Tractor Winch Weight

[Sawmillboy]

I know there are lots of threads on these but I was looking for input on the weight of the units.

I’m looking at getting a 4 ton winch, debating between an Igland, KRPAN, and a Fransgard.

They are all priced similarly and the Igland is 573lbs, KRPAN 847lbs, and Fransgard 657lbs.

I’m going to be cutting a little bit of pine sawlogs around our property, biggest ones are around 35” and it is pretty hilly around us.

I like the KRPAN the best but is the extra weight of these going to affect me driving the logs out of the woods significantly? I have a kubota mx5800 and the 3pt is rated to lift 2,310lbs

Thanks

 

[dstig1]

You can only lift so much (2310 lbs, it appears...) so every pound in the implement is one pound you won't be able to lift in logs. Flip side is the heavier the unit, the more sturdy-built it likely is. But skidding logs only requires you to get the butt off the ground, not the whole log. With logs that large odds are you are going to have only one hooked up, or two smaller ones, perhaps. You can pull a surprising amount this way....carefully.

Bigger concern is if you have a lot of hills, will any of that be side pulls? That is asking to roll the tractor and handling those areas gets more difficult and time consuming. Better practice there is to drop the log, move tractor forward and then winch it to the tractor again on flat ground, rather than skidding it out attached to the tractor on a side hill. Set those rear tires as wide as you can!

 

[ericm979]

You need to pick up half the log's weight to drag it with the winch. You can calculate log weight here: Timber and Lumber Calculators at WOODWEB

You could use the winch to pull logs to a landing and then drag them off with a log arch. But that's an extra piece of equipment. Some winches come with fittings for trailer hitches.

I think the Krpan has a longer cable than the Igland. I'm not sure about the Fransgard. If it's steep with limited access or you need to redirect pulls with snatch blocks the extra cable may come in handy.

 

[Sawmillboy]

Thanks guys, that lumber weight calculator is a cool tool. I’m certainly aware of the side pull danger and aware of dragging the logs out on a hillside, I will winch it extra times if I have to rather than risk it. The Krpan also has 230’ of wire compared to 160 ish of the Igland/fransgard.

According to the weight calculator, it says a 16’ 35” white pine is about 3,800lbs. Any idea if the three point would be able to pick this up? I guess a couple hundred pound difference between the other winches isn’t going to make or break the capacity when I start getting into those large logs.

 

[CliffordK]

They are all priced similarly and the Igland is 573lbs, KRPAN 847lbs, and Fransgard 657lbs.

I like the KRPAN the best but is the extra weight of these going to affect me driving the logs out of the woods significantly? I have a kubota mx5800 and the 3pt is rated to lift 2,310lbs

According to the weight calculator, it says a 16’ 35” white pine is about 3,800lbs. Any idea if the three point would be able to pick this up? I guess a couple hundred pound difference between the other winches isn’t going to make or break the capacity when I start getting into those large logs.

If you're picking up one end, then that will be about half if that, or about 1900 lbs plus the weight of the winch.

So you're rapidly approaching your 3pt capacity.

What you need to figure out is whether the 3pt capacity could be increased with having a front end loader, or front end ballast. Kubota might have the answer.

Dragging a 3,800 lb log might stress your winch. The winch manufacturer might be able to help you whether an 8K winch is adequate.

 

[oosik]

I've had electric winches on six vehicles I've owned over 55 years. The one absolute truth - the closer you get to the max capacity of a winch - the quicker bad things will happen. And - the more often they will happen. And this will apply to most all machinery.

 

[CliffordK]

I've had electric winches on six vehicles I've owned over 55 years. The one absolute truth - the closer you get to the max capacity of a winch - the quicker bad things will happen. And - the more often they will happen. And this will apply to most all machinery.

Probably true in general, but you're probably better off with an 8,000 lb Warn winch than a 12,000 lb Badlands Harbor Freight winch.

Find yourself a vintage 50+ year old 1 HP grinder and a new 1 HP Harbor Freight grinder, and there will be no comparison between the two.

Taking the tractor right up to 100% of its rated capacity, and then it all depends on manufacturing tolerances.

 

[JJT]

I have an Igland 3501, (7700# capacity), and have no issues with 30"+ hardwood logs. I also have a 2300# 3 pt hitch lift capacity.

 

[Sawmillboy]

If you're picking up one end, then that will be about half if that, or about 1900 lbs plus the weight of the winch.

So you're rapidly approaching your 3pt capacity.

What you need to figure out is whether the 3pt capacity could be increased with having a front end loader, or front end ballast. Kubota might have the answer.

Dragging a 3,800 lb log might stress your winch. The winch manufacturer might be able to help you whether an 8K winch is adequate.

Appreciate the input, I emailed kubota about a front end loader increasing the capacity but haven’t heard back. I would hope that an 8k winch would be more than capable to pull out a 3,800lb log but I’ll definitely ask! Anyone familiar with the clutches? Looks like the Krpan and Fransgard have a better clutch than the Igland.

 

[Sawmillboy]

I have an Igland 3501, (7700# capacity), and have no issues with 30"+ hardwood logs. I also have a 2300# 3 pt hitch lift capacity.

Cool good to know! I think im going with the Krpan because of the longer cable but I’ve heard good things about all of them

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Does more cable mean smaller diameter cable? I've never needed that much cable, and to me it's a disadvantage unless you "absolutely" need it.

More cable means more chances of snagging on the drum, and more chances of a rat's nest. Also, more cable will most likely reduce the pulling power when you don't need all that cable out, which will easily be MOST of the time.

I have 165' on my winch and maybe 2 or 3 times over all the years I've owned it, that I had it all out. A few days ago, I deliberately let more line out, just to get this bad boy started moving easier,

It takes a decent amount of tractor and traction to pull/skid out logs like this,

SR

 

[dstig1]

Rob, What is that? White oak? That is my best guess from here...

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Rob, What is that? White oak? That is my best guess from here...

Yeaa, the two biggest trees were a white oak and a red oak, the one above had 117 rings on the stump.

I pulled out a BUNCH of firewood too,

SR

 

[ericm979]

Appreciate the input, I emailed kubota about a front end loader increasing the capacity but haven’t heard back. I would hope that an 8k winch would be more than capable to pull out a 3,800lb log but I’ll definitely ask!

It depends on the terrain. Not only uphlll vs downhill but how even it is. When the butt digs in to a rise the resistance goes up.

Anyone familiar with the clutches? Looks like the Krpan and Fransgard have a better clutch than the Igland.

I've had the clutch on my Uniforest 30m squealing because the log's stuck. (It helps to have a spotter for logs that are out of sight but sometimes I'm working alone). I let off as soon as I notice but that's not immediate. So far I can't tell that it's been affected. I think its a pretty big clutch for the torque it transmits.

A self releasing snatch block is really useful. I found this one works well and was the best price I could find (but that was a few years ago and things might have changed):

Igland Self-Releasing Snatch Block

On back order until mid April. Maximum load: 6 tons. For use with wire cable up to 1/2” diameter. Made by Igland of Norway.

stewardshipsuppliers.com

You can find youtube videos of the snatch blocks in action. I rig this one so its upside down which I think makes tripping the release easier.

I use cargo sling straps to hold it instead of chains, which will damage the tree. The straps can also if it rotates around the tree so plan out the forces in your head and set if in the right place. I got slings with reinforced loops which are too stiff and want to slip off the point on the block if there's not enough tension on them. I need to weld an extension on.

There's a thread or two on here where guys with a lot more experience than me discussed this. I learned a lot from it. It's worth searching for if you haven't found it already.