3pt Log winch/grapple

[CDN Farm Boy]

Interesting... a couple posts I made earlier from my phone didn't show up here. Now to try to remember what I wrote :mur:

That $2200 Norse winch would be $3500 by the time I got it here. The cheapest winch I've found is $2900 with brand name ones starting at $3600. At this point, the grapple is the priority and the winch secondary. With using salvaged steel, I'll only be a few hundred into the grapple & frame including the hydraulics. While I want to plan for the winch, I'm not sure it will happen right now. I only cut enough to heat the house for the season right now and I can get the tractor to most of it.

I like the simplicity of just bolting on a hydraulic winch but the only one I've had any experience with was a MileMarker mounted on an F250 lowering my Toyota down a cliff. As ovrszd said, painfully slow. I figured the electronics of the Kubota wouldn't be up to the task of the Warn but it was worth asking since it's on my shelf. Love that thing, it's out-winched everything but an 8274. Considering my limited use of this, I don't see needing the production capability of 100-200 ft/min like most PTO skidding winches but I'm not willing to wait all day to pull one log either. That 60 ft/min of the 9500 seems about right but certainly not worth burning up an alternator or cooking a battery.

 

[bcp]

Here is where I would start designing a grapple if I didn't have one to copy.

Look on these Google links for a side view of a style you like, then add your scaled measurements. Then first build a two dimensional one of wood to check operation.

log grapple

logging grapple

bypass grapple

Bruce

 

[Rustyiron]

I forgot about this one.http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/228465-different-kinda-grapple.html
Another great build.
CDN you'll have to wait until I hitch it back up. It's in the snow covered up right now, but If I get the time next week I plan on a little work for it so I'll do some measuring.

 

[czechsonofagun]

You could get hydraulic winch.

Hydraulic Winches | Product Types | Mile Marker Industries

 

[ovrszd]

You could get hydraulic winch.

Hydraulic Winches | Product Types | Mile Marker Industries

If my memory is correct, I had a 10,500 on my Jeep Buggy. Tough as a boot. Slow as a turtle.

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

Hydraulic winch would be my first choice if I could find one that was reasonably priced and had decent line speed with the hyd flow I have available (about 6 GPM and 2200 psi) So far, I've found nothing that fits even one of those criteria, let alone all 3

 

[ovrszd]

Hydraulic winch would be my first choice if I could find one that was reasonably priced and had decent line speed with the hyd flow I have available (about 6 GPM and 2200 psi) So far, I've found nothing that fits even one of those criteria, let alone all 3

I'll probably get pounced on,,,,, but,,,,, in my opinion a Milemarker hydraulic winch will never be fast in the "low" speed, regardless of how much flow you throw at it. It's simply not designed to be fast.

I always thought the 2 speed thing was kinda jacked up. Low needed to be a bit faster. High needed to be a bit slower. Then they both could be used. All high was good for was spooling in cable......

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I'll probably get pounced on,,,,, but,,,,, in my opinion a Milemarker hydraulic winch will never be fast in the "low" speed,

I think you are right, it takes more than a bigger pump to get speed, you would need to upgrade all the fittings/hoses valves ect. to handle the added GPM's...

SR

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

You won't get pounced on by me, that's for sure. I think the exact same thing about MileMarkers....at least the ones I have experience with.

Rusty, is your Ramsay any better?

 

[Rustyiron]

It's as fast as I need it to be, iirc it was around 60fpm at rated load, first wrap on drum. That's a foot a second and in my woods with all the stumps and rocks, plenty. I put it on today and noticed that I just let it work at idle speed (tractor throttle). I took some measurements and pics. I'll pm them to you. If your mostly cleaning up fence rows, I'd say skip the winch, but in the woods, esp "thinning" I find it invaluable. Maybe you could design it to take a winch later. That's pretty much what I did except the winch was first, but built to be able to add the grapple later on.
With the grapple, I'd highly recommend a hyd. toplink.