power winches

[TimberMcPherson]

Do any of you guys use power winches in work, portable chainsaw based ones or the like? I see them being a good way to haul brush or small logs out of steep areas where theres no vehicle access but would like to hear from anyone who knows anything about them.

I have never seen them used or talked to anyone who uses them but theres one in an online auction that i thinking of getting.

I posted a simular question in the chainsaw forum but got no bites!

 

[NeTree]

Apart from a 4-ton come-along, I have a 2000# winch on the front of the truck. Not very big, but you'd be amazed at the uses you find for it.

Pulled a good-sized oak tree over this week with it. Best $75 I ever spent.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I have a 6000 pound winch that is set up to attach to any imovable object, commonly a tree. It runs off a boat battery and takes about five minutes to set up.
It rarely gets used. We can almost always use the truck or a come along to pull stuff. There are a few times a year it's nice to have.

 

[Nathan Wreyford]

Yes

http://www.arboristsite.com/attach/7258.jpg

http://www.arboristsite.com/attach/7259.jpg

 

[rbtree]

The one thing we're lacking is a full size pickup and 10-12K lb winch...oh and a backing plate and battery to attach it to a tree.

But I do have a Simpson rope capstan winch, and use it with 0.5" double braid to pull some darned heavy stuff. I also modded it to work somewhat safely and effectively in reverse (lowering) mode. For overhead rigging, in other words, picking up a load, suspending a whole tree,etc etc..But it is far from convenient, the small capstan tends to bind the wraps, just as can happen on our older Hobbs, without an outer fair lead (like mine). Therefore, I joined the elite and just ordered a GRCS...which I sure hope comes in soon....I already have jobs sold for which it will be great.

As well, the Bandit 250 has a winch, which isn't all that strong,, but gets used a lot, for dragging loads, tensioning speed lines...and for a new use yesterday, for which I'll start a new thread soon.

 

[Burnham]

We use winches often. I have a 12,000 lb. unit, made by Warn, on a 3/4 ton Dodge 4x4, and I have moved some very heavy loads with it. Outfit yourself with 2 or 3 stout 4" or better blocks, a couple of heavy duty nylon anchor straps, a good chunk of logging chain with chain grab hooks, and you can do some real work. I have used the 046 chainsaw powered winch, made by Lewis, to do all kinds of things away from the road: pull heavy cable for big rigging, lift and position log footbridge stringers, retrieve building materials that vandals had tossed into the river, salvage a snowmobile that ended up in a BAAAD place...the only limits on what you can use these tools for is your imagination, knowlege of MA systems, and rigging skills.

They can also hurt you. Watch out for overloading...this is easy to do. If you break a tensioned winch line it will kill you quicker than you can think. Keep people away from the line. Keep your hands, etc. away from the fairlead area. Be especially watchful in lifting...some units have a good brake system, and some do not. There is a difference between winches and hoists .

 

[TimberMcPherson]

Thanks for the info! I just purchased it for 1000$ nz dollars (about 650 us dollars), with a 066 powerhead I think its a good deal. Will let you know how it goes!

Winches on vehicles arent that useful around here as most jobs just dont have the access for them. I look forward to trying this thing out although it does weight 42kgs (which is about 5 044's!)

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Originally posted by TimberMcPherson
Winches on vehicles arent that useful...

If you have a vehicle, why do you need a winch?

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

To drive the vehichle?

 

[rbtree]

I always need a wench...