Anyone tried HF gas powered winch?

[Skyco]

I have one of these- Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices on the way.
They finally dropped the price $100, been eyeing them online for awhile, the stores around me don't carry them.
I have multiple uses for winches on my mountain property, mostly retrieving downed timber. I have a 8500 lb winch on my truck and a 2000 lb winch on my Yamaha Rhino UTV but there are times I need winching in places I can't get to with either one. I've tried carrying a battery and the winch off the Rhino in but the darn battery alone weighs as much as this whole winch and of course goes dead quickly

If anyone has tried one let us know, I'll report back how it works when it gets here

 

[MrJimi]

That looks like it will be heavy when you put fuel and oil in it and some way to chain it to something solid, sounds like lots of work to me but I'm an old guy LOL

 

[schmism]

how about this one
Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices
same capacity, less weight

bolt it to a steel plate that you can pin to the draw bar and or put a D-ring so you can chain it to something.

run it off jumpercables.

 

[Skyco]

Well as I mentioned already it is no heavier than the battery for an electric winch
Jumper cables....hmmm where would one get 200 ft jumper cables

Anyway I contacted HF today to ask about my winch since I haven't received a shipping notice...turns out they are backordered until September 11. I love it- put something on sale you don't have

 

[schmism]

Well as I mentioned already it is no heavier than the battery for an electric winch
Jumper cables....hmmm where would one get 200 ft jumper cables

one would assume you have a vehical around during the winching session.

afterall you eventually going to need to get a vehical into the woods to get out whatever you were wenching out in the first place.

 

[Skyco]

There is a vehicle nearby but not IN the woods. What I'm mainly trying to do is get downed timber out of the woods to a nearby vehicle. Picture 10 acres in the mountains with the only road along one edge. About 4 of these 10 acres is so steep if one goes down it on foot in, say 10 minutes, it takes 40 minutes to climb back out No vehicle known to man can negotiate that terrain even if it would fit between the trees.
So hence the need for a portable winch to pull lengths of downed timber out to the vehicle. I've tried the 12V winch with a battery and it is more weight to carry and then a winch can drain a battery very quickly. I can carry more gas in much easier than packing batteries in and out. There is plenty of downed timber due to wind and ice storms that I just hate to see rot away when I can heat my home with it

 

[ToadHill]

I have never used one myself but I have seen them demonstrated. They worked very well, The winch was attached to a tree with a strap, The model I saw used a capstand and a rope not a cable.
If you are planning to use one, you'll need a fiberglass cone that fits over the end of the log to keep it from snagging on objects during the pull.

 

[tommu56]

I saw a pictuer of some one using a VW bug hood as sled on the end of a log in the winter might might work on dirt too. They were pulling it behind a tractor but pullin is pullin who cares how.

tom

 

[dfkrug]

I bought this unit from HF in 98, I think. No longer sold. It is
called Walt's Game Reel and has a PTO adapter to a small
chainsaw. It worked fine for hauling bldg matls up a steep
slope for my concrete water tank. Only rated for 1000# and
was pricey at $400. It is designed for hoisting deer from a
tree limb. Very portable.

 

[Magic1]

So how did this work after you got it? I am looking at this same unit to winch boulders out of a stream in a remote location. There is no vehicle access so a gas powered winch is the only way to go.