How to build a utility winch

[garry]

I would like to have some kind of utility winch on my JD 1050
for getting myself unstuck in the woods. My woods has a few wet spots that I shy away from most of the year that I would really like to access.

The ideal winch would mount out of the way of the front loader and the backhoe when it is mounted. If I had some cable guides at the front and rear of the tractor I could anchor from either front or read. The power source would preferably be the PTO.

Has anyone here built such a thing

 

[beenthere]

Sounds like an interesting and worthwhile project.
Do you have the mid PTO on that tractor? If so, seems it would be a place to start, with the possibility of placing the winch just under the front weight bracket, or even attached to it (think it would be out of the way of the loader).

If not, if there is room, place the winch under the 3pt (seems that would be kinda tight, but the 540 RPM rear PTO would likely match a winch better than the faster (usually) mid PTO).

Do you have a winch in mind? Maybe even an electric winch would give enough assist to a stuck rig, as one shouldn't have to pull the entire rig with just the winch (but then, maybe one would /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif).

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I think I'd consider a twevle volt small winch, thirty five hundred pound capacity or so. I'd put it on a male receiver like they have on hitches. I'd then mount either a slip over or a couple of female receivers.

That way when you get yourself stuck you don't have to cuss yourself for not backing in or not going in frontways.

You'd be surprised at the strength of those small winches for short duration pulls. If you need something more than that I'd say your needs are more in the operator department. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Seriously such a set up would be as handy as a pocket on a shirt. You could use it on the tractor, pickemup, ma's SUV, etc.

I'd buy the winch with a remote switch. Then I'd buy a decent set of long battery booster cables. Put all that in a box and be in like a guy that can dance at a party. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Taylortractornut]

Garry I buld a few winhes for my frieds with small used hydraulic motors and 40 to 1 gear boxes. They are fairly small and can be placed out of the way easily. The next time i build one I'll take a few pictures of it. I have to make every one different to matche the gearbox i use.

 

[rdbrumfield]

I built one for mine that is permanently attached to the front loader. It is an 8000lb hydraulic. It has saved me countless hours of work and of course the occasional pull when I need it. With a smaller tractor such as yours, I would consider an electric with standard 2 inch recievers front and back so the winch could be used on both ends as needed.

 

[rambler]

A pto winch is less useful, as you need to run the clutch to engage/ disengage - be on the tractor. Also there is no provision for a relief. Both the electric & hyd would be easier to make safer, be more versital for many jobs, and more portable. Electric would probably be the simplest, as others mention.

--->Paul

 

[Deerlope]

Believe me hyd is the only way to go. The problem I ever had with elect is that thru non use for long periods of time is that when I wanted to use it it would not work cause the brushes had gotten hung up on the armature. Do a search under my post and see the log skidding winch(hyd) that I just made.

 

[cj7]

I am with Harv on this one. Elevtric winches do not take much to maintain. Keep the terminals clean and protect them with Di-electric grease or similar. Give it a work out a couple of times a year and it should be fine. Keep it covered if you park your tractor out in the rain all the time. I think this is the better investment because of the portability.

 

[slowzuki]

Big electric makes no sense on a tractor, you have plenty of hydraulics right there but only a small alternator. I have an M8000 for my samurai but it would really kill the battery on even a mid size tractor.
Ken

 

[rdbrumfield]

Hydraulic winches are a wonderful relatively maintenance free tool. The only thing I would take a big look at is the gpm they need to be useful. Some of the smaller cut's don't have the capacity to make a hyd winch a good option. For intermittant use I would have to say electric. With quick release receivers, being able to put them away in the dry when not needed would be a nice advantage.