Skidding Winches

Jim Timber · Jul 9, 2015

Hud-son distributes Uniforest winches, which are very nice from the looks of the various videos (most of them are in some European language). They're roughly twice the money of the Wallenstein for the same pulling power.

Jim Timber · Jul 9, 2015

FarmWrench said:
I have a few places where you are not going to drive to the tree. Most winches have 200' of cable or less. Without a straw line pulling anymore cable by hand is not going to make anyone happy.

The two drum "donkey" winch was vital in the development of this nation. Nothing like it exists today. (Other than half million dollar +yarders and slackline excavation.)

It would be a great build to have two drums and maybe a mast with guy lines.

Some outfit in Europe sells a tractor yarder kit that wasn't overly expensive considering. It had a PTO driven winch pulling a carriage on a skyline via remote control. Might have been Uniforest or maybe it was Tajfun?

I don't see tractor logging as a viable solution for a crew. If you're pulling that much wood, you should pony up for a skidder since they'll handle more per turn than any utility tractor and they're purpose built for keeping the driver safe and moving lots of wood.

FarmWrench · Jul 9, 2015

I agree a skidder for production. A winch gives access to otherwise inaccessible places.

The US Forest service developed a very small yarder for removal of fire loads in difficult or sensitive terrain. 1/4" cable. Still in use since the '80s.

Just like a grapple, once people have a skidding winch they find it handy for all kinds of things. Imagine being able to clean swimming areas on ponds of mud by setting up a small slackline.

Sawyer Rob · Jul 9, 2015

I've pulled out some pretty good sticks with mine,

I wouldn't want one without a screen or hitch... the screen for safety and I use the hitch ALL the time!

SR

bcp · Jul 9, 2015

FarmWrench said:
The US Forest service developed a very small yarder for removal of fire loads in difficult or sensitive terrain. 1/4" cable. Still in use since the '80s.

Would this be it?

www.fs.fed.us/ne/newtown_square/publications/research_papers/pdfs/scanned/ne_rp557p.pdf

Bruce

Jim Timber · Jul 10, 2015

Fascinating read there Bruce. Seems like they would've gotten a lot more accomplished with those sticks by hauling more than 5 per turn. Based on the numbers, they had plenty of capacity.

bcp · Jul 10, 2015

Here is the Bitterroot Miniyarder web page:

8351-2305-MTDC: Bitterroot Miniyarder for Light Forest Materials

Two very short videos:
https://vine.co/venues/4ba7a127f964a5200da439e3

Bruce

KiwiBro · Jul 10, 2015

Jim Timber said:
Hud-son distributes Uniforest winches, which are very nice from the looks of the various videos (most of them are in some European language). They're roughly twice the money of the Wallenstein for the same pulling power.

Things must have changed a fair bit from when I bought my Uniforest winch from Hud-son and shipped it down here quite a few years ago, because they were amongst the cheapest of the good winches back then, and Hud-son were great to deal with.

Have you had any more thoughts about building your own remote, Jim? That's what I most regret not buying about the winches. Time and money all over again, it would be a radio remote (for winch and tractor) and a double drum.

Jim Timber · Jul 10, 2015

Their prices are on the website. I must've been looking at a hydro model by accident. They're a few hundred more than the Wallenstein of similar capacity, but it's closer to 15%.

KiwiBro · Jul 10, 2015

Jim Timber said:
Their prices are on the website. It's almost $7K for their 10,000lb option, and that's not hydro either.

Just went there and the 40E has only gone up a hundy. Sounds like others must have come down a fair bit. Or perhaps Uniforest aren't competitive in the larger winches?

Jim Timber · Jul 10, 2015

I'd been looking at the 45M and it's a bit more money sitting right under 10Klbs, so it's not apples to apples with my FX85, and the 85 is only rated for 8500# so it's a bit lighter than the 40E @8800# but it's also about $750 less money before postage.

They changed the price bracket on the FX85 to bring it down about $400 from where the FX90 was. I have like 4 trees the size of the one Rob posted earler, so if he can haul those with his 90, the 85 is more than enough for my needs. I don't ever plan to cut them either, which brings my largest skidding down to around 24" DBH.

Deerherd · Jul 10, 2015

KiwiBro said:
Just went there and the 40E has only gone up a hundy. Sounds like others must have come down a fair bit. Or perhaps Uniforest aren't competitive in the larger winches?

I live about 1 1/2 hours from Hud Son and went there to look at the Uniforest winches. Great store and nice people and the Uniforest winches looked very nice. I was looking at the 65 M model and was comparing it to the Wallenstein FX140.

Went with the Wallenstein because it was $2500 less but would have bought the Uniforest if the price were closer. That said I am very happy with the Wallenstein.

PatMcD · Jul 10, 2015

I had an old Fransgard. Worked well, but the cable was about done by the time I became it's owner. I snapped it maybe 5 times. There was never any "whip" to it: it just retracted maybe 6 feet and laid down. Good thing, because that old Fransgard never had a protection screen.

I replaced it this past Winter with a Tajfun that is better matched to my 55hp tractor. I really like it. 220' of cable, built-in chainsaw scabbard, built-in tool box, detachable lower pulley, 3 chokers included. I was told it was built like a regular skidder winch in that you can twitch the load out on the cable if you want.
My photos are crappy.

P.S., I don't think it's possible to buy a "bad" winch today: they're all pretty good.

Sawyer Rob · Jul 10, 2015

I looked at a LOT of winches before buying mine, and I think if you can still find an FX90 they were the best deal of all...

They come with two chain saw loops, two places to hold chains, two hooks to hook things on, a tube that will hold tools, a great upper screen, a fully adjustable lower block that you can put the cable "in or take it out of" without removing it, a "fully adjustable for height" hitch that makes it very easy to pull trailers/wagons with different heights of tongues, and 3 choker chains came with it...

I have a few choker cables, but I like the choker chains a lot better, as they work just as good as the cables and the chains take up a LOT less room when transporting them... I'm talking about "choker" chains, they are MUCH easier to use over regular chains...

One thing that's REALLY usful about having a BIGGER winch is, pulling multiples of logs... Like when I pulled out these two,

then hooking the chains to the winch so I could skid more logs out...

OR when you want to pull big sticks up out of a ravine,

Did I mention that I LOVE the hitch?? lol

SR

Gordon Gould · Jul 10, 2015

Speaking of protection screens my Farmi doesn't have one either. To me this is not a dangerous thing or big safety issue. Instead I believe it is dangerous to be winching from the tractor seat on a small or medium sized tractor with a winch capable of pulling the tractor around or over. There you are all twisted around backward in the seat pulling the control rope and leaning out so you can see what is going on. Unbalanced , no easy bail out, and all the time you are sitting on a tractor that may suddenly take a jump because the log hangs up. A big heavy tractor that is caged and guarded for the woods is better.

I have a nice long control rope and stand well to the side while winching where nothing moving is likely to hit me. On a skid I can easily release the hitch from the seat if I have to drop it to get thru a bad spot on the skid trail. I just drive forward, paying out cable, to the next winch point, stop and get off of the tractor to winch in. To me it is just sensible to get off of the tractor anyway to check on how the hitch is bunched up on the winch before you take off again.

A tractor is not a skidder no matter what we think or try to make it.

gg