Looking for some winch info

[Dustyw]

So I'm getting back to my homemade skidder build finally. I found an old wrecker boom and winch for sale, but can't find out any info on it. Anyone have any ideas? Says it's a Barrett craves model E11-131 and can't find crap about it on the internet.

 

[Streblerm]

My guess is the winch was repurposed from some other piece of machinery and the wrecker boom is more homemade. Maybe some kind of crane? Cable shovel or dragline maybe?

 

[Dustyw]

Ya that's what I was thinking too. I can't even tell where the winches input shaft is. I have no idea of how much it would pull or the line speed either. Without buying and getting it going I may never know . Maybe I should pass on it?

 

[Streblerm]

It is cool looking and if the price was right I would have a hard time passing it up. Hard to say if it could be useful for your needs, or even functional.

Is it possible that the manufacturer was Barrett-Cravens? I found a bit (not much) info on a company that made lift equipment starting around the turn of the century.

http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/SILNMAHTL_7472

 

[Dustyw]

Thanks! That's way more info than I found! The owner said it was in operating condition and I'm a sucker for old stuff, so it's probably going to follow me home.

 

[rarefish383]

A friend of mine has a 1930's tow truck with a hand crank winch on it. Works good. Slow, slow, slow. Nice cool factor, but have newer tools that work better, Joe.

 

[muddstopper]

Just a guess on my part, having seen a few similar looking winches. Probably rated for around 4 or 5 tons. Input shaft is probably a worm gear with a sprocket for a chain drive. Chain drive probably pulled from a pto shaft on truck transmission. Might be just out of sight on right hand side of the picture. Gear ratio is probably pretty slow., but can be changed by replacing drive sprocket. Winch might disengage to free wheel the cable off. looks like there is some sort of brake above the cable drum. With a little fabrication might make a good logging winch for a 3pt setup. If cable has to spool off as well as spool on, I probably wouldnt fool with it. I would inspect the input shaft for play before buying. Bearings can go out and get in worm gear. Last one I rebuilt, back in the 1970's, I was able to buy off the shelf bearings.

 

[deadtrees]

I bet that is a hand crank with the square shafts on the right side. Different shafts for different speeds because of inside gear train.

 

[rarefish383]

I bet that is a hand crank with the square shafts on the right side. Different shafts for different speeds because of inside gear train.

Yep, that's how my buddy's Dodge wrecker works, hand crank. Put the handle on one lug and it comes in almost slow, put it on the other lug and it comes in realllll slow, Joe.

 

[Dustyw]

Well I definitely don't want a hand crank winch!! I wonder if I could put a hydraulic Motor on it and speed it up and make usable? I wonder how it would hold up with hydraulics? I just really like the old stuff, but sometimes I just need to learn to let it go.