front mounted winch

[ballymac]

Thanks for the replies so far. I'll check out a few of the suggestions and report back.

Thanks again:001_smile:

[dave28]

Electric is fine, I doubt you will ever overheat it using it for tree work. I would say the hardest part will be find a suitable winch bumper to hang it on.

 

Forget hydraulic for what you are doing, electric is so easy and more than capable.

 

I would suggest you speak to David Bowyer Goodwinch Winches & Parts, Electric Winches and Winch Bumpers, UK – Goodwinch.com he is a friendy guy, knows his stuff and reasonably priced.

 

What do I know - I have four Land Rovers and a buggy each fitted with a winch front middle and rear, I have another five vehicles all fitted with various electric winches both 12v and 24v. We often overvolt our winches and put 24v through a 12v winch, some motors will stand this and some burn out, David Bowyer sells the ones which tolerate 24v.

 

I'm also thinking about buying an electric winch, I want something to do everything including holding a tree under tension while it's being cut, wouldn't want to try that with a capstan

 

I've thought about mounting it in a cradle so that it can be slung on the Hilux towbar or maybe fitted onto a small trolley complete with battery, quite a few clips on YT showing the rear mount cradles.

Any idea how much battery power I would need for an hour of intermittent moderate winching such as pulling windblows out of holes or up a bank.

Do I need to spend a grand on a husky or warn, have you had any of the Britpart or Ebay winches on your trucks?Thanks.

[pycoed]

Don't get a Superwinch, they don't last 5 minutes if used regularly.

My mate is a knackerman & I'm always repairing his winches. Brushes go & they are not a service item: you have to buy a whole motor - £180!

I use Lucas starter motor brushes (£3) & modify to fit, but they are soft & need replacing regularly.

[treebloke]

I'm also thinking about buying an electric winch, I want something to do everything including holding a tree under tension while it's being cut, wouldn't want to try that with a capstan

 

I've thought about mounting it in a cradle so that it can be slung on the Hilux towbar or maybe fitted onto a small trolley complete with battery, quite a few clips on YT showing the rear mount cradles.

Any idea how much battery power I would need for an hour of intermittent moderate winching such as pulling windblows out of holes or up a bank.

Do I need to spend a grand on a husky or warn, have you had any of the Britpart or Ebay winches on your trucks?Thanks.

 

I guess you mean winching and holding for an hour as opposed to winching constantly for an hour.

 

The better the battery the longer it will hold charge, we fit three batteries to our trucks, one for the truck itself and two for the winches. We also fit a 2nd alternator which is easy if your running Land Rovers as so many companies make the brackets and wiring.

 

I would rather buy a 2nd hand Warn or Husky than a new Chinese copy. You can get a good Warn 8274 for around £800. Alternatively, a Goldfish from Goodwinch will last, they are a bit slow but so is a Husky.

[Davie Mac]

I agree with Treebloke. I often use my challenge car to winch timber. Buy a Warn if you can. My last 8274 cost £350 but they rarely come up at this price. Expect to pay around £600 for a good one. Avoid Sh**part winches at all cost. Very poorly made and have plastic bushes everywhere instead of bearings. Motors and electrics are soooo bad. A modern truck with 100amp plus alternator will winch all day long. Long gone are the days of letting electric motors cool down. I often anchor the rear towbar to a tree with a strop and can winch some serious logs. A warn 8274 in good condition will pull 4-5 tons through a snatch block without panting. Check out Hydro electric. They all have Rangers up here in Scotland and most are fitted with front winches. My 90 has been known to winch a very bogged County with loaded timber trailer and also a 40ft timber lorry from a ditch!!

[Treewolf]

In my experience there is nothing that compares to a Husky if you want a good, near-industrial-quality, electric winch.

 

I simply wouldn't bother with anything less now.

[Davie Mac]

Superwinch Husky is a fantanstic winch. Low maintenance, will pull a house down and work every time. Just change solenoids for an Albright and fit and forget. A wee bit slow but that only comes from competing where speed is key. You can get a used Husky for around £300.

[dave28]

Don't get a Superwinch, they don't last 5 minutes if used regularly.

My mate is a knackerman & I'm always repairing his winches. Brushes go & they are not a service item: you have to buy a whole motor - £180!

I use Lucas starter motor brushes (£3) & modify to fit, but they are soft & need replacing regularly.

 

Are you including the Husky in that, (given that it seems to have a lot of happy users).Cheers

[pycoed]

He's got Superwinch X series winches - 12000lb models but I can't remember the exact model. One on the wagon for winching on fallen stock & another in the yard for deskinning.

 

I note that even for the Husky their parts list only shows a complete motor assembly at around £200 - this I call crap service backup. What generally goes wrong with a permanent magnet motor?: bearing s & brushes that's it. Neither are listed as service items. Might be acceptable & OK for DIY stuff but not in my view suitable for professional/industrial usage.

 

My mate still has them in use but then again he knows now I can fix them for nowt for him, so has no incentive to buy a decent hydraulic pair!

[treebloke]

He's got Superwinch X series winches - 12000lb models but I can't remember the exact model. One on the wagon for winching on fallen stock & another in the yard for deskinning.

 

I note that even for the Husky their parts list only shows a complete motor assembly at around £200 - this I call crap service backup. What generally goes wrong with a permanent magnet motor?: bearing s & brushes that's it. Neither are listed as service items. Might be acceptable & OK for DIY stuff but not in my view suitable for professional/industrial usage.

 

My mate still has them in use but then again he knows now I can fix them for nowt for him, so has no incentive to buy a decent hydraulic pair!

 

IIRC you can put what motor you like onto a Husky, therefore if you were to buy a motor from Goodwinch (either the bow 1 or bow 2) then you can easily replace the items if the need arises.

 

You do not have to buy from Husky which incidently are very good, reliable but slow winches.