Logging Winch

[xlr82v2]

I finally had a need to hook up my logging winch that I built about 5-6 years ago, so I figured I'd snap a few pics of it...

I've not used it yet on the Mahindra, I built it for my 8N after they logged the woods behind my house to drag up the tops that had fallen down into the creeks, valleys, gulleys, etc. It works quite well.

Since the 8N has no hydraulics, I had to make it PTO powered. The PTO shaft drives a 3 groove pulley, two grooves are used to drive the winch, the 3rd groove is for the reverse belt. For the "clutch" I put an idler pulley on a spring loaded lever, which presses the idler pulley into the belts, which drive a jackshaft which drives a sprocket/chain which ultimately drives the winch. It works fairly well, I just need to come up with a way to make it so that I can use a rope to engage the drive, for safety. But, the winch is wound with 100' of 7/16 cable, which I don't think I could break if I wanted to... It would pull the tractor over first, at least it would with the 8N.

Now that I've got a tractor with hydraulics, I'd like to convert it over to hydraulic drive... that would be much much more convenient... That reverse belt is a PITA... definitely the weakest point in my design I think.

Take a look!

Click on the images for a larger picture.

 

[EdK]

Nice winch!

I've got a big surplus Ramsey winch that I'm planning to do the same with one day. Yes, hydraulic sounds the way to go.

 

[3RRL]

Very nice winch indeed.
I thought long and hard about making a PTO driven winch like you did until I saw a deal on eBay for a hydraulic 10,500 hydraulic winch. I couldn't pass the offer so I bought it. Being hydraulic, I can use it up front or in the back. I have hydraulics to both. It was just more versatile so I bit the bullet and bought it. I still have to make the mounts for front and rear before I can use it though.

 

[xlr82v2]

Very nice winch indeed.
I thought long and hard about making a PTO driven winch like you did until I saw a deal on eBay for a hydraulic 10,500 hydraulic winch. I couldn't pass the offer so I bought it. Being hydraulic, I can use it up front or in the back. I have hydraulics to both. It was just more versatile so I bit the bullet and bought it. I still have to make the mounts for front and rear before I can use it though.

Thanks for the compliments!

I got the inspiration for building this one from looking at the Farmi winches and how they were set up. I called and priced them, and decided that if I could find a suitable winch, I could build one myself much cheaper than what they were asking for a new Farmi.

So, after watching eBay for a few weeks, this one came up for sale, freshly rebuilt, from a gentleman in Wisconsin. I won it for $150. Shipping to get it down here to S. IL was more than that. So, once I got it here, I started scrounging parts, got a few different things from buddies at work, and had to buy some steel. I think I've got maybe $650 in it, tops. Had a lot of fun building it... it was my first serious design/build project. I drew it all out on paper, figured out all the angles, then started cutting out a "kit" from the square tube steel. Started welding everything together, and it all fit!!! I almost couldn't belive it.

It isn't the fastest winch in the world, I think I calculated it at 21 feet per minute at 540PTO speed, but, it gets the job done... I'm not in "production" mode when I use it, so speed isn't that important. It's strong enough to completely pull the 8N over on top of itself at idle, so anchoring the tractor is the real limiting factor. I usually try to find about a 4-5 inch sapling that I can put the bull blade against if I can't get the blade to dig down into the ground, or if the ground simply won't hold it (quite common out in the woods)... that way, I've got a good anchor, but if whatever I'm winching hangs up, the sapling is still small enough that it will give out before something else does.

What size hydraulic motor do you think would be appropriate for this thing? My tractor is rated at 9gpm at rated engine speed, so I've got some flow available, but torque is more of my concern.

I'd like to have a motor that would put out about 6-700 rpm at about 5gpm flow (a little faster than the PTO) but still have enough torque to get adequate pulling power from the winch. I might be worried about nothing, as I've never had a problem with the belt drive delivering enough torque to the winch, even with the 8N at dead idle, which probably is less than 100ft/lbs output from the tractor. And that is enough to flip the tractor completely over if you were to keep going.

Any suggestions?

 

[EdK]

I'd like to have a motor that would put out about 6-700 rpm at about 5gpm flow (a little faster than the PTO) but still have enough torque to get adequate pulling power from the winch.

I'm still trying to figure out how to couple hydraulics to mine as well. One thing I came across is mine has a recommended rotational speed of the worm shaft and it is not 540, it is only 370. I spoke to the engineers at Ramsey and they said I could go 540 (if I reduced the load proportionately) but not any more so be careful there. Of course I called because I wanted to see if I could get this snail of a winch to run any faster as these worm drive winches are typically quite slow. Looks as though I cannot speed it up too much. It is 15-28 fpm @ 370RPM (depending on the number of wraps on the spool) which sounds in the ballpark of yours.

Interestingly I also bought on ebay: new, surplus for $177.50 and yes it cost more than that to ship it!

 

[3RRL]

Brian,
Believe me, if I could've figured out how to start building that PTO winch you have, I would have stuck with that. But I didn't even have the motor and so thought it easier just to buy the hydraulic winch on eBay and make mounts for front and rear. But I just love your PTO winch. If I were you, I'd keep it the way it is. Like you said, it's more than powerful enough and works at an ok pace.

If you were to convert, I think your 9 gallons/min should be adequate to run it. I think my Mile Marker winch uses 3.5 gals/min at only 1500psi. So I think you have yours covered with the tractor's flow. Just depends on the motor your get...there are several choices. But I like what you made and wish I had that. It's very cool.

 

[xlr82v2]

I fired off an email to Paccar (new parent company for Braden) to see what they have to say about hydraulic motors... and to see if they can find the specs on this winch. I can't get anything off of their website, I guess the winch is too old, and probably isn't supported anymore. Looking at the serial number, it was built in 1950... I think it is a 10,000 lb winch, but I could be wrong, it may be higher rated than that. It's a Braden M9-18B-L, if anyone out there has any info on old Braden winches...

For the amount that I use it anymore, I know I'd be better off just leaving it as-is, than to dump another couple hundred $$'s into it. But, you know, sometimes, you can't leave well enough alone, especially when it's your own creation, and you have a way to make it better. It's been my intention ever since I built it to convert it to hydraulic drive once I had a better tractor than the 8N.

I'll probably just leave it as is though.

 

[Deerlope]

Brian,
Believe me, if I could've figured out how to start building that PTO winch you have, I would have stuck with that. But I didn't even have the motor and so thought it easier just to buy the hydraulic winch on eBay and make mounts for front and rear. But I just love your PTO winch. If I were you, I'd keep it the way it is. Like you said, it's more than powerful enough and works at an ok pace.

If you were to convert, I think your 9 gallons/min should be adequate to run it. I think my Mile Marker winch uses 3.5 gals/min at only 1500psi. So I think you have yours covered with the tractor's flow. Just depends on the motor your get...there are several choices. But I like what you made and wish I had that. It's very cool.

If you were to do a search under this forum back about 3 years ago I built a logging winch. I posted pics on here and I used a 10500 MM winch that I bought new. I had found a 12500 on ebay but it had all the fittings for a chevy truck. So I went to Winchs Plus and bought just the winch. It isn't the fastest winch on the block but I'm not either.

 

[EdK]

I think it is a 10,000 lb winch, but I could be wrong, it may be higher rated than that. It's a Braden M9-18B-L, if anyone out there has any info on old Braden winches...

Could it be 20,000?

Vander Haag's, Inc. - Exact Parts Inventory

(There are a couple of Braden winches on the page)

 

[xlr82v2]

I saw that same page yesterday... I think you're right, it's a 20,000lb winch...

Still waiting to hear from Braden/Piccar...