Got a new toy, errr..........I mean tool

[bitternut]

My new log skidding winch finally arrived. Got it all set up except for putting on the cable. Since they recomend that you pull the tractor uphill with the winch to get a tight wrap I decided to wait till I had a helper to sit on the tractor. That way I would not have to worry about the tractor taking off down hill with nobody in the drivers seat to apply the brakes. Should make it a lot safer dragging stuff off the side of hills.

I got the Norse 450 since it was a better deal than any of the other brands that I have looked at. I had to wait about six weeks for it and I guess they are sold out again. Someone else must think they are a good winch also. Can't wait to give it a good trial.

It has two positions  to place the pulley. I don't know which one would be the best place. Anyone have any opinions. Seems like the higher location would give the log more lift which should make the pull easier so why the lower position? Might have to get out the sprayer and give it a shot of John Deere green paint so it matches or do you folks think the red looks okay with green, yellow and black?

[Craig]

Nice new winch! The upper pulley is for winching in the logs. The lower pulley is where the cable goes while skidding. Good luck with the new toy err, I mean tool.

[maple flats]

Caution. Never winch in too tight. Leave enough slack to give slack when turning. I used to saell a dif. brand and the only warranty claim I ever had was when the operator pulled the cable in too tight and then raised the load. when he turned with the drum locked the only thing that could give was the main shaft because of the extreme tension when the log was so tight it tried to swing the log around but was too heavy and bent the main shaft. Just keep a little slack to allow turning and you will do great.

[wiam]

Nice winch. How much will it pull.  If you try to skid with the top pulley it is possible to flip the tractor over backwards.  With my Tajfun winch I can sit on tractor seat and pull rope to winch.

Will

[bitternut]

Thanks for the advice. The manual says to leave a minimum of 10 cm slack in the chokers. Thats only 4" which doesn't seem like very much.  I can operate from the tractor seat with this winch also. It has 9900# of pull and I plan on hooking the chokers on the notched butt plate after winching in the logs. I bought extra chokers for that reason. I was not planning on skidding out with the cable but since I have never used one of these I will have to feel my way along. Since this one comes with the guard installed it is safe to winch in from the tractor seat. Might still keep an old coat handy to hang on the cable when winching though. I have a pretty good trail system so skidding should go pretty good. Got a bunch of good sized beech to cull that I can try it out on.

[bull]

winch w/ the winch..  Skid w/ the skid plate..  You have slots for the choker chain...

[Frank_Pender]

And do not scratch the paint.

[UNCLEBUCK]

Nice new toy bitternut ! Dont know a thing about it but from what you wrote for dragging the tractor uphill I guess one could raise the front wheels off the ground and tilt the bucket so if you did get a runaway tractor the loader bucket angle would dig down and hold you. Have fun and be careful.

[bitternut]

Hey UNCLEBUCK thats not a bad idea. I just may do that if my son-in-law does not show up soon. Some of your relatives may have built my winch since it came from Norway. I think the plant is in Grimstad Norway.

[UNCLEBUCK]

Hey if its made in Norway then it is the best !  :D . Yeah I got alot of cousins in Norway.

[Woodhog]

They are a good winch.. I have the 400 Model and I think its the same as your new 450, just older..
I use 10 chains, the chockers with the open face hooks are the best, the round or other
closed type are hard to unhook when you get to the landing and the logs are all piled up on each other..
I skid with all ten chains, 6 on the butt plate and the 4 on the main line also...
My block is in the top position all the time, just to much extra to switch it up and down

I use it on my Landini 7860 (74 H.P) 4WD,all tires weighted and chains on all wheels..
With a full 10 16' spruce logs on the winch it will do a good job, I try to put the larger logs on the butt plate and the smaller ones on the mainline.

So far nothing has ever broken (except my back)....

You have to be quite fussy with the drum braking device, the little wing nut down under the left cover so that it wont free spool when you stop pulling on the cable, you will then
get foul turns on the drum that will snap under each other and become impossible to
pull the cable off the reel, you then hook to a tree and pull it with the tractor..

If you reel in a few turns and then give the cable a good sharp snap while unreeling by hand most of them will break free....

Dont forget to hang up the drum control rope when moving around as it will catch something and break the lever assembly or wind everthing up too tight if the PTO is running... I do this all the time, even carry a spare rope to spice it back together...

There is a hidden grease fitting under the front of the winch tha lubes the clutch slider unless they changed it on the 450 model, its very hard to see or grease with the winch on the tractor.....

I spray a few shots of lub spray on the mechansim that locks up the drum when you pull the drum lock rope, if  you lift the left hand cover you will see that little bar of metal that
flops in against the drum teeth..


As mentioned above be very carefull not to rell her in to tight with the locking mechanism set. I always leave at least a foot or so, this could happen easily if the brake is set and you dont reel up the pull rope and it gets caught with the PTO engaged...horrors!!!

If you winch from the ground as I do, always stand way off to the side of the tractor ....the whole outfit can come back very quickly when you yank hard on that winch control rope...

Sometimes it works lousy at first of the day, I thinks its just moisture on the clutch....

Dont use those little lynch pins that you use around the farm fields to faten the 3 pt hitch arms... replace them with double nuted bolts as brush will open the pins and the winch
will fall down off the hitch arm and be dragged along until you happen to look back and
see every thing all bent up and wrecked....

Carry a little tree bar in one of the stoarge bins or somewhere as you will need it to pry
or roll logs when they get stuck when winching in..also needed at times to pry the chains off the butt plate slots when taking the load off and moving logs to get at the chockers when unhooking....

If you carry chains/chockers on those fittngs on the screen dont let the ends hang to loose
or they will swing around the area behind the tractor wheels and catch in the rear wheel
tractor chains.

If you carry some time of bar etc in a vertical postion in one of those storage bins tie up the top as it will flop ahead catch the tire chains and wreck your fender, I mention all this stuff as its all happened to me before(probably only me)

Well this is becoming quite the rant so good luck with your winch and be carefull...

[bitternut]

Thanks for all the advice Woodhog. I will have to print out all your tips and keep it on the tractor until I get more familiar with the winch. There is nothing better than experience and when experience talks, I listen.

[maple flats]

I have a Fransgard V4000 (4000 kg=8800 lbs). when I use it in wet locations I pull up to 4 tree length if enough turning room, hook cable under bottom pulley , lock drum with about 2'-2.5' but [1.5-2' ok for wheeled tractor] slack in cable and go. If I start spinning (70 hp rubber track skid steer Positrac with home added 3 pt hitch, had to add 8 front end weights from an old Belarus to keep the front down or couldn't pull over 1-2 depending on size), I release the load, drive past the wet area and winch it back in. If turning will be tight I need to cut the logs. The slotted plates are great to pull with until you get stuck, then you often need to use the winch to yank the logs off if you can't pry them off. When I do this most are 16-24" dbh, if bigger I have to reduce the #. Good luck with the new TOOL (it definately is not a toy)

[Quartlow]

I kind of like the red, think you better paint the tractor  :D :D :D :D

[Mrforestry]

Very nice, be carefull when winching up or downhill, i have flipped a skidder in the past doing both  , not a fun experience :(

[bitternut]

Well Quartlow you are not the only one that likes the red color. Yesterday and today I had the barn door open working on my backhoe and the humming birds kept coming in the barn and buzzing all around that red winch.

Mrforestry I can understand how you could flip over winching uphill but how did you do it winch downhill. I put the cable on yesterday and it pulled the tractor up a grade with ease. I had the bucket dragging on the ground as Unclebuck suggested. Rained most of today so I did not get a chance to try it out Maybe this weekend. Problem is I have a backhoe, brushhog and winch. They all fit on the back of the same tractor. I have mowing, skidding, and backhoe work to do. I think I will be busy for a while.

[Minnesota_boy]

Problem is I have a backhoe, brushhog and winch. They all fit on the back of the same tractor. I have mowing, skidding, and backhoe work to do. I think I will be busy for a while.

They still sell tractors and as far as I know there are no rules that say you can only have one.  :D