I wanna put a witch on my hinch

[tawilson]

That is to say, I have a Farmi winch and it would be handy to have a hitch on it sometimes. Anybody done it? I don't want to cut a hole in it, but I could. I was thinking about clamping something on when I needed it.

 

[Deerlope]

Go for it. If it is strong enough to pull logs a hitch sure won't hurt it.

 

[Deerlope]

You could cut a hole in it and weld a 2" receiver tube in it. that way the hitch can be removed when you want to haul logs. nothing will get broken or bent.

 

[RalphVa]

Any of you thought about if the cable or chain breaks when using a winch or just chain on the drawbar? Dad was pulling our car once with our tractor. The chain snapped and put a nice imprint down almost the length of the hood, just missing the windshield. Wonder what it would have done if it snapped back to the tractor?

I envision putting some plywood with a skinny window about head high covering the whole area enclosed by the ROPS if using a chain or winch behind the tractor.

Ralph

 

[Deerlope]

Most skidding winches have a heavy wire mesh guard on them just in case the cable does break. One can never be too safe.

 

[tawilson]

I built a guard out of expanded metal and mounted it to my ROPS. Anyways, the winch has a rope on it to operate it and I am off the tractor off to the side when operating it. The worse mishap so far is I bent one of my lift arms. I heard some of the 2120's had weak ones. It was my fault. The winch was braced against a stump on that side of the tractor and that lift arm got all the pressure. Plus, I was cranking on the winch more than I should have. Testing the limits, you know.

 

[fishman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I built a guard out of expanded metal and mounted it to my ROPS. )</font>

That's a great idea that I haven't seen posted yet. It would have applications for rotary cutters and rear finish mowers too! I'm going to check that out when I get home, as I have some expanded metal laying around. Some u-bolts would work to retain it and couldn't possibly weaken the ROPS like drilling or perhaps welding. Thanks for the idea.

 

[tawilson]

I picked up a length of half-inch steel rod and bent it to follow the contour of the ROPS. I layed that on the expanded metal, welded it to it then trimmed the expanded metal with a torch. Then I welded some brackets on it, sprayed it with Rustoleum and clamped it on. I did it because I'm in the woods a lot and was worried about poking a branch through the back window of the cab. I was backing up with the winch lifted up high and hit a tree, drove the winch into the guard. A little dent but no busted window. The way I hammer my tractor I'd like to armor plate the whole thing.

 

[higgy]

With the energy that is carried with cables, ropes and chains when they break a sheet of plywood may not be enough. I have witnessed the power that a rope can have when recoiling, and it can put a good size hole in sheet metal.

I might sandwich some expanded metal between two sheets of ply, would be much stronger I think.

 

[RHughes]

I'm not sure how well this trick would work with a chain, but when pulling with a cable winch, we've always thrown an old blanket or canvas tarp over the cable at about the midway point. In the even that the cable breaks, it damps the cable enough to keep it from snapping back and doing damage.