I really, really love my Tirfor

[treesrus]

once pulled a huge ash out of a river with a tirfor, and on another occasion pulled my landy out of a bog. great piece of kit.

[Mike Dempsey]

I have a 1.6 ton tirfor copy which is really brilliant. I bought a 800 kg tirfor on ebay for 45 quid and is excellent. I use both when milling to move logs into a better position. I also have a Trewhella monkey winch which hasnt left the workshop as it is too heavy to get into the van. I am scared if I do eventually take it out and use it I wont be able to get it back in the van. Currently it is making a nice ornament in the workshop!

[TheHungrySquirrel]

I recently bought an 800kg with cable but it didn't arrive with a handle. Are they available separately so I can start enjoying the tirfor fun

[Haironyourchest]

I recently bought an 800kg with cable but it didn't arrive with a handle. Are they available separately so I can start enjoying the tirfor fun

 

No need for a special handle, just use any galvanised pipe that fits snug over the handle-stubs. Look after your cable, don't kink it or let it grind over rocks, and grease the cable and inside of the tirfor too. I use Lanotec lanolin based spray.

 

If you want to have more fun-than-a-sonofagun look up rigging forces and angles etc. Easy to decapitate oneself with a busted cable if one gets:thumbup: it wrong. You'll feel like a superhero when you move something that shouldn't be possible to move by the hand and arm of man!!!

[CHC]

I love my tifor it's got me out of some wet and tricky situations pulled out tracked when you get it stuck in that spot which you think it will get through and it don't, leaning trees and hung up and them nasty wind blown. I would not go felling with out it. I have the 800kg version I can carry it out to the woods in one go with strops and every thing you need

[treequip]

No need for a special handle, just use any galvanised pipe that fits snug over the handle-stubs. Look after your cable, don't kink it or let it grind over rocks, and grease the cable and inside of the tirfor too. I use Lanotec lanolin based spray.

 

If you want to have more fun-than-a-sonofagun look up rigging forces and angles etc. Easy to decapitate oneself with a busted cable if one gets:thumbup: it wrong. You'll feel like a superhero when you move something that shouldn't be possible to move by the hand and arm of man!!!

 

The handle length is "calibrated" to the input force, a longer one can cause problems to the shear pins if nothing else.

 

Greasing the cable is also bad advice, grease will pick up grit, which will , as it gets pulverised by the internals, make a nice grinding paste, it also puts lubricant directly on the jaws that are supposed to grip the wire, to say nothing of the fact that you are going to get a nice covering every time you use it.

[mendiplogs]

"Tirfor has legendary status as far as i'm concerned....Rock steady pulling power!"

 

Well that's two supporters! Relieved that you guys love the tirfor! That's what I think Jon, the tirfor is like a scalpel to the plant machinery's sledgehammer. There is a time and a place for big winches, but a trifor will go where a big winch never can.

 

Part of the beauty of the thing is the zen-state you get into while cranking the handle. Sure, it seems like nothing happening, but its all about the journey....crank...crank...crank...rest...crank...like, "wax on, wax off"...

 

Hi hair that's right mate I'm with you on that thanks Jon

[Haironyourchest]

The handle length is "calibrated" to the input force, a longer one can cause problems to the shear pins if nothing else.

 

Greasing the cable is also bad advice, grease will pick up grit, which will , as it gets pulverised by the internals, make a nice grinding paste, it also puts lubricant directly on the jaws that are supposed to grip the wire, to say nothing of the fact that you are going to get a nice covering every time you use it.

 

Yes, good point. Look up the specs for your machine and find the proper handle length.

 

As for greasing the cable, yes and no. When I said greasing I really meant oiling, as I wouldn't apply straight grease to my cabel either. The Lanotec is a heavy oil, a liquid wax actually, I seems to penetrate somewhat and does not leave much of a residue. I have not noticed any more grit pickup with the lanotec than without. Wire rope surface is gnarly by nature and if dragged through crud is going to pick it up anyway. If it does, I brush it off or while off with a rag when its tight and clear of the ground.

 

The Tractel Tirfor service manual instructs liberal greasing of the internals of the machine, but warn against grease containing graphite or molydisulphide "as this could cause the rope to slip in the jaws" which is news to me.

 

http://www.tractel.com/files/127192941183775.pdf

 

But you can and should periodically lubricate your cable with something else, and it shouldn't slip. Below is an extract from Machinery Lubrication Magazine

 

Wire Rope Lubrication

Lubricating wire ropes is a difficult proposition, regardless of the construction and composition. Ropes with fiber cores are somewhat easier to lubricate than those made exclusively from steel materials. For this reason, it is important to carefully consider the issue of field relubrication when selecting rope for an application.

 

Wire rope lubricants have two principal functions:

 

1. To reduce friction as the individual wires move over each other.

 

2. To provide corrosion protection and lubrication in the core and inside wires and on the exterior surfaces.

 

There are two types of wire rope lubricants, penetrating and coating. Penetrating lubricants contain a petroleum solvent that carries the lubricant into the core of the wire rope then evaporates, leaving behind a heavy lubricating film to protect and lubricate each strand (Figure 2). Coating lubricants penetrate slightly, sealing the outside of the cable from moisture and reducing wear and fretting corrosion from contact with external bodies.

 

 

Figure 2. Foam Penetrating Type Wire Rope

 

Both types of wire rope lubricants are used. But because most wire ropes fail from the inside, it is important to make sure that the center core receives sufficient lubricant. A combination approach in which a penetrating lubricant is used to saturate the core, followed with a coating to seal and protect the outer surface, is recommended. Wire rope lubricants can be petrolatum, asphaltic, grease, petroleum oils or vegetable oil-based (Figure 3).

 

 

Figure 3. Grease Lubed Wire Rope

 

Petrolatum compounds, with the proper additives, provide excellent corrosion and water resistance. In addition, petrolatum compounds are translucent, allowing the technician to perform visible inspection. Petrolatum lubricants can drip off at higher temperatures but maintain their consistency well under cold temperature conditions.

 

Asphaltic compounds generally dry to a very dark hardened surface, which makes inspection difficult. They adhere well for extended long-term storage but will crack and become brittle in cold climates. Asphaltics are the coating type.

 

Various types of greases are used for wire rope lubrication. These are the coating types that penetrate partially but usually do not saturate the rope core. Common grease thickeners include sodium, lithium, lithium complex and aluminum complex soaps. Greases used for this application generally have a soft semifluid consistency. They coat and achieve partial penetration if applied with pressure lubricators.

 

Petroleum and vegetable oils penetrate best and are the easiest to apply because proper additive design of these penetrating types gives them excellent wear and corrosion resistance. The fluid property of oil type lubricants helps to wash the rope to remove abrasive external contaminants.

 

Wire ropes are lubricated during the manufacturing process. If the rope has a fiber core center, the fiber will be lubricated with a mineral oil or petrolatum type lubricant. The core will absorb the lubricant and function as a reservoir for prolonged lubrication while in service.

 

If the rope has a steel core, the lubricant (both oil and grease type) is pumped in a stream just ahead of the die that twists the wires into a strand. This allows complete coverage of all wires.

 

After the cable is put into service, relubrication is required due to loss of the original lubricant from loading, bending and stretching of the cable. The fiber core cables dry out over time due to heat from evaporation, and often absorb moisture. Field relubrication is necessary to minimize corrosion, protect and preserve the rope core and wires, and thus extend the service life of the wire rope.

 

If a cable is dirty or has accumulated layers of hardened lubricant or other contaminants, it must be cleaned with a wire brush and petroleum solvent, compressed air or steam cleaner before relubrication. The wire rope must then be dried and lubricated immediately to prevent rusting. Field lubricants can be applied by spray, brush, dip, drip or pressure boot. Lubricants are best applied at a drum or sheave where the rope strands have a tendency to separate slightly due to bending to facilitate maximum penetration to the core. If a pressure boot application is used, the lubricant is applied to the rope under slight tension in a straight condition. Excessive lubricant application should be avoided to prevent safety hazards.

[Haironyourchest]

Granted this article is talking more about wire ropes that are used in conjunction with sheaves and spooled on drum winches, so a lot more bending and hence strand-on-strand friction occurs. A tirfor rope would not normally be subjected to these kind of bending stresses, unless you are using a snatch block.

[Timbermcpherson]

Love tirfors, I have a couple of 3200kgs, couple 1600kg's and an 800kg.

 

Done some dumb stuff with them. And had a few victories

 

[ame]

[/ame]