Tips for using winching timber safely please

[mendiplogs]

Might be worth finding someone with experience with windblow and winching to help you out for a day.

 

HI BRUSH your so right as windblow can be death traps if you do not no what your up to thanks jon

[Chris Sheppard]

Might be worth finding someone with experience with windblow and winching to help you out for a day.

 

Good advice.

[cessna]

Thank you all, for your very helpful replies. Obviously one is using what can be a very dangerous piece of equipment, if one DOES NOT follow a lot of your sensible safety advice. Would any of you advise getting the front tyres water ballasted plus full set of front end weights ,if I can find some at a sensible price?

I will start off winching smaller pieces,and gradually winch some larger pieces.

Unfortunately I am a one man band so one has to be more safety conscious than ever.

[difflock]

Cessna,

Bugger, start with the obvious,

Ensure the winch is correctly mounted with the correct size new and undamaged pins, and a strong sound top link.

Always winch with the butt plate firmly grounded, test it if necessary, by "tugging" until it is firmly bedded.

Is there not a simple "blow by blow" instruction booklet del with the winch.

Ask the seller to demonstrate it.

They should be oblidged to do so if it was purchased new?

I dont think you need serious front end ballast, I am not familar with a MF 280, or was it a 380, I am however passing familar with the 390/390T

What weight is your tractor.

Your winch will only pull 5 tonne.

Should be absolutly stable on the lower pully, less so on the higher pully.

Perhaps anchor the winch to a dead weight on an obstacle free flat area and try it first, keep the tractor on tickover revs at first, it should/ may well stall or strangle before harm is done.

I have broken the choke chains several times btw despite them being rated for 5 tonne.

Never trust anything mechanical, or leastwise only after slow sober analysis.

If you are working on your own, as I routinely do, simply do everything in slow time first.

Always ensure that you will be safe regardless of mechanical failure.

**** happens (even to me strangly enough)

think think think.

be "risk adverse"

I for one took a while to get the hang of the buttons (my winch being electro hydraulic) scared the shite oot o mesel a few times when I released instead of winching in, or visa-versa.

But the only way to learn is by experience.

This means making mistakes.

This does not mean that you should put yourself in any hazard or that there should be any personal risk.

Edited October 1, 2013 by difflock

[LGP Eddie]

I can't see any reason why the Massey and Farmi won't be a great setup?

 

I'd personally look to build a front toolbox weight combined, as there'll be plenty of gear you'll want to take with you (assuming this is a pretty permanent setup).

 

Some great replies already, and you really just need someone with experience to help you out whilst you find your feet.

As Stephen says, don't get practicing on a slope with a Beech!

 

 

Best of luck with it all and stay safe.

 

Eddie.

[Brushcutter]

Thank you all, for your very helpful replies. Obviously one is using what can be a very dangerous piece of equipment, if one DOES NOT follow a lot of your sensible safety advice. Would any of you advise getting the front tyres water ballasted plus full set of front end weights ,if I can find some at a sensible price?

I will start off winching smaller pieces,and gradually winch some larger pieces.

Unfortunately I am a one man band so one has to be more safety conscious than ever.

 

Water ballasted tyres especially on the front will drastically change the handling characteristic of your tractor. As for weights they're expensive if you can find some. Do you have a loader on the tractor. Big log in there will help stability.

 

Just be careful i've nearly upended a tractor winching windblown beech of a slope and my boss has torn the back end of a David Brown doing the same thing.

 

If your a one man band surely spending a few hundred quid to work with a experienced guy for a few days to teach you. It's very handy to have someone on the radio down slope to make sure your not snagging on stump.

 

I've snagged on a stump winching on my own. First few rode over it the last one broke the cable (nylon cored so even though it was 12m out the whole 50m cable needed re doing. Having a helper would of saved a 100 quid on a new cable and a lost day of production.

[difflock]

A few used hydraulic pressed 10 or 12 " road kerbs chained, or otherwise secured to the front, especially with a bit of outstand, like on a dropped rad guard.

Make excellent cheap front weights.

[cessna]

HI BRUSH your so right as windblow can be death traps if you do not no what your up to thanks jon

 

Please can you explain to me your meaning of "wind blow". The wood that I will be winching,after being sawn into sensible length/weight, is basically where the top,or large branch from the crown of the Beech tree has snapped off and fallen to the ground. I don't think there are any dangerously still attached to the tree.

[cessna]

Just wanted to say I had very good day today using the new winch for the first time. I was lucky enough to have a semi retired forester and his son to give me a hand for the day, they were fantastic having so much knowledge from their own experience over the years. The winch is a super piece of kit,BUT it was their tips about using the chokers to drag in several branches,chain them to back plate grooves and then pull cable out and pull another 3 branches using chokers on cable,great job.

[Stephen Blair]

Nice 1, wear good gloves, ragged wire under your nails isn't cool.

Some pics would be good:)

Stay safe!