Guess that's in the definition you use. To me, a 'crane' lifts and pivots. A 'hoist' just lifts. This is a winch that pulls, with a couple of pulliey mounting points.
Before I built my crane, I parbuckled up the ramp, from the rear with a strap type manual boat winch. worked very well.
In my experience, a 3500 lb winch will struggle dragging a 2000lb log and definitely won't lift it while using a single line. If you use a snatch block and double it up, maybe. There are times when my 5000lb struggles single, but at that point I have to be carefull with tipping it over. I have never ran out of battery power from a group 31 loading 4 loads in maybe 6 hours. If I did, I carry long jumpers to charge with. The biggest problem is heat and duty cycle on the winch.
the cyl is the one I plan to use for raising the boom. I have about 22in from the trailer box and my jackstand. The spread on the tongue is about 36inches. If I move the boom any closer to the ball end, then I wont be able to lower the tailgate on my pickup. Any farther toward the bed and I wont be able to dump. I dont have room to mount a gas motor/hyd pump and a boom on the tongue. The side boards on the trailer are 2ft high. They may have to be lowered or possibly removed and metal standards used to hual logs. I plan on making the boom height 6ft from the ground. I realize a 3500lb would have a hard time draging 2000lbs up to the trailer. That is why I was, and still am, thinking about at least a 8000lb winch. The little 3500lb winch I already have and would most likely be temporary. For turning the boom I have two options. Well three if you want to count human muscle. The axle hub I plan to use is out of a ton truck. I have the hub and the tube without the center section of the axle housing. The axle extends pass the lenght of the tube. To make the boom turn, I can make a plate to go on the splined axle end and mount a cyl. This would give me 180* turning radius. This would prevent me from using the boom to load the truck. Option two is add a large sprocket to the axle spline and use a chain and hyd motor to turn the boom. This would give me 360* rotatation, but would have to be limited to prevent tearing the hoses off the boom cyl. I have some high torque, low speed hyd motors, but I dont know how much flow my electric hyd pump will produce. I know I can make the boom turn, I just dont know how fast. Option three is using muscle and a tag line to pull the log over the trailer bed.. A fourth option I have considered is replacing the drum on a large electric winch with a sprocket and using this in the place of the hyd motor for turning the axle. Even more drain on a battery, but might be my only option if I cant get the fluid I need to pull the hyd motor.
I appreciate your faith and enthusiasm,, I might need you to make a visit and provide some motivation.
I know only to well. Most of those old log trucks with bigstick loaders had doors, mirrows, lights and everything else torn off or bent. My fathering law even got a ticket once for driving without a truck. True story
You found me. I thought you where around Knoxville
Sort of, I use a spud bar in the open end of the hoist if needed. I try and mitigate risks the best I can but understanding potential dangers and limitations of a apparatus such as this goes a long ways. You do have to be careful as regard to gravity swing but sometimes it can be used to your advantage. This is where having a electric winch you can inch and let a load drag the ground just enough that its somewhat controlled helps.
Mudstopper I'm about an hour and a half from Murphy outside of Vonore,TN
Dang you are close, just above Madisonville. I was thinking about going to Sweetwater soon to their new RualKing, we will have to get together.
Sounds good, Yeah I love having a RK close, I have 2 within a 20 mile radius.
