Ummm, I not seeing your vision, why does one need a rope brake when it self locks? One winch, One rope, One brake, Seems like a great system to me........ Only a remote would be better.
Skidding Winches
- Thread starter Greenland South
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Ummm, I not seeing your vision, why does one need a rope brake when it self locks? One winch, One rope, One brake, Seems like a great system to me........ Only a remote would be better.
Sawyer Rob
Super Member
The brake doesn't self lock, it locks when you pull the rope. You can hold the rope so it locks when you release the clutch rope, OR you can not hold the brake rope, and the load will drop to the ground when you release the clutch rope.
Normally, I prefer the load to drop when it get's to the winch, as I will make several pulls, then hook them all up to the winch at once, and skid them all out to the landing together.
IF, I want otherwise, it's no big deal to keep a little tension on the brake rope.
SR
John_Mc
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My Uniforest 35E winch has two ropes. If you pull the clutch rope, the brake automatically disengages. Release the clutch rope, and the brake engages again. The brake rope is used to manually release the brake, for example to release tension on the cable. Pulling the brake rope fully out latches the brake open for free-spooling out the cable. A short, partial tug on the clutch rope undoes the latch holding the brake open. The system works well for me. I understand they made some improvements to the system when they updated to the 35M, but I'm not sure exactly what they were.
Gordon Gould
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To me being able to make the brake automatically engage when the clutch rope is released like OP's Fransgard and your Uniforest was an improvement for my Farmi. I think anything that is easier or less cumbersome when working in the woods is generally safer also. Especially working in the snow. This is more of an issue if you skid the hitch out on the cable rather than transferring the chokers to the slotted bar where you don't often use the brake when the cable is under tension.
gg
gg
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It's an altogether different system. If I'm not mistaken your brake is a ratchet on the cable spool, so you have a lever to release the cable or lock it so that it doesn't freewheel. Mine depends on a brake similar to a skidder; pull one rope and it releases the clutch so that it will freewheel. pull on the second rope; the clutch locks, and the twitch is pulled in.
I must be the only one rope winching person on here, thank God Fransgard was thinking of rednecks like me when they design their winch, they obviously known that with more then one rope I'd get konfused. But if I was buying a winch today I'd differently get one with a remote, that would save me a lot of back in forth time which is a big deal in deep snow.