DIY logging winch build

[Agvg]

Many places I log the trees are pointless to try to get without a winch,

 

[Rustyiron]

What does the winch do for you actually?

Not meaning to take anything away from your build, just asking.

You can think of a winch as a self storing 100'+ chain Also I imagine Dave is having a good time building it and he'll have even a better (pridefull) feeling using it.:thumbsup: Iirc, $300 is his projected budget.

 

[davedj1]

I have to ask what could be a dumb question; is a logging winch really worthwhile for a non-professional who has a tractor?

I only manage a little patch of forest, and when I need to pull out a tree [several each year] I just chain it to the drawbar and drive. It seems to work just fine.
Ok, my trees aren't huge, my ground is flat, and I have 4wd.

What does the winch do for you actually?

Not meaning to take anything away from your build, just asking.

First and foremost it allows you to get at trees that are off the beaten path, less impact using one road rather than driving around all through the forest.
And yes, I like building stuff and so far this is a fun project, I just hope it works as intended. My tractor is only two wheel drive and I can't (read don't dare) get it down over into some places it may not come up out of.

 

[mark in portugal]

but I mean, you could still attach a cable or chain up to where ever you would be winching from, and then instead of winching, drive forward; couldn't you?
I guess if you were anchored to another tree, you could have massive power, more than your traction would provide

 

[Agvg]

To do that you must have space, and having 60m cable to handle isent very practical.

 

[pmsmechanic]

Who cares if you get any use out of it at all! It's the fun of the build and keeping to a budget.

 

[Oldpath05]

First and foremost it allows you to get at trees that are off the beaten path, less impact using one road rather than driving around all through the forest. .

Exactly, that is one of top reasons right there, off the beaten path winching a tree without moving tractor or winching a tree that is caught up in another tree, that really makes things easier.

In the past 45 years I've hauled out wood atleast a dozen different ways, a winch will take alot of the pull yank tug out of logging. For the past ten years I've used a pto winch on tractor to get out 7-8 cord firewood annually plus logs, so if I was only getting 2-3 cord of firewood a year I wouldn't bother buying a winch or tractor for matter, but at 5 cord + definitely as one gets older a cord of wood comes out harder, a pto winch just makes it easier in the long run.

So in the past 10 years from this $2,700,00 V3004 Fransgard winch, it's been 7X10=70 cord of firewood and around 12,000 board ft. of logs. Breakdowns are is 8mm cable, @ 100+ foot long, on my second one now. Winch drive chain broke once, had to get a link repair kit, that's it.

 

[davedj1]

but I mean, you could still attach a cable or chain up to where ever you would be winching from, and then instead of winching, drive forward; couldn't you?
I guess if you were anchored to another tree, you could have massive power, more than your traction would provide

I like to keep it low impact. It's not my property and I don't want to mess up any more than I have to. Plus I'm too old to be dragging chains and cables If it was a field and I was cutting near the tree line then I would agree.

 

[mark in portugal]

All good answers, thanks.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

You don't anchor the tractor to a tree, the winch anchors itself into the ground, so there's no strain on the tractor and it will pull a lot more than an average tractor can pull.

SR