Log winching safety questions

[plowhog]

Update:

I cut 3 sections from the small part of the limb, about 8-10 ft long each. Diameter up to 10". Very small stuff compared to other pictures here. Pulled them one at a time, no problem. Not much sideways roll.

Now, I am hooked up to the "small end" of a 20' section. 10" diameter at the small end, 18" at the large end. My winch won't pull it. When I engage the winch, the line tightens, then the clutch slips. Limb doesn't move.

Not sure what is going on. The Farmi manual says there is a clutch adjustment possible, but this *is* a brand new winch?

Since it is a fallen limb, maybe when it came down, a side limb burrowed into the ground and is acting like an anchor?

My cable is routed through the top pulley, then the bottom pulley, then through a snatch block at about 90 degree turn, then hooked onto the limb. Any ideas?

 

[Gordon Gould]

If your clutch is working right with full pressure on it your tractor engine should bog way down, maybe even stall, or the tractor should get dragged backwards before the clutch slips. The key word is full pressure on the clutch which you must supply thru the control rope.
It is possible a new clutch needs adjusting but not that likely. These are the reasons I can think of If your clutch is slipping before that log moves or before the tractor lurches backward or bogs down: You are not pulling hard enough, there is oil on the clutch face, the clutch face is glazed over from over heating, the clutch needs adjustment, or there is something impeding the clutch arm lever from realizing full travel.


Check the easy things first. Make sure the lever arm can swing fully w/o hitting or binding on something. Pull harder on the rope. On my Farmi I have to wrap the rope around my hand a couple times and then lean back hard on the rope putting all my weight into it on a hard pull. I can't pull anywhere near hard enough on a hard pull standing flat footed and pulling on the rope but I only weigh 150. Clutch adjustment would be next but I wouldn't do that until I used it a while to make sure it really needs it. Might be a little surface rust or something that will wear off. To check for oil or glaze you need to take it apart so that is a last resort. I would call the dealer before I adjusted the clutch or took a brand new winch apart.

Keep us posted.

gg

 

[Gordon Gould]

As a side note independent of the clutch question often a log gets stuck or frozen to the ground if it lays a while. Also braches stab into the ground as you mentioned. It can be real tough to get these started. It helps a lot if you give it a small sideways pull first at the choker end to break it loose. Or you can wrap the long end of your choker chain around the log and hook the slider at the very end so when you start your pull the wrapped chain makes the log roll to free it. Not good on a side hill maybe. Sometimes you can roll it out from behind a stump this way.

gg

 

[plowhog]

That is good information and I suspect it is not enough tension on the pull rope.

Not being experienced, I presumed the clutch was "on / off", i.e. fully engaged-- or not. I was only pulling hard enough for the cable to begin to move.

I did find an "anchor limb" underneath the 20ft log, although I think it should have pulled through that. It wasn't bogging the engine nor pulling the tractor. I cut the anchor limb off, cut the 20ft limb in half, and it easily pulled each 10 ft section. The next limb starts at 18in diameter and gets bigger. So tomorrow I will pull hard on the rope.

Question: suppose you pulled a log in. Clutch is released but PTO still spinning. You want to disconnect the cable, pull it back out, and go hook onto a second log. Before handling the cable, do you disengage the PTO? Or is the clutch reliable enough so as not to create an undue hazard while you're handling the cable?

 

[CobyRupert]

To each their own when it comes to risks and safety, but I consider the clutch reliable enough to keep PTO running when pulling cable out for the next hitch.
Worst case scenarios would be it pulls the cable out of your hand. That is, never be in a situation where a sudden cable retraction could do anything worse.
It’s always good practice to have a few feet of slack and never,ever put your arms, hands, fingers, legs or feet anywhere that could be pinched, jammed, sliced, etc.. by a cable that goes from slack to taut.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

To each their own when it comes to risks and safety, but I consider the clutch reliable enough to keep PTO running when pulling cable out for the next hitch.

+1

SR

 

[denchen]

If you fix your block to the log. Take your winch cable through the block and fix the end to another tree higher than the log. In effect this gives you twice the pull. Just make sure your block can take twice the pull of the winch.

 

[hslogger]

(removed)'s right.

Snatch blocks are your friend. I gotta say this.. People doing this kind of stuff first think "can I do this?, yeah I can do it" sure you can but the idea is to Minimize Risk. That is why professional arborists in town will often put a line on something even though they think they can free fall it, and wedge it right. Minimize Risk. The further you are from the point of possible impact(s) the safer and better off you will be. Messing around with blocks and angles is fun, too. You might surprise yourself how crafty, safe and smart you will be.

 

[Citydude]

You know, a simple post of your concerns without insults would go a lot further. As of now your just a bad case of the mouth runs. With idiotic verbiage to boot.

 

[John_Mc]

You know, a simple post of your concerns without insults would go a lot further. As of now your just a bad case of the mouth runs. With idiotic verbiage to boot.

Amen. (and thanks for saying it)

Someone new to this is asking for suggestions. They are getting some good ones. Seems as though there is always someone who thinks their way is the only way and everyone else is doing it wrong.

This as been a productive, friendly discussion. I certainly hope that someone tossing insults and getting obnoxious doesn't get it closed down.