Sat and Sun I loaded 10 of the small Oak Logs that I was given 8). I was using a cheap electric winch which was working good.....until the thing bought the farm. I am now in search of a better (read not to pricey) winch. I looked at Warn and they have some w/2500 straight pull which is more then I have now. It is a little more then I would like to spend so I guess I am just looking to see if someone has a better choice out there price wise. The logs were free and the bigger ones are being hauled by a log mill for me so I am not hauling any monsters 20" 24" 8' logs range. It isn't the age that's killing me it's the miles :D
This is the best price for what you get I have found, look down the page about half way.
http://www.piercewrecker.com/winch.htm
I have the PSDV4500 witch is a 4500lb winch and is about $275 with all the stuff you need to run it but a bat. I also have a PSDV3500 and it's also great. They are made by Superwinch and are a very good winch. The Warn 2500lb ATV winch I was looking at had a fixed switch that you mount on the handlebar and it was $100 extra for the wired remote and breakers you need, when all added up was up around $450 for a 2500lb winch.
Andy
So many people have winches and very few use a mechanical advantage to move the load.
I have loaded logs that size with a hand operated rope winch without much effort.
Mechanical advantage makes it possible.
I bought a warn 4700 lb winch and I had to send it back already. This is why I'm going with hyds.
EZ
I am interested to hear more about using mechanical advantages. Are you talking double pull type advantages or is it something else. If you can move a log that size with a rope winch I am very interested. I am not a rigger by trade so I amlearning as I go.
It just means adding a pulley or two in the same system.
I built a small sleigh to roll the log onto and secure it to the sleigh with a winch strap.
I put a sling on the end of the log and attach a single or double pulley to that, depends on what advantage I need to pull the log easily.
If skidding on bare ground you could add an axle and a couple of wheels to the sleigh to make it even easier.
I'll post a picture of the sleigh later today.
Here's the sleigh I use ...
(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/log%20sleigh.JPG)
Kevin,
Good idea for the sleigh. My little Kubota (25 Hp) needs some help when I pull the 20" and larger stuff out of the woods.
For the pulleys you use, do you have a source of supply? I have been looking for a two block system. :P
Mark
Here is a sled I built from 2x material to pull poles behind the tractor. The wire rope was attached to a skid hook through a hole in the sled and when I pulled the pole it ran up into the sled. That kept the pulling strain off of the sled. I thought I was real smart until I found that skidding cones had been used around here for years. They worked the same way but were made from steel. :D
(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/tom-skiddingsled.jpg)
Mark;
I'm using arborist pulleys rated at about 1700wll.
heres a few with a little higher wll ...
peaktrading (http://www.peaktrading.com/productpages/default.aspx?ProductPageId=1607)
maximizer (http://biznet.maximizer.com/blockmanufacturing/itemblockmanufacturing!00006.html)
http://www.lbint.com.au/hoists3.htm
http://www.h-lift.com/block4.htm
http://www.ganmar.com.ar/ingles/pulleyblock.html
slingchoker (http://www.slingchoker.com/sling2/crosby/mblocks.htm#McKissick%20Light%20Champion%20Double%20Sheave%20Snatch%20Blocks)
Kevin,
Mucho grasis.
Mark
Harbor Freight has an 8000 lb rated 12volt winch with 100 foot of cable for $289. Put one on my trailer last week.
It's been over a year now, how has the winch setup worked?
I'm a mechanical advantage nut myself. Maybe my "Mossy Head Log Jogger" will give you some ideas.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/12224/Logr4a1.jpg)
The first mechanical advantage is the ratio or the ramp length to the hieght of lift to get to the trailer or deck. If the hieght is 3 feet and the ramp is 9 ft. long then the initial advantage is 3:1. (i.e. if the log weighs 1000 pounds then it will require 333 1/3 # of effort to roll the log up the ramp). If you use the cable and the log as a "snatch block" then you will gain an additional 2:1 advantage. (approx 166.5 #) Getting close to human pull. Additionally, an advantage related to the ratio of the crank handle length to the radius of the cable spool will further reduce the effort.
Morever, this kluge is "CHEAP". Can be made with wood scraps and old water pipe. Local hardware can provide the bolts, cable, swages and hooks.
Of course all these figures are disregarding friction losses and there will be some.
Yep, Slabs, that is called parbuckling.
I like everything but that little brace in the middle under the ramps. I think if you put that in there, you lose the ability to bend your fenders down around your tires. THATS what makes a trailer a log hauler! :D
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/logging_redpine_5.jpg)
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=14060.0
Waaal now there Jeff.
That there little chunk of wood is a support for the middle of a 9 foot ramp. I found it a necessity when trying to load what calculated(by your log-weight figurer) as a 750 pound green water oak log. Upon the first effort, the ramp seemed to want to buckle. (not parbuckle) I just took a break and sawed off a chunk of limb and reinforced the 4X4 ramp that I was using that seemed to want to sag just a little too much. It was a 9 foot piece of pine. One of those in-the-woods on-the-spot expediences. Since it was a compression load and if I had planned for such as I will in the future, I'm sure a short piece of 2X4 would suffice.
One thing that I have learned the hard way is that a "fairlead guide" is a necessity to keep the cable straight on the spool. It seems that you never can get the cable just right to feed onto the spool without trying to roll off the edge. I've done metal hoops with the steel versions and a wooden block with an appropriate slot with the wooden versions.
I use the snatch blocks from Warn that are rated for 8k and cost $50 from northern tool
Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company. I like them for being able to just flip them open to thread the cable through and putting a 1/2" shackle on it once closed. They are fairly light. One note about many arborist blocks, they have aluminum sheaves and are meant for rope. They will self-destruct if using steel cable.
I have my eye on a self releasing snatch block from Labonnville. They roll the cable out when they reach a chain or choker. I think I've sold my Fransguard winch, but I'm going to replace it with a winch on the 310 case. Last time I checked, they were about $160.
I use this homemade trailer(built from an old Public service pole carrier) with 2 7 ' ramps and a Harbor freight 49$ 2000LB winch. I can roll any log that will fit on my Norwood mill onto the trailer in about 3 min. It also goes behind my tractor.
see pics at:
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=4231442&a=31354963&f=
JP
ps: the winch has loaded about 50+ logs w/o failing--but feep the controls protected from the weather///---at 49.00$ each and 13.00$ for an extre control I keep an extra on hand//