Hey Seth, try adding small logs between the ground and the log you want to pull (like rollers), that winch can pull much bigger trees that way for sure!
That's how the monuments of the ancient civilisations was build. It's not like rollers are new technology - and it seems like there is plenty good logs for the job just laying around.
Using some pulleys, you could pull 2-8 times the rated weight We used to mess around with pulleys in the fire department for rescue training. Really cool to see a 200lb person lift 1000 plus
@@TheKidWilderness Slow but it would be constantly pulling something. Not like what he did tugging, stopping, tugging, stopping, reset, tug, stop and repeat. A pulley would have done what he did in probably 50 if not 75% of the time he did with a lot less effort.
"Channel your inner grandpa" 😁😁 so funny and positive. People should use such respect growing phrases rather than associating old people with fart, crippledness, burden or whatever negatives. You are a true grandson 😎
I have a similar winch and use it all the time. Super handy when cutting down trees that hang over water. I almost never have to cut drowned wood since I own that thing. I super like it.
@@combustionpropulsion4883 better safe than sorry. 500lbs definitely wouldn't break it. I am always overly cautious with cables. We were pulling heavy shit with the excavator and it snapped and damn near took the top part of the foremans cab off on his truck lol. We think the cable had a weak spot were didn't see. We were well below its weight limit too. Luckily no one was hurt.
@@pnwshredder2559 You're right, I see people do stupid stuff with winch safety all of the time and it makes me cringe. But with the rating of that cable and the max 500lbs that that winch can pull there is no way even if that cable did break that it could cause any damage.
@@combustionpropulsion4883 He has no idea how heavy something is that hes towing if he cant pick it up. Especially when that log started digging itself into the dirt? Easily way over 500lbs of force right there. Regardless on weight and cable strength its always good to practice safety and get into the habbit of covering your cable.
@@PabzRoz I agree, but the winch slips at 500lbs so it can't have more than 500lbs on the cable. There isn't more than a little snap In that if it breaks.
Back in the day, I used to help build stream rehabilitation structures in B.C. We used a Lewis winch, which attaches to a chainsaw instead of a drill. Basically the same idea though. Once you figure out how to use them, they are pretty capable. Something like 4000 lb rating.
@@Verdigris.honestly I was just thinking chuck a small dolley under each end, strap it down and drag it from there, would easily cut the time of winching in half.
Seth. Try and find a way to use leverage to move the log onto some sort of wheel set. Something with castor wheels with some tread. That way you can reduce the friction between the ground and the log and pull much heavier logs. Then when you spool up the whole winch you just unhook and move it to a further tree. I bet you can build something like that very cheaply!
Good review, and a hell of an effort!I still say old manual Come-Along FTW! Also, any kind of skid or sled is VERY helpful for both ease of movement and reducing trail gouging. Even a little nose cone of steel or aluminum. I've used an old broken shovel blade for just this purpose...hook the stomper-flats at the top of the blade on the leading edge of the log and allow the shovel blade ride under the log to just keep the front from digging in. Every little bit helps!
I was thinking about a hand-crank winch. You can modify it by taking the handle off and putting a locknut on and using a cordless impact driver to turn it. He'd have to test it, but I think it would have more torque. The only downside is that I don't think I've ever seen one with a release to pull out cable quickly.
This was fun to watch but for efficiency I would stick to trying to run everything off the gator winch. Gator in as far as you want/can and put some big blocks behind the tires or load a bunch of weight in it (airbag lander?). Get a long metal cable extension (not too stretchy) for the gator winch and a bunch of snatch blocks. Zigzag the snatch blocks and cable from tree to tree down the trail to the log you want to recover. Remove the the snatch blocks one by one as the log passes by. This is nice because you have completely flexibility as to angle of pull (both horizontal and vertical). Use double pulley or block and tackle set ups for heavier objects to get more mechanical advantage. There’s always rollers too but that’s a lot of work when you have the gator winch but they could save your trail. The sled idea is probably more fitting. There’s always come alongs too which can be a nice accessory in tricky spots. Check out Smarter Everydays video on this. Thanks for all the videos Seth. Long time fan!
we have one at work, I am a tree surgeon and we use it all the time!! use it when digging out small stumps it awesome at that. you cut through roots while it pulls on it 👍🏻👍🏻. plus use it to pull a 6 wheeled trailer around.
Just bought one off amazon for field fence straining. Trying it out tomorrow. And yes, I may end up using a snatch block. If it works well I’ll ditch the come along.
Hi, that was pretty cool when you hoisted yourself up, it looks like this drill winch has a braking system which is great for a project I want to use it for. Thanks for the video
Hi love your videos, maybe a 4 wheeler that has 4x4 can help you move some logs around in narrow trails can work and some have a winch. Its also good if someone else needs to use it or if the gator breaks. I volunteer on my local trails and we have one just for that to get in the tight trails the gator cant, just a thought and not that expensive for a preowned one.. enjoy.
Thank you for mentioning the snatch blocks. I was thinking about those the whole time (thanks for that SmarterEveryDay). I feel like you could do with a winch that works at this speed if you could just set it to run without holding a button (could have an auto off at the ends of the cable) or at least a wireless control. Fire and observe would make it way less tedious than being stooped over holding that trigger.
I would recomend the pwc 3000 portable winch. It had a small petrol enige and a capstan winch, it is better for this type of log hauling. Source: i have moved logs on trails like you did, but with 200 feet of rope/cable, and thus fewer setups for the winch. Portable winches are made in Canada.
Hey seth just an idea for moving the logs a little easier maybe get a very thick piece of plastic have it sloped at the front of the log so the log doesn't dig itself into the mud. Kind of like a sled but thicker plastic. Edit: just realized at 6 minutes in the video you came up with a similar idea.
So since the drill winch is super slow and the gator doesnt fit anywhere might I suggest looking into the new Ubco 2X2, its a EXTREMELY powerful ebike (pedalless) meant for working in smaller areas, its super cool and I think it would be an awesome addition to Berm Peak!
That winch is gonna be a pain in ass. Just an idea, park your gator as close as you can and then use pulleys attached to trees to pull around through the forest. That way you can use your gators winch and just pull in straight lines from pulley to pulley until you get it where you want.
You're correct about the snatch block cutting the speed in half...but it would have also doubled the weight you could have pulled before that clutch started kicking out...
Try some thick PVC pipes under the front to keep it from digging in, you would only need a few. Another thing would be get a small winch and plate and strap that to a tree with a marine battery. You already use the dolly, a small winch and battery would be almost as portable. Just be cautious with metal wire, when it snaps, its tends to head back to the winch IE where you are standing. Most 4x4 guys always throw like a towel or some kind of weight in the middle to slow down the effect.
Mike Buskirk yeah I like the idea of PVC pipes more than logs; although they’re definitely prone to cracking when you have a 500lb log getting winch-pulled into them
I think you'd get better (and cheaper!) results by using a manual come along winch. Those will pull a lot more weight and you won't burn up any power tools. Put some logs under it to act as rollers, it'll pull easier and not tear up the trail. Bonus points for using a hi lift jack to lift up the log to put something under it instead of hurting your back. Recently picked up a hi lift at Tractor Supply for $40. Come alongs can be had pretty cheap as well.
It would be great for trail crew members to use after a storm to move fallen trees off to the side of the trail. That drill, a couple batteries, and the winch could fit in a backpack easily.
I think part of what keeps us watching is that you post stuff we don’t expect, or something you haven’t done before. These things interest us, not drive us away.
Kayak carts are made of aluminum (so they don't rust) and are only rated for about 150lbs max. There's no way I could see my kayak cart hauling a 12-18" log...nevermind picking it up a good foot off the ground to get it on top of the cart.
Need 2 wheel barrow wheels and a "nice" pipe to connect them. Then put it on the end of the log with the winch rope and ratchet strap the wheels to the log.
This is the worst idea ever. How are you supposed to effectively use the log like a kayak? Going through white water on a log is pretty dangerous, harder to paddle steer and definitely too heavy.
If you are going to move a lot of these logs like this, like you said, make a sled, but also consider some sort of wheels you can slide under the log, then attach those at the end of the log, maybe an old used dolly like you had, but cut in half and modified to allow you to strap down the log. Let the wheels do the bulk of the work, then you can use your normal dolly to act as a hand tractor for moving things around.
Rollers, either scrap 3" diameter pipes or timber the same diameter start with 2' long . Synthetic ropes such as Dyneema, Supermax are stronger than steel cable at the same Diameter. Notice how the Timber Men drag from a higher purchase point to make the lead edge give less resistance. Enjoyed your video, wish that drill winch had a 1/2" drive connection so you could get out of the line of fire from an exploding cable, this winch safety limit seems to have you covered we hope. Wire Rope square the diameter in millimeters x 8 = the working load in KILOGRAMS. if you reeve it or wrap the wire and put the hook on the rope that discounts 50% off the working load of the wire rope. Keep on Rigging
The process you want is called tushing. First you must remove the horizontal branches to create as straight a log as possible. Hook a stout chain or very strong rope around the leading end ( usually the base) about 2 feet from the end. To get moving, lay some of the larger cut off branches in front of the log as rails (90 degrees to log). One big lift and pull, get the end of the log onto the branches, and now it will roll over them.
Yo Seth, check out using a timber hitch style knot with a chain. Using that plus elevating the wench could help with some of the binding on the trail. That way the front of the log is off of the trail and there is less friction. Maybe that would help a bit but, the torque limiter on that tool is pretty annoying. The beauty of a timber hitch is you can attach the wench cable at any point on the log making it easier to maneuver around trees.
The hoist is the most useful thing I can think of using it for. I'm not as adventurous as Seth so it wouldn't be a man hoist. But for lifting midsized things to work on in your shop or a carcass hoist for a hunter or butcher in would work nice.
I think you hit the nail on the proverbial head when you mentioned snatch blocks. If you had to build Rome on your own (for eg), with enough snatch blocks you could do it with this inexpensive little critter, and all you'd risk would be a blister on your trigger finger. 🌲🏛👷♀️
Thank you for the review. I never knew this existed. I'm looking for something like this. Unfortunately this is not it. The 750 lb might work but I'm an over kill guy.
If you have an old sled (like a plastic one) or a regular snow shovel, you can lay the front of the log on top of it and pull that direction. It’ll slide over things without digging in so much. Might help, it’s still a hand tool! ;D
looks like it could be useful n I'm a tree guy .. often find myself in area's when i need a light load winch . I did not know about this winch until your video thanks ..
I don't know if anybody has mentioned it, but you should search for "Logrite Junior Arch". Makes it easy to lift up the log and roll it around with wheels. I'm sure other companies make similar items, or you could make your own with some time and effort.
Seth- here's a "hack" for your winch: find a bunch of short medium sized logs(large limb sections. Line them up in front of log as rollers, then winch heavy log over them without tearing up ground and way less resistance). Just grab the roller logs from the back and move them up front as you go along. Good luck and keep up the great work! Long time fan of your content on both channels!
Also - trees that dont fall on the ground air dry. Ground logs rot faster and suck up water. Black locust white oak and cedar are common rot resistant woods in your area. The heart of a pine is saturated in turpentine which also does not rot.
If you’re going to use a strap around a tree don’t use it as a choker, you can damage the bark/tree; you should use your strap like a sling loop attaching to both eyelets. You can add some pulleys or block and tackle to both re-direct a pull or make the most out of the 500 available pounds of pulling.
To keep logs from digging in when you drag them. Get a chunk of 2 or 3" PVC pipe and cut sections of it to lay under the log. Schedule 40 PVC is rated to 400PSI its pretty hard to crush.
Seth check out a log arch, timber tuff makes one and will work great for pulling a log like that along some single track. They also have a hitch adapter to hook to the gator.
You should get some round fence posts and you can use them as rollers when you're winching to allow for less friction and prevent the lot from digging in
Hi, as a caution just my advice,please weight the cable with maybe fallen branches etc. That way if the cable snaps, when the cable recoils it will fall to the floor as opposed to coming shooting back and injuring you! Again just some advice.
We cleaned a local river recently where we had to pull a bunch of old tires and garbage out up the side of the river bank and the most useful tool we had was a winch similar to that, but it requires electrical power. It would have been way better if we could have used a power drill. It would have opened up the other potential anchor points to get to the trash.
seth you can find an old 10-12hp 1970s something cub cadet tractor for like $500.00 in good condition. these tractors are nothing like what is sold today thell pull anything would be grate for work on the trails.
Hey Seth I’m liking your new kind of vlogging I really like how you have a camera man and your talking live instead of voice overs honestly it feels even better! Keep it up! 😃
