Electric Winch for pulling logs/river debris after floods

[WranglerX]

thanks, I will plan on rope to be tied to a chain that's tied to a log I pull, minimizing rope damage. I have a number of chains, but pulleys are rope friendly and will allow me to pull the log into direction I want. I will avoid cable due to drawbacks outlined until I feel one is a must.

The ropes I looked at yesterday at 3/8 were all almost exclusively made for winches and maxing out at 100ft. I'll take a look at 1/2, if there are any specific ones anybody would recommend, I'd appreciate, I didn't realize it's such a specialty item (or I can't search)

btw, I liked the portable winch, but for a few hundred more one can find a used skidding PTO winch.

Go to commercial rope supplier who cover broad markets, winch rope are very limited in length due to spool capacity... Commercial uses of some ropes are thousands of feet long.... You should be able to order any length you want....

Dale

 

[Rebeldad1]

The best tool for this is a 3 Pt hitch powered logging winch.

I would think that would be a poor idea. The 3 point hitch isnt designed for extreme dead pulls or side pulls either.
Lots of members have stories of broken tractors at the 3 point.

it would be much better on a drawbar connected to the rear axle. Even that has its limits

Best suggestion would be fabricating some sort of a frame pull

 

[Sawyer Rob]

The best tool for this is a 3 Pt hitch powered logging winch.

I would think that would be a poor idea. The 3 point hitch isnt designed for extreme dead pulls or side pulls either.
Lots of members have stories of broken tractors at the 3 point.

it would be much better on a drawbar connected to the rear axle. Even that has its limits

Best suggestion would be fabricating some sort of a frame pull

A 3 point winch does NOT winch putting the load on the 3 point. It has a blade on the bottom that anchors itself, so the winch is pulling on itself. All the tractor does, is sit there and run the PTO.

Yes, when actually moving the log once winched to it, the tractor 3 point does pull the load, but if you have a wimpy tractor, just pull one log at a time. Also the winch has lifted one end of the log making it easier to pull. The actual winching is the hardest pull, so really it's not so bad pulling a log with the 3 point.

SR

 

[Deere Dude]

I'd like to consider rope/cable and snatch blocks, and pulling with tractor.
I see bull ropes used by arborist with high ratings llike 40K lb
But snatch blocks seem to be geared towards steel cables, which seem to have lower rating.
Will try to figure out how to do it with a 3/4 bull rope, the 3/4 snatch blocks seem rather pricey thou.

Edit: looks like I was overthinking it, maybe a 1/4" wire rope will be sufficient.

I never used hi-tech ropes because I never had any. Just good wire cables. I started out with 100' of 3/8" cable and could pull and tug on big dually truck stopping trees and never had a break in 30 years. It is an armful and all I would want to carry into a woods.

I also bought a 50' 3/8" and also a 100' 5/16" steel cable. My favorite one to use is the 5\16" cable. It will still stop my pickup truck or my 45 HP loaded tractor with no fails. The are fairly inexpensive. For storing, make a roll and hang them up and forget about them. i seldom wear gloves but should as my long 3/8 cable has a couple burs to watch out for.

 

[John_Mc]

thanks, I will plan on rope to be tied to a chain that's tied to a log I pull, minimizing rope damage. I have a number of chains, but pulleys are rope friendly and will allow me to pull the log into direction I want. I will avoid cable due to drawbacks outlined until I feel one is a must.

The ropes I looked at yesterday at 3/8 were all almost exclusively made for winches and maxing out at 100ft. I'll take a look at 1/2, if there are any specific ones anybody would recommend, I'd appreciate, I didn't realize it's such a specialty item (or I can't search)

btw, I liked the portable winch, but for a few hundred more one can find a used skidding PTO winch.

I prefer single braid to the twisted strand type rope (but that's just my preference - others may feel differently). It's also a better option if you ever to try one of those capstan winches. Climbing rope like what rock climbers use is incredibly strong, but not really appropriate for skidding logs: it's designed to stretch to absorb the shock of a fall, but that stretch is a serious problem if the rope breaks. A couple of good brands: Sampson and ArborMax make some good ropes for use as winch lines. There are other brands, but I don't recall them off the top of my head. Here is a link to a search on Bailey's. I'm not saying this is the best place to buy them, but it will give you and idea: Bailey's winch lines

If you can find a good used logging winch, that's certainly something to consider. If it's not beat to death and you actually CAN find one for only "a few hundred more" than the portable capstan winch, jump on it right on the spot (I mean like: call your buddy have him run to the bank for you to get the money, and don't let it out of your sight). Once someone gets one, they rarely let them go. In the rare event they do, they are typically looking for almost as much as the new price (and they generally get it). I looked for more than 5 years for a used logging winch in my size range. The only one I found was about 3 hours away. It was badly mangled and barely functional, and an older model Farmi for which parts were no longer available. They were asking about 80% of what a new Farmi 351 sold for at the time (the closest current model Farmi was selling). I passed on it. They did eventually sell it for only slightly less than their asking price

 

[John_Mc]

For storing, make a roll and hang them up and forget about them.

Another good way to store them (if the cable diameter is not too big): coil them up inside an old ATV tire (I like the larger diameter, narrower width tires). The tire can be hung up on the wall, and taken down and thrown in the back of your truck, trailer, or tractor bucket. It helps

[/QUOTE] i seldom wear gloves but should as my long 3/8 cable has a couple burs to watch out for.[/QUOTE]

I got sliced once. That was enough for me.

 

[dougtrr2]

I am not yet ready for a logging winch, but I'll keen an eye out for a used one.. they don't seem to depreciate too much

I have been heating with wood since 1993. I finally purchases a logging winch in 2018 and wish I would have bought one sooner. A logging winch is like a farmers combine; you won't use it all the time, but when you need it nothing else will really do. You already said you have a recurring, ongoing need to move logs. When you see discussions regarding logging winches I can't recall anyone regretting buying one. I would recommend revisiting the idea of getting a logging winch.

Doug in SW IA

 

[fruitcakesa]

I have been heating with wood since 1993. I finally purchases a logging winch in 2018 and wish I would have bought one sooner. A logging winch is like a farmers combine; you won't use it all the time, but when you need it nothing else will really do. You already said you have a recurring, ongoing need to move logs. When you see discussions regarding logging winches I can't recall anyone regretting buying one. I would recommend revisiting the idea of getting a logging winch.

Doug in SW IA

I will 2nd this, having heated with wood for 40 years and only bought a pto winch last year.
After all those years of using all my chains and cables to reach trees in my woods, it is now a breeze and fun.
I lucked out and found a used Norse 450 locally for a reasonable price.
I have not used it much yet as I generally have 2 years worth of logs in my firewood pile.

 

[Komrade]

Well, I almost bought a forestry winch, but after deciding on a model (Hud-son) I learned they don't have any.
I suspect forestry winches are a hot item this year, as I think there will be an oversupply of people making lumber this year.
Maybe I'll pick one up on the cheap in a year or two if I still need one.
So I revisited this thread, and leaning towards a Capstan (edited for typo) winch

1) it's light
2) I don't have to take off my backhoe, which works really well as a counter-weight to heavy boulders and logs I carry with a grapple
3) it gives a bit more flexibility on winch placement (vs where tractor can go)
4) its limits on capacity (2200lb) can be addressed with pulleys
5) it's half the price
6) it's available
7) it uses rope vs steel cable, which is probably work out good for my hands
8) can probably be used where tractor can't get to, and outside of my area where I use the tractor

the only con I see is that it's slower than most PTO/forestry winches, but I think I can live with that.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I loaded some heavy concrete steps onto a trailer a while ago wih a cheapie 2000# winch doubled up. Every inch that it got closer to being properly on the trailer was an accomplishment and closer to the goal, so speed was of no concern. Just happy to get it there. Or unstuck as the case may be.

Oh, and winches don't like stuff that's not on wheels much. I found some sprinkler pipe in a dumpster to use as rollers for my steps.