L2501 forestry winch too small to be useful? Other options?

   / L2501 forestry winch too small to be useful? Other options? #1  

2manyrocks

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Lately, I've wondered if it would be worthwhile to add a forestry winch. I have an area of cedar I'd like to clear, but it's hillside and a winch would allow me to winch the trees out without getting the tractor on the hillside. Something like the 35m uniforest would seem to be the right size for my 35hp tractor, but maybe too much for my L2501?

Also, it seems like the forestry winches are all pretty expensive and not so easy to find in stock close to me. A local dealer has a Tajfun EGV45A listed for $5,400, but it is bigger than I want. There are some listings for Wallensteins and Tajfun units that are maybe better values, but I also see numerous on-line complaints about the sellers who have these units listed for sale. One complaint literally says they ordered a forestry winch from the on-line seller months ago, but the seller didn't have it in stock and still hasn't filled the order despite several months having passed.

About the least expensive option I'm finding right now is a Uniforest 30m (rated 6,600 lbs) on ebay, but it's $4,200 including shipping. It would seem like the 30m would be a better fit for my L2501, but should I be looking for the 35m to use on my 35hp Mahindra instead?

I suppose the other alternative is to add a hydraulic winch to a dirt blade used as an anchor point https://www.amazon.com/Mile-Marker-...11047&sprefix=hydraulic+w,aps,797&sr=8-3&th=1 This would be considerably less expensive if I could run it off the diverter for my grapple. However, I can see the advantage of just buying a mechanical pto powered forestry winch that runs off my PTO, has a shield, and has a frame designed for winch operation.

I see there is a capstan winch that can be mounted to a tractor 3pt hitch, but I have some concerns about having my hands near a capstan style winch and using rope instead of a wire cable.
 
   / L2501 forestry winch too small to be useful? Other options? #2  
If you don’t want the cut wood, maybe hire someone to clear it, with their payment being they can take the wood and sell it.

Then you end up with no out of pocket costs, and your land is cleared.
 
   / L2501 forestry winch too small to be useful? Other options? #3  
The vehicle type winch you linked from Amazon would be painfuly slow and it draws a considerable amount of current. If you go that route I'd consider an alternative power source other than your tractor's battery, possibly another battery being charged by a small generator.

Where are you located?
 
   / L2501 forestry winch too small to be useful? Other options? #4  
The vehicle type winch you linked from Amazon would be painfuly slow and it draws a considerable amount of current. If you go that route I'd consider an alternative power source other than your tractor's battery, possibly another battery being charged by a small generator.

Where are you located?
The one on the link it's hydraulic, not electric.
 
   / L2501 forestry winch too small to be useful? Other options? #5  
The one on the link it's hydraulic, not electric.
Wow, my bad. I didn't know they made a hydraulic style like that!

Are they any quicker than the electric powered ones?
 
   / L2501 forestry winch too small to be useful? Other options? #6  
Wow, my bad. I didn't know they made a hydraulic style like that!

Are they any quicker than the electric powered ones?
Depends mostly on the hydraulic flow available from the tractor but from the specs from Mile Marker, the 12,000 lbs one with the two speed is very fast in High Gear. In low gear is comparable to the electric one. That's with only 3.5 GPM of flow. Typically a SCUT ranges from 6 to 9 GPM.

Since I built the one I mounted on my tractor from scratch and never used a commercial bought one, I really don't have a good comparison. All I know, is that I can keep on pulling all day long as there is no battery to drain or electric motor to melt.
 
   / L2501 forestry winch too small to be useful? Other options?
  • Thread Starter
#7  
I'm in Middle Tennessee. I placed a couple of calls after my original post. My closest dealer said he could get a Wallenstein FX40 for $4,300 plus $200 shipping. A dealer further away who deals in sawmill equipment said he could get a Uniforest 35 for $3,995 plus $350 shipping.

I think I've seen maybe one used forestry winch in my area in the last year or so. They don't seem to be common here to my knowledge.
 
   / L2501 forestry winch too small to be useful? Other options? #8  
Lately, I've wondered if it would be worthwhile to add a forestry winch. I have an area of cedar I'd like to clear, but it's hillside and a winch would allow me to winch the trees out without getting the tractor on the hillside. Something like the 35m uniforest would seem to be the right size for my 35hp tractor, but maybe too much for my L2501?

Also, it seems like the forestry winches are all pretty expensive and not so easy to find in stock close to me. A local dealer has a Tajfun EGV45A listed for $5,400, but it is bigger than I want. There are some listings for Wallensteins and Tajfun units that are maybe better values, but I also see numerous on-line complaints about the sellers who have these units listed for sale. One complaint literally says they ordered a forestry winch from the on-line seller months ago, but the seller didn't have it in stock and still hasn't filled the order despite several months having passed.

About the least expensive option I'm finding right now is a Uniforest 30m (rated 6,600 lbs) on ebay, but it's $4,200 including shipping. It would seem like the 30m would be a better fit for my L2501, but should I be looking for the 35m to use on my 35hp Mahindra instead?

I suppose the other alternative is to add a hydraulic winch to a dirt blade used as an anchor point https://www.amazon.com/Mile-Marker-70-52000C-Hydraulic-Capacity/dp/B003EOFKJK/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1W4USPRAIWIL2&keywords=hydraulic+winch&qid=1679511047&sprefix=hydraulic+w,aps,797&sr=8-3&th=1 This would be considerably less expensive if I could run it off the diverter for my grapple. However, I can see the advantage of just buying a mechanical pto powered forestry winch that runs off my PTO, has a shield, and has a frame designed for winch operation.

I see there is a capstan winch that can be mounted to a tractor 3pt hitch, but I have some concerns about having my hands near a capstan style winch and using rope instead of a wire cable.
If this is a one time job, hire a logger with a tracked skidder to do the work.
 
   / L2501 forestry winch too small to be useful? Other options? #9  
Consider too a vehicle winch vs a forestry winch the vehicle winch will have maybe 100 ft of cable where forestry winch will have considerable more...
 
   / L2501 forestry winch too small to be useful? Other options?
  • Thread Starter
#10  
35m specs say it has 230' of 3/8 cable and weighs 540 lbs. One thing I don't know that is important to me is whether the cable tends to birdsnest or whether there is some kind of guide that makes it roll back onto the drum without getting kinked or tangled?
 
 
 
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