# Portable winch to pull slabs uphill?



## Blue42 (Oct 18, 2020)

I've been pulling 300 lb slabs up a steep hill with block and tackle. It's a killer on about a 35 degree incline. (Yea. 35. I measured it.) After taking an hour per slab yesterday and about 20 times up and down the hill pulling, adjusting, de-snagging ropes, etc., I'm done. Thinking about an ATV winch. It will not be on a vehicle. I'll bolt it to some 2x4s.
Anyone done this before or have any advice? I think it should be fine, but I also think the motor might not like it, since its normal use is pulling one thing 10-20 ft, one time. Not 6 things 100 ft, one after the other.


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## Ancient One (Oct 18, 2020)

Lewis Chainsaw Winch. An Elk Hunter's favorite for many years out here in the NW. They often show up on Craig's List in WA State, Oregon, Idaho.

Google it!









Lewis Winch 400 MK2


The Lewis Winch 400-MK2 is the most versatile portable chainsaw winch that can pull up to 4,000 lbs in a straight line, and up to 8,000 lbs using one Lewis Winch Snatch Block.




lewiswinch.com


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## Blue42 (Oct 18, 2020)

Thanks, I saw that one. Pricey for me. I'm looking for cheap $200 or so. Once I get these 20 or so slabs up the hill I doubt I'll use it again. I got into all of this because a 100+ year old oak fell on the hill on my property and I couldn't let it rot. Have spent a lot on various stuff already. Will probably be moving to a little 0.5 acre square within a year, so all my lumberjacking will probably end there. 
I do have a decent size sweetgum down too that I'm going to mill and try to get to dry straight, so there will be maybe more like 40 slabs to pull up before its done.


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## Blue42 (Oct 18, 2020)

I got a couple 10" inflatable caster wheels off Northern Tool a while back that I bolted to a little 2x4 rig. I put the front of the slabs on that and wrap a tow strap around them for pulling with a 100' bull rope. Before that, it was ridiculous. I might as well have been ready with a bag of corn seed to sow into the hillside I plowed up, before I got them on wheels. 
I did about ten of them that way, using two twin sheave pulleys. But after yesterday, I give up on the middle-aged-man-powered setup.


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## ElevatorGuy (Oct 18, 2020)

What about a 2500 or 3500 lb HF BADLANDS winch for the 4 wheeler?


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## Doorfx (Oct 18, 2020)

Remember all winches are rated as “ intermittent Duty”. That means they are not designed for continuous pulls. 
For example a Warn 2500 ATV winch pulling the rated 2500 lb load for 10 seconds requires a 10 minute cool down. 
You can melt the windings in the armature or destroy the brushes. This is the main reason there are so many failures on small winches as people don’t read their manuals[emoji3]
Winches have the rated pull listed , but it is with only one wrap on the drum. You can see by the chart I’ve included, how much pulling power you lose with each additional wrap on the drum. 
The chart listed is directly from a Warn owners manual.


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## old guy (Oct 18, 2020)

Some kind of capstan winch?


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## Trdoldtreecutter (Oct 18, 2020)

Maybe try attaching a block to the slabs and double your pull might work with a lesser winch. A high purchase to gain lift might help too. Or even a skyline if there is some deflection


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## Philbert (Oct 18, 2020)

$200 is pretty meager. Can you use a pulley to redirect, and pull the slabs up with a vehicle?

Philbert


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## Blue42 (Oct 18, 2020)

That potential for burning up the motor is what I was concerned about Doorfx. Thanks for the information. From your chart that winch could do 2 minute spells with these light loads. 30 ft. Then a 10 min cooldown. So over the 100 ft or so pull I would be looking at about 30-40 min per slab. Not the knockout solution I was hoping for.


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## Blue42 (Oct 18, 2020)

Philbert said:


> $200 is pretty meager. Can you use a pulley to redirect, and pull the slabs up with a vehicle?
> 
> Philbert


I can't get anything back there through the trees and fence. A mule would be the real solution. But times have changed since 1900. I can get as much multiplication as I need, since I got four twin sheave pulleys. But then I can only reach 20 ft or so before I'm resetting everything, meaning more up and down the hill.


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## Trdoldtreecutter (Oct 18, 2020)

I made a simple arch/peeve type setup with a long tongue with an axle many years ago to pull logs out of back yards where there wasn’t enough room for equipment. I would lift up on the tongue and chain the log tight, then as I pulled, it would raise the front of the log off the ground and drag with little effort.


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## Trdoldtreecutter (Oct 18, 2020)

I made a simple arch/peeve type setup with a long tongue with an axle many years ago to pull logs out of back yards where there wasn’t enough room for equipment. I would lift up on the tongue and chain the log tight, then as I pulled, it would raise the front of the log off the ground and drag with little effort.


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## ChoppyChoppy (Oct 19, 2020)

Why are you making slabs so large? That's got to be alot of wasted wood?

Why not cut them up to firewood length at that point vs wrestling with the whole thing?


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## Blue42 (Oct 19, 2020)

Your arch/peeve is probably a lot better setup than I have. With 10" wheels I have to get the slabs pretty high off the ground to get them on top of it. I probably should have just bought a log skidding arch with the ratchet built in to get the log/slab off the ground. Northern tool has one for $250. 

The logs are cut to about 9'. Average width is about 28", and I'm cutting most at 8/4 thickness. I think the wood is too good for firewood, or to be cut into boards. Maybe I should cut some beams too. I honestly don't know what I'll do with all of it, besides a couple tables and desks.


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## Trdoldtreecutter (Oct 19, 2020)

I’ve got a huge pile of slabs that I wasn’t sure what to do with but eventually a use will come. I’m doing a live edge wall and chinking where I’m mounting a tv


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## Philbert (Oct 19, 2020)

There is a old thread, somewhere on this site, that also discusses plastic skidding cones: manufactured and home made.

Philbert


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## Trdoldtreecutter (Oct 19, 2020)

The one I made didn’t cost much but would be overkill but something similar but smaller would work slick on a steep hillside.i just made a triangle and welded it to a mobile home axle, welded a tongue and something from the tip of the tongue to the tip of the triangle. Cut some slots for a chain and it paid for itself the first time I used it. I had a pto winch on an old f250 and it pulled out some pretty stout logs. Then I’d just have a self loader come. I had a skidder at the time but this avoided a haul and made use of otherwise firewood in a no access zone


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## Blue42 (Oct 19, 2020)

Trdoldtreecutter said:


> I’ve got a huge pile of slabs that I wasn’t sure what to do with but eventually a use will come. I’m doing a live edge wall and chinking where I’m mounting a tv


That's nice. That was the only thing I could think of to use it all either, was a room in wood. Although 2" thick is a bit much. The room could double as a bomb and tornado shelter built like that.


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## tfp (Oct 19, 2020)

My back hurts just reading this thread. I’ve manhandled slabs out of some bad locations... flipped them end over end through creeks, you name it. Problem is I get too excited about the potential slabs and don’t take into account the surrounding area... slab blindness?


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## Trdoldtreecutter (Oct 19, 2020)

Ya, mine vary in thickness. It depended on what character the wood and the edges were that was my thickness gauge. Width as well. I have a bunch of 16’ x 24” x1 1/8” that were some middle of the log cuts that don’t have a lot of live edge character but Look pretty cool inside. I’ve got a never ending tree job that has a bunch more material. I’ll wait for the sap and the leaves to drop before I go back as they’re big and hanging over house and power lines and out buildings. It’s just a free bee weekend project for a friend of my nephews and I can take whatever I want. Might carve up some hemlock as I like it the best for stain and character- just need more time ha ha


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## ChoppyChoppy (Oct 19, 2020)

Trdoldtreecutter said:


> I’ve got a huge pile of slabs that I wasn’t sure what to do with but eventually a use will come. I’m doing a live edge wall and chinking where I’m mounting a tv



We toss them a rack, band up when full and sell for $100. Roughly a cord of wood.
Some gets used in the shop stove as well.


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## Trdoldtreecutter (Oct 19, 2020)

tfp said:


> My back hurts just reading this thread. I’ve manhandled slabs out of some bad locations... flipped them end over end through creeks, you name it. Problem is I get too excited about the potential slabs and don’t take into account the surrounding area... slab blindness?


Lol, it only took a couple times before I went and bought a little tractor with some attachments which included some forks.


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## Doorfx (Oct 19, 2020)

Blue42 said:


> That potential for burning up the motor is what I was concerned about Doorfx. Thanks for the information. From your chart that winch could do 2 minute spells with these light loads. 30 ft. Then a 10 min cooldown. So over the 100 ft or so pull I would be looking at about 30-40 min per slab. Not the knockout solution I was hoping for.



You could attach a single pulley to the slab and rune the cable back to the winch effectively doubling your pulling power.


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## Ted Jenkins (Oct 19, 2020)

I am surprised how many times I have said never need this stupid thing again then some thing happens. My home-made winch seemed essential forty years ago now it seems more than essential. I have access to many logs, but they are all bunched up making it very difficult to cut. Chain up the winch some here and pull the starter cord and things begin to happen. Thanks


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## abbott295 (Oct 20, 2020)

Slabs: Not everyone uses that word to mean the same thing. From past posts, Choppychoppy (and some others) means the first piece taken off a side of a log; one side will be rounded. It is not flat on two opposite sides. This is why he makes firewood out of slabs. This is also what I learned first was a slab; a great-uncle had a sawmill.

Some others use it to mean any wide (full width) thick board taken off a log; it will have two flat, parallel sides and two edges will be 'live', meaning the edges of the log as cut all the way across. Sometimes, even when one, or maybe both, edge has been cut off square to the flat sides, it will still be called a slab if it is still wide and thick.

And then there is a door slab, or slab door. A door that is not bored for a knob or mortised for hinges, or it could be.


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## Philbert (Oct 20, 2020)

abbott295 said:


> the first piece taken off a side of a log; one side will be rounded



Sawmills often refer to this as ‘clapboard’. When we first installed our wood stove I bought a few ‘bundles’ of this cheap (each the size of a compact car), and cut them to length for stove wood. No splitting. 

Philbert


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## unclemoustache (Oct 22, 2020)

$200 isn't going to do it.

I got one of these guys a month or two ago (the larger version) and I don't regret it a bit!! I use it to load logs onto my trailer, and will probably use it to get the logs into my sawmill shed as well, once that's finished.


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## Philbert (Oct 22, 2020)

unclemoustache said:


> $200 isn't going to do it.
> 
> I got one of these guys a month or two ago (the larger version) and I don't regret it a bit!!


Always thought those look interesting. Which one did you get?

Thanks.

Philbert


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## Ted Jenkins (Oct 22, 2020)

$200 isn't going to do it.
I got one of these guys a month or two ago (the larger version) and I don't regret it a bit!! I use it to load logs onto my trailer, and will probably use it to get the logs into my sawmill shed as well, once that's finished. 

To get a decent usable set up to actually pull some thing will run between $3,000 and $5,000. One of my money makers is to pull trees right out of the ground. It can take up to two days to set up the rigging though. The actual pulling can be over in less than two hours. Thanks


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## softdown (Oct 22, 2020)

Maybe a competent 4wd in 4low with the right gears and aired down quality tires?

I'm figuring out to remove 20' logs from a sloped 2 acre lot. It would be easy to buck and burn but I think some are lumber quality. Wouldn't take that long to pay off a trailerable chainsaw sawmill.


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## Blue42 (Oct 23, 2020)

Trdoldtreecutter said:


> Maybe try attaching a block to the slabs and double your pull might work with a lesser winch. A high purchase to gain lift might help too. Or even a skyline if there is some deflection


I'm not sure if the multiplication of a block would help or hurt with the winch. They pull slowly already at like 10ft/minute. So with one pulley, they'd pull 5ft/min and the thing would have to run for 20 min to get one pull done. I've never done a skyline but it would get the front of the slab off the ground without having to wrestle it onto the wheels, and pull it over stumps, etc. I'll have to think about that. I do already have a trolley I bought for a zip line.


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## Ted Jenkins (Oct 23, 2020)

Setting up a zip line or high lead is not easy and very time consuming. If you can justify the expense get a decent winch and use it. A cart or sled will work very well to get leading edge of log off the ground. Thanks


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## sean donato (Oct 23, 2020)

For what it's worth, I use a 12k lb winch to pull logs up on my deck over. 95 feet of line out takes under 10 minuets to spool in with a 20 foot long in toe. Only issue is the motor gets hot after a long pull like that and needs some time to cool off.


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## Blue42 (Oct 23, 2020)

abbott295 said:


> Slabs: Not everyone uses that word to mean the same thing. .......


Thank you for that. I was not aware that there was another meaning than a thick, full width plain-cut board.
I've seen a difference in nomenclature cost $80,000 at my job just a few years ago. "I thought you meant..."


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## Blue42 (Oct 23, 2020)

sean donato said:


> For what it's worth, I use a 12k lb winch to pull logs up on my deck over. 95 feet of line out takes under 10 minuets to spool in with a 20 foot long in toe. Only issue is the motor gets hot after a long pull like that and needs some time to cool off.


So about 10 ft per min. It sounds like that's typical for most winches.


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## unclemoustache (Oct 23, 2020)

Philbert said:


> Always thought those look interesting. Which one did you get?
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Philbert



I got the 'big' one - PCW-5000. 2,200 pound pulling capacity. There is a logging kit you can get with it that comes with a skidding cone. Here's an awesome video of logs being pulled through extremely challenging terrain with the cone:



You want to double up on your pulling power, then just add a pulley. These things are amazing. Here's another vid showing several uses for it pulling logs, game, cable through conduit, vehicles out of the mud, rescue operations, etc.




Here's my own video pulling a log onto my trailer:


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## Blue42 (Oct 24, 2020)

"I got the 'big' one - PCW-5000. 2,200 pound pulling capacity."
That winch is rated for 40' or 60' per minute compared to about 10' per min for most electric winches. Pretty good.


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## Blue42 (Oct 24, 2020)

Doorfx said:


> Remember all winches are rated as “ intermittent Duty”. That means they are not designed for continuous pulls.
> For example a Warn 2500 ATV winch pulling the rated 2500 lb load for 10 seconds requires a 10 minute cool down.
> You can melt the windings in the armature or destroy the brushes. This is the main reason there are so many failures on small winches as people don’t read their manuals[emoji3]
> ...
> The chart listed is directly from a Warn owners manual.


Door, do you know if there are any electric winches that can do a long continuous pull without risk of burning up? 
It's looking to me like for pulling any wood or other object more than 50' or so, especially one object after another, you are recommended to go with a gas powered winch. Or a mule.


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## Ted Jenkins (Oct 25, 2020)

I pull often 6,000 lb logs either 40 in low speed or 80' with the larger pulley all day. Not every day though. I gather about 10 cords worth of logs then cut them. Using tie downs I can arange close to a cord of rounds to wherever I plan to do splitting. I can not wait to charge batteries. Thanks


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## Doorfx (Oct 27, 2020)

Blue42 said:


> Door, do you know if there are any electric winches that can do a long continuous pull without risk of burning up?
> It's looking to me like for pulling any wood or other object more than 50' or so, especially one object after another, you are recommended to go with a gas powered winch. Or a mule.



It’s all about how hard the winch is working. If you were to run a snatch block it wouldn’t be working as hard but it would be slower. If the winch is not working hard it will pull for a longer period of time before it heats up. 
Your hand is a good temp sensor when using an electric winch. When a winch is pulling big amps like you see in that chart it heats up quick. 
I’ve seen inexpensive 4500# harbor freight type winches go pretty cheap. You might even be able to find a Craig’s list special if it is only for this job.


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## sean donato (Oct 27, 2020)

When we 4 wheeled, worm drive winches, and pto winches were the go to. Nowadays you can darn near run one all day, if you spend the cash for a continuous duty model. They arnt cheap. You may be just as well making something up yourself.


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## Doorfx (Oct 27, 2020)

Arctic Cat WARN 5000-lb ProVantage Winch Kit w/ Synthetic Rope - 2017 Prowler HDX Crew


Arctic Cat WARN 5000-lb ProVantage Winch Synthetic Rope 2017 HDX Crew - 2436-943




www.countrycat.com


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## EarlyAcres (Nov 5, 2020)

The Warn 8274 winch has the fastest line speed. But line speed is a factor of load so that would depend on the slab weight. And again the line speed is bases on a single wrap on the drum. Below is for the 8274 and remember any other winch will be slower with the same load since this is the fastest winch.


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## kimosawboy (Nov 5, 2020)

I agree with Sean Donato ...pto, or hydraulic all day long....


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## toadman (Nov 20, 2020)

I made this out of necessity to haul a 610lb 5 ton inverter driven air conditioning unit to a roof top 68 feet in the air (yes I used a capture device & safety backups) .. 2500 lb tractor supply winch & a small amazon special deep cycle battery made for a power wheels kids car. ~$150 all in 4 years ago & still working perfectly.
I can use jumpers & run it from my truck battery as well.
I keep finding uses for it
I used it to change a axel in a polaris ranger, load logs, pull multiple cars onto a trailer, hoist my 830lb miller deisel welder into my truck, pull my porch back together after a storm, un stuck my VW jetta after a snowstorm... ect.


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## EarlyAcres (Dec 2, 2020)

toadman said:


> I made this out of necessity to haul a 610lb 5 ton inverter driven air conditioning unit to a roof top 68 feet in the air (yes I used a capture device & safety backups) .. 2500 lb tractor supply winch & a small amazon special deep cycle battery made for a power wheels kids car. ~$150 all in 4 years ago & still working perfectly.
> I can use jumpers & run it from my truck battery as well.
> I keep finding uses for it
> I used it to change a axel in a polaris ranger, load logs, pull multiple cars onto a trailer, hoist my 830lb miller deisel welder into my truck, pull my porch back together after a storm, un stuck my VW jetta after a snowstorm... ect.


It might help the OP if you posted a picture of the rig you put together (I'd like to see it too!)


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## toadman (Dec 2, 2020)

Hmmm, I thought I did... give me a sec & I'll see if I can find one. It's not pretty, but it works.

edit; here!!
It is not a current Picture.
this was right after the first job I did with it... my camera is MIA, but I have since added an aluminum cover, and cleaned up the rats nest wiring with better wire ties & made a different charger for it. I also added a jumper quick detach extension through the outer cover (to hook to a vehicle battery) but haven't used that yet.
I was using a battery tender trickle charger and it worked well, but I needed it for my motorcycle. 
Currently using the charger for apowerwheels car the neighbor thew away.
The base is 3/16 plate steel that I got from a local welding supply & had bent. 
I am not sure what alloy it is, but it's not mild plate. 
It was a leftover from a project they did, and was quite a task to cut by comparison to mild steel.


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## EarlyAcres (Dec 2, 2020)

toadman said:


> Hmmm, I thought I did... give me a sec & I'll see if I can find one. It's not pretty, but it works.
> 
> edit; here!!
> It is not a current Picture.
> ...


Well here is my hillbilly engineered skidder winch. Charge the batts the night before and it is good for 4 good long pulls. I usually cut my logs at 12-14 feet. It takes me a while to get the 4 logs out of the forest to a place where I can slab them, so it is just OK with me that I can only do 4 at a time. I am just about to take this rig off of my tractor so no cables or remote are hooked up. If I get a log stuck I use a snatch block to cut the load in half and/or move the tractor to get a different angle. Hope this helps with some ideas for the OP.


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## toadman (Dec 2, 2020)

Nice!! 
I have a 9500lb hitch mounted winch as well, but it doesn't get used as often.
Normally if I use the hitch winch it's because the truck is stuck, or in a bad spot to pull from. 
Most often 4lo & good tires makes for quick work of pulling logs
I have on occasion pulled stuff by removing the battery & receiver winch from the truck, and using a strap around a tree to the winch platform & jumpers to the removed battery I can pull things from where I don't dare drive the truck.
Just have to keep the truck running when I pull the battery for the winch, as it's always dead when I'm done.


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## TrekJeff (Feb 23, 2021)

Plenty of bear have been recovered via the jetsled and a 2500 HF wench. I plan on using the same setup to recovery slabs.


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## angelmarco (Mar 18, 2021)

Some kind of capstan winch?


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