Winches hydraulic winch idea

ovrszd · Mar 7, 2015

oosik said:
Now that I have the tractor plumbed to handle my grapple I've though of a hydraulic winch. WARN makes very nice 6K, 8K and higher hydraulic winches.

I would mount the winch on the front of the tractor frame and not the FEL arms. I have over 45 years experience using a winch while 4-wheeling and know how fast you can damage things when the "pull" gets harder than anticipated. Better to mount the winch to the frame and be safe.

The Warn winch you are considering is a good choice. It will easily pull either logs or you out of a sticky situation and you will never have to worry about the electrical capabilities of you tractor.

So many do not understand how much more complicated and time consuming an electric winch is over a hydraulic one.

Yep, well stated. I don't think my Kubota has enough space between the tractor frame and the FEL frame to mount a winch?? If so, it would be tight.

CDN Farm Boy · Mar 7, 2015

dbutler said:
Jmc, so far thats the best advice yet!

Yes, absolutely good points he made. You could also add that with a proper forestry winch you all but eliminate any potential damage to the loader or tractor as many have mentioned. I'm sure a new winch is less than a new loader.

And if by chance something did go wrong with your self-built loader mounted one, odds are future plans to build yourself anything would get kyboshed pretty quick

Rustyiron · Mar 7, 2015

Re sale, at least around here, for 3 pt winches is high. Very old winches that are not abused sell quite well. I don't think your goin to "get hurt" if you decide to sell it in 5 years. But building your own custom rig is always a point of high satisfaction.

ovrszd · Mar 8, 2015

Rustyiron said:
Re sale, at least around here, for 3 pt winches is high. Very old winches that are not abused sell quite well. I don't think your goin to "get hurt" if you decide to sell it in 5 years. But building your own custom rig is always a point of high satisfaction.

Yep, I agree. I've ran it over in my mind several times. I could definitely build a QA mounted winch that would put minimal stress on the FEL frame and could be attached/detached in a minute or less.

I see positives for all types that have been discussed here. I see just as many negatives for all types.

My Son works for a wrecker service company that has a hydraulic winch on a QA frame that they attached to a Bobcat CTL. I'll try to get some pictures of it in action. It's incredible what it will pull while putting little stress on the machine. Uses a spade system like I described earlier.

Sawyer Rob · Mar 8, 2015

I have a pretty nice Braden recovery winch, here's a pict. of one "like it",

Mine doesn't have anything powering it right now, and I've seen them powered several different ways, including with hydraulics. I've been thinking for a long time about mounting it on the front of my loader tractor as there's been more than a few times I could have used one there.

IF I do it, i'll mount it to the loader frame mount, as mine runs all the way to the back of the tractor, so the winch load would be spread over the whole tractor... I'll also power it with a hydraulic motor with chain drive to the winch, so if I want, I can easily change the gearing. My winch already has a sprocket on the winch, so it will be easy to make up the rest...

SR

ovrszd · Mar 8, 2015

Since you don't list your tractors I have no idea what you would be mounting it to. There's no way it would fit on the front of my M9540 w/FEL.

Looks like a beast though!!!!

If you use hydraulics, and gear it so there's any line speed, aren't you also going to face the issue of it stalling?? Or if you gear it so it doesn't stall, isn't it going to be slow??

Sawyer Rob · Mar 8, 2015

What you say is true, but it's a "recovery" winch and that's what I would use it for, so slow isn't so big of a deal.... I need to take some measurements to see if I have room for one on my tractor too...

SR

ovrszd · Mar 8, 2015

How often do you need a "recovery" winch on your tractors??

Threepoint · Mar 8, 2015

FWIW, I just got an email from HF reminding me that their 12,000 lb "Badlands" electric winch is on sale for for $292.44 through the weekend. I'm sure they're amp-eating beasts, but they seem to get pretty good ratings. Realistically, I don't have a need for a winch on any of my vehicles or tractors. But at that price, I still have to lie down until the feeling passes! :laughing:

ovrszd · Mar 8, 2015

Threepoint said:
FWIW, I just got an email from HF reminding me that their 12,000 lb "Badlands" electric winch is on sale for for $292.44 through the weekend. I'm sure they're amp-eating beasts, but they seem to get pretty good ratings. Realistically, I don't have a need for a winch on any of my vehicles or tractors. But at that price, I still have to lie down until the feeling passes! :laughing:

I hear ya. I 4-wheel with a lot of guys. Some have bought "offbrand" lowbuck winches. They work fine for a short, self recovery pull. They are extremely slow and as you said, take a LOT of amps to run. For some reason when someone is stuck they always want me to hook them with my Warn 9.5TI. :confused3:

When they comment on it's speed and efficiency I always say "that's what a thousand bucks will buy you". It cost $1300.