Winch for pulling downed trees

[luvmexfood]

I have found that hooking a pulley to the tree you are trying to pull and then take a cable and tie to a tree close to where your tractor is down thru the pulley and back to your drawbar. That helps a lot. Gives you twice the pulling power and the higher you can get tied off to on the cable that is attached to the tree the better you are. You can even use a second pulley to run the cable thru to the tractor if you cant get a straight pull. Again try and keep it as hight as possible.

As far as the cable breaking the instructions that came with my electric wench showed to throw an old blanket over the cable to prevent fly back.

 

[Coyote machine]

I have been looking for used forever and the only ones large enough to work on my tractor were so close to new in price, it wasn't worth it to me. I'm buying new. I'm starting a new thread not to hijack this one so if anybody has any input it would be appreciated.

Here's a log skidding cone; I have one, but mostly skid the logs with my Igland model 4001, 3PH winch.
Portable Winch Skidding Cone, Model# PCA-1290 | Winch Kits, Straps Hooks| Northern Tool + Equipment

You might want to explore the Igland brand line-up. It's not Farmi, but it's a very good, made in Norway winch brand. I have pulled huge logs with the 4001, and use my Igland GR-20 log grapple to move and stack what I pull from my woods. See my avatar, for a pic of the grapple with a bolder I needed moved.

Logging winches are meant to be used with the operator off the tractor, either using a remote or using the rope and pulley that move the winch engagement lever from a safe distance away from the winch.

Hillbilly methods may work too, but are not approved by the safety police!

 

[spindlewood]

Personally I am very leery of using a cable attached to a moving tractor. A tractor has a lot of power. If it breaks the cable, the broken cable may fly right at the tractor (and operator) and can be lethal.

I mounted a Harbor Freight 12,000# winch on an old box blade. I put a deep cycle battery there also, with a charging line to the tractor battery (30a breakers in the line). I have their wireless remote so I can stand clear. It works reasonably well. I haven't had any battery issues even though the tractor just runs at idle.

But, a 2ft diameter log? That may be more than you can handle. I've tried something like that. The winch drug the tractor, not the log. Even with the box blade dug in. Well, I know I can use the winch to recover the tractor

As it turns out, I bought the Harbor Freight 12,000# winch on sale for $399 last week (it's still in the back of my car as I debate...). Their web site says 85' of cable but it was really only 65' - so I was thinking of swapping it for the Milemarker SEC1200 which I can get on sale for $500 - and it comes with 100 feet of cable. I'm leaning toward keeping the cheaper Harbor Freight and using extension cable for longer pulls - cable which I will need anyway.

The feedback from everyone has me going both ways. I can see that winching a log is very slow business plus draws down the battery and pulling a log has the danger of putting me in the line of a broken cable. I'm leaning toward doing both - pulling 90% of the time using the tractor but install the winch anyway for those situations where the right tree isn't available to attach to the pulley - or when a pull requires special attention or delicacy and I want to be out of the tractor. Seems like anyone who has an electric winch uses it and finds it useful. Those that don't have them find other ways.

The best solutions require thousands (e.g. farmi) or are custom hydraulic systems attached the rear remote. My budget is in the < $1000 range and my mechanical abilities (or lack of them) need a straight forward installation.

 

[luvmexfood]

I have the Harbor freight winch and it has worked good for me. It is mounted on the tongue of my 16 ft trailer which I pull with my F 150. When you hook up to something either it moves or it drags the pickup backwards. I take the tractor boom pole and lift one end of a log closest to trailer and use the winch to pull it onto the trailer and then forward.

A couple of things you will need is the mounting plate for the winch unless you have a fairly well equipped shop to make one. Second is the wireless remote. I was pushing a log off a hill with the front of the tractor the other day. Front of log raised and the tractor rode up on the log and I could not back off. Got the truck and trailer, hooked the winch to the back of the tractor and with the wireless remote was able to pull myself off the log sitting on the tractor for steering and to use the tractor power to help get it off. Another time got stuck with the truck in mud. Hooked up to a tree behind me and was able to get in cab of truck and use the remote to engage winch while controling truck from the cab.

Not to mention all the steps you will save walking back to the truck to start winch only to have to go back to log for something. With the wireless remote you can hook up, stand back and start the winch while monitoring what you are pulling. Plus you are clear of any chance of getting hit by a cable if it breaks. Remote is around$29 and replacement batteries are available at Advance Auto or similiar store. I even have the Eveready number. As far as drain on the truck battery it depends on how heavy a load you are pulling. May need to start the truck if pulling a lot of heavy stuff. I purchased a set of long #2 gauge booster cables and just run them from the winch to the battery when using the winch.

 

[matoyan]

Have you thought about the Lewis Winch? it uses a chainsaw engine to pull tree's more than 2 ft in diameter.

Welcome to Lewis Winch

 

[motownbrowne]

Have you thought about the Lewis Winch? it uses a chainsaw engine to pull tree's more than 2 ft in diameter.

Welcome to Lewis Winch

Those are slick, but they aren't cheap. And, you have to buy a chainsaw too.

 

[matoyan]

They are a little expensive ($900), but seemed pretty powerful and portable. You also don't need to worry about extra deep cycle battery and chainsaws are pretty cheap on craigslist. Anyway, just a thought. it's out of my price range.

 

[EddieWalker]

I don't understand what the winch is supposed to do? Once the tree is on the ground, does it pull it closer to the tractor before you drag the tree with the tractor? Or is it to get it into position, then you hook up your chain and drag it with your tractor?

I've taken out thousands and thousands of trees. I have a chain attached to my drawbar and I just wrap it once around the tree and attach the chain with the hook at the end of it. Then I drag it to where I want it. The chain never wears out, it never frays or kinks like a cable will. It is easy to store and easy to handle.

Why not just use a chain?

Eddie

 

[CalG]

Eddie

In my area , trees grow where tractors don't go...

It helps to get the tree a bit closer before you chain on. That is, It helps to keep the tractor upright or up past the axles in mud ;-)

 

[k0ua]

Eddie

In my area , trees grow where tractors don't go...

It helps to get the tree a bit closer before you chain on. That is, It helps to keep the tractor upright or up past the axles in mud ;-)

As in my part of the world, the tractor needs to stay up on the ridge road, and the logs are down in the "draw". in other words they are downhill on either side of the ridge road. If you get the tractor down there, you will need a tow truck to get it back up. You need to get the logs up to where you can then haul them off.