log winches

[makin1mess]

Anyone got an informed opinion on log winches? I'm looking for one to use on my JD 5055. Let me rephrase this. I need information on Wallenstein winches ie. How they compare with Farmi and some of the other's that I have read about on here.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Welcome to TBN.
If you do a TBN search on winches you will find all kinds of info and opinions here. I am not familiar with your tractor so I can't recomend a model or size but in my opinion you cant go wrong with a Farmi. Or maybe you are just wondering if they are useful or worth the money. That depends on the situation. Give us more info.

 

[Gordon Gould]

You must have edited while I was typing. Never ran a Wallenstein but people like them.

 

[jpm1]

makin1mess
I have a farmi winch and its been active for 30 years now. its an old 300 with legs instead of a blade. I run it for years on a 58 hp Belarus and pulled the lleh out of it pulling 500 cord a year. If i were you and the winch was going to be used on a regular basis such as a business i would go with a JL501. If its just a part time once in a while doing a JL351P will do you fine. Farmi winches are rock tough and you don't have to worry about hurting the winch, be more concerned about breaking your tractor. No matter which you choose , you will find a tough machine with no problems. . . .John

 

[namesray]

Anyone got an informed opinion on log winches? I'm looking for one to use on my JD 5055. Let me rephrase this. I need information on Wallenstein winches ie. How they compare with Farmi and some of the other's that I have read about on here.

i don't run a wallenstein, but i do run a fransgard. here is a website you can search with all kinds of info on wallenstein fx winches. FX Skidding Winch - Wallenstein
my friend has a wallenstein and likes it, but i have never been around it.

the fransgard i use is a 7000lb pulling capacity winch. it has 133 ft of cable and its rate of pull is 2-5 ft per second. i can pull logs with that winch on the back of a 2600lb 4wd with fel kubota b7800 tractor thatis 30 hp just so you can compare winch specs to your jd 5055. jpm1 is right. you will break the tractor before the winch probably. all 3ph winches are built just about bullet proof so you can't really go wrong. i was worried i would snap my 3ph, but no signs of it yet and i use mine heavily all the time. good luck with your shopping and stay safe.

 

[TBarD]

Any thoughts about a 3pt/pto winch vs a front loader mount hydraulic winch? The Farmi etc. winches are pretty expensive for anyone not doing this commercially, and nearly impossible to find used. But given front hydraulics it would be possible to for example mount a hydraulic winch above a grapple (when closed) to be able to haul logs out and then pick them up for transport. A loader mount might have some advantages for winching logs due to the possibility of increased height as well as more convenient view/control. Safety is not a problem as one could easily put some mesh on front of the ROPS. Plus the 3pt is then available for other implements, such as a backhoe with thumb which is also handy for moving logs.

 

[jpm1]

TBarD
Personally i wouldn't advise putting a winch on the front of a loader for the reason the cylinders would not withstand the strain of pulling. Loaders are built for pushing into and picking up, dragging will cause undo strain on cylinders causing premature failure. No way around it, winches put a lot of stress and twisting on a machine and loaders just aren't designed for that type of abuse.

 

[TBarD]

TBarD
Personally i wouldn't advise putting a winch on the front of a loader for the reason the cylinders would not withstand the strain of pulling. Loaders are built for pushing into and picking up, dragging will cause undo strain on cylinders causing premature failure. No way around it, winches put a lot of stress and twisting on a machine and loaders just aren't designed for that type of abuse.

Good point; my loader is rated to lift 4K, but a typical hydraulic winch would be 12K, so it could overload the lift cylinders. I suspect that most log hauling I would do (mostly downslope) would not be an issue, but it could be.

 

[TBarD]

Good point; my loader is rated to lift 4K, but a typical hydraulic winch would be 12K, so it could overload the lift cylinders. I suspect that most log hauling I would do (mostly downslope) would not be an issue, but it could be.

Well that's not quite right as the load would be almost all to the front, hence very little load on the lift cylinders. A high mount like I was thinking of could stress the curl cylinders however. I saw another post by a guy who did this, who mounted the winch across the main loader arms. That might just work.

 

[makin1mess]

Here is a little more info. I have some down Ash since they are all dying in this state thanks to Emerald Borers. Between the ash and some oak and hickory tops from logging, this wood is in wet areas that I don't want to bury the tractor in. Reading posts on here and items on the web, a winch sounds like the best way to go to stay safe and get the wood out at a reasonable expense. Walenstein is carried by a local dealer, which is my main reason for looking at that brand.
TBarD has an interesting idea with the front mount. But I have a grapple bucket on the front. My aux. hyd. hook up is running my grapple, which is why I'm looking at PTO driven winches.