# Timberjack winch info



## G Jackson (Dec 1, 2010)

I will be taking delivery of my new toy shortly. An 81 TJ 380 cable skidder. It is in need of a new main line.

I was wondering how big of a cable people use and the length. 5/8 3/4 9/16 you get the picture. I am not sure what winch it has but would like to get the most cable on there that is possible. Does anyone have any idea what that would be. I am new to this game and am in a very ''non skidder'' region. People ask me what the he#$ I need a skidder for to get up abit of firewood. Because I can LOL. Thankyou in advance Gerry


----------



## Slamm (Dec 1, 2010)

Once you figure out what size steel cable you want to get. Take a look at the Amsteel Blue Synthetic Cable/Rope. It is amazing stuff, stronger than steel yet light enough to float on water, literally, plus you can put more on a winch spool than you can with regular steel cable of equivalent size/strength.

I log and I have been using the Synthetic Rope for 2-3 years now and you and your machine will thank me for the suggestion, LOL. I would never use steel rope again, unless you have a grapple skidder that has the grapple hanging too low and the cable is always going to rub on it.

Just a thought,

Sam


----------



## 056 kid (Dec 2, 2010)

3/4 or 5/8 swedge is great, 150' fits on there real nice and dosent over work the winch on close pulls. If the motor & hydraulics are strong, you will love that skidder. Powerful machines that will squat down and do work!!

I dont know, but I think you could get 175' with the 5/8 swedge. not sure though. . . What ever you do, dont go too big, Dragging 100 feet of 1'' cable up a 50degree slope is like pulling a 4 wheeler up that bastard. . .

i dont know anything about that"rope" but I suspect that it is weak. . .


----------



## mingo (Dec 2, 2010)

I have a 450 TJ gearamatic winch and I use 100'of 5/8 swaged cable. But I am interested in the idea of using amsteel rope though I would be concerned about it cutting and the price.


----------



## joesawer (Dec 2, 2010)

5/8 swedged would be my first choice for most use. It will stand about anything you can put on it unless you put it around a sharp edge then 3/4 will cut about as easy.
3/4 is a lot more heave and fills your spool up faster.
Production loggers have not adopted the amsteel or other synthetic lines because they don't handle friction or grit very well at all.
Swedged costs more than non swedged but is much tougher and last much longer and does not wear your fairleads and sliders near as bad.


----------



## G Jackson (Dec 2, 2010)

Thankyou all for the information. I will probably go with the steel cable. The entire machine is overkill for what I intend to do, but I am excited to put it to work. The valley is so wet that I may have to head down this winter when it freezes up. I would much sooner go in the fall but we had 4 inches of rain this fall. I guess I will just have to suck it up ! Thanks again. Gerry skidder::newbie:


----------



## joesawer (Dec 3, 2010)

A few tricks to take care of your investment if you go with steel.
Avoid sharp edges under load especially on the tractor.
Keep your fairlead rollers greased and turning under load.
Keep your cable oiled/greased. A good way to do it id to mix some bar and chain oil in some saw gas and soak it down every once in a while at the end of a shift. The gas will carry the oil into the cable and then evaporate and leave the oil. Every now and then mix in a little used motor oil. This makes the oil show up really good when you pull hard.
If you keep your cable oiled it will last much longer and it serves a purpose of letting you know that you need to back off when the grease starts squeezing out of it.
Avoid cutting the cable into a stump or tree at speed. This will turn it into a pig tail in a hurry.


----------



## tlandrum (Dec 3, 2010)

3/4 swedged is all i run and it breaks easy enough, i sure wouldnt want anything smaller or anything other than wire rope. i put 150 ft on my winch and it seems to do fine if your only short winching id go shorter cable just so that it will get wound completly out every once in a while so to keep it strait on the reel


----------

