Finished the log winch with grapple

[Rustyiron]

I finally finished, ended up buying the grapple instead of making one. The "plumbing" worked out fine by using 2 diverter valves. I have 3 remotes but need 5 to avoid the diverter valves. I "split" the winch & the grapple, they will never be used at the same time. And the blade circuit got split with the rotator and this valve is within reach while seated. I left the top link by it's self, it works perfect to lower, more like rotate the grapple down on the logs.
The winch and grapple compliment each other well. Trees that I can't drive to are drug with the winch up to within reach of the grapple and get skidded out well off the ground. Last weekend I moved some smaller logs (12-14" across) with the butt end up under the rear blade and "grabbed" with the grapple, this completely picks the log off the ground and out of the dirt. They were 22' long! This will be a big help bucking firewood also.

 

[andy1981]

Very impressive, you do some quality fab work, I often wondered how come some company hasn't put out a product like that

 

[Rustyiron]

Thanks Andy, but it's not my idea. I saw something like this years ago for a skid steer, and there are several tractor rear log grapples available, but I havn't seen one with a winch.

 

[Wnc3]

Well Done!
I don't need one, but that looks perfect for what you are doing.
Nice work.

 

[andy1981]

I've seen a skid steer one by Ryans manufacturing, but not one on a tractor. How is the line speed on the hydraulic winch compared to a pto winch like a farmi or walenstein ?

 

[Rustyiron]

Nothing like a PTO winch, if I remember right, about a foot a second at full gpm & psi. I've never had a regular pto winch, but friends do. I can not understand why they make them so fast. Maybe I'm just a chicken, and I am deffinetly in not that big of a hurry:laughing: I'm content with (this) winch speed with the tractor at an idle. Maybe a log flying across the ground at 10 mph would tend to bounce off stumps & rocks, (of which I have plenty) instead of hanging up, but like I said, I just don't have the experiance with one.

 

[roadhunter]

Nice Work! That is a serious log pulling setup.

 

[skyhook]

Very nice Rusty, whats the make and pull capacity of your winch?

 

[BigBoyToys]

Some quality fab work there!!!
Looks like a great setup.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Nothing like a PTO winch, if I remember right, about a foot a second at full gpm & psi. I've never had a regular pto winch, but friends do. I can not understand why they make them so fast. Maybe I'm just a chicken, and I am deffinetly in not that big of a hurry:laughing: I'm content with (this) winch speed with the tractor at an idle. Maybe a log flying across the ground at 10 mph would tend to bounce off stumps & rocks, (of which I have plenty) instead of hanging up, but like I said, I just don't have the experiance with one.

Just idle the tractor down and the pto winch slows down too, and at fast idle, the logs are moving at a totally and completely manageable speed... On most pulls, I run my tractor at about 1200 rpm's, but on loooong pulls I may idle it up to 1400 or a bit more...

SR