DIY logging winch build

[pmsmechanic]

Rusty, thanks for the link, I have actually watched all 3 of his videos, good info for sure.

I would have loved to watch all of his videos but he's way to windy. Lots of talking and no action. You could skip along fast forwarding the movie at least a quarter inch at a time and not loose the jist of what he was saying. It's too bad. He has lots of good info. I was going to watch the second one and then saw that he had a third and I was done.

 

[davedj1]

I would have loved to watch all of his videos but he's way to windy. Lots of talking and no action. You could skip along fast forwarding the movie at least a quarter inch at a time and not loose the jist of what he was saying. It's too bad. He has lots of good info. I was going to watch the second one and then saw that he had a third and I was done.

You are right but I get bored in the evenings and sit with my laptop.

 

[mark in portugal]

self-releasing snatch block.

I sort of glazed over that the first time, but after thinking about it I realized I need to comment;
What a clever and handy idea!

 

[hddnis]

I would have loved to watch all of his videos but he's way to windy. Lots of talking and no action. You could skip along fast forwarding the movie at least a quarter inch at a time and not loose the jist of what he was saying. It's too bad. He has lots of good info. I was going to watch the second one and then saw that he had a third and I was done.

I set the playback speed to 2 so you can watch the video in half the time. He talks so slow that you don't miss anything, in fact the pace is almost normal.

 

[John_Mc]

Well said John. I see in your profile you have limb risers, I think that is a heck of an idea and once I get the front part of the cab back on I will probably add them. I have to build some ROPS and a top from the windshield frame to the ROPS.

Here are a couple of shots of my little tractor in "Logging Mode". You can see the limb risers. Now that I have them, I don't know how I got along in the woods for so long without them. There is also a belly pan underneath, attached mainly to the backhoe subframe, with a separate extension going forward and up one side a bit to protect a hydraulic filter (it comes off by removing 2 bolts, for easy access to the filter). The limb risers were designed to clear the hood in front, so I can still pop it up for service.


(I used to know how to make these pictures display bigger, rather than as a thumbnail, but have forgotten how to do that)

Things I might change in future, or if I were doing it again:

1. I probably should add some uprights going from the loader frame rear posts up to the front of the FOPS structure for added strength (on the other hand, I'm trying to protect from falling branches, not dropping a whole tree on the tractor). I could still do this, just hasn;t been a priority.
2. The limb risers come down almost to hood level in the front. I probably could have come straight up for a bit, even with the top of the brush guard bar that is a part of the loader frame, and then angled back. I run with the loader frame and bucket or grapple installed all the time, so I guess it doesn't make much difference - the loader arms already stick up higher anyway.
3. I will eventually add grill protection (expanded metal?) to that brush guard that is on the loader frame (probably right after a branch punches a hole in the grill). Haven't thought about how I want to do that to still maintain easy access under the hood.
4. the "roof" is expanded metal. I thought having some upward visibility would be a good thing. I still like the upward visibility, but getting the shower of needles and fragments down my back when I drive under a cedar tree is not exactly a welcome event. I may replace it with solid metal (maybe leaving a bit of expanded metal exposed for the front few inches so I can see a bit of what is going) or perhaps add a sheet of plexiglass over the expanded metal.
5. I've considered a full cage structure around the operator as I've seen on other woods tractors around here. I'm leaning against it at this point. If this were a "hard core" logging tractor, I probably would (but in that case, I would also have a significantly bigger tractor).

Disclaimer: I did not do this work myself. A fab shop just a couple miles down the road from me did it (I don't trust my welding enough when safety and extreme durability are concerned). I've seen the modification work this guy has done for pro loggers and farmers. He is a genius at what he does. He came up with most of the design thoughts on this, including things I wouldn't even have thought to ask for. It's great having someone to assist in the design who has done a number of these over the years.

To the OP: sorry for the topic drift.

 

[davedj1]

John that's a great looking setup! I love it, hope to someday get me a nice tractor (4x4)
Here's a thought on your roof, put some Lexan over the expanded metal, best of both worlds.
No need to apologize for the drift, it' related and can give us some ideas, thank you.

I have been sidetracked lately from my winch build, I have all of the parts here now, just need to pick up the steel but I decided that I needed safe heat in my garage so I have spent the week finishing up a wood fired outside hot air furnace for the garage. It's the exact model Fawcette that I made the one for the house out of about 6 years ago. I can snap a pic tomorrow if anyone is interested.
Anyway I have some paying work to do before I can get back at the winch, but I will get back at it as I am very anxious to put all the parts to use.

 

[Oldpath05]

John that's a great looking setup! I love it, hope to someday get me a nice tractor (4x4)
Here's a thought on your roof, put some Lexan over the expanded metal, best of both worlds.
No need to apologize for the drift, it' related and can give us some ideas, thank you.

I have been sidetracked lately from my winch build, I have all of the parts here now, just need to pick up the steel but I decided that I needed safe heat in my garage so I have spent the week finishing up a wood fired outside hot air furnace for the garage. It's the exact model Fawcette that I made the one for the house out of about 6 years ago. I can snap a pic tomorrow if anyone is interested.
Anyway I have some paying work to do before I can get back at the winch, but I will get back at it as I am very anxious to put all the parts to use.

You kidding or is that a rhetorical question, I'm always interested in garage pictures........

 

[Oldpath05]

I never seen these video's, thanks R-iron for posting. I watch all three videos, there was some windy parts, some interesting parts and a couple minor I dont agree with parts. What he said about a skid plate on a farm tractor was exactly right.

I think the guy did alright if he's making a good living on cutting/selling Aspen pulpwood, I've always called it Popple, redneck term I guess, I didn't know about a Boreal forest either. I know he as it made when he has nice loader trailer like that one, if I had that, I might be using it more then then the winch, trailer wood is cleaner wood, plus there's more levers to play with.

 

[davedj1]

You kidding or is that a rhetorical question, I'm always interested in garage pictures........

Honest question...lol
I'll get some pictures tomorrow. If photobomb hadn't lost all the pic on the internet you could probably track down my other build, I think I have some of those pictures too.

 

[John_Mc]

I know he as it made when he has nice loader trailer like that one, if I had that, I might be using it more then then the winch, trailer wood is cleaner wood, plus there's more levers to play with.

A forwarding trailer is on my wish list. I could never justify it just for my personal use, but I'm looking at putting together group of landowners to buy one together.