or more ‘chokers’ wrap around the logs, but slide on the main cable. Activating the winch draws the cable in and lifts the logs slightly - the tractor then drives to the landing. Two major types exist - PTO types are driven by a shaft from the rear of the tractor. Hydraulic types use the tractor’s hydraulic system to drive the winch. Some models offer remote control with a handheld transmitter and self-opening blocks (pulleys) to help direct the cable around obstacles. Of course the more bells and whistles means more cost, but also can be much more productive as well.
Probably the biggest advantage is being able to skid out logs as carefully as you wish - pull the cable out to full extension up to 150' and take the time to keep the damage to other trees to a minimum. The investment is reasonable: $2 - 6,000. A skidding winch can be safely used by one person although 2 is safer, more productive and saves alot of walking. The disadvantage is that a farm tractor may lack the traction and tight steering of a skidder and be somewhat more awkward in the woods. A small or mid-sized four-wheel drive tractor overcomes some of these problems. And, of course, a tractor and skidding winch could equal a skidder for productivity.
But before you go out and get a three point skidding winch a few modifications could be made to the tractor to make it safer and more bullet proof like a skidder. On my last tractor I added a belly plate, so it was better protected from damage and also could slide over stumps better. It had a cab so the windows were covered with expanded metal for protection. Heavy duty grille guard with expanded metal to keep limbs from punching through. From the top of the grille guard to the cab brush bars were added to protect the exhaust stack. It also had a front end loader this helped by adding
ballast in the front of the tractor for the heavy loads of skidding. At times this still wasn't enough. I sill had to fill the bucket with dirt or cordwood at times to help. A set of rear chains and wheel weights helped to add more traction even though it was four wheel drive tractor.
One other option for the farm tractor now is a hydraulic rear grapple. As long as you can get close to the stump it can be very useful. A grapple is a large set of jaws that clamp around the log. Then the log is lifted and skidded out of the woods. These run in the $1500.00 range and most of them require at least one or two remotes. The downside is more compaction of the forest floor unless you use some sort of winching device to get it out to a skidding trail.
But before entering the woods make sure that your tractor is at least equipped with a ROPS (rollover protective structure). But even better a FOPS (falling object protective structure). Remember, it takes less than one second to roll a tractor. So be careful! Working in the woods can be very dangerous. Also never try to attach a log or pull above the center of gravity of the tractor. Reason being its a great lever to help you flip the tractor. Did I say please be careful whenever your working in the woods.
GF
http://www.forestryforum.com/cgi-bin/board/YaBB.pl
The post is in the knowledge forum at
http://www.forestryforum.com/tips/tips.cgi
Gordon