Measuring/estimating a winches power/capability

[drinksloe]

Alright

 

Just wondering is there a general rule off thumb for estimating the size of a winch?

Say u went to look at a 2nd hand 1 with little markings and it had no rope on it?

 

And more specifically I've just bought a mini custom skidder with double hydraulic winches on it ( and very little info I can find on it)

1 has rope about 8 or 10mm dia, so I'm guessing a 3ish T capacity?

The other top drum is empty but seems to turn slower in 1 direction could that be normal?? ie fast feed out and slower pull in?

Can u estimate winch strength by measuring the winch motor?

Not got it up road yet to really examine things fully

 

Cheers for any pointers, not really been around hyd winches much

 

Ps and is there any easy ways to confirm this before I buy new winch rope for it. Attaching heavier slings until it stops breaking them?? ( Obviously safely via a directional block etc)

Edited August 9, 2019 by drinksloe

[doobin]

Slings have a safety factor of something like 6:1, so that probably isn’t a very accurate way to try to measure. 

 

Winch motor size, flow rate of pump, reduction gearing ratio and size of drum- my head hurts even thinking about the calculations you’d need to do! 

Edited August 10, 2019 by doobin

[Mick Dempsey]

If you put some pictures up It’ll help.

[Rough Hewn]

Have you ever seen a 10mm cable,30m long, snap?
Can you speak with the previous owner about the original capability?

[drinksloe]

Cheers folks.

 

I did think about the safety factor might be a problem

The other thing I thought of was pulling stuff off known wieghts, but then u get into friction issues and even finding stuff u know the wieght off.

 

Cheers doobin, so the answer is no then, no simple way ?

 

Have to admit light was going by time I got down to it when I went to look at it after work, was a fair drive away.

There was some numbers on the winch motor but was quite hard to make out. Hoping the other motor will be clearer as under covers, but could be a completely different motor capability anyway

When I get it up road probably next wknd wil try to add some more info photos etc

 

The machine is a Iwafuji T10 and imported so owner hasn't a clue about it. 

Can't really find much info on it (atleast in English) they seem to make a lot off big custom skidders, possibly even timber jack copies as model numbers seem similar.

Needs a fair bit of TLC ( hopefully not much more) and a good lick of paint

 

There is a winch/crane company up the road 40 miles guessing the easiest/best way will just to run it up to them and get them to test it.

Would that be expensive??

 

Aye RH seen a few ropes snap some quite heavy, but most must have been modern ropes with rope cores as just laid flat..

But heard plenty stories from the old timers forestry ploughing back in 70s with shackles  coming throu cab windows and out front.

That's why I would of put it throu a few blocks to change direction.

 

Cheers 

 

Quote

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[doobin]

2 hours ago, drinksloe said:

 easiest/best way will just to run it up to them and get them to test it.

Would that be expensive??

 

I was about to suggest that a big set of crane scales and an overkill rope might be the easiest way.