Howdy all. Wasn't sure whether to post here or at the logging board. Have a friend that is looking for a supplier for a heavy duty snatch block. I have looked in forestry suppliers, northern and a couple other of my " normal " catalogs. Couldn't find anything listed as heavy as he is hoping to find. He is looking for something that would have at least a 4 to 6 inch diameter pulley, that would accept up to 5/8 cable, and rated at 5 tons give or take. I couldn't find anything that heavy. Also suggested he ask some of the local wrecker/recovery operators. Anybody else out there have any suggestions or sources I could pass on to him? Any help at all would be much appreciated. Thanks, Saki.
Saki,
Give northern tool
Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company a call. I bought one from them 5 or 6 years ago. Didn't see one big enough in their catalogue but called them and asked if they had any larger. They did and I bought it at a reasonable price.
Noble
Harbor Freight has lots of stuff on their web-site that ain't in their catalog. I bought my winch from there, and it has never appeared in the book.
www.harborfreight.com
Make sure you get a detachable block. The block breaks open so you can put it on the line at any place and not have to thread the line through the block.
Larry
... and bearings aren't a good choice if you plan to shock load the block.
Blocks here, but for rope up to 7/16"
http://store.hamiltonmarine.com/browse.cfm/2,260.html
Saki, AW Direct has snatchblocks up to 10"/ 25 tons and 1" cable. Lots of other fun stuff also. Scott
5/8" wier rope bent over less than a 8" sheave WILL damage the rope!!! For 5/8 rope you need a 8 ton or beter block with a 8" or beter yet a 10" sheave that has the right size grove so the rope stays round as it makes the bend. Send him to A.W. Direct for this kind of stuff. Dont skimp on this kind of equipment or it could very well take a life and IT'S JUST NOT WORTH THAT!! Once you see a big cable snaping back at you at the speed of sound good riggings look real cheep, that is IF you live after seeing it!!!
Andy
Frount page
http://www.awdirect.com/
Snatch blocks, he needs the $195 one or the next one bigger.
http://www.awdirect.com/awdirect/finditem.cfm?itemid=6471
I have crosby blocks and blocks from Sherrill arborist supplies but the blocks I have are for rope.
Crosby has many types available but they aren't cheap!
http://www.thecrosbygroup.com/
Check here for a list of suppliers.
http://www.awrf.org/members/main.htm
WesTech Rigging in Eugene, Oregon sells everything you need as well. No sales tax.
I agree that your snatchblock needs to be big enough to use with your cable. Remember ,however, that if your going to use it to get logs out of difficult places that you will have to pack it as well as a chain. Chaining one head high to a tree trunk after packing it up and down a steep hill gets to be work. We have a 10" snatchblock that we use if the cable is making a sharp bend or we're winching really hard. If we're just getting a log to change direction by a few degrees, we use a 6". We sometimes have to use both to get logs up over outcroppings and out of real nasty places. Makes you earn your pay.
Noble
A sling works well, and it's lighter than a chain.
A poor mans snatch block is a car wheel rim or a mobile home tire rim. Chain it to a tree just as you would a snatch block Just let the cable or rope slide on the rim. Somtimes they turn, but won't hurt much if it doesn't. This works well if you don't need one very often.
The only problem with that is it won`t match the rope which will distort the rope under a heavy pull.
It`s important to match the block to the rope.
you need to get a bi-i-i-i-g-g-g-ger rope, Kevin. :D
DanG
I was on the Harbor Freight site last night looking for the Milemarker
hydraulic winch and all I could find were adapter kits for adapting it to the power steering system.
How did you find it? Can you give us a report on it and some pictures of your setup?
::)(https://forestryforum.com/smile/ears.gif)
(https://forestryforum.com/smile/paparazzi.gif)
John
John, I just did a site search on "winch", and there it was. There were a number of winches that were not in their catalog. Maybe they only had a limited number of MileMarkers. I did notice that the only one they offered was the 10,500 lb model, and not the 9000 or 12,000 lb ones.
I have been very pleased with mine, so far, though I haven't used it all that much, yet. I have loaded 26"x12' oak logs with it, and drug a full sized Chevy truck out of the ditch with it. It operates quietly and smoothly, and I haven't been able to detect any heat build-up in the hoses. The hardest thing about installing it, was getting all the air out of the lines. My favorite aspect of it is that I don't have to worry about batteries, all the time.
I'll try to post some pics, soon. :P
John, I just looked at the HarborFreight site, and something is funny. The day I ordered my winch, there were several pages of winches and accessories. They had big hydraulic and pto winches, as well as numerous electrics and the MileMarkers. I don't know what the story is. ???
try this link
http://www.winchesplus.com/
I did a search on wenches and it was pretty interesting. ::)
Noble
I agree that you want to get one with side that will open and put on cable any where in the line. Also agree with ADFIELDS about breaking cable. I have seen a cable coming at me at the speed of sound, or so it seemed. about 10 years ago I was cabled in a leaner about 25' up, it was late in the day the woods were geting dark and I was in hurry. Looking back I saw what looked like fireworks up in that tree as it started to move back toword me, then the leaves shook and the most horrifing sound seemed to be going by me on both sides. I slumped to the floor pan in a instant but it was probly over before I got there. The cable cut a gash in the hood 1" wide 10" long, broke the stering wheel, bent the lift levers and made a believer out of me! I had no back screen guard and no one with me at the time, It did'nt even touch me. But that was the last time I tryed that. John
Thanks guys for all the great info! I have passed on some of the ones above to him and boy, was he happy. He is definitely looking into getting a heavy one as he had an old one that " disintegrated " into about a thousand pieces. Or I guess I should say that the pulley did, but the housing remained intact so no damage or injuries other than the pulley, but almost certainly was one of those wake-up calls we all get at one time or another. Thanks again, Saki.