Sorry chipper1 as this is the only picture I have of your tractor and winch. I should have got one after you got out of this mess but I was not manning the camera at the time. I think the picture is one you took.
This is my current winch set-up. It works really well because in the woods I can situate myself on a logging trail, backing the log trailer 30 degrees off set to wherever I am winching, then fell my trees, limb and top them off. Hooking onto the tree length tree with my winch, I bring them beside the log trailer, then lifting the tree up off the ground with my grapple so I do not dull my saw, buck the tree into lengths. Then I load the lengths onto my log trailer. It takes about 4 average sized trees to make a load, which is about 1/2 a cord. I can do about 5 cord per day this way. (Felled tree to piled up in a yard, but not cut, split or stacked obviously). The winch/log trailer really works well. Easy, and because the drag from stump to trailer is pretty short, the trees tend to stay really clean. But I recognize that this is an expensive dual-set-up too.
I think flipping tractors over backwards was more of a problem back in the old days because of the design of the tractor. I remember hearing about people getting killed when they got their tractors stuck in the mud, chained a log between the two wheels then popped the clutch. The tractor would drag the log underneath the tractor, then keep going and smash in their skulls because there was nothing in the way. Today it would jam underneath the 3 point hitch lift arms instead. Personally I think it works better on getting tracked equipment unstuck than tractors, but it does work. I was pulling a log last year though with my skidder, cranking right away when the butt end hit a stump and the log went completely end for end. It was probably a 16 footer, maybe 14 inches on the butt end...nothing big, but it sure startled me. I got off and checked, and the choker was still intact, the tree still hooked, but had hit the stump so hard, it was enough to loosen it from the ground. Some people chain (2) logs to each tire, but we always chained (1) log to BOTH tires. This lifts the machine out of the hole for sure. A person has to redo the chains and cannot keep going, but it works a lot better. (Skip ahead to 2:52 to see what I mean).
My winch set up is a little different than any I have seen here. I ford a small river to get to my woods and coming back from the woods I have a steep hill to climb. The logging winch weighs 450 lbs. then lift the end of a log I was steering with the brakes. I had a ball mount welded on the blade of the logging winch so I can pull my log arch. In the woods I run the winch cable back through the log arch to hook up my log , then pull the log into the arch. This works very well for me I can pull a good sized log up the steep hill and not have to steer with the brakes.
The winch is an Egland 3501 designed for 30 to 50 horse power tractor. The tractor handles this fine ,most of the time when winching I have the tractor at just a little more than an idol. I carry a couple of snatch blocks to use mechanical advantage .
I made this a few years ago. Works good, you just have to go slow. Similar to some posted on here but uses a choker chain instead of tongs. Also has a receiver in it for a trailer hitch.
Funny I was going to ask you what your issues were, yes I can be a little slow, it's in my signature.
I like it Walt. Did you get the box on the front end re-designed so it is easy on/easy off so you can get to the battery?
That's okay, when I reread it, it took me while 'cause I thought, what the heck did I mean by "have issues"! Then I got it. Shew, that was close.
