I recently posted some pics of some property I’m working on buying. On the property are several decks of mixed species wood that were slated to be chipped, but the chipper dropped the ball and never got it done. I’m hoping to turn as much of it as possible into firewood. I’m not spry enough to be clamoring around on top of a log deck with a chainsaw so I have been thinking about purchasing a capstan winch to slide the logs off the top of the deck and to the road. The pull is only about 40’ so I am basically only pulling them far enough to get them on the ground. Most of the wood is under 20” diameter but there are a few larger pieces. There is a good anchor stump across from two of the decks, but on one of them I would likely have to anchor off of my truck. I looked at the Simpson winch, but I am thinking the larger Portable winch would best suit my needs if a capstan winch would work in this situation. Has anybody used a capstan winch for this type of operation? Also dumb newby question, if I use my truck as an anchor, does the truck have to be in line with the pull or can I pull at an angle off the hitch without doing damage? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
In my line of work we use capstans everyday for tower work. Sure it would work but you would have to be straight or have a pivot mount... Seems a bit pricey to me, why not just chain to your hitch and use the chain around log or even a choker and just drive?
Not in full agreement with the others here. Yes you could probably easily just yank the logs off with the truck, but winches are cool & handy to have around. You can pull on the angle with the Capstan, just use a good chain or heavy strap so the winch can pivot on the hitch. Winch itself has to pull straight at the load, truck won't care much. I've pulled 90 degrees to my bumper off my hitch with a chain & clevis no problem. Pulling with a winch provides very good load control as opposed to jerking with a truck. Again it probably won't matter in this application. With the winch you can also pull the logs partway off the pile, cut a few rounds up off the ground & repeat. Also could be done with the truck. Deck piles like that make good sawbucks to keep logs up out of the dirt & save some bending over & backaches when cutting. As with any power equipment, know how to operate it safely & they'll do a lot of work in many applications. I use a 12K lb hydraulic winch mounted to my tractor back blade to pull, skid, move cars, & many other things. Good tool to have imho. Oh yeah, & winches are real handy for felling trees as well in certain situations. There, hope I spent some $$$$ for ya!
Reloader have you considered a snatch block anchored to the stump, and use the truck to pull? If you're working at an angle, this should work OK. I've used my ATV and/or winch on the ATV to pull logs off the pile for cutting as amateur cutter suggested. I use a tow-strap as I've got no tongs, but loop around the log, have Chazsbetterhalf pull the log off the stack, make my cuts, re-strap log and continue on. I cut about the same diameter logs and have had few issues this way. Just another $.02
Never pass up a chance to have a new toy! I really think you need a winch even though the truck would probably be fine! Come to think of it, forget the truck or winch. This application calls for a 4x4 tractor!
The truck and block would probably work for some of it. The one issue is I have limited access to the upper property due to a private road. I can usually get access during the summer after it dries out. With the winch I could do a lot of cutting during the Winter with access up a quad trail. I've been thinking of getting a winch for hunting purposes, just trying to justify the expense. I could cut enough wood to pay for it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Read my post above if you haven't, if that's not enough justification I can come up with plenty more! I love spending your money.
You mean a front mounted winch or a capstan winch? I dont know anyone that would use a capstan for hunting... i mean I dont see why you couldnt use it its just overly excessive.
I think you are onto the right plan with the winch, just maybe not thinking of the best way to do it. First, the problem with the truck-pulling idea is that it is incredibly hard on the truck. That is a lot of shock loads as a pickup is not designed to tug on a log, and if the log gets hung up, it means getting "a little run for it" which makes the shock load on the truck incredibly hard. Not only that, it means dragging the wood through dirt...or more dirt depending on how the wood was moved to the landing by the logging contractor. You cannot change what has been done, but you can change how much more dirt gets on the logs. Even then, with the truck dragging method the log is left on the ground where it can be hard to saw. Finally, if something on the truck breaks, it makes the cost of the winch look very attractive. As to how to use the winch, I would parbuckle the logs off the pile. That is, attach the winch to the anchor point even if it was just your truck, then run the cable out and under the log, but in the middle of the log, then run the cable back to the winch. In this way the log will roll off the pile sideways and safely. I do this sometimes to load logs onto the sawmill that my log loader will not lift. By rolling them, it is slow and safe, but takes very little effort as it is a rolling log. But with the winch, you can maneuver the logs so that they rest on other logs, getting them off the ground a bit so that you do not have to lean over as far, nor will you run the tip of your saw into dirt. Granted you could use the truck to doing the pulling in the parbuckle system, BUT with a winch you could just use the truck as a mobile anchor point so that you can pull in any direction that you want. In short: with the winch you have more control and more options.
Yep, sure beats hiking them out in quarters, or wasting good meat. Anything you don't get that day the scavengers will. Handy for hanging the big game too.
Overly excessive for hunting? Ever tried to get a moose out of the Maine woods? I used a capstan winch for a moose just last week. It is a handy tool to have around!
But why wouldnt you buy a 12k lb winch like a warn versus a 1500 or 2k lb capstan? The warn would be cheaper and wired into the truck. PS - no, never needed to get a Moose out though I wish I have.
Good question- if you didn’t live and hunt here, you wouldn’t know this. Much of the north Maine woods and the logging areas where moose habitat is the best is privately owned and therefore prohibited from ATV use. Since you can’t choose where your moose, deer, bear or whatever will die, sometimes the only way to get the carcass out to a road is going tree to tree to tree to tree. Thus capstan winch!
I would think the primary advantage to the capstan winch is that length of line is virtually limitless
