Cheap logging winch

[magicheater]

Nice job, especially with the low cost of construction.

I agree.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Oops. Today that battery quit. 8/2007 to 3/2010. It failed after serving through three (mild) winters. RIP.

The battery was unused for three weeks and it apparently self-discharged. (tractor has no accessories). It measures 10.6 V. One cell won't float any balls in the simple SG tester, several cells float 2 or three balls, only one cell floats all four. The charger immediately brings it to 13. 6 volts and cuts off, then a moment of cranking empties it.

If I can't find a Group 27 car battery at a reasonable price then I think I will replace this with the same deep cycle battery.

Iv been holding my tongue about the deep cycle used in place of a standard. Iv had bad luck with them -- just like what happened to you. That is a well specd deep cycle and I was tempted. Now Im not. Standards go at least 5yrs for me and I run 1000W inverters on all my tractors.
larry

 

[Mudfarmer]

So Mud,
Even though you're pulling high above the rear axle, that counterweight is keeping you from flipping back, is that right?
How much does your winch setup weigh? I've got a small Kubota as well. I'm wondering how I can do this in a similar manner without hurting myself. The remote switch must make it safer.

Thanks for posting so many detailed pics.

The small winch which (3000 lbs) that i am now using on the B7100 Kubota on top of a 300 pound ballast block with the 2 inch receiver mount weighs about 50 pounds (I can lift it).The 9000 lb pull winch i am using on the the John Deere 3005 on top of a 450 ballast block weighs about 80 pounds (I can barelyt lift it). I doubt i will ever pull much more than two tons with the JD. I brake the tractor, drop the ballast block to full ground contact and drop the front loader with the bucket dug in. So far the logs have moved and the tractor hasn't.

 

[Mudfarmer]

I should probably add that when the ballast block is on the ground the pull appears to be at about the level of the axles.
Mf

 

[Window Geek]

I should probably add that when the ballast block is on the ground the pull appears to be at about the level of the axles.
Mf

Cool! That's what I needed to understand. I like the idea of the seperate battery as my Kubota hampster cage won't keep up with the load on the tractor battery. It would work well with winching and a sprayer, and all kinds of things. It must be spring. The fab in me just needs to get going before the black flies are out!
Thanks Mud.

 

[Carykong]

I have done my share of skidding and I am not convinced that you ballast blox in the rear is really necessary and actually may reduce the overall traction of your tractor my reducing down force on your front wheel drive and actually making your front end very light particulary when skidding a heavy log.

 

[Mudfarmer]

I have done my share of skidding and I am not convinced that you ballast blox in the rear is really necessary and actually may reduce the overall traction of your tractor my reducing down force on your front wheel drive and actually making your front end very light particulary when skidding a heavy log.

I'll post my experience with it as i use it into the spring. Have to wait for the hills to dry a bit more first.
Mf

 

[Mudfarmer]

Well I tried it out today with some bigger trees. Still cleaning up from the big windstorm that knocked over about ten percent of my tree farm in 2007. Built the winch to get the trees off the hillsides. Pictures didn't turn out so well - I apologize for the flash. The winch worked very well. The tractor was solid, the winch didn't budge in its mount. All the logs yarded just fine. Two points to make. First the Harbor Freight Chicago Electric 9000 pound winch worked like a champ - a good buy for $300 on sale. Second, I was concerned that the battery wasn't powerful enough since the winch calls for a 660 CCA and my JD 3005 has a 550 CCA. No problems at all with the smaller battery. I did keep the engine running all the time. I was looking for some heat from the winch since I read about that in another post if the winch were overloaded. Stayed cool the whole time. Pictures attached.
Mf

 

[Travelover]

Mudfarmer, what happened to the 3000# winch? Didn't it work out?

 

[Mudfarmer]

Mudfarmer, what happened to the 3000# winch? Didn't it work out?

Switched it over to the Kubot B7100, smaller tractor, smaller winch. I didn't really try it on this size of logs partly because there was forty feet of cable on it versus 100 feet for the 9000#. I would have had to pack twenty or thirty feet of chain up the hill to get reach. Too heavy