tractor mounted winches

[Dave Rouse]

i'm off to a machinery auction this friday with the intention of purchasing a 3 point linkage mounted winch to fit on my John Deere 2140 4wd (85hp).

At the auction are 3 ex-environment agency fransguard winches, 2xv6500's and one v9000 (which i think would be too big for my tractor).

There are also a number of boughton winches and a cooks winch (previous owner unknown), but there are no photos of these and are most probably chassis mounted.

The winch wont be used too much as tree surgery is only part of my business.

I would be grateful if any one could suggest to me what a fransguard winch is worth, and what do i need to be aware of when buying a winch, considering it is an auction so i wont be able to try it out before i buy.

 

Below is a link to a photo of one of the fransguard winches

 

 

cheers

[John Hughes]

I bought a Franguard, can't remember what model, a couple of years ago at a Cheffins plant auction. In nice condition , I paid £600 for it.

John

[clueless]

i bought a fransguard 3500 in as new condition out of the back of someones workshop gathering dust for £750. I may be wrong but in my opinion a winch is a winch (basicc spec 3pt linkage wise anyway) and as long as it looks half decent it probably is.

[Brushcutter]

 

That my Fransguard V6500 i have love/hate relationship with it. As winches go its cheap and chearful with not a lot that can go wrong and its fairly easy to get apart if something does go wrong. Its only around 400kg so you don't need a meaty tractor to lug it about either. As a skidding winch you can get a fair old amount on the butt plate and its got a good old pull on it and the lower block is excellent for heavy pulls.

 

Now the downside is that the one pictured eats cables. In 2 years it has had at least 4 cables in it at 100 quid a time. It just seems to lay it all over the drum and crush its self which leads to serious hedgehoging of the cable and lots of weak crush spots. Another bug bare is that it doesn't break band to tension the cable and keep it on for assisted felling or holding root plates still. Although newer ones seem to it could be that mine is before the time it came as standard.

 

I'd say 700-100 quid for a good condition one would be on the money. Maybe ring AT Osbornes for a price on a new one. As for a 9 tonne winch it would probally be ok on an 85hp tractor. If you do big trees that need a tug over or some big forestry trees worth the extra cash but if you don't need it get a smaller one and spend the extra money on a good set of chains and some roller sliders and a good snach block.