Electric Winch for pulling logs/river debris after floods

[Underdog57]

Did lots of “farm” rigging growing up and have the educated scars. Engineering career and maintaining a crane license see need for proper rigging. Chain slings with oval rings and slip hooks. Nothing slicker than steel on steel so choke those loads. Loop synthetic straps help too. Watch those angles.

Have several of those green chain and grabbers hanging in the barn. Don’t beat the bite of a chain and short piece of pipe to pull out slick saplings and trees.

Don’t beat the bite of a chain and short piece of pipe to pull out slick saplings and trees.

Please tell me more about how you use the short piece of pipe. I'm always looking for better ways to pull out shrubs and bushes from wet areas. Thanks!

 

[Hay Dude]

Winches seem great but man o man do they get hot.

 

[bcp]

Please tell me more about how you use the short piece of pipe. I'm always looking for better ways to pull out shrubs and bushes from wet areas. Thanks!

Here's an old diagram I made. May be easier to fasten the chain to the pipe.

Some photos here in the first several rows.

chain pipe tree puller at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

Bruce

 

[PILOON]

I find Slim Jims helpful to lure them in closer. Takes their attention away (or mine) from the action.

I used a HD come-a-long and a chain wrapped around the boulders.
Worked A-OK , just slow.

 

[WranglerX]

This my solution to grabbing saplings and brush by the base, Could not find a suitable ring at local hardware emporium so I made one...



Dale

 

[Underdog57]

Here's an old diagram I made. May be easier to fasten the chain to the pipe.View attachment 692751

Some photos here in the first several rows.

chain pipe tree puller at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

Bruce

This my solution to grabbing saplings and brush by the base, Could not find a suitable ring at local hardware emporium so I made one...

View attachment 692777

Dale

Thanks, both good ideas!

 

[Smokeydog]

Please tell me more about how you use the short piece of pipe. I'm always looking for better ways to pull out shrubs and bushes from wet areas. Thanks!

I cut a slot in the side of the pipe for the hook. This makes it easy to wrap around and connect then disconnect after. The pipe allows the chain to choke the load and uses the pipe edges to bite and help keep from slipping. Usually use pipes at either end of the chain to pullout multiple saplings or clumps at a time.

Easy way to make a grab chain hook into a choke chain. Plus easy to undo.

In the spring you can about shuck the bark off a tree with your bare hands. In the fall it about takes a crowbar. Old timers who cleared land know all to well.

 

[Underdog57]

I cut a slot in the side of the pipe for the hook. This makes it easy to wrap around and connect then disconnect after. The pipe allows the chain to choke the load and uses the pipe edges to bite and help keep from slipping. Usually use pipes at either end of the chain to pullout multiple saplings or clumps at a time.
View attachment 692897
Easy way to make a grab chain hook into a choke chain. Plus easy to undo.

In the spring you can about shuck the bark off a tree with your bare hands. In the fall it about takes a crowbar. Old timers who cleared land know all to well.

Thanks nice to learn a new trick, that looks very effective, I will be trying that!

 

[Zebrafive]

I had trouble getting the Simpson company's website to load, until I realized that google was finding the wrong link (started with an http://, but really needed an https:// to work) Finally thought to try the secure web site prefix, and it worked: Simpson Winch

The Simpson SP/CW winch is powered by a smaller engine (Honda GX35) than the Portable Winch Company's PCW5000 (Honda GX50), so to get similar pulling power (2000# at 22 FPM for the Simpson vs 2200# for the PCW5000 2200# at 40 FPM), the Simpson unit is geared for lower speeds. (They also make a chainsaw powered winch.)

The Portable Winch company also makes the smaller PCW3000 winch which is also powered by a Honda GX35 engine. It sells for a similar price as the Simpson unit. The PCW3000 is rated for 1600# @ 33 FPM. The Simpson is rated for more pull, but at a slower speed: 2000# @22 FPM (at 1500#, it will do 25 FPM).

The Lewis Winch 400 MK2 is powered by your chainsaw. It runs 60-80 FPM (depending on how much cable you have on the drum. Pulling power is dependent on the size of your chainsaw, but it's rated for up to 4000# single line pull. I have heard mixed reviews on these. Some people love them, some can't stand them. Rather than a rope, it winds steel cable onto a drum. It comes with 150' or 3/16" cable. Many people end up cutting the cable shorter, since it can be a pain to get it all back on to the drum.

Which way you go is a matter of personal preference. I think any of them are a better longer-term solution for pulling logs out of the woods than using a 12V electric winch:

• I have seen the PCW5000 in action, and have had a chance to use it a couple of times. I was impressed. If I did not own or could not justify a logging winch on my tractor (or did not have a trctor suitable for mounting a logging winch), I would own one of these.
• I've never seen a Simpson winch or the PCW3000. The light weight would be tempting: 18-20#, but I think I would lean toward the higher pulling power and faster speed of the PCW5000.
• The Lewis Winch sounds tempting with its higher pulling specs. I've only seen one used once. I'm not sure I'd want to mess with the cable on a portable unit. I also would not want to tie up a chainsaw mounting the winch on it. However, some people absolutely love it.

PCW also has another Model, PCW4000. It looks like the TCW3000, but with a larger engine, Honda 2HP, quick release automatic holding mechanism, and a centrifugal clutch.
Pull is same as PCW5000, 2200lbs, gear ratio (200:1) and pulley (3") is same size as PCW3000. Line speed is faster (44'/minute) than PCW3000 or PCW5000 (unless you swap to the larger pulley on the PCW5000) and it's $100 less than the PCW5000.
I'd like to see these features on the PCW3000 (since it's over $500 less)