Hydraulic Winch, anyone running one

   / Hydraulic Winch, anyone running one #1  

GC1710

Silver Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2017
Messages
182
Location
Syracuse, IN
Tractor
Massey GC1710
Is anyone running a hydraulic winch on a sub-compact or compact/utility tractor?

I was thinking of picking one up for around $800 to pull some dead logs/branches out of the woods without the need to cut through and destroy so much new growth. I have several snatch blocks I could make use of.

I already have a 2 spool rear remote. I'd probably mount it on my 3 point hitch receiver. I'm not worried about line speed with lower flow, and 2000 psi will easily get you 8-10k of pull.

Thoughts, would love to hear from someone using one.
 
   / Hydraulic Winch, anyone running one #2  
Is anyone running a hydraulic winch on a sub-compact or compact/utility tractor?

I was thinking of picking one up for around $800 to pull some dead logs/branches out of the woods without the need to cut through and destroy so much new growth. I have several snatch blocks I could make use of.

I already have a 2 spool rear remote. I'd probably mount it on my 3 point hitch receiver. I'm not worried about line speed with lower flow, and 2000 psi will easily get you 8-10k of pull.

Thoughts, would love to hear from someone using one.
I have a hydraulic winch mounted on skids that I generally chain to a tree to move large logs up or down the grades around here...I move the winch around with my B1700...with the loader, boom pole or on a pallet or carry all...I have sets of hoses up to 20' that I plug into my front (thumb grapple) remotes...I have a detent for the SCV to run the winch...
If I had a tractor mounted winch on the front I would try to use the front PTO rather than hydraulics...
 
   / Hydraulic Winch, anyone running one #3  
They’re slow. There’re a step ahead of an electric winch because the duty cycle is continuous, but still painfully slow.
 
   / Hydraulic Winch, anyone running one #4  
mile marker makes two speed hydraulic winches, and are designed for 3.5gpm at 1500psi (min design spec). I have one on my vehicle, and the 2nd range is great for light pulls, or line retrieval.
 
   / Hydraulic Winch, anyone running one
  • Thread Starter
#5  
mile marker makes two speed hydraulic winches, and are designed for 3.5gpm at 1500psi (min design spec). I have one on my vehicle, and the 2nd range is great for light pulls, or line retrieval.

Wow thanks for the info, this one just moved to the top of my list! The two speed is really nice for line retrieval.
 
   / Hydraulic Winch, anyone running one #6  
Wow thanks for the info, this one just moved to the top of my list! The two speed is really nice for line retrieval.

Cheapest ones are well over $1000 plus several hundred more for the adapters, controls, etc....
 
   / Hydraulic Winch, anyone running one #7  
Cheapest ones are well over $1000 plus several hundred more for the adapters, controls, etc....

Not so fast. summit racing has the 9000# model for under 900$ including shipping. and for a tractor with controllable hydraulics, nothing else is needed, but std hoses. I would spring for the 12k model for the cost of 1,050. less likely to need low range for light pulls, or pulley for heavy pulls
 
   / Hydraulic Winch, anyone running one
  • Thread Starter
#8  
Cheapest ones are well over $1000 plus several hundred more for the adapters, controls, etc....

The mile marker can be had for under 900 and I already have some quick connects I can throw on it so long as threads match up. Surplus center lines will run me $40 for both, already have an open spool on my rear remote.

I’m thinking this route might be pretty good, just need to think about mounting options, maybe adapt a middle buster so I can push it in the ground when pulling a big log, takes the strain away from the tractor and onto the implement.
 
   / Hydraulic Winch, anyone running one #9  
Also, look at the specs on that winch. In high-speed gear, on the 1st wrap its only 34 feet per minute. On the 4th wrap, its up to 57. That's really slow and that's HIGH gear. High gear on that winch only has a 1500# pull on the first wrap and it goes down from there.

Low gear on that winch is rated between 6 and 10 feet per minute. Think about that.... 6-10 feet per minute. A large log 100' away will take at least 10 minutes to pull.

Just wanting to be sure you're aware of the specs on that winch. It's a great winch for vehicle recovery. A great winch. I almost purchased one for that purpose many years ago.

Good luck in your search. :thumbsup:
 
   / Hydraulic Winch, anyone running one #10  
I agree, they are painfully sloooooow.....

SR
 
   / Hydraulic Winch, anyone running one #11  
Also, look at the specs on that winch. In high-speed gear, on the 1st wrap its only 34 feet per minute. On the 4th wrap, its up to 57. That's really slow and that's HIGH gear.....:

May I ask what kind of winch you use, or suggest; where 30 to almost 60 fpm is slow?

I looked into some warn elec. winches, which are load dependent, not wrap dependent, and 0lbs is 30fpm, 2,000# is 14fpm, and only 6k is already under 7fpm? Specs are from their m12 winch. Specs seemed similar on their 9k winches, depending on model/series.

I'm just trying to understand what you are using as a reference? I'm left to think an aircraft carrier launch winch??
 
   / Hydraulic Winch, anyone running one #12  
I see that some of the (very expensive) wallenstein skidders do have speeds in the 100's, but that is way over the op's budget
 
   / Hydraulic Winch, anyone running one
  • Thread Starter
#13  
I split logs with my subcompact....everything I do with this tractor is for relaxation and to get away from my office job....so slow is soothing in this case....I understand trying to make a living and the need for speed, but my requirements are a bit different. In fact I could probably just use some synthetic line and snatch blocks and just pull logs onto trail....but a winch would be a bit easier....and I'm sure I end up using it for something else as some point....

GC1710 with new DR dual action 3 point log splitter Part 2 - YouTube
 
   / Hydraulic Winch, anyone running one #14  
If you think they're slow with a single line...try winching with a block and a two part line...! might as well kick back bring along a book to read...
 
   / Hydraulic Winch, anyone running one #16  
May I ask what kind of winch you use, or suggest; where 30 to almost 60 fpm is slow?

I looked into some warn elec. winches, which are load dependent, not wrap dependent, and 0lbs is 30fpm, 2,000# is 14fpm, and only 6k is already under 7fpm? Specs are from their m12 winch. Specs seemed similar on their 9k winches, depending on model/series.

I'm just trying to understand what you are using as a reference? I'm left to think an aircraft carrier launch winch??

Vehicle recovery winches are slow. Not just that winch. I used them for vehicle recovery in the 70s and 80s. Logging winches are fast. Like 8-10 times faster. Yes, they are a lot more expensive. I've looked into them several times over the last few years, trying to justify the cost VS the way I do things now. I can't justufy the cost. I am fortunate to have a machine that can pretty much go anywhere, fit between 48" gaps, handle sloping ground, and not damage the soil. I use logging tongs on the FEL arms, drive in, drop the tongs, lift the tongs, and back out the way I came in. Before the tongs, I just used a chain on the FEL arms.

The few times that I have had to pull logs that were inaccessible to the machine, or too large for the machine, I've chained the log, attached a cable to the chain, run the cable trough some snatch blocks hanging on trees if I need to change direction, and attach the cable to the tractor or my Suburban. Then I just back the tractor or Suburban up and out comes the log as fast as I can back out.

So if anyone decides to go the vehicle recovery winch route for removing logs, they should just be prepared for the very slow going. If I was going to buy a winch, I'd favor hydraulic over electric just for the longevity and skipping the abuse on an electrical charging system. I'm still toying with getting a hydraulic winch for my machine, which is all hydraulic. But I can't justify the price for the return in investment, nor the slow speeds when what I do now is much faster.
 
   / Hydraulic Winch, anyone running one #17  
I split logs with my subcompact....everything I do with this tractor is for relaxation and to get away from my office job....so slow is soothing in this case....I understand trying to make a living and the need for speed, but my requirements are a bit different. In fact I could probably just use some synthetic line and snatch blocks and just pull logs onto trail....but a winch would be a bit easier....and I'm sure I end up using it for something else as some point....

GC1710 with new DR dual action 3 point log splitter Part 2 - YouTube

I understand your thinking. I am similar in that I only harvest for my own firewood. But after a while, you start to see the inefficiencies in your operation when you're handling the same piece of firewood for the 4th or 5th time over it various stops in your field-to-fire process.

On a side note, when I was a kid, we had to drive to Syracuse to buy me specially fitted shoes, as I had weird long skinny feet for a tiny little kid and no one up here could get me shoes. Had to go to Pilcher's (I think that's what it was called).
 
   / Hydraulic Winch, anyone running one #18  
I agree, they are painfully sloooooow.....

SR

I have hyd winches on both the front permanently and one I built into a frame for the 3pt. With a small compact you don't need an 8000 lb winch, is a lot of pull for a 3000 lb tractor. Speed depends on gpm of the tractor, gearing of the winch and the size of the hyd motor. I use a smaller motor and get decent speed on mine.
 
   / Hydraulic Winch, anyone running one #19  
Dang! Yet another accessory/implement/project! Hydraulic winch sounds like a very good thing to have. Good point about an 8,000 lb pull winch on a 3,000 or less lb tractor. Unless you have a real solid deadman, anywhere near an 8,000 lb load is just going to pull the tractor instead of moving the load so maybe a lower capacity winch is worth considering. All the winching I've done to date is with pickup trucks and vehicle recovery Maybe I'm just used to slow but I don't have any problem with what seems to be considered to slow of a line speed. Also seems like when Mile Marker first came out with hydraulic winches they were surprisingly inexpensive, seems that isn't the case anymore.

Thanks for the ideas! I should probably stop logging on here!
 
   / Hydraulic Winch, anyone running one #20  
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