Winch recomendations

[CTFER62]

Central Mainer here. I am new to this forum. I have 50 acres I currently use for my firewood. Getting older now and looking for recommendations on a logging winch for my 30hp New Holland tractor. Any recommendations you have and why would be appreciated.

[GAB]

Central Mainer here. I am new to this forum. I have 50 acres I currently use for my firewood. Getting older now and looking for recommendations on a logging winch for my 30hp New Holland tractor. Any recommendations you have and why would be appreciated.

I have a JD950 which I think is roughly the same HP as your tractor.
I purchased a Fransgard 350? and the two work very well together.
There have been ocassions where I will backup to either a tree or a large rock
to minimize the strain on the tractor brakes when pulling a heavy load.
As an FYI; I used mine yesterday to unload 3 logs from a trailer that the owner wanted sawed.
Before you go looking for a winch measure how wide your 3 pth arms can go as that
may limit the size of winch you can purchase.  It limited me as I wanted a larger one.
Good luck
GAB

[DanielW]

You can't go wrong with any of the big names: Wallenstein, Fransgard, Farmi, etc. But for 50 acres and a 30 HP tractor you probably don't need to break the bank on a winch with every bell and whistle you could imagine, nor could a 30 HP tractor handle an uber-heavy winch. You pay a lot of money for the big brand names, much of which is just for the name and nothing else.

Although I use a Wallenstein and love it, I'd be tempted to check out the Balfor (Made in Italy) and Krpan (made in Slovenia) winches: I've been around and worked with several of them. A neighbour has a Krpan and loves it, and after seeing the Balfor ones I recommended them to one of my uncles, who bought one and also loves it. I think they're probably as good as anything out there - especially for a smaller 50 acre/30 HP operation. Their smaller models are also built heavy where they need to be, but with no unnecessary bells and whistles that add extra weight you don't want. With a smaller 30 HP tractor, you don't want a winch so heavy that it's all the tractor can do to pick it up, and won't be able to handle the additional load of the log butts chained to it. The prices for the Balfor and Krpan ones are much less than the really popular names, and both companies have been around long enough that they have an established reputation, a good dealer network, and readily available spare parts.

I would think something like the Balfor 3.5 ton winch would be perfect for your operation. Use some of the money saved by not going with one of the bigger name to buy some self-releasing snatch blocks and you'll be away to the races.

[g_man]

I have ran an L3010 30 hp tractor with a Farmi JL290 winch in the woods for over 20 years. The 290 is a 6400 lb pull winch and my tractor with loaded tires, loader, winch, and chains weighs about 5000 lbs. To me you want a winch that does not over size your tractor. The smaller the better on a 30 hp tractor. A bigger winch will just limit your maneuverability and reduce your ground clearance in the woods with nothing to be gained. If you put an 8 or 10,000 lb winch on a 30 hp tractor it will not pull any more than a 6000 lb winch because the tractor does not have enough torque. The label on the winch does not determine what it will pull. It is the tractor horse power that determines that. The label just tells you where the clutch slips if you have enough torque to get that much pull. Make sure the winch fits - lower lift arms and pto drive line height.

To me this is a good fit.




   


A 6000 lb winch will do every thing you need it to on a 30 hp tractor.




 


just my 2 cents.

gg

[47sawdust]

g man, I think your experience is worth a lot more than 2 cents.

The 290 is a great winch.

[NE Woodburner]

Probably can't go wrong with any of the 3ph logging winches out there. As stated in another thread, almost no one who buys any brand has many complaints. I have a Norse 450 on a 45 Hp tractor. The 350 would probably be a nice match with yours. Igland and Norse are basically the same winch with a different nameplate.

[Woodfarmer]

My vote is a Farmi

[thecfarm]

That Norse-Igland has a butt plate that pivots. It can lock in place too. They have a higher  top pulley then other brands. But with a 30hp tractor that is not a big concern to you.
They also have boxes for the chains.

The below is a real nice thread on how to use a 3 pt winch.

Read it, you will learn a lot.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=109423.0

Welcome to the forum!!!

[Dan_Shade]

We picked up a uniforest 55M this past summer, haven't used it a lot, but so far, so good.

[Greenie]

I have a JD 790 30 HP tractor. Two years ago I bought a Craigs List Fransgard (7,000 lb pull) which I'm happy with. Part of the prop shaft is stuck on the winch stub - I assume the previous owner boogered up the end of the winch shaft stub by running the winch raised too high (or maybe too low) which allowed the U-joint cross to burr up the stub end... if that makes sense. I was able to find a shaft with the same internal design that matched up with the half that was stuck on the winch so it runs OK now.
One important first time install suggestion is to make sure the prop shaft isn't fully collapsed when on the tractor or shocks from logs hitting it will damage parts inside the tractor's rear end. You probably can guess  how I know.....
I cut 4-5 cords of firewood per year 22" long - the Supersplit will take 24" but if the log fills the Supersplit's capacity it will chatter when I try to split the piece. I pull the entire tree out and have a burn pile in the yard for the brush rather than leaving it in the woods. I don't mess with large trees that I'll risk rupture placing the log on the splitter.
When I first bought the used winch it didn't pull well but the adjustment is very easy and doesn't need readustments hardly at all.  For me at 70 years of age the winch was a Godsend. Very few trees I cut in the woods fall to the ground without the crown hanging up. Now I just drop the tree, stumps low, and pull it out and down. For trees that lean toward the tractor (most of them seem to) I use a snatch block to tip them away from the tractor rather than goof around with felling wedges. In the yard I raise the tree up (winch in and raised) and block up the tree I'm about to cut into 22" logs - it saves my back and the chain.
Hooking up the winch (I lean it against a tree) can take 5 minutes or an hour; getting the 3 point lift arms centered in the winch isn't always easy and sometime the winch is frozen in the gravel ruling out moving it to align with the tractor. I'd keep the winch on except I have a PTO generator for power outages and haven't welded a trailer hitch on the winch yet. When the winch is on it makes a perfect counterweight for safe 2 wheel drive operation with the FEL bucket rounded with gravel.
Sorry for being windy here - these are random thoughts about tractor winches.

[47sawdust]

Greenie,
Excellent advice on the length of the pto shaft.

[CTFER62]

I have a JD 790 30 HP tractor. Two years ago I bought a Craigs List Fransgard (7,000 lb pull) which I'm happy with. Part of the prop shaft is stuck on the winch stub - I assume the previous owner boogered up the end of the winch shaft stub by running the winch raised too high (or maybe too low) which allowed the U-joint cross to burr up the stub end... if that makes sense. I was able to find a shaft with the same internal design that matched up with the half that was stuck on the winch so it runs OK now.
One important first time install suggestion is to make sure the prop shaft isn't fully collapsed when on the tractor or shocks from logs hitting it will damage parts inside the tractor's rear end. You probably can guess  how I know.....
I cut 4-5 cords of firewood per year 22" long - the Supersplit will take 24" but if the log fills the Supersplit's capacity it will chatter when I try to split the piece. I pull the entire tree out and have a burn pile in the yard for the brush rather than leaving it in the woods. I don't mess with large trees that I'll risk rupture placing the log on the splitter.
When I first bought the used winch it didn't pull well but the adjustment is very easy and doesn't need readustments hardly at all.  For me at 70 years of age the winch was a Godsend. Very few trees I cut in the woods fall to the ground without the crown hanging up. Now I just drop the tree, stumps low, and pull it out and down. For trees that lean toward the tractor (most of them seem to) I use a snatch block to tip them away from the tractor rather than goof around with felling wedges. In the yard I raise the tree up (winch in and raised) and block up the tree I'm about to cut into 22" logs - it saves my back and the chain.
Hooking up the winch (I lean it against a tree) can take 5 minutes or an hour; getting the 3 point lift arms centered in the winch isn't always easy and sometime the winch is frozen in the gravel ruling out moving it to align with the tractor. I'd keep the winch on except I have a PTO generator for power outages and haven't welded a trailer hitch on the winch yet. When the winch is on it makes a perfect counterweight for safe 2 wheel drive operation with the FEL bucket rounded with gravel.
Sorry for being windy here - these are random thoughts about tractor winches.

Thanks for the info and I appreciate your reaponse. As I approach retirement I too cannot do what I used to thus the winch consideration.

[CTFER62]

Central Mainer here. I am new to this forum. I have 50 acres I currently use for my firewood. Getting older now and looking for recommendations on a logging winch for my 30hp New Holland tractor. Any recommendations you have and why would be appreciated.

I have a JD950 which I think is roughly the same HP as your tractor.
I purchased a Fransgard 350? and the two work very well together.
There have been ocassions where I will backup to either a tree or a large rock
to minimize the strain on the tractor brakes when pulling a heavy load.
As an FYI; I used mine yesterday to unload 3 logs from a trailer that the owner wanted sawed.
Before you go looking for a winch measure how wide your 3 pth arms can go as that
may limit the size of winch you can purchase.  It limited me as I wanted a larger one.
Good luck
GAB

I am actually considering the 3521 by Fansgard. THanks!

[CTFER62]

That Norse-Igland has a butt plate that pivots. It can lock in place too. They have a higher  top pulley then other brands. But with a 30hp tractor that is not a big concern to you.
They also have boxes for the chains.

The below is a real nice thread on how to use a 3 pt winch.

Read it, you will learn a lot.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=109423.0

Welcome to the forum!!!

Thanks very much!

[CTFER62]

We picked up a uniforest 55M this past summer, haven't used it a lot, but so far, so good.

The 35M is one I would really like to own and seems like a great product. Thanks for your reply!

[Ed_K]

 If you have a little extra $ get a remote control for the winch. You will thank yourself many time over.

[47sawdust]

I second what Ed said.
My Krpan has wireless remote as well as hydraulic outfield.
I probably wouldn't be in the woods at my age w/o them.
But it is a lot of money and too big a winch for the OP 's tractor.

[John Mc]

I have a Uniforest 35E on my New Holland TC33D (33 HP). It's rated at 7700# pull. I've found it a good match for the tractor. (My tractor is carrying some extra weight with filled rear tires, belly pan, and loader, which helps keep it planted when winching.) The 35E is the predecessor to the 35M. The M had some design improvements.

I was debating between the Uniforest and the Farmi 351. (I also considered Fransgard, Norse, and Tajfun winches, but no one around here had them at the time I was shopping.) I went with the Uniforest due to it's lower price. I've been happy with it.