Skidding winch-- to skid, or not to skid?

[MinnesotaEric]

The consensus about how to clean up 6-8 acres of downed logs and debris was a 50+hp tractor, grapple, and skidding winch. (Assuming a tractor, not a telehandler!) I am looking at a Kubota Grand L6060 cab tractor, grapple, and Wallenstein skidding winch. Grab the debris with the grapple and move it to a burn pile. Use the winch for the big stuff.

I have some resistance about buying the skidding winch. This is mostly because I have never used one and am unsure of its capabilities, but also because I would probably rarely use it after this one time cleanup was complete. And, it seems labor intensive to constantly be off the tractor pulling out cable and hooking onto logs to skid. I also have a Massey GC1710 SCUT with a backhoe and mechanical thumb. In lieu of skidding logs out, do you think it is feasible that I could use the Massey backhoe to lift one end of a log, cut it in sections, then haul the sections away with the Kubota grapple? Or maybe lift the log using the Massey loader with a chain?

I do have some logs two feet in diameter. Obviously too big for a SCUT. These were decked up by my contractor who felled the diseased trees. But most of the cleanup logs are eight inch diameter on average. They are in a whole tangle of debris that makes up the 6-8 acres. Some logs are smaller, some larger. It seems many were wary of taking a shiny new cab tractor into such a mess, but if I have two tractors to clear some lanes to work with, along with some patience and caution, I'm guessing I could get it done without a winch.

Considering these circumstances, would you spend the $$$ to purchase a skidding winch?

Consider skipping the winch. Wrap one loop of chain around a log and drive.

Pull the offensive logs out of the woodline, section them up and haul them to a slash pile to be burned.

 

[MossRoad]

Speed is not really all that much of an issue when parbuckling anyway. Where the slow speed will drive you batty is when winching logs out of the woods... but it sounds as though you've already got that part covered

Its not so much the speed as the length of time the winch will have to run. I've never parbuckled, only been reading up on it for the last couple years. Since its a 2:1 mechanical advantage, its probably easier on the winch, and takes twice as long as a direct pull, too. So, half the load but twice as long... and these are small pole size trees, so not that heavy. I can lift the 4" end of a 40-50' tree off the ground by myself pretty easily... its the 12"+ butt end that I can't move! :laughing: I load 8' lengths by myself up to about 10" in diameter just by flipping them end-over onto the back of the trailer. But an 8' long 10" locust log starts to get pretty darn heavy after a half dozen of those. They're about 250# a piece. If I could load 18' sections directly with a winch, I'd be very happy.

 

[MossRoad]

Consider skipping the winch. Wrap one loop of chain around a log and drive.

That works the easiest but only if you can drive up to the log.

 

[Phil48]

Does it free-wheel out easily?

Yes very smooth to operate.

 

[MossRoad]

Yes very smooth to operate.

The manufacturer of my machine makes a winch attachment. But from what I've heard and from what I can glean from looking at it, its just a large hydraulic motor with a drum for the cable and a valve for directional control. Its supposed to be free-wheeling, but people have said you have to work against the hydraulic fluid to pull it out in free-wheel mode. There's no clutch or gears or any way to disengage the cable drum from the motor. Simple design, but sounds like a lot of work to pull the cable out on theirs. I'll have to look into it yours further to see how its designed. Thanks! :thumbsup:

 

[MossRoad]

The manufacturer of my machine makes a winch attachment. But from what I've heard and from what I can glean from looking at it, its just a large hydraulic motor with a drum for the cable and a valve for directional control. Its supposed to be free-wheeling, but people have said you have to work against the hydraulic fluid to pull it out in free-wheel mode. There's no clutch or gears or any way to disengage the cable drum from the motor. Simple design, but sounds like a lot of work to pull the cable out on theirs. I'll have to look into it yours further to see how its designed. Thanks! :thumbsup:

Correction: No valve for directional control on the winch.... it uses a valve that is on the tractor already.

 

[John_Mc]

Its not so much the speed as the length of time the winch will have to run.

Agreed. I was responding to those who said hydraulic winches are slow. That doesn't really matter for parbuckling. You don't want to go fast there anyway.

 

[Phil48]

The manufacturer of my machine makes a winch attachment. But from what I've heard and from what I can glean from looking at it, its just a large hydraulic motor with a drum for the cable and a valve for directional control. Its supposed to be free-wheeling, but people have said you have to work against the hydraulic fluid to pull it out in free-wheel mode. There's no clutch or gears or any way to disengage the cable drum from the motor. Simple design, but sounds like a lot of work to pull the cable out on theirs. I'll have to look into it yours further to see how its designed. Thanks! :thumbsup:

Actualy there is! The black lever disconect and your're free to roll it out!

 

[CobyRupert]

Wow!
Thanks for the vocabulary lesson! I had to look up what parbuckling is. "To raise and lower with a parbuckle." I then had to look up parbuckle.
Talk about your 10 cent words! Here's yours for using it 2cents::2cents::2cents::2cents::2cents.

Peak usage of the word was around the year 1840. Man, you guys must be old!!

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Wow!
Thanks for the vocabulary lesson! I had to look up what parbuckling is.

Peak usage of the word was around the year 1840. Man, you guys must be old!!

OR you just grew up with a sheltered life! lol

It's a "common" word to those that have been around logging since we were young...

SR