openboater

Always thought side 'D's had to be used in pairs to reduce chances of suspension trauma and unfavourable loading to the design and construction of the harness. Do you envisage hanging from just one side attachment ?

Hmmm, a couple seem to be duplicated, eg , 002006 and 002010. It would be handy to find a table that explains the accepted equivalents between new and old units. When considering refresher training for some old CS units some guidance regarding the modern replacement will reduce some of the confusion.

Isn't hardwear limitless unless the manufacturer says different as long as it still passes inspection ?

Haven't kayaked much for a couple of years now, getting a little creaky but that's perhaps just me looking for a poor excuse. Rest of the family have a preference for open canoe, and I do now as well. It feels a little more sociable. I really used to enjoy watching my kids settling into the bottom of the boat when they got tired and going to sleep while I kept paddling:thumbup:

Once carried a dozen reclaimed 22' lengths of 4"x2" on a 8' trailer with a ladder bar. Stood on the bonnet of the old Subaru to tie a rag on the front of the timbers !

"No point getting older if you're not getting wiser" and on a similar line - "Learn something every day"

All encouraging, thanks for the replies:thumbup1:

I may get the chance of a load of rhododendron logs from some clearance work. Is it good stuff to save for the log burner next winter ? Anything I should be careful of when cutting/storing/burning it ? Thanks.

Points well made and taken on board here. I'll clarify as many of the grey areas as I can and then come back with a clearer picture. Many thanks so far. We've got a lot to learn so it's great to get your input:thumbup::thumbup:

My piece of string is not very long, but it is quite thick thank you. I can't tie a knot in it. I think my mate wants to price just to fell and clear the thinnings to edge of site. He may have the option later to buy the timber, but I think that is a separate negotiation. Is this type of work usually priced by weight or volume ?

Is anyone prepared to hint at how much my mate might be able to ask (price per ton) for thinning hardwood please? He's been invited to price for thinning some mixed woodland, mostly hardwood around 12"-14". Some is on level ground but a lot is on steep terrain and will need to be winched. The job must be low impact and first indications are that there may be 200-300 tons to extract to roadside. All advice gratefully received. We may ignore it, but grateful anyway. Ta.

I picked up the first 2 issues of 'Arb Climber' magazine in June at the Arb Show. Liked it so Mum got me a 12 month subscription for my birthday. Was sent issue 2 again around the end of August and nothing since. The phone number on their web site seems never to be answered and sending an email via their web site always fails due to unspecified faults. Is anyone able to contact them at the moment? No new magazines for over 5 months makes me wonder where the subscription fee has gone. :thumbdown:

By the way, anyone using one should read the instructions and use thread lock on the nuts and bolts, as mine did work loose, especially the ones holding the oil inside. The thread lock cured that problem. While trying the demo unit the other evening the handbrake assembly fell of the side of the winch. The only bit we couldn't find was the grub screw that's meant to keep it all in place!! When I can positively match the thread I'll fit a new one. WITH THREADLOCK.

The 'thick' cable of the two that are supplied with the winch is about 5mm diameter ( it's an imperial dimension, being American ). Bearing in mind that synthetic winch ropes are stronger for the same diameter of steel cable I recon a 6mm dyneema rope would be significantly stronger, cost effective, and you may not sacrifice too much in length. What type of pulley, if any, do you use for redirecting the pull or multiplying it ?

I've only put the winch on a 064 because at present I've got nothing in between that and a Husky 345. The power and cc of the 064 are near the maximum that Lewis recommend for the winch. I was offered the winch for a trial period and agreed to see what it can do, so it's only fair to find the limits I think.

I understand the Dyneema / Plasma rope advantages, I've used it a lot on a variety of 12v vehicle-mounted winches. What diameter of synthetic rope have you been using ? As for using the chain brake, I agree again. But... the friction band type of handbrake on the winch allows you to let tension out of the system gradually. Whether this is important or not will depend on how you are using the winch. I'm not suggesting the winch should be used as a hoist, but if you were dragging a heavy load up a steep slope the winch brake could be used to lower it back a little to a safe location or to unjam it if the load gets stuck. Releasing the chain brake would allow the load to descend out of control.

Just an update on the winch demo from earlier in the week. Took one of my Stihl 084s and can say with total confidence that there's no way to fit the winch to it, at least not without permanent modification to the winch or saw or both. A new 372xp will fit though, and easily dragged a Countax lawn tractor plus a mate with his foot on the brake pedal up a moderately sloping concrete yard. A good thick glove proved essential for the winch operator's left hand as the exhaust on the saw blows directly at the front handle of the winch from about two inches away. There's clearly a knack to spooling the cable on smoothly, especially as the strain increases. When the cable spools neatly to one side of the drum it's not easy to force the saw/winch assembly across the line of pull to make the cable begin to return neatly towards the other side of the drum . It tends to stay bunched up at one side which can cause a jammed cable. Needs a bit of practice. We weren't able to try the winch out on site so first impressions are limited. Chris the Rep way kind enough to offer me the loan of the winch for a week or two so that a fuller picture of its suitability can be made. I've just fitted an 064 to it in about 3 minutes so when I get the chance to try the combination on a more taxing task I'll add an update.

What saw is that you're using Big Bolt ? What's the function of the bungee cord hooked to the front handle ?

Postcode for the above is BS24 9UB:thumbup:

As a result of my curiosity at APF I've been granted a demonstration of the Lewis Chainsaw Winch this Wednesday (24th) . Anyone else is also invited . Location ....... Weston Garden Machinery at Hutton Garden Centre near Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset . Time.........Roughly from 4 till 5 in the afternoon . Who by.......Christopher Gottfried of Cutting-Edge UK Ltd, who also happen to sell pruning saws and carabiners. Use the sloping gravel car park to the right as you go up the drive. Don't expect tea and biscuits, it's a winch demo, not a tea party.

Thanks, that's encouraging at least. Any idea how a subscription holder can view the on-line copies of the magazine ?

Does anyone know what's going on with Arb Climber? I picked up issues 1 and 2 at the Arb Show in June. Liked it so my Mum got me a 12 month UK subscription for my birthday at the end of August. I received another copy of issue 2 , nearly three months after I got the first two issues. I've tried to e-mail the mag to ask if issue 3 is coming out and to find out how to access the mag on-line but there seems to be an e-problem of some e-sort. Anyone got any news they can share on the subject??

Sorry, but not taking orders at the moment. This one is a little over A4 and took around 15 hours plus £30 in materials.