Anybody have or used one of those gas powered rope caspian winch???
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Pelorus
Uva uvam vivendo varia fit
Yup. The chainsaw-powerhead powered one (Baileys/Madsens) is light and quick to set up. Throw a strap or the light cable it comes equipped with around a tree, clip into it, and you are good to go. Downside is: 1. if you use a saw with too much power, eg. a 044 / 440 etc, you bust the winch. (been there, done that) 2. winch is chain-driven = bar oil = a bit messy.
The Honda engne winch has more power, is quieter, no bar oil, heavier, takes more time to set up with optional tree mount, and is considerably more expensive. 4-stroke engine has an automatic shut-off if run at too great an angle.
Both of them can chew up/mangle a rope if you aren't paying attention and let extra wraps develop.
For small jobs the chainsaw one is OK, but if you are going to run it for an extended period on a job, eg. multiple trees, I prefer to take the time to set up the Portable Winch Honda one.
The Honda engne winch has more power, is quieter, no bar oil, heavier, takes more time to set up with optional tree mount, and is considerably more expensive. 4-stroke engine has an automatic shut-off if run at too great an angle.
Both of them can chew up/mangle a rope if you aren't paying attention and let extra wraps develop.
For small jobs the chainsaw one is OK, but if you are going to run it for an extended period on a job, eg. multiple trees, I prefer to take the time to set up the Portable Winch Honda one.
darkbyrd
Forest Hugger
I've used the Portable Winch. Highly recommended if you got the cheddar. Word of warning, it will burn up a rope. If it is not pulling, figure something else out. A smaller piece, or a pulley higher up to give the log some lift usually does the trick.
KiwiBro
Mill 'em, nails be damned.
Looked at these recently, couldn't find the $, didn't like the sloooooow pull speed (even with the bigger drum that's optional on the 'portable winch' brand) for the low-load application I had in mind. Simpson has a cheaper Honda powered option than portable winch but I didn't get around for comparing the two's features.
darkbyrd
Forest Hugger
It is slow. But it is faster than bucking and carrying, or a wheelbarrow. Not as fast as bucking and tossing down the hill though, It is heavy, and requires a gear bag almost as heavy. But when you need it, you'll be glad you have it.
KiwiBro
Mill 'em, nails be damned.
Amen to that. Portable winch also have a self-releasing block that's priced well (but lacking a spring loaded latch to catch slack line) but nowhere can I find advice as to it's rating. Have asked them directly via email.
darkbyrd
Forest Hugger
If you plan on skidding logs, I recommend the skidding cone. Or make one yourself. It makes the job much easier.
My gear bag with the portable winch:
150' or so of 1/2" retired climbing rope, with a hook attached to one end (for the skidding cone chain)
several snatch blocks, one double snatch block (for rigging a block and tackle for a real heavy pull or snagged tree)
Several slings of different sizes and strengths
Monkey fist
Bunch of links (and a crescent wrench to get them open again after they have been loaded!)
Not in the bag:
Cant hook
Skidding cone
Winch
Saw
Log chain if I am going with the tractor
My gear bag with the portable winch:
150' or so of 1/2" retired climbing rope, with a hook attached to one end (for the skidding cone chain)
several snatch blocks, one double snatch block (for rigging a block and tackle for a real heavy pull or snagged tree)
Several slings of different sizes and strengths
Monkey fist
Bunch of links (and a crescent wrench to get them open again after they have been loaded!)
Not in the bag:
Cant hook
Skidding cone
Winch
Saw
Log chain if I am going with the tractor
Pelorus
Uva uvam vivendo varia fit
I think the optional larger drum gives a line speed of around 60 ft/minute. Not a blistering pace, but a heck of a lot quicker than what an electric winch will deliver. Even just for gettin' my truck unstuck, the smaller drum (40 ft/min) has been a real blessing. Light years improvement over using a come-a-long, or slugging wood uphill manually with a tired body & a couple of rebellious slaves.
As far as the price goes, you get what you pay for. I don't run Poulans or Craftsman chainsaws. I may not like the price sticker on quality gear, but it pays for itself in production, reliabilty, parts & service. I've had that Portable Winch sit for months, and then start on the first pull of the starter rope. Certainly a piece of equipment that I have never regretted purchasing.
darkbyrd
Forest Hugger
I agree. When it comes to boots I am the same way. A good pair for $150, or crap 3 times at $50/pop. The Portable Winch has been nothing if not reliable.
One caveat: The hooks on the winch itself, the small nut on the little bolt that holds the hook to the winch body itself, came off in the field (and of course was lost). I put loctite on them, just to make sure it didn't happen again.
One caveat: The hooks on the winch itself, the small nut on the little bolt that holds the hook to the winch body itself, came off in the field (and of course was lost). I put loctite on them, just to make sure it didn't happen again.
Pelorus
Uva uvam vivendo varia fit
A couple of years ago, MileMarker used to carry several different models of fairly inexpensive Honda powered hydraulic cable winches. They were quite heavy, but had excellent speed & pulling power. Never got around to getting one of them, and am sorry to see that they aren't available anymore on their website.
Portable Winch has a clutch model available which is about 2X the price of their standard model. Designed for overhead lifting / rescue applications. Would be nice to have that drum not turn sometimes. Letting the rope slip heats things up quick (destroys rope), and you really need the extra wraps if pulling something heavy.
Portable Winch has a clutch model available which is about 2X the price of their standard model. Designed for overhead lifting / rescue applications. Would be nice to have that drum not turn sometimes. Letting the rope slip heats things up quick (destroys rope), and you really need the extra wraps if pulling something heavy.
darkbyrd
Forest Hugger
I burnt and broke a good one trying to pull a tractor out of a branch. Even with a 3:1 block set up. Learned my lesson! I bet the clutch costs as much as the first rope you burn!
I always do 3 wraps, and if it slips, I make the load easier some way. Still got a few small burns though. But that is the skidding only rope, and it has worse than a few melted spots on it
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KiwiBro
Mill 'em, nails be damned.
Have you, or has anyone, done a side by side comparison between the 'Simpson' and 'Portable Winch' portable capstan winches? It would be great to read if so.
The phrase "you get what you pay for" is too often, unfortunately, delivered these days to a market conditioned to blindly accepting price as the overriding indicator of quality. In most cases that's probably OK, but when closed minds and open wallets meet marketeers, it's a recipe for unnecessary fleecing of the sheeple.
I've always tried to judge a product on it's merits and the people standing behind it. So have not written off the cheaper Simpson and won't until researching a little more what owners think of it and whether anyone's done some direct comparisons between the products. There may be plenty of reasons why the more expensive brand is better. Do you know of any?
As it is, I cant afford either. :frown:
Pelorus
Uva uvam vivendo varia fit
I own both. I actually have 3 of the older Simpson winches (2 are broken.) that bolt on to a chaisaw powerhead with 3/8 pitch sprocket. At a price point roughly 1/3 the cost of Portable Winch Co.'s model, they are/were OK. Problems resulted from using powerheads with too much torque. Also, the gearbox on the Simpson model is considerably smaller than Portable Winch, which translates into a lot more heat when using for extended periods. Use one continually for 15 minutes and you can get the cutterless chain to smoke even though it is gettig lots of bar oil.
I have to disagree with the price vs quality point you have made. Believe me, a lot of soul searching and angst takes place when I drop many hundreds or thousands of $$$ on equipment purchases. The Simpson capstan used to also be offered with a small 2-stroke engine (Tecumseh?) I know a fellow arborist who used one for years untill it wore out and he replaced it with a Portable Winch. I'm not sure what the current price of the Simpson is, but if equipped withy a Honda, I doubt the price of a Simpson vs Portable would be that far apart.
Finally, if a piece of equipment will let me get a job done efficiently, and prolong the productive working career of this tired guy, the $$$ spent buying it are well spent. I choose to spend less in other areas (home renovations, clothes, food, entertainment), but the gear and rigging has gotta be top notch. Cheers.
KiwiBro
Mill 'em, nails be damned.
So, not the current models?
Perhaps we should agree to disagree about the wisdom of using price as the sole or even leading indicator of quality.
Both using Honda yet around a $450 difference, which leads me to wonder where those differences lay and if there is any comparative review of the current models offered by these brands. Such a review would make for a better informed buying decision, me thinks.
Pelorus
Uva uvam vivendo varia fit
Kiwibro: Having looked at the current model specs and photos, I see little difference between the old and the new, thanks. In addition, note the difference in the fairlead system on Simpson vs Portable Winch. May seem minor, but the sharp point on the Simpson has destroyed more than on, even though I rounded it over with a file. I am guilty of using 1/2" rope on the Simpson as I don't use 3/8" or smaller ropes as recommended by Simpson. Smaller rope is gonna generally translate into either less strength, or a much higher price to effect an equivalent strength rating of a larger dia. rope. I am concerned that using a lower strength rated 5/16" or 3/8" rope and exerting a 2000 lb. pull on it is getting dicey. I have had ropes break before under load when using both products.
The roller fairlead system on the Portable Wich is more rope -friendly. It is designed to use 1/2" rope, and easily accomodates 9/16" which I use sometimes. Pulling power is 500 lb higher on the Portable Winch.
Another thing to consider is how the winch is gonna be anchored. Portable Winch has various vehicle & tree mount options, which I didn't see on Simpson's website. The nice thing about the Simpson shainsaw powered models is that they are very quick to set up and use. However, unless you are gonna devise some way (using additional pulley block?) to keep their newer Honda wiinch reasonably level, it will be disapointing, imo.
Does any of this translate into justifying a $450 price difference, or whether either product is worth the beans? To me, yes, but I prefer running Stihl saws and paying more for them. If saving coin is the main criteria in a decision making process, then by all means use a herd of green and purple Wild Things for the same price that a quality Stihl or Husky is gonna cost. They all cut wood, don't they?
The roller fairlead system on the Portable Wich is more rope -friendly. It is designed to use 1/2" rope, and easily accomodates 9/16" which I use sometimes. Pulling power is 500 lb higher on the Portable Winch.
Another thing to consider is how the winch is gonna be anchored. Portable Winch has various vehicle & tree mount options, which I didn't see on Simpson's website. The nice thing about the Simpson shainsaw powered models is that they are very quick to set up and use. However, unless you are gonna devise some way (using additional pulley block?) to keep their newer Honda wiinch reasonably level, it will be disapointing, imo.
Does any of this translate into justifying a $450 price difference, or whether either product is worth the beans? To me, yes, but I prefer running Stihl saws and paying more for them. If saving coin is the main criteria in a decision making process, then by all means use a herd of green and purple Wild Things for the same price that a quality Stihl or Husky is gonna cost. They all cut wood, don't they?
TWO year old thread....
Is Westcoast winch a sponsor here ?
I have one for sale on Craig's list, if you are still looking. http://kansascity.craigslist.org/tls/4652108838.html
The last 85' of cable are pristine; like new.
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