Winch recomendations

[dgrover13]

Not sure if this is the best place to post but looking for winch recomendations. 

I have large logs to move around on my wooded lot.  Logs that are 2500 lbs some of them. 

I am overwhelmed with the choices.  My requirements:
Durable
will be user in woods where there is no power except my truck
can move lift 2500 lbs
can be attached to trees or my truck

Any thoughts?  8) 8) 8)

[red]

Safety number one ! Make sure you buy a quality winch with a good cable. Some cheap winches use very cheap cables . I wonder why there are not more 120v winches to run off a generator. 12 volt cables can get very hot.

[pineywoods]

Most of them 12 volt winches have a very short duty cycle. in other words intermittent use. ie run it for 30 seconds and then let it cool off for 30 minutes. One big enough to do what you need will pull some serious current off the battery. Running one off your truck battery not a good idea, use an external BIG battery...What works well for me is a pto type winch powered by a hydraulic motor coupled to the tractor hydraulics..

[dgrover13]

Ill be mounting it off a tree.  I would consider generator power. 

[loganworks2]

i would not even cincider an electric winch for this aplication. I would look into a chainsaw winch such as a Lewis Winch Portable Chainsaw Winch-Model 400 MK2 . They work quite well and are capable of pulling up to 4000 pounds.

[TKehl]

Ditto the Lewis winch unless you plan to rig up hydraulics or PTO on your truck.

[dgrover13]

Can someone explain the drawbacks of an electric 12v winch hooked up on my tailgate?

i understand it might be slower, but any other specific reasons?

[Puffergas]

I would build a donkey engine on a trailer. Can always chain it to a tree. Build it right it could move it's self for short distances. Work safe.

[red]

Using 12 volt at the tailgate is fine for very short use . Like 2-5 minutes. Now if you have a second battery fully charged at the back of the truck plus the 12 volt coming from your alternator , it can recharge in between use. Now I don't like the idea of having something go wrong and having to walk home, or expensive repairs on your daily driver. Keep it simple. Most tow trucks have hydraulic winches . Some guys have run a hydraulic line to the rear bumper . But that's another story. Somethings just take time, the faster you want to pull logs the more expensive it gets.

[runmca]

I use the PCW5000 by the Portable Winch Co., it's a capstan winch that can pull 2000 or 4000 with a snatch block. I attach it to trees and I think they make a trailer hitch attachment too.

[air1514]

You could just use your truck and cable and snatch block.

[John Mc]

I use the PCW5000 by the Portable Winch Co., it's a capstan winch that can pull 2000 or 4000 with a snatch block. I attach it to trees and I think they make a trailer hitch attachment too.

I second that recommendation. It's a gas-powered capstan winch. You can mount it on a receiver insert or tie it off to a tree. Unlike an electric winch (or the lewis chainsaw winch) you can make long pulls, limited only by the length of rope you own.

I don't own one, but have worked in the woods with someone who does. They are handy pieces of equipment, and a FAR better choice for this type of work than an electric winch. If I didn't already have a tractor with a PTO driven logging winch on it, I'd own one of the PWC capstan winches.