Winches Milemarker hydraulic winch

[SnowRidge]

Kent, what would happen if the bucket popped out of the ground? You would all of a sudden have the entire load transferred to the PT. If the machine was not anchored to a substantial tree, or something equally stout, you would risk having it pulled forward by the winch. It could be a really dangerous situation.

On the other hand, if it were tied to a tree and the bucket popped out, you would instantly transfer that entire load to the lift arms and the articulating joint, which would not be a good thing.

These machines only weigh about 1,400 lbs. Winches with the pulling capability of the Mile Marker, and others in the same class, belong on much heavier equipment than the 400 series PTs.

There is a small Honda powered portable winch available for $1250. It may be the very one being referred to by ksimolo in the other thread. I think carrying something like that in the bucket makes way more sense than mounting a Mile Marker directly on the machine.

And it would be a whole lot safer.

 

[KentT]

Kent, what would happen if the bucket popped out of the ground? You would all of a sudden have the entire load transferred to the PT. If the machine was not anchored to a substantial tree, or something equally stout, you would risk having it pulled forward by the winch. It could be a really dangerous situation.

On the other hand, if it were tied to a tree and the bucket popped out, you would instantly transfer that entire load to the lift arms and the articulating joint, which would not be a good thing.

These machines only weigh about 1,400 lbs. Winches with the pulling capability of the Mile Marker, and others in the same class, belong on much heavier equipment than the 400 series PTs.

There is a small Honda powered portable winch available for $1250. It may be the very one being referred to by ksimolo in the other thread. I think carrying something like that in the bucket makes way more sense than mounting a Mile Marker directly on the machine.

And it would be a whole lot safer.

If there's a tree or stump handy, brace against it. Problem is there's not always a tree handy...

If no tree or stump and if the bucket and the weight of the PT (with front brakes engaged) would not stand up to the pull, then you're tackling something too big for your machine any way...

A small portable winch (such as a gas-powered) without a tree is just an expensive lawn ornament... the described method at least gives you some (to be determined) winching power without a tree to use as an anchor.

Note that a set of snatch blocks and/or pulleys should be a standard part of any winching rig, so you can change directions of the pull -- given something to anchor them on also... No difference there with either method -- they require trees or something similar...

Also note that anchoring something in the ground to pull from is a common winching technique. For example:

http://www.pullpal.com/quotes.html

The last thing I'd do is anchor the PT and pull on its joints, lift arms, etc...

 

[SpringHollow]

Yes, the Honda powered portable winch is the one i refer to. If no tree is available, use the ball or 2" receiver mount for the winch and mount it to the rear of the pt. In my opinion, it is just much more versatile. But it is more expensive than an electric winch.

Ken

 

[SnowRidge]

Yes, the Honda powered portable winch is the one i refer to. If no tree is available, use the ball or 2" receiver mount for the winch and mount it to the rear of the pt. In my opinion, it is just much more versatile. But it is more expensive than an electric winch.

Ken

Yes, but not much more expensive than a 9,000 lb Mile Marker hydraulic winch, mount, plumbing, and reliefs necessary to connect one to a PT-425. I think the portable gas winch makes a lot more sense. For one thing, you can carry it virtually anywhere, while the Mile Marker would be restricted to wherever the QA plate is.

It would also allow the retrieval of a bogged down PT, without needing to align the pull to the front of the machine, which may not be easy in difficult terrain. A real plus is not having to have a running Power Trac.

I think I'll suggest to my bride that she get me one for Valentine's day. I'm sure she will go for it

 

[SnowRidge]

Also note that anchoring something in the ground to pull from is a common winching technique. For example:

It has been a common technique since long before they started making that thing. Try digging a T shaped trench to anchor a retrieval winch to something in flat, treeless ground in midsummer. It's a young man's game, and is exhausting work even then.

The pullpal will set you back $300 for even the small variety. That is another mandatory expense if you have to rely on it.

Fortunately, flat treeless ground is extremely rare in these parts.

 

[KentT]

It has been a common technique since long before they started making that thing. Try digging a T shaped trench to anchor a retrieval winch to something in flat, treeless ground in midsummer. It's a young man's game, and is exhausting work even then.

The pullpal will set you back $300 for even the small variety. That is another mandatory expense if you have to rely on it.

Fortunately, flat treeless ground is extremely rare in these parts.

Wasn't suggesting the need for one -- only pointing out the potential anchorage provided by a toothed bucket, angled down...

 

[J_J]

With no trees around,

Isn't there a technique where you dig a trough in the ground and bury a log or railroad tie and hook your chain to the middle cut a slit in the ground for the cable or chain and pull whatever.

It seems like it is called deadman ---------.

I found this.

In a pinch, dig a dead man
If your vehicle gets stuck outside the range of a solid anchor, you have only two options. First, you can shrug your shoulders, swear off city-dwelling, build a makeshift hut, and live out your days as a shaggy woodsman. Or, you can do what the pro off-roaders do: dig a dead man. These makeshift anchors work perfect in a pinch, and here's how to make one:

Find a suitable spot in front of your vehicle for digging. Ideally, it should be far enough away to spool out most of your cable for a strong pull
Break out your shovel and start digging a hole. The hole should be slightly sloped forward in the direction that you are going to pull. It needs to be deep enough to hold your spare tire, a log, or some other broad, weighty object.
Secure a chain to the buried object and fill in the hole, allowing the chain to snake its way up to the surface.
Connect your winch to the chain and haul yourself to freedom. The angle of the hole and the weight of the soil should create more than enough resistance. Remember, the deeper the hole, the sturdier your anchor will be.

 

[SnowRidge]

With no trees around,

Isn't there a technique where you dig a trough in the ground and bury a log or railroad tie and hook your chain to the middle cut a slit in the ground for the cable or chain and pull whatever.

That's the T shaped trench I mentioned in my post above. It's a desperation measure and a man killer in hot weather. If you have nothing else, you use the spare as the dead man, assuming you are trying to retrieve a vehicle.

If you don't have a shovel, have nothing suitable for the dead man, or the ground is too rocky or hard to dig, or is swampy and unstable, you're out of luck.

 

[ponytug]

I can attest that in really boggy wet stuff, even a branch driven in the ground can provide substantial anchoring for a drag. In the bush, it was pretty common to use a shovel or a farm jack driven into the soil.

Of course, part of the art, was quitting while you were ahead, and not burying your vehicle below the axles...

Some of the 4x4 photos that I have seen are just foolishness.

Oh, yeah, about those times I got the PT stuck teeter-tottering.... Well, we all have our own blind spots.

The gas powered winches sound great.

All the best,

Peter

That's the T shaped trench I mentioned in my post above. It's a desperation measure and a man killer in hot weather. If you have nothing else, you use the spare as the dead man, assuming you are trying to retrieve a vehicle.

If you don't have a shovel, have nothing suitable for the dead man, or the ground is too rocky or hard to dig, or is swampy and unstable, you're out of luck.

 

[BobRip]

Bob,

Here's my thoughts, since I've also been considering a MileMarker, though I haven't tried them out...

Been thinking of mounting a 2" receiver on top of my HD rock bucket, then putting the winch on one of the hitch-mounting saddles. Then, tilt the bucket down so that the cutting edge and teeth serve as the "anchor" to pull against, and put the lift arms in float. The harder the winch pulled, the more it pulls the bucket into the ground, making it a better anchor...

If there's a stump or tree-trunk handy, you could also use it by putting the bucket edge against it, with a wide 2X to protect the tree trunk if necessary. The way the top of the HD bucket is formed and reinforced, I think it could handle the pull, though you might bow the bottom of the bucket if using a stump or tree trunk.

Despite all of the negative comments (which I don't discount completely) I think this is an ingenious solution and maybe with some modifications it can be safe.