Skidding winch

Industrial Toys · Dec 29, 2018

Well I looked for used hydraulic winches again. A guy could spend $20,000 on a used winch, no problem at all! And what a gamble on the cheaper units. It probably says, what junk, by comparison, consumer winches are.

My project is to pull dead pine out of the bush for chipping, not to build a winch and have yet another (unfinished) project.

I will probably try and get a used 3ph skidding winch and hopefully I can operate it by remote control if I can control the electric PTO on the JD. Not sure about the clutch operation.

I'm curious. On a commercial skidder, does a man pull out the cable?

Jstpssng · Dec 29, 2018

If you're just looking to pull one tree out you can do it a heck of a lot less expensively with a length of chain hooking it onto a crossbar on your 3 pth. (or cable, depending on how close you can get the tractor to it.) It's a bit of a pain and more time consuming than having a winch; yet still quicker than the time it would take you to build something. I cut a 10 cord load of tree length fir that way. I had several choker chains which I hooked onto my middle buster -often after dragging several trees out to to the trail with a chain- put the tractor in gear and went with it.
and yes, in a commercial operation if cutting with a chainsaw and cable skidder he drags the cable out to every tree. If cutting with a "feller buncher" which cuts trees, collects them, and leaves them in 1-2 cord piles, the skidder has a grapple so the operator doesn't get off the machine.

Industrial Toys · Dec 29, 2018

I have a lot of dead pine to pull out of difficult terrain. And I have to do it by myself. People are willing to help me, but I can't expect that level of slavery!

When we had the place logged for a pre-commercial thinning, they used a Harvester and a couple of forwarders. Not a boot on the ground! So I really don't know how it's done with a skidder.

Jstpssng · Dec 29, 2018

If you have a lot of trees than some type of winch is advantageous. If you aren't in a hurry and keep checking Craigslist you might be able to find a decent used 3pth that you can use and recover most or all of your money when you're done with it. I've had two used winches, and finally bought a new one which is a good match for my tractor... and I didn't need to rebuild the bleeping thing before I used it. :thumbsup:
The harvester you had on your lot probably limbed and bucked the trees in the woods? Carrying it out on a forwarder gives nice clean wood and leaves a lot fewer scars on the trees. The only disadvantage is limbs everywhere, and I like to walk my land.

Industrial Toys · Dec 29, 2018

I am always in favour of buying something high quality, used and common. So, a used 3ph logging winch fits that bill. Even if not perfect for my application.

Jstpssng · Dec 29, 2018

^^^
It also holds it's resale value better than a custom made, when you are done with it.

Industrial Toys · Dec 29, 2018

Yeah. Like better to sell a stock vehicle, than those guys who claim to have 20K INVESTED!

Stomper · Dec 29, 2018

plumbstraight said:
The electric works well, my hydraulic works better. I used to build pto winches, wish that koenig still made winches.

Thats an interesting design

John_Mc · Dec 30, 2018

Nobody seems to sell those logging winches once they own them, but I'll share a trick guaranteed to turn up a few nice used ones at a decent price: go out and buy a new one.

I shopped for years for a used logging winch in a size that would fit my tractor. The only ones I saw were "project" winches which had been torn up from abuse (and were so old that parts were no longer available). I finally gave up and bought new. Within a week, one came up for sale. Within a couple months, two more came up for sale (one of those guys actually called me to say "I'm selling, I know you were looking for one...")