Which PTO Logging Winch

[bpirger]

I'm getting serious about buying a PTO logging winch. My tractor is a 45 HP Zetor 5245. With a front loader and loaded tires, it is over 8000 pounds.

My search for a used unit in my area has come up empty....so this forces me to look at new. I've searched around and I think the Wallenstein FX90 is likely my choice. I guess the thing I like the most is it has an integral trailer hitch on the backside of the unit, so I can still pull a wagon around without having to take off the winch. I'm thinking once I put the winch on, it likely will not come off. (broken link removed to http://www.embmfg.com/Forestry/Winches/FX90.aspx) 165' of 3/8" line. 3/8" is smaller than I expected, but it is somewhat common.

Does anyone have any experience with a Wallenstein? I have read good things about their stuff but have never owned any or had first hand sight of any. Price for the FX90 is about 3400.

I live in the middle of 44 acres. I have a few logging roads through the woods, but I find it very difficult to go in with either the tractor or 4-wheeler with wagon to drop, block, and haul stuff out. I'd prefer not to mash everything up by driving through the bush, hence the winch. What do other folks do without a winch? Do you just use a long cable with a block? How does one handle a 100' plus line if not on a winch spool?

I'd rather not spend the money...one can buy at least three years of wood for this price in long length, perhaps 4-5. Yet buying wood when I live in the middle of 44 acres seems really stupid. I enjoy the work involved, though I have been cutting near the logging roads to minimize carrying blocks back to the wagon. That gets old pretty fast.

Never will be a cash making opportunity for me. Heck, I might let others use my tractor and winch just to get more run time on it. I likely only run about 30 hours a year...thoguh with the winch I suspect this will jump up a bit.

There's also quite a bit of annual fall every year that is off the roads quite a bit...and therefore hard to get. I'm thinking the winch will make easy work of this. My thoughts are I can create a new road or two so I can reach just about eveywhere with a 165' line.

So I'm looking for comments on winches, Wallensteins, and how folks get trees out of the bush without a winch. Is there something I'm missing? Do folks just clear all the small stuff so they can more readily drive through the bush? Thanks!

 

['bert]

I have their 4" chipper for my tractor and I love it. Very well made for the $$. A good balance for heavy duty homeowner type equipment. Plus it's made in Canada so it must be good!! ;-)

My local dealer brought it out here, helped hook it up and stayed for about an hour to chip the first couple of trees.

 

[ROBERT F]

For a lot less money, you could do an electric winch, snatch blocks, and tree savers. then you short line the logs to the landing by driving the tractor up the road. takes two people to do well, but lots cheaper than 3400. I do this by myself with a 3/4 ton truck, up ravines to get out wood that is too much work for others. woorks better for clearing stands of trees rather than one here one there type of thing. backing back down to the landing without running over the cable is the hardest part by yourself. same thing can be done with premade wire sections, but the wicnh allows you to vary the length to the conditions.

 

[SolarAndWood]

Here you go, save yourself a little dough

(broken link removed to http://rochester.craigslist.org/grd/2156865108.html)

Wallenstein FX 90, maybe 10 hours use on it. 800 lb. unit with 160' of 3/8 cable and 3 slip chains for logs. Cost $3500 plus tax , Cat 1 3 pt hitch, pto powered, makes easy work of hard to reach places, I pulled some smaller trees out with it as well. Call Randy

 

[TimfromPittsburgh]

After looking at all the commercially available PTO logging winches and choking on the price of them, I built my own logging winch from a few pieces of angle iron and a Milemarker hydraulic winch. Spent less than $1000 for the parts and pieces. I have been using it for 4 years now and the winch does everything I need it to do. I am able to retrieve logs from steep hillsides with minimal disruption to the ground cover. I have a hydraulic accessory port at the back of the tractor so utilizing the tractor's hydraulics was easy.

 

[djblech]

I have a Farmi 351p which I think is from Sweden. Simple and well made. Look up HUD-SON forestry equipment, then tree skidding winches. It will pull more trees back than my Kioti dk45 can haul out. It has a dozer blade that you drop to anchor the tractor. I paid $3800.00. 5yrs ago.
Doug

 

['bert]

After looking at all the commercially available PTO logging winches and choking on the price of them, I built my own logging winch from a few pieces of angle iron and a Milemarker hydraulic winch. Spent less than $1000 for the parts and pieces. I have been using it for 4 years now and the winch does everything I need it to do. I am able to retrieve logs from steep hillsides with minimal disruption to the ground cover. I have a hydraulic accessory port at the back of the tractor so utilizing the tractor's hydraulics was easy.

Can you post some pics? I like the price point your at, I would like to have a logging winch, but I am cheap (by necessity).

 

[TimfromPittsburgh]

Here is one picture that shows the logging winch mounted on the back of the tractor. Since the photo is not centered on the logging winch, a bit of verbal description might help. The framework is built of angle iron, 2 uprights and three cross members all welded together. A Milemarker hydraulic winch is attached to the top crossmember. The bottom crossmember is hidden by the snow. The entire assembly attaches to the three point hitch.

When I am pulling a log, I back the tractor as close as I can comfortably get to the log, lower the logging winch till the bottom crossmember is sitting on the ground, pull enough cable off the drum to reach the log, secure the chain at the end of the cable around the log, then using a remote hydraulic control mounted on the back fender (not visible in the photo) wind the cable (and the log) in until the log reaches the winch. I stop when the cable end of the log is slightly off the ground. To transport the log, I raise the three point hitch then drive to the place where I stack the logs for furether processing.

It is not elegant but is very functional.

The shortcomings of this and every other winch that winds cable onto a drum is that the cable needs to be nearly perpendicular to the drum's axis of rotation when winding or the cable will bunch up at one end of the drum. I can usually maneuver the tractor enough to avoid this problem. Secondly, I need to be mindful of my TPH capacity and not try to lift a log that exceeds the lifting capacity of the TPH.

Hope this is useful.

Tim

 

[711mhw]

I'd rather not spend the money...one can buy at least three years of wood for this price in long length, perhaps 4-5. Yet buying wood when I live in the middle of 44 acres seems really stupid. I enjoy the work involved, though I have been cutting near the logging roads to minimize carrying blocks back to the wagon. That gets old pretty fast.

Remember that your winch, if only reasonably taken care of will be worth something $$$ in the end, not to mention the work that it will do for you.

 

[timbrjackrussel]

I found a used Norse 400 Logging Winch for $2000. Very well built, 9000lbs. pull 165 of feet 3/8" cable. I have it on an International B444 Diesel tractor ($3000) with loader. You won't get any younger so make it easier. It is so much safer and faster with this setup. Keep looking.

 

[bpirger]

Thanks guys. The FX90 is already sold....was sold apparently by the evening it posted...before I querried that same evening!

Tim, how long can your cable reach off your winch?

I certainly will get one....and I'd really like to find a used one in good shape. I'm not yet able to fabricate (weld) anything myself...that's the next big skill to acquire. After the house is "finished", the boiler installation is finished, the rest of the heating system is finished, etc.

 

[WhitePine]

After looking at all the commercially available PTO logging winches and choking on the price of them, I built my own logging winch from a few pieces of angle iron and a Milemarker hydraulic winch. Spent less than $1000 for the parts and pieces. I have been using it for 4 years now and the winch does everything I need it to do. I am able to retrieve logs from steep hillsides with minimal disruption to the ground cover. I have a hydraulic accessory port at the back of the tractor so utilizing the tractor's hydraulics was easy.

I'm very curious about your Milemarker setup. Got deatail pics? :coolsmile:

Could you post the model number you used? I've heard of other people using Milemarkers winches for this application, but I've also heard they aren't compatible with tractor hydraulic pressures. Tractor reliefs are typically set around 2,000 -- 2,500 PSI. Milemarker working pressures are supposedly much lower.

 

[SolarAndWood]

The FX90 is already sold....was sold apparently by the evening it posted...

Whats up with that? I tipped you off an hour and 20 minutes after it was posted. Someone saved a grand off new.