Ideas for building a 3PH electric winch with breaking system for pulling logs

[marshallcro]

I want to building a 3PH electric winch with a breaking system to stop the tractor from rolling when pulling logs to the hitch.
Any ideas will be appreciated.

 

[motownbrowne]

I want to building a 3PH electric winch with a breaking system to stop the tractor from rolling when pulling logs to the hitch.
Any ideas will be appreciated.

What's your budget? I'd highly recommend a PTO powered skidding winch. There are usually lots for sale on craigslist in the NE. If you aren't already familiar with them, they are pretty much the cat's meow for moving logs. They have legs or a dozer blade to transfer pulling energy to the ground instead of just the 3pt hitch, they have a friction clutch which limits the amount of pull to a safe amount for your tractor. Your 3720 should be able to handle one that pulls around 8,000 lbs. The clutch is controlled by a rope (or a remote control if you get a fancy one) so the operator stand well out of the hazard zones. They don't require any wiring or a heavy duty alternator, and are much faster than an electric winch. They are designed for use in a production logging environment, albeit not really on the scale you see commercially in the US. They are known to last for decades putting up with daily abuse. I'd advise you to look them up on craigslist in your area. Some brands to search for are Farmi, Norse, Uniforest, Tajifun, and Fransgard. Also, search for terms like "skidding winch" "tractor winch," and "logging winch". Be warned, they aren't "cheap" and they hold their value well. There are deals to be had, though. I bought my Farmi 351 for $900 in WA. I could easily sell it on Craigslist for $2000. I could also use it for the next 20 years and then sell it on craigslist for more than I paid with it (adjusted for inflation, of course).

My skidding winch is easily one of my absolute favorite implements. There's no way I could build something like it for the price I paid for mine.

 

[BHD]

I am reading you correctly, you want to help stop the tractor rolling backwards.

on your three point frame, make a set of "spades" the when lowered and move in a reverse direction they dig in to the soil and work as an anchor, much like the towable back hoes, work that do not have out hydraulic riggers, they would not have to be spread out wide like the back hoe,

could even be a couple of heavy shafts at about 45 degree angle to the rear, so rear movement would suck them in to the earth, when one moves forward and lift up the three point they release,

 

[woodchipper]

If you have a box blade, or a plain blade, you could mount it, and orient it so it will "cut" in reverse. If you do have one of those, you could fabricate a mount to accomodate your winch. Going electric for log skidding is not productive. Your best bet is a true Log Skidder, that is powered by your PTO. Many brands are available. Contact your local tractor Dealer as a first stop. Used one are also available on a frequent basis. They can be had for one to two thousand Dollars.
If you dont retreive trees for a living, why not using chains? Use your front end loader to do so. It is amazingly fast, and you get good control as you back up while pulling the tree out. If you have a grapple, then you have it all! Works wonders to carry your logs once retreived.

 

[franklin2]

I am reading you correctly, you want to help stop the tractor rolling backwards.

on your three point frame, make a set of "spades" the when lowered and move in a reverse direction they dig in to the soil and work as an anchor, much like the towable back hoes, work that do not have out hydraulic riggers, they would not have to be spread out wide like the back hoe,

could even be a couple of heavy shafts at about 45 degree angle to the rear, so rear movement would suck them in to the earth, when one moves forward and lift up the three point they release,

Have you ever seen one of those huge wreckers pull something big out of the ditch? That's the way they work. They have these large feet that plant themselves in the ground before they start pulling.

 

[LD1]

Others have addressed the issue of pulling yourself backwards.

But I would also highly advise to go with either a PTO or hydraulic winch. Electric ones are slow and you will kill the electrical system on your tractor. Those thing pull alot of amps. And did I mention that they are slow.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I also wouldn't want an electric winch for skidding logs, actually, hydraulic winches are much too slow too...

Anyway, Wallenstein skidding winches are of the "best designed" skidding winches I've seen and I have mine on my "best buy" list!

They are very well designed and priced competitiively...

SR

 

[marshallcro]

Thanks for your input. You gave me a lot to think about.

 

[motownbrowne]

I also wouldn't want an electric winch for skidding logs, actually, hydraulic winches are much too slow too...

Anyway, Wallenstein skidding winches are of the "best designed" skidding winches I've seen and I have mine on my "best buy" list!

They are very well designed and priced competitiively...

SR

I really like that it says "Skidding Winch" on it. That way no one will forget. Agreed, though, my Farmi is some of the best money I've spent in the implement category. Honestly I don't know what I'd do without it. Before I got the winch, getting a tree hung up when felling was a major holdup. Now, it's still dangerous, but it's much much safer, faster, and easier to deal with when I'm 150' away. It also really takes stress off the tractor. It's much easier on them to stay on the trail and winch the log to the tractor than to try to get close enough to hook up a chain.

 

[BHD]

this is not really an option, but when I used the winches on the 6x6 truck, and had a hard pull on the winch, I would take a RR tie and chain to the front bumper and leave enough so the front wheels would just start up on it, and the tie would start to roll under the tires, and work like a plow, and would hardly slide any at all,