Winch size question.

[Ga Mtn Man]

I'm going to have drag some logs down a 50-60% slope and I'm thinking of using a 12V winch tied to my 4x4 truck or maybe a tree.  Any thoughts on how much winch I'd need for a 26"x16' white pine log?

I probably should have posted this in the Forestry and Logging Forum.  Moderator, please feel free to move it. 

[PC-Urban-Sawyer]

Seems to me you might need to have something above the logs to keep them from running away on you if you're dragging them DOWN that much of a slope. Not sure I'd want to be in front of them if they're any size at all...

Good luck.

Herb

[Ga_Boy]

A general rule of thumb for buying equipment is; buy the biggest most powerful and heaviest duty you can afford.

No such thing as too much power.

[Ga Mtn Man]

Seems to me you might need to have something above the logs to keep them from running away on you if you're dragging them DOWN that much of a slope. Not sure I'd want to be in front of them if they're any size at all...

Good luck.

Herb

Yeah, I've been thinking about that problem.  I have some ideas but haven't been able to work all the bugs out of any of them.  Surely I'm not the first person with no heavy equipment to have this situation.  I'm open for suggestions.

Paul

[Ianab]

Pulleys and redirects are your friend here.

You can use pulleys to multiply your pulling power, and redirect the direction of pull away from the danger zone. If the log gets away on the down slope, at least you aren't in the way.  ;D



Ian

[beenthere]

Being that the hill is so steep, but not knowing if you may be dragging down the same path, consider a setup similar to a rope tow on a ski run. A continuous loop operated with the rope (cable) around a power drum (like the carriage on a circular mill).
That may give you some control over holding a log coming down and also might just be the ticket for getting a choker setter back up the slope.

[eastberkshirecustoms]

A white pine log that size should weigh about 2,100 lbs. I would say a 3,000 lb winch would suffice, but a larger one is always nice for the big'uns. I don't think you will have many issues with the log getting away from you on a straight pull. That's all we do out in my country-pull logs up and down hills. By traveling in-line with the decline, the log with have a slim chance of getting sideways on you and start to roll. The forward momentum should keep it straight and in check.

[WDH]

Put an old car hood under it like Ironwood does and it will slide down quite easily.

[bill m]

Ian , In your picture of the log with pulleys and a tree the pulley on the log will double the line pull. The one on the tree is just a redirect and will have no effect on the amount of line pull.
eastberkshirecustom, a log does not have to get sideways to get away from you when pulling down a hill. I watched a fellow logger cut the top off of a big ash on a steep hill and saw the log go by him like a shot. Even though he dropped the tree downhill the log managed to get by the top and didn't stop till it got to the bottom, about 200 feet.

[Ianab]

The one on the tree is just a redirect and will have no effect on the amount of line pull.

Yes, the labelling is a bit wrong now I look at it again.

You could pull from the tree with no pulley there, and still get the double pull.

That pulley is indeed a redirect, so you can pull from a safer location, in case of a runaway log.

Ian

[captain_crunch]

Any winch less than 8000 is a joke My td  rated @ 25000 is not awyays enough  Just have to be smarter than log is the answer else you could not pull it with 10000000 winch

[mikeb1079]

i'd have to agree with the cap't on this one, a 3k winch is pretty gutless at least the ones i've seen.  even my 8k is underpowered for skidding logs.  it takes alot of power to skid logs, even downhill.  i'd also second using something under the nose to decrease the logs tendency to dig in and get hung up.  short of this you could cut an angle on the nose to help with this. 
good luck   

[captain_crunch]

Ifn you could hang  a block 15=20 ft in tree it will add lift and help susprnd (new word) log,  More you can lift nose of log lest risrance. BUT beware tree needs guyed back. Me speek with experiance (laugh) at ax-men been there and done it
Brian

[YellowHammer]

If you can get a truck mounted winch hooked to the log, then forget the winch and use the truck.  :D I always use chains instead of long cable to protect from snap back, find or cut a good drag lane, choke them up very close to the end of the log and drag them out.  Don't wrap the chain around the trailer ball, remove the ball from the hitch, and use a shackle through the hitch hole to connect to the chain.  Saw the front of the log at an angle so it will slide around other trees and not hang up.  Go slow, be safe.  I really, really do not like to skid with cable, chains make me feel a whole lot safer.  I've snapped a few, their snap back is dangerous, but minimal compared to a cable.  Just the way I do it when I can't use my loader.
YH

[Ga Mtn Man]

YellowHammer,

That would be my first choice, but there's not enough room at the bottom of the slope for me to pull with my truck.

[Ga Mtn Man]

Ifn you could hang  a block 15=20 ft in tree it will add lift and help susprnd (new word) log,  More you can lift nose of log lest risrance. BUT beware tree needs guyed back. Me speek with experiance (laugh) at ax-men been there and done it
Brian

Are you saying that the tree the block is hung on needs to be guyed back?

[Dave VH]

if there is no room at the bottom of the slope, I would be scared of no getaway for the truck, just in case the log comes all at once.  I think that the pulley idea has your saftey in mind the best