winches for moving logs

[D._Frederick]

ADFields,
I have been buying group 27 deep cycle batteries from local wholesale store and use them on my tractors. They  have plenty of CCA but have a problem with holding a charge, they will not turn an engine over after sitting for 30 days. Any thoughts about this?

[ADfields]

Is ther a draw in your systom?   My plow truck (76 F250) has 3 starting deep cycles in it and the small draw in the Sony radio will kill them flat in 3 or 4 weeks time.   I put a great big switch in the mane line and shut off all the power from them to the truck and it sat all summer without running down.   I dont know why but deep cycles seem to go dead like that from a very small draw that a starting bat can take just fine.   Take off the cable and with everything off out a amp meeter from the bat to the cable and see if you have a draw in the system, the fields in your altanator and other stuff can make sutch a draw.   The switches I use come from Napa for around $20 and also keeps people from joyriding your equipment when thay cant find it.

Hope that helps.
Andy

[Fla._Deadheader]

All lead acid batteries have a small internal "maintenance" draw that will "usually", not always, discharge them. It seems to work differently with all batteries. When I was younger, we found a 6 volt car battery that was dry inside. NO ACID. My brother-in-law took it home and added plain water, and used it in his jeep for 4 years. We KNOW that thing sat for over 6 years without a charge and probably no acid. Go figure !!!!

[Sailor]

Well, I think I have a winch story that will make you chuckle. I have a hyster winch on my D6 which will pull anything. So now that my sons are old enough I get the bright idea that two winches would be twice as fast when we are bringing in winter wood [we heat barns and house with 2-1 million BTU boilers] and logs for our sawmill. I go to my nearest "you can build anything" store and buy a driveshaft driven 12,000lb winch. I then build a beautiful winch tower with 3 point hitch attachment for another tractor on the farm. The big day arrives and we all gather around while dad [me] hooks up to one 10" log. The tractor snorts, the line draws taunt, the log starts to move, the log starts to move.... Why isn't the log moving? "Dad" someone yells, "the spool and the top of your winch tower are bending". Sure enough, the metal was collapsing before our very eyes. Back to the shop to remanufacture the tower. Retest. This time nothing bends, the log starts to move... the log starts to move...........Last thing I heard was this awful growl and a huge bang!!  ???I couldn't even disengage the winch, I ran to the tractor and shut off the PTO. The winch had almost disintegrated. I took it back to the "you can build anything" store and they take it apart. It had totally collapsed at two of the bearings and races, throwing pieces into the gears which were under such great pressure. You think any smart guy would say "that's it, let's chaulk that up to experience" and move on. So the guy at the "you can build anything" store says "have I got the winch for you and at such a bargain" it's the [I use my literary indulgence here] BINFORD 2000. Actually it was a 25,000 lb hydraulic [planetary gear setup] winch which had appeared in his shop from the far north shop. I couldn't resist. I remanufactured the tower and even painted it this time, I was so sure of my product. The big test............ Tractor revs up, check............hydraulics functioning, check..........winch goes out, comes in, check...............hook up to that same *DanG log [now that determination if not stupid, eh], check.........engage, check..............the log starts to move.............the log starts to move...........no the tractor starts to move but I am prepared for such a problem, I lower the large braking teeth on the bottom of my winch platform deep into the graound and the tractor stops moving...........the log begins to move.................I said the log BEGINS TO MOVE....... no but the last thing I heard was this awful growl then a very large bang and oil was spraying out of every orfice of the winch and covering everyone in attendance. The moral is, if you have one very good winch and many good sons, make them do a little more work. It's good for them and you don't get as frustrated. Randy

[ADfields]

What was the log made of, led?  

[Fla._Deadheader]

A 10 " log, a 10 INCH log ???  Man, ya gotta cross the border and get some "made in the USA" stuff, EH ???  :D :D :D :D :D

[pigman]

Sailor, I  am not the sharpest tack in the box, but I finally learned to cut the tree before I tried to drag the log. : ;D

[Jeff]

 :D

[SawInIt CA]

Funny story

[J Beyer]

Have any fo you hydraulic winch guys use something similar to an auxillary transmission cooler with a small fan?  Seems that this setup being used as a power steering cooler would work well, just have to figure out what hoses to use that can stand up to the pressures.

Any home-made or catalog coolers that can do the job of the estup described above?  Post some pics if you have  them.

JB

[DanG]

At about 10pm this evening, there came a knock at my door.  A glance through the peep-hole revealed one of the engineers for the railroad that runs behind our house. He was a little nervous and breathless, as he explained that he had run off into the ditch, and wondered if I could pull him out. After clarifying that it was his truck, and NOT the train that was stuck, I grabbed my coat and a couple of flashlights and we headed out. I finally had a chance to put the new MileMarker winch to the test. His full-sized Chevy P/U was nosed into a 3 ft ditch with the left front, and the right rear was about 2 ft off the ground. I hooked the cable to the trailer hitch and snatched it right out, with the engine idling. It never even strained. I think that, for once, I have bought the right tool for the job. I also have dragged a 24", 12' oak log over soft ground, with the winch in high gear.
If any of you are planning to spend close to a Grand on a big electric winch, you really should look into this rig. It is hydraulic, and works off of the power steering pump of the truck. I have mind bolted to a frame I welded to the truck frame,  just behind the cab.

[sawmill_john]

Hey Dan isn't it fun to use those things on some one elses stuff!
I've been looking at these winches pictured below, I first saw them last you at a event called Tree school thats put on by the Oregon State Extention Service, I have to say it is one of the finest made winches I've seen, it has a two speed gear box, 20' remote control, special motors (not ford starter motors), anti-snarl/drag brake device, built in fairlead, and a lifetime warranty on the winch unit itself (not electrical components).  
We're looking real hard at using them on our mills as an option.  I do have to tell you the units are not cheap but I have found you do get what you pay for, I'm the first one to look for something thats a good deal, but all to many times bought a cheap tool that turned out to cost more time and effort than getting the good one would have cost. 




I couldn't find a website on the info I have but I'll call them up and see if they have some thing.  Heres their phone number,
MW-Worldwide
Portland OR
(503)288-1245


I spoke with the owner of MW-Worldwide and their website is currently down, when they get it back up I'll find itr and pass it on.  I did find out that Mark Havel(Future Forestry) is using this brand of winch on his large log arch.

[Vermonter]

I like my Fransguard tractor winch, but I just picked up a Warn electric when I was down in Maryland at the Peterson delivery.  (Thanks Jim).  This means I will be able to skid things around at sites without the tractor.
I looked at Milemarkers, they used to sell a retrofit power steering pump with higher capacity and pressure, and also sold an oil cooler.  Their price for the PS pump was reasonable.  I put together a design for using the ps pump for the dump body (slow but effective).  Instead, it looks like electrics on both ends of the old Dodge now.

[Frank_Pender]

I went out to Mark's place a few weeks ago and saw the new LARGER ARCH  it is a real piece of equipment.  He had just hauled home a 30" x 16' Big Leaf Maple, down the county road with his white Volvo stationwagon.  :D I tried to get him to bring the log to me, but he has some promotional video to get produced, first. :'(

[SWAMPRAT]

I winch very few logs, as I am just getting into this whole log milling, cutting, bucking, felling thing, but as far as winches go, South Louisiana is the testing grounds for a good winch....Swamps 360 degrees when you leave the roads.

I have found that the following settup gives me the best results for my Warn truck winch.  First thing I did was put a high output altenator on my Chevy Z71.  145 Amp brushless altenator.  http://www.electrodyne.com/Welcome.html

I then removed the underhood storage container, and added the optional second battery tray. (I purcased from the local chevy dealer.  They leave room for second batteries as the same truck is available with a diesel engine which comes with two)  The key to my rig has been the TWO Interstate 1000's that have for batteries, neither is a deep cycle, just the standard 1000 CCA Interstate battery.  

I hooked up the one main battery just as the factory battery was, then I ran a piece of #2 Welding lead from the Positive lead on one battery to the positive lead on the second battery.  I placed a Ford fender mounted starter solenoid  between the two batteries and wired it to the ignition.  So now, when I turn on the truck, the power from the ignition engages the solenoid conecting both of the batteries.  As long as the vehicle is running, both batteries are charging.  As well, if I ever leave me headlights or cargo light on and drain my main battery, as soon as I turn the key, the truck jump starts itself.

After rigging the batteries, I connected my Warn 8000 to the secondary battery, not long ago, (October) during the 2 days after Hurricane Lili, I winched more than I ever have before, trees, trucks, stumps, cars, and of smaller items, but one thing stands out the most.  An 18 wheeler tractor trying to go around a downed tree in the road slipped off into a 2-3 foot ditch, I used 2 snatchblocks and let out all but about 15 feet of cable (enough to leave one spool full on the winch) and pulled the truck from the ditch.  Not once was the winch starved for juice with the above setup.  Since then, I have pu the same setup in the wifes car, and my nieghbors SUV...

Just what works for me...After talking with the techs at warn, and talking with the local high fi car stereo shop this is what we came up with.  Matter of factly, the Car Stereo shop had most of the stuff I needed,  Altenators, solenoids, and wires to complete the job, they even gave me some of the black corregated wire tubes to cover the wires and make it look factory installed.  Most of these young kids with these booming trunks dont realize they have the perfect winch setup under there hoods!!!!! :D :D

[ADfields]

SWAMPRAT
A ford "starter" solenoid will burn out in about 10 minuts of constant use like that, it's a "starter relay" not a "constant relay" for a use thats on all the time.   What you have looks just like a ford relay but is a constant relay so if it stops working dont ask for a ford relay as it wont last turned on all the time like that, ask for a constant relay.
Andy

[Andre]

I think he has it setup so the solenoid only connects the second battery to the first battery when starting the engine.  The winch only runs off the second battery, the truck normally only runs off the first battery but both battieries are charged by the alternator, likly thru some kind of isolator.

[DanG]

When I was into off-shore fishing, my boat had 2 batteries. They were connected to a large,  heavy duty rotary switch, which had 4 positions: Off, Left, Right, and Both. I'm sure you could still get one, for a nominal fee, of course, at a Marine Supply store.  It would be just the ticket for this application.