# Old garden tractor as winch



## gzecc (Nov 26, 2011)

I have a friend with a wooded ravine in his yard. He would like to get some of the wood up from the ravine. Its too steep for a tractor. He asked me if an old garden tractor secured and supported off the ground would work as an inexpensive winch. His idea is to remove the rear drive tire and use the rim to pull in the rope. I'm sure this has been tried. Any of you guys know?


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## Larry in OK (Nov 26, 2011)

So basically a capstan winch. Might actually work, worth a try anyway.


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## shmodaddy (Nov 26, 2011)

While in high school one if my good friends BURIED his dads tractor about a 80 HP tractor in some bottom ground.    Long before cell phones he walked yes walked to our house.   I gave him a ride home and we started up an old case or massy or something or another I just remember it being red and small.  I thought no way is that going to pull that big tractor out of that "swamp" but he said we aren't going to try to pull we're going to winch it out.  Perplexed I HAD to see this and he was happy for help so we grabbed this old kinked up cable and off we went.  We stretched out the cable hooked to big tractor then he BURIED that little ol tractor to the belly hooked the cable to the Rim and let it wrap along the axle. Lo and behold that poor little tractor in granny low winched that big tractor out!! We then used the big tractor to pull little out of the hole he made.

So yes it could work but most lawn tractors have an open rear end where only one tire drives and the other one just spins unlike a posi traction rear end where both axles share the load and would pull equally.  If his lawn tractor is an open rear end the axle that has the least amount of resistance would try to spin. Meaning if the log was attached to one axle the axle that didn't have a load would turn instead.  That could be overcome with welding the rear end together so both axles would spin equally.


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## bluedogz (Nov 26, 2011)

I don't know how big this ravine is, but why not just use a tow strap to pull the logs up without jerry-rigging this winch idea?


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## Backwoods Savage (Nov 26, 2011)

Totally depends upon the weight and slope. 

Hint:  if you want to winch it, do the same thing as if you were pulling something else out that was perhaps stuck in the mud or like you would move a very heavy log. Do not start by pulling it straight. Hook onto that log as if you were pulling the front of it sideways and you will find it will pull twice as easy. Sure, it will straighten out as you pull it further but by then you have it already moving. 

I recall one time, being a very young lad, getting a disk stuck in the mud. No, I should not have tried even going through that wet spot but being young.....  Got a long chain and another tractor and naturally, I hooked directly in front of the other tractor. STOP!  Move pulling tractor so it is pulling on an angle (in this case about 45 degree or a bit more). That other tractor and disk came out really easy. That little lesson has always stuck with me. 

It is the same for logs. It also matters how you hook the chain or cable. You can hook in such a way that when you first start pulling, you also force the log to roll. Just gives one more boost to starting to pull easier.


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## LLigetfa (Nov 26, 2011)

Instead of removing the tires, bolt a set of rims to the existing ones so that they stick out well past the fenders.  Also, instead of using one rope on one rim, use two ropes on two rims.  That way the differential doesn't come into play.


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## JustWood (Nov 26, 2011)

Doubt the rear will stand that kinda pressure very long.


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## LLigetfa (Nov 26, 2011)

gzecc said:
			
		

> He would like to get some of the wood up from the ravine. Its too steep for a tractor.


Too steep for a tractor alone or pulling a load?  If the tractor can safely navigate the incline with l no load, use a pulley up top and pull with the tractor going down hill.

Here is a DIY yarder project.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/deaton0601.html


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## shmodaddy (Nov 26, 2011)

LLigetfa said:
			
		

> gzecc said:
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That is truly an awesome little project!!


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## gzecc (Nov 26, 2011)

Too steep for even the tractor alone, to go up or down. He was thinking of cutting into 16-36" lengths and pull them up.


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## basod (Nov 26, 2011)

I did this with an older chevy truck with welded rear diff. The problem arises when you get the logs to the top of the hill and they want to dig in.
With a truck its pita jacking it up wheel change out blocking and then securing it.  After screwing around half the day setting up I recalculated my efforts and found an old pulley wheel like the ones found on gabel barn doors to hoist things into the loft.  I secure it to a tree at the top of hill and use rope to pull with either the quad or pickup if larger size.


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## wkpoor (Nov 27, 2011)

Hanging a linemans pulley a few feet off the ground chained to a tree trunk at the top of the hill will keep the log from digging in as gets pulled up.


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## pen (Nov 27, 2011)

If it's a garden variety tractor, and there is much mass to these logs, I'd be concerned w/ the log taking a turn or roll and rolling the tractor as well.

I've tried much stupidier things and regretted a few, just letting you know what I'd be thinking about if I were to try it.

pen


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## BrotherBart (Nov 27, 2011)

The winch on the back of my garden tractor cost me fifty bucks and is a lot less hassle than this sounds like.


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## xman23 (Nov 27, 2011)

When we were kids a few neighbors got together to build a ski tow rope. One worked for the phone company. He came up with the 1000 ft of 1 inch Manila rope. They took tires off a gravelly tractor, spiked it down at the top of the hill. Ran the rope around the rim of the tractor, thru idlers pulley's they bolted to the trees. The tow rope side layed on the ground. I learned how to ski using the rope tow.


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## LLigetfa (Nov 27, 2011)

Ja, I grew up with a DIY ski tow rope like that.  Since the rope is spliced back on itself as a closed loop, it was just fed around both rims of the differential (one over the top, the other up from the bottom) and as such didn't need to have one side pinned or the spiders welded.


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## Thistle (Nov 28, 2011)

BrotherBart said:
			
		

> The winch on the back of my garden tractor cost me fifty bucks and is a lot less hassle than this sounds like.



You know it.Anything over 600 lbs I chain the JD 110 to a stout tree,sit my 175lb ass down on the seat & lock the brakes..


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## gzecc (Nov 28, 2011)

Thistle said:
			
		

> BrotherBart said:
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Unfortunately this guy doesn't have a tractor. Most of his property is this ravine. Thats why he was thinking of getting an old garden tractor that he could just use the drive train for.


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## Jack Straw (Nov 28, 2011)

I've heard it said that the old cub cadets had extremely strong rear ends. I actually think they have the same rear end as a Dodge Dart.


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## MasterMech (Nov 28, 2011)

uncontrolabLEE said:
			
		

> Doubt the rear will stand that kinda pressure very long.



If it's an old Cub, Deere, Wheelhorse or Gravely then the rear should hold up just fine.


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## Jags (Nov 28, 2011)

You would be much better off, and safer using a double pull block and tackle chained to a tree and pulled by the GT.  Or as BB and Thistle has their rigs set up.

The advantage of the block and tackle is that you can chain it high in a tree that will lift the front end of the log that is being pulled.


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