Looking for a winch for my tractor

[TractorGuy]

ALL of my winching was with the 4WD club in Anchorage. Looking back, many of the "stuck situations" were the result of stupidity, bravado and macho. Most were situations that the normal person would not attempt. Get in a group of young fellows with the "I'll do it - go anywhere" attitude and the trip can become a real bore. Several times, I simply turned around and went home in utter disgust. 4 wheeling can be a great adventure - it doesn't have to result in damage to vehicles.

Anyhow - what I really wanted to say - when winching it's a good idea to throw a blanket - old Army wool blanket - over the winch cable. Cables snap, anchor points can release instantly. The cable can snap back with great force. I've seen it take out a grill - go thru a windshield - and the most frightening - wrap around a spectator. The Army blanket will absorb all the recoil energy - the cable will recoil a foot or two, then fall limp on the ground.

I was at an autocross one day and saw a friend's wife sitting straddle a winch cable with remote in hand. They were only pulling a 1200-1500 lb car on but I had to ask if she would mind some constructive criticism. She didn't mind and when I explained how much force a cable hook can have if it comes loose or the cable breaks she made haste in getting behind the tool box.

 

[mopardude318]

I like and prefer a hydraulic winch. But I'm spoiled. I'm a tow driver nights and weekends. Many times I've used the company truck. LOL

 

[oosik]

JD855guy - an electric winch that would not function while under water would equal **** on bacon when you are out on a 4WD run. At lease, in AK. Granted, this type winch is not your "normal" winch. I had an 8000 pound electric WARN on the front of my Jeep while in AK. It would function while under water - IF I had performed the required routine maintenance. Use of a winch while submerged is a PITA. Cleaning, drying, lubricating, resealing an electric winch & all else involved, that has been submerged = PITA(squared).

Again - my thoughts, along this line. It is far better to anticipate & avoid rather than recover.

 

[ptsg]

I built this hydraulic winch for my tractor with 6000-ish lbs capacity. Mostly to pull the tractor out if it gets stuck and I also do some light tree pulling from time to time. It has 170 ft of cable and I built it so it can free spool.

It's always mounted on the tractor and I've used way more than I ever though I would.

 

[Redbug]

I carry a large come-a-long, and chain. It is always with the tractor.

 

[oosik]

Redbug - now THAT is a solution I have used and used with success. My first tractor - Ford 1700 4WD. Crossing my moat in the winter - front end broke thru the ice and dropped into 2 and a half feet of water. No real problem. Other than - in 4WD I just didn't have sufficient traction to back out. And I had yet to learn the "bucket technique".
So - bucket down - raise the tractor up until level. Sit there a moment and ponder my situation.

Walk back to my work shop - load my cable come-a-long and chain in the wheel barrow - back to the running tractor. Chain around LARGE Ponderosa pine - cable come-a-long from chain to tractor draw bar. It was SLOW but about 20 minuets of "ratcheting" and the tractor was free and clear. NO harm, NO foul.

And I learn a couple things - stay the H**L away from the moat in the winter - the cable come-a-long is a great tool and works well.

 

[Industrial Toys]

To me, any consumer electric winch sounds exactly like a rotiseri (sp?) motor on the upswing of the unbalanced meat. Like it's on it's last legs! Then, they totally mess up the cable.

 

[Jstpssng]

I've always wondered how one of these would work if tied into your tractor hydraulics. HYDRAULIC WINCHES BY MILE MARKER INDUSTRIES
They are designed to run off a power steering pump.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I would love a hydraulic winch that had enough power to drag foot thick pines out of the forest but do it quickly. Almost all used hydraulic winches seem to be quite pricey amd you can't really see them work before you buy them. I would remote control it using a DO3 or 5 valve so I could pull out the cable, hook up a tree and pull it out as a one man operation.

 

[timbatrader]

Before I built the bridge to my place I use to get vehicles and machinery stuck in the river crossing to my place every winter I have a hydraulic winch mounted on a 3 point hitch grader blade which can be hooked up to my tractor or baby bulldozer and a 12 volt winch on the landcruiser but what I find most effective is a long wire cable and four pully blocks pulling something out is all about the anchor points buried the bulldozer blade on hole use the pully blocks to give four to one ratio then use what ever vehicle available to pul it out I have pulled out stuck 10 ton 4x 4 trucks using this method (I think it was 8 to 1 ratio that time) my reconmemdation don't spend money on a winch spend it on a bucket full of pully blocks D shackles short strops and a couple of 100 foot long 3/8 dia wire rope

 

[John_Mc]

I would love a hydraulic winch that had enough power to drag foot thick pines out of the forest but do it quickly. Almost all used hydraulic winches seem to be quite pricey amd you can't really see them work before you buy them. I would remote control it using a DO3 or 5 valve so I could pull out the cable, hook up a tree and pull it out as a one man operation.

That would work, but if you really want to do any significant logging, get a logging winch. PTO powered seems to be a bit more common around here, but you can find them hydraulically powered as well - I've seen hydraulically powered ones with remote controls. There is more to successfully and efficiently hauling logs than just a winch, and logging winches have that already figured out.

 

[MESSMAKER]

I carry a large come-a-long, and chain. It is always with the tractor.

I have to admit that I thought of this first. Where do you get a Come-a-long that is dependable that does not cost just as much as the electric? Most I have seen, look exactly the same. I have looked at Home Depot,TSC.Rural King and Harbor Freight. They all look almost the same.

 

[fruitcakesa]

I have to admit that I thought of this first. Where do you get a Come-a-long that is dependable that does not cost just as much as the electric? Most I have seen, look exactly the same. I have looked at Home Depot,TSC.Rural King and Harbor Freight. They all look almost the same.

American Power Pull Extra Heavy Duty Cable Puller 3 Ton 152
I have one of these for logging primarily. It is solid.

 

[Redbug]

I have one of these I keep on my tractor. I have had to use it from time to time. You just go slow.

8 lbs. Cable Winch Puller

 

[CobyRupert]

The problem where a pulling cylinder might not work is if you need a long cable to something far away and taking the slack out could be a problem. Or even the stretch in the line.

Yes, but....

I like the idea of a hydraulic cylinder (if one doesn't want to mess with a come-along). You have the motive force right there at the tractor, and ready to plug in hydraulic connections. Typically when one is stuck they only need to go a few feet to get unstuck. Having a chain as the last few feet on a long cable would enable one to keep the "cable" tight as one re-hitches the cylinder if more than one stroke is needed.
However, a "holding" grab hook would need to be offset to the side of the cylinder and a little slack can be given back so you can free the cylinder from the chain when it's being held.

Basically a cylinder pinned to cross draw-bar with a grab hook at the other end that does the pulling, and another holding grab hook on the drawbar bolted off to the side of the cylinder that does the holding when you need to reconnect the cylinder at the end of the stroke.

Hey, it's easy to spend other people's money!

 

[Jstpssng]

American Power Pull Extra Heavy Duty Cable Puller 3 Ton 152
I have one of these for logging primarily. It is solid.

Those are indeed tough. Get an extra handle or two, as they are designed to collapse before you overstress the winch. It's tempting after folding your first handle to use a more rugged piece of 1" pipe; perhaps a bit longer than the original for more leverage. Don't do it, or you risk wearing the pawls, stressing the bushings, perhaps even breaking the cable after overusing it too many times.
And don't ask me how I know that.

 

[WranglerX]

A hydraulic cylinder or winch are only good if you have way to connect it... Sadly my tractor has no power beyond for hydraulics.... SO...Electric or PTO (not)....

Dale

 

[WranglerX]

Those are indeed tough. Get an extra handle or two, as they are designed to collapse before you overstress the winch. It's tempting after folding your first handle to use a more rugged piece of 1" pipe; perhaps a bit longer than the original for more leverage. Don't do it, or you risk wearing the pawls, stressing the bushings, perhaps even breaking the cable after overusing it too many times.
And don't ask me how I know that.

I lift 1,000 pound stamps on 140 year old ore crushing stamp mill at our museum and I will say to avoid the really cheap come alongs.... Most function really well the first time you use it, and it all goes down hill from there, also learn to use it, trying to learn the operation of it is not good as tractor (or whatever) is slowly sinking....

Even my medium priced one needed a little tweak where manufacture cheapen out on up/down (in/out) switching mechanism of ratchet paw...

Dale

 

[MossRoad]

A hydraulic cylinder or winch are only good if you have way to connect it... Sadly my tractor has no power beyond for hydraulics.... SO...Electric or PTO (not)....

Dale

You could put a couple quick connectors in the dump/curl circuit of the FEL and Bob's your uncle.

 

[Industrial Toys]

You have great control over a cylinder. I have used it to straighten bent equipment, and even move a small concrete foundation that wasn't quite poured in the right spot.

Stuck, by myself, using cylinder

After moving this building, I boxed myself into a corner and the turf tires were useless.



The good thing is, if you don't really care what size a cylinder is, they are easy to find used.