A winch for getting firewood

[ropensaddle]

Come on rope, you know better than that if you'll think about it.
If speed increases, and all other elements stay the same, power has to decrease.
If you have two old Ford pickups (I know you like old Ford's ), both with 390 cu. in. engines, both with granny 4 speeds, but one has a 3:73 differental, and the other has a 4:56 differental. Which one has the most pulling power? They both have the same hp at the back of the engine. They both have the same hp at the back of the transmission. But at the ground (where it counts) the 4:56 will have more power. It won't go as fast, but it will have more power. If you're not noticing it, then you're not loading your winch.

I can notice it on this one, but not when it's not loaded.

Andy

Lmao I really don't notice what I have hooked too has always came to me or the 21000 lb truck skids across the dirt. I have never stalled it,broke yes one time the cable trying to fish a 36" log and a 20' root ball out of a creek. He had a dozer try to pull it out, I did more than the dozer could and if I had a new cable it would have came but the cable was kinked before I bought the truck and finally gave way. I get the power thing though and suppose on electric and hydraulic winches it factors in more.

 

[redprospector]

Lmao I really don't notice what I have hooked too has always came to me or the 21000 lb truck skids across the dirt. I have never stalled it,broke yes one time the cable trying to fish a 36" log and a 20' root ball out of a creek. He had a dozer try to pull it out, I did more than the dozer could and if I had a new cable it would have came but the cable was kinked before I bought the truck and finally gave way. I get the power thing though and suppose on electric and hydraulic winches it factors in more.

It factors in the same on all of them, it's the law of physics.

Andy

 

[ropensaddle]

It factors in the same on all of them, it's the law of physics.

Andy

Physics hmm Hydraulic will stall, electric will stall, pto will not stall is why I don't notice any difference.

 

[pioneerguy600]

Once you get a winch or decide what other options you will try,make yourself a skid plate for the log. Just a piece of 3/16'' plate will work great that is big enough to cover the log, for me I made mine 20'' wide also bend it so you have no sharp corners rather than weld it so it is L shaped drill a bunch of 3/16th'' holes so you can attach it to the log with a few nails. It will slide over the ground much better that way with out the log digging in.I just slip my choker chain behind it and hit the remote for the winch or I just hook up a cable to my hitch and drive away.
I have to build a new one as mine got stolen out of the back of the truck scape is worth too much these day's to Crack heads.

A skidder cone will also accomplish the same thing, the cable just runs through the middle of the cone and the cone can be slipped up the cable for attaching the cable to the log, the cone slips back down when the cable is wound/pulled in and the tree slides inside the big end of the cone without effort. These cones keep the trunk from digging in or fetching behind most anything. If you use the Klope type snatch blocks you can attach a fitting on the pull cable that automatically opens the snatch block releasing the cable just before the cone/log reaches the snatch block and then the cone/log will change direction toward the next center of pull.
Pioneerguy600

 

[WidowMaker]

A skidder cone will also accomplish the same thing, the cable just runs through the middle of the cone and the cone can be slipped up the cable for attaching the cable to the log, the cone slips back down when the cable is wound/pulled in and the tree slides inside the big end of the cone without effort. These cones keep the trunk from digging in or fetching behind most anything. If you use the Klope type snatch blocks you can attach a fitting on the pull cable that automatically opens the snatch block releasing the cable just before the cone/log reaches the snatch block and then the cone/log will change direction toward the next center of pull.
Pioneerguy600

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Pioneerguy600
can you post a picture or a link to these as I can't seem to find anything on the net...TIA

 

[WidowMaker]

Physics hmm Hydraulic will stall, electric will stall, pto will not stall is why I don't notice any difference.

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PTO winches stall by killing the power source(engine) or breaking something in the power train or the cable...same differance...it quits pulling

 

[ropensaddle]

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PTO winches stall by killing the power source(engine) or breaking something in the power train or the cable...same differance...it quits pulling

Lol Ok if you say so, I have seen hydraulic winches on big trucks fail to get them unstuck from stalling. I have never seen my winch do that. I have broken a ujoint but it was already sloppy. In my set up something will break or it will move either the truck or the object, not stall. I would rather it do that than to stall trying to get me unstuck, been there with hydraulics. I have never had my pto fail to pull my 21000 lb truck out of the muck. The two times it broke were; skidding and pulling a large stump out of the ground! It is not going to break my drivetrain it will be cable or joint failure and I can live with that to have adequate pull.

 

[redprospector]

Ok rope,
A PTO winch is far superior to a hydraulic, or electric winch, I'll give you that one. But that wasn't what this discussion was about.
A winch, reguardless if it's PTO, hydraulic, or electric, will loose pulling power as you add layers of cable to the drum.
I now also know that your equipment is far superior to anything anyone here has ever operated. Your winch is so good that it defies physics....................and logic.
So go ahead and keep thinking whatever you want to think.

Andy

 

[ropensaddle]

Ok rope,
A PTO winch is far superior to a hydraulic, or electric winch, I'll give you that one. But that wasn't what this discussion was about.
A winch, reguardless if it's PTO, hydraulic, or electric, will loose pulling power as you add layers of cable to the drum.
I now also know that your equipment is far superior to anything anyone here has ever operated. Your winch is so good that it defies physics....................and logic.
So go ahead and keep thinking whatever you want to think.

Andy

Lmao I thought we were supposed to be talking about the best way of winching logs outta the woods I just had to answer my findings about differences I have experienced in two of the several set ups. I have already told the op a tow cable, sling , or draft horse is probably his cheapest alternative to his plight. I really do wish I could demo it for you red so you could tell me when it is losing power:monkey:

 

[stackwood]

hey I have a f250 and f150, I had 12 acres of land to clear and keep the wood also. One side was a swamp the other a steep hill incline . solution 1 extra 5 lug f150 rim 1 snatch block and 250ft 3/16 air craft cable , I drilled a hole into the rim attached the cable , tow strap to a tree with the snatch block ,aim the rim at snatch block , back truck up against the tree , jack up the truck take tire off attach modded rim and cable run your cable out attach snag line to felled tree's have friend put into low and woola those logs will come in fast.

 

[ridgerunner97]

I forgot about that lol!!! Rep Sent! Back in the day haha im one to be talking as a young guy on here anyhow, before any of us were born, they used that method to winch the first cars where they couldn't drive, they had windlass drums pretty much mounted to the drive rims all the time. Take a few turns with a stout rope and away she went lol. Worked well, i saw pics and footage on a history channel program. Pretty kick ass until the driver freaked out or lost control and forgot to push the clutch haha. Skidding that way could be dangerous if there was a lack of communication between rigger and truck operator, radio communication would be necessary, not an option. Keep it safe workin like that. I may try that over my buddies house, bout a cliff, with a 4'dbh oak in the bottom that fell over. Still trying to figure a way to skid it up, we don't have access to a winch we might try that.

 

[ropensaddle]

hey I have a f250 and f150, I had 12 acres of land to clear and keep the wood also. One side was a swamp the other a steep hill incline . solution 1 extra 5 lug f150 rim 1 snatch block and 250ft 3/16 air craft cable , I drilled a hole into the rim attached the cable , tow strap to a tree with the snatch block ,aim the rim at snatch block , back truck up against the tree , jack up the truck take tire off attach modded rim and cable run your cable out attach snag line to felled tree's have friend put into low and woola those logs will come in fast.

Yup I mentioned rear end winch in the first pages, pulp truck can be made fro them too!

 

[stackwood]

Yup I mentioned rear end winch in the first pages, pulp truck can be made fro them too!

I skiddin logs tommarow , I'll take some pics and maybe a vid and post on youtube.

 

[MontanaMan]

hey I have a f250 and f150, I had 12 acres of land to clear and keep the wood also. One side was a swamp the other a steep hill incline . solution 1 extra 5 lug f150 rim 1 snatch block and 250ft 3/16 air craft cable , I drilled a hole into the rim attached the cable , tow strap to a tree with the snatch block ,aim the rim at snatch block , back truck up against the tree , jack up the truck take tire off attach modded rim and cable run your cable out attach snag line to felled tree's have friend put into low and woola those logs will come in fast.

Yeah ... that's a great solution for a situation like yours. I think that would be good for removing a lot of trees from one location, but for getting one log at a time, that's a lot of extra work to jack up truck, swap wheels, pull in log, swap wheels, let down truck.

The more I think about it tho ... that idea could be modified for more frequent use. If you could figure out a way to attach a more permanent roller drum outside the truck wheel, then use a quick jack to lift the wheel, you'd be in business. So basically, you'd attach the drum to your rear wheel, go out getting firewood all day, then take it off when you get back home. You could even attach it with 3 bolts, instead of five. Or on an 8-bolt rim, use 2 or 4 bolts.

Or how about you put bolt extenders on your lug bolts ... then attach an extra rim from a scrap yard on those extended bolts? So you'd have your tire rim and the extra (winch) rim attached at the same time. The winch rim would be snugged up against your tire rim, which would give it extra stability. Would be pretty fast setup.

And the end result would be a very fast and powerful winch. And when you get home, take off the extra rim, take off the bolt extenders, and you're done.

Nothin' like a little redneck engineering when you need it!!