Large forestry winch.

[Brushcutter]

Double drum would be out of budget ,was hoping to use the alpine winch as a retrieval instead but that may or may not work! Have briefly worked along side a 8.5 krpan and was impressed.

90 -120 hp tractor Tcd , you still rating the BGU ?

 

Had the 9.5T on a 100hp Valtra and the 8.5 on a 115hp Valmet.

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

Double drum would be out of budget ,was hoping to use the alpine winch as a retrieval instead but that may or may not work! Have briefly worked along side a 8.5 krpan and was impressed.

90 -120 hp tractor Tcd , you still rating the BGU ?

 

Nope. BGU just a Waitrose (overpriced) version of all the other Slovenian winches; Uniforest / Balfor / Krpan etc etc etc. Perfectly good winches but not for me. For softwood thinnings its all about line speed and nothing touches the Iglands in this respect: Ratio of 6:1 instead of the standard 10:1.

 

Straight PTO input is another thing I like. Remote control is really only a bonus for lone working. Even then, you've still got to go back with the pull to remove the chokers. A good winch man instead of a remote control is better for the choker mans morale too.

 

In answer to the OP tho Igland or Pfanzelt. The latter are the nuts imo. Not budget but actually good value fir what you get. Only 20% loss over the drum yada yada yada

[Gray git]

Any view on the farmi winches, really liked the look of the 5 ton model build quality and had a rachet brake which I've always liked for tipping trees for its reliability and control at taking in just a smidgen of line if needed.

 

Sent from my D5803 using Arbtalk mobile app

[Tom D]

Oehler. Forest machine services just down the road from you Matty. If not that then Tajfun. Uniforest is ok but the dealer is crap. I think the Oehler is a really nice winch and you can't beat buying local. I bought my uniforest at the app because the Oehler was dearer, wish I had just spent a few more quid. You can't beat a bit of German engineering..

As for features radio remote and a hydraulic unwinder are a must.

Forest machine services Ltd – Hexham, Northumberland

Seilwinden

[s o c]

what model uniforest tom?

[Tom D]

I have the uniforest 5.5 tonner on the front of the valtra. The wiring loom which has a circuit board blew, so I went to get a new one under warranty, they wanted me to send the whole winch down on a pallet at my expense! and in order for me to get the part I must buy a new one and send the old one back at which point they would refund if they deemed the part to be at fault. That kind of service just isn't worth having. Kilworths are miles better. I bodged a repair myself and carried on like that. Nothing wrong with the uniformest winches but the service is awful.

 

The guy at Forest Machine Services seems really switched on, and a local gut to me has the Oehler, he really rates it and he'd doing estate work and a lot of big trees...

[MattyF]

Valid points Tom ,FMS are great to deal with so will definitely be having a look at the oehler, we did try and buy a small uni for the alpine and they really seemed not bothered if they sold one or didn't.

[Tom D]

Valid points Tom ,FMS are great to deal with so will definitely be having a look at the oehler, we did try and buy a small uni for the alpine and they really seemed not bothered if they sold one or didn't.

 

Just don't bother Matty, go with Kilworths if you want a small one, they know alpines and will have an alpine adapter kit off the shelf, they are great to deal with.

 

And for the big one I'd seriously look at the oehler, same design type as the uniforest/krpan/tajfun but german made..

[burrell_]

This is a good winch mate