Norse/Igland or Farmi/Wallenstein style?

[John Mc]

To respond to the original question regarding a blade that flips up or is hinged:

I suppose you learn to work with whatever you have.

I own a Uniforest 35E winch. It's similar in size and specs to a Farmi 351. The blade is fixed. The winch fits my tractor well: I can lift the 3 Pt high enough that the bottom of the winch is probably higher than the ground clearance under my tractor. (I've never actually measured it, but looking down from the tractor seat, it sure looks lenty high off the ground.)

In all of my 12 or so years of logging with this winch, only once have I found myself in a position where having a hinged blade would have made any difference to me. In that case, I was straddling a stump. The belly pan on the tractor cleared easily, but before the blade on the winch cleared, the front wheels started up a rise, thus lowering the blade enough to catch the stump. Even that turned out to be a non-issue: I just backed up and went around the stump, rather than over it.

[thecfarm]

The hinged butt plates works so I can also use the hitch under the tractor too. Yes you have the clearance, but if the front goes up, over a rock or a small rise, the back goes down, as you found out. I can hear that butt plate come back down when I straddle a rock. This was not a selling point when we brought it, the height of the pulley was. We was hauling out pine 3 feet across and even had some pushing 4 feet. Some of the pulleys was only 3 feet off the ground.

[FTD]

Tin Horse,
You are correct about Stewardship Supplies.  It is Greg who goes by APM.  He doesn't sell direct anymore.  

cfarm and John Mc,

I think you guys summed up the hinged butt plate discussion.  Neither is better or worse. Both have advantages and disadvantages.  It's about what best fits your needs.  Sometime the deciding factor is another feature of the winch such as pulley height or need for a receiver. That's why they make chocolate and vanilla.  

Choc IS better though... 

[mitchstockdale]

@FTD 

Did you end up getting your Fransgard winch yet?

[FTD]

Sort of.  It arrived at the dealer a few weeks ago and was scratched up.  The salesman thinking I would want a shiny unscratched one, he was correct, asked if they would knock anything off the price.  They wouldn't so he let them haul it back to the warehouse.  The new one is due in a week.  I would t be surprised if it also arrived scratched!  :D

My Stewardship Suppliers self releasing snatch block is due here today.  $275 on sale!   I got the red, Scott has orange now also. 

[FTD]

 



8)

[47sawdust]

 

 

Adapted so the tow strap can be separate from the snatch block.Easier to put the strap on the tree w/o the extra weight of the s/b.Original idea pirated from gman.Works great.

[FTD]

Neat!

[PoginyHill]

I know I'm late to the game, but thought I'd add my 2¢. I recently bought a Wallenstein FX-110. Does not have a hinged blade. There have been times when that would be nice - have dragged on a stump or rock more than once. Also, I prefer to haul logs on the cable rather than hook them on the blade.
Regarding snatch-blocks. I have a self releasing one, identical to the ones pictured. In most cases I would just as soon have a non-releasing type. Generally I want to disconnect the block before the log reaches it, and on several occasions, the cable has come out while the cable is pulled taught. Self-releasing types are very expensive compared to a non-release type.

 

[FTD]

PoginyHill,

Have you tried tightening the castle nut on the retainer?  Mine is spring loaded. Maybe a little more tension will keep it from releasing early?

[John Mc]

8)

You'll want to add the little bit of steel rod to prevent the cable from getting pulled down behind the pulley. (You can see it if you look closely at 47Sawdust's picture, right under the latch mechanism)

I have two self-releasing snatch blocks, one like yours (made by APM back when he was selling them directly to FF members), and another I purchased from Labonville years ago. It's rare that I would actually need two. I could not imagine using a logging winch in my woods without at least one. A fair percentage of the time I'm winching any distance, I've got a dogleg in the pull. It would be a pain to have to walk out and unhook it from the block each time.

[FTD]

I haven't even got my winch yet never mind used it, but here goes.  

Have you guys tried setting up your snatch block so the small outer diam of the pulley is facing down?  Not sure if it's even possible to get it to stay that way for a full pull. 

I'm thinking if you did that it would release rather than jamming under the pulley.  Still not ideal, but better. 

This all sounds good on paper.  In reality, I am talking out the wrong orifice, so take it for what it's worth. 

[mitchstockdale]

Sort of.  It arrived at the dealer a few weeks ago and was scratched up.  The salesman thinking I would want a shiny unscratched one, he was correct, asked if they would knock anything off the price.  They wouldn't so he let them haul it back to the warehouse.  The new one is due in a week.  I would t be surprised if it also arrived scratched!  :D

My Stewardship Suppliers self releasing snatch block is due here today.  $275 on sale!   I got the red, Scott has orange now also.

Yes sir..thats disappointing, odd they wouldn't give you a discount I guess they like paying freight  .  I was pickin up some choker hooks the other day and they were unloading a brand new Norse winch looked sooo nice and shiny.  I ended up picking up a used winch a couple weeks ago.  
Those self releasing blocks are nice hope you get the use out of it .

[PoginyHill]

PoginyHill,

Have you tried tightening the castle nut on the retainer?  Mine is spring loaded. Maybe a little more tension will keep it from releasing early?

FTD,
I have not, but will give it a try. Thanks.

[PoginyHill]

I haven't even got my winch yet never mind used it, but here goes.  

Have you guys tried setting up your snatch block so the small outer diam of the pulley is facing down?  Not sure if it's even possible to get it to stay that way for a full pull.

I'm thinking if you did that it would release rather than jamming under the pulley.  Still not ideal, but better.

This all sounds good on paper.  In reality, I am talking out the wrong orifice, so take it for what it's worth.

Yes, I normally arrange mine with clip and pulley facing downward. Less likely for cable to slip out before full tension is applied.

[John Mc]

I haven't even got my winch yet never mind used it, but here goes.  

Have you guys tried setting up your snatch block so the small outer diam of the pulley is facing down?  Not sure if it's even possible to get it to stay that way for a full pull.

I'm thinking if you did that it would release rather than jamming under the pulley.  Still not ideal, but better.

This all sounds good on paper.  In reality, I am talking out the wrong orifice, so take it for what it's worth.

Mine was facing down when the cable jammed. "Shtuff" happens sometimes. That little bit of rod is a worthwhile addition to that style of block. It acts as a deflector, keeping the cable out. I would not have thought it possible for the cable to get in there in the first place (3/8" cable jamming into a much smaller gap). It did, and I put a huge, nasty kink right in the middle of my 230' cable. Broken strands and the sharp kink made it unusable. Since it was right in the middle, just cutting off the bad end was not an option. (It's a swaged cable as well, so more expensive than an unswaged one. It cost more than my self-releasing snatch block.)
My other block has a different design on the trigger/release mechanism, which keeps the cable out of that area:
  

[g_man]

I know I'm late to the game, but thought I'd add my 2¢. I recently bought a Wallenstein FX-110. Does not have a hinged blade. There have been times when that would be nice - have dragged on a stump or rock more than once. Also, I prefer to haul logs on the cable rather than hook them on the blade.
Regarding snatch-blocks. I have a self releasing one, identical to the ones pictured. In most cases I would just as soon have a non-releasing type. Generally I want to disconnect the block before the log reaches it, and on several occasions, the cable has come out while the cable is pulled taught. Self-releasing types are very expensive compared to a non-release type.

Nice hitch there PoginyHill and welcome to the Foram. I am trying to understand how your cable can jump out of the sheave when it is under tension. When under tension the groove in the sheave holds the cable in place not the trigger lever. The trigger lever is only helpful when the cable is slack. The only time mine has released early is when an empty slider slid down the cable into the snatch block and tripped it. But usually I put the first log in the top slider so that can't happen because all the free sliders are behind it. I do it that way so that I can stop the pull or drop the hitch and then pull out more cable and sliders to hook another log. Every additional log goes on the top most free slider. That way I can keep pulling cable and hooking logs until all the sliders are full. It also lets me lift the hitch up closer to the lower pulley when I set the brake for the skid out because there are no empty sliders on top.
I always use the self release block even if I don't self release it. It is easier and quicker to set up than a standard block especially if you put one of those  Pinocchio noses on it that 47SawDust shows.
gg

[PoginyHill]

Should have been more clear g_man. It will often trip as I'm pulling it taught. Not after all slack has been taken up. Particularly if the line is bouncing a bit.

[g_man]

Ahh OK that makes more sense.  That sounds like the cable may be dragging across the release  lever as it is tightened and that is enough to pull the release aside ???  So tightening the castle nut on the release as suggested may help as well as hanging it so it runs sheave down. That way the cable will be less apt to drag on the lever as you tension it. Sheave down is the proper way and you already do that I guess.

gg

[FTD]

 

 

 



Got it home today.  Now I am searching for R1 or R4 takeoffs.  Hopefully, R1. 

[John Mc]

Nice! Now the fun begins.

[thecfarm]

That looks nice!!! You will like it.
R1-R4 tires? I myself would run what you have until they break down or get a hole in one. Those tires might surprise you how long they will last. 8 plys will really last, that is what I run.

[bulldozerjoe]

 

 



Got it home today.  Now I am searching for R1 or R4 takeoffs.  Hopefully, R1.

Iv got the 4000 model, love it.. 

[bulldozerjoe]

I cut the metal mesh guard off, It kept catching branches... seemed like more of a hazard to me... 

[FTD]

cfarm- that is definitely the plan for now, "run what you brung". Looking for some take off wheels and tires to swap back and forth.  I do over 90% of my work on grass, gravel, or pavement and these tires are great for that. Seen some deals, but nothing that will fit. 

Bulldozerjoe- I'll run it and see what happens. 

Thanks to all for the kind words about the new toy!