Log Drag/Log Winch Even Spooling Tips?

[Calvin]

OK. Modified it. Winch is in the center. It can still be mounted on the left or right and still attaches to the truck(4WD). The cable angle looks to be a bit less. Need to test it now, then paint it and use it. Hope it works.

 

[Thood]

Just do it by hand when done

I have been looking at designs here for ideas. Many different designs and ideas. Started mine now out of 100% used steel I had available. The drag part works fine. Frame is nice a sturdy. Now for the winch part. I had the winch and use it on my 4 wheeler. It is set up to mount on the back bumper either on the right or the left side. When not in use, its tucked away inside. Figured that since I had it, might as well adapt it to the log drag so I could winch logs in too. I kept the mount for the winch the same. I can put it on the right or the left side of the log drag. I tried some winching yesterday on some big branches that fell down during a recent storm. Problem is this: how do I keep the cable wound evenly? Unless I am in a straight line with what I am pulling, I can't get the cable wound straight. I was thinking that maybe I should mount the winch in the top center and make a pivot that can be locked securely so I can angle the winch any way it needs to be to be to get a straight pull. Using a lever to guide the cable in under tension is dangerous and not easy. Guess you could just wind in, then wind out and rewind nicely by hand until there is tension again, but that's a lot of work. I have a fairlead, but that does not help too much with even spooling. I can mount a pully on the front arm for pulls at off angles. I'm not planning on using it all the time, just the occasion tree work here and there. Any ideas?

 

[Pete O]

I was reading a thread about this on a 4wd forum a while ago, apparently there is a formula for the ideal distance of the fairlead from the drum, based on the rope diameter. From memory, for a typical 4wd winch cable, the fairlead needed to be about three feet from the drum to spool neatly. There was a guy with an old Land Rover who had set up a PTO-driven winch, mounted to the chassis between the cab and the tray. The cable went on perfectly every time. Not often practicable to set up with the necessary distance and not really necessary in most cases, for instance with a typical winch on the front of a 4wd it will go on all messy but as long as you don't let it pile up enough to foul on the bar it doesn't matter.