chainsaw winch

[pigpen]

Does anyone know anything about these things? wondering what would be a good brand or any that one should avoid looking at getting? I know nothing about these things, but think it would come in pretty handy from time to time. Thanks for any info u may have.

[thenorthman]

 I have never used one but, the lewis winch has been around forever and I have heard nothing but good things about them, I would own one if I wasn't so cheap... The capstans can only use rope, which kinda puts a limit on durability not to mention the rubber-band effect of most rope when it brakes, either way the name brand stuff I have heard good things about...
There is also a rope come-along uses any length of rope for long pulls (as long as your rope is) its not as power full or as fast as the chainsaw winches but it is a fraction of the price... and a lot lighter...

[beenthere]

There is rope that doesn't have the "rubber band" effect that some ropes have. And I believe are rated up with cable for skidder winches.

I like the capstan winch, as it seems much easier to work with than the cable drum winches. IMO. ;)

Member Kevin uses the capstan winch and has posted video if I recall correctly, as well as Sponsor Logrite uses a capstan winch in their firewood processor to bring up logs.
Sponsor Bailey's has the chainsaw capstan rope winch.  (They also carry the Lewis chainsaw winch.)
http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=49470

Some have their own engine for power and there are some to fit on a chainsaw head.

There are several youtube video's showing the winches being used.

[North River Energy]

I've got one, bought cheap off CL. Don't recall the make; but it's not a Lewis. 
Beats yarding by hand, but nothing to write home about.
(Slow, loud, and not particularly strong)

[thenorthman]

I've heard of this mythical rope, I've also heard it is really expensive, and while being up there with cable, not the same as cable, not abrasion resistant, floppy (hard to stuff under logs) Much larger diameter (less length on a drum) and dirt markedly decreases its life, and it still stretches, just not as much as most ropes.

[Cypressstump]

I had to switch from steel to syntheic wire rope cables on my underwater winching sinker log recoveries. The wire frays and kinks, that's my main issue. Underwater in minus visibility situations, the frays cut my wet/dry suits, stick into my flesh.

The syntheic ropes offer a higher strength size for size when compared to the steel cable. My 10,000 lb winches came with 3/8's steel cable, when i replaced with syntheic, I was able to drop down to 5/16's and actually increase in strength to 10,500 lbs vs. 10,000. It has zero memory, very little streach, super easy to handle w/o gloves or fear of fraying, and the slack rope acutally floats , which helps keep it out of my way while down on the bottom. If it breaks under load, it dead falls,, loosing energy instantly, unlike cable that will take out anything in it's path of recoil.

As mentioned , it does not hold up to rough handling as well as steel, and is expensive. I have found that when exposed of any length of time, apparently UV rays play havoc on it, as the top lays of rope on my winch have faded in color.

[pigpen]

Thanks Cypressstump, I have come to the educated guess to go with a lewis brand winch even though they cost around the same as a capstan and I need a chainsaw head to run it, but it seems to me from what I've researched and watched videos of that they would work the best for what I want it for and less rigging and what not that I'd have to have on hand... For how often I predict I will need it, it won't be a big deal to bolt it on my saw or maybe eventually I will buy a new one for it or use the one I have now for it and cut with the new one. Time will tell! Appreciate everyone's input on this, Thanks again, and as always, stay SAFE! 8)

[thenorthman]

some thing people forget is that rope is rated in pounds of breaking strength, where a cable is rated in tons of braking strength,  I think 3/8 is rated at 9 which equals 18000 pounds, considerably more than rope, not being mean just sayin...
and having broke my fair share of cable most of the "spring back" is do to the load or rigging that its attached too, still not fun though... I can see where having nice soft rope underwater is a good thing though, don't want any blood chumming in the sharks... or gold fish, them buggers are dangerous...

[bill m]

3/8 wire rope 6 x 19 EIPS IWRC is rated at 7.55 ton = 15100 lbs. Fiber core is even less.  Samson 3/8 amsteel blue is rated at 19600 lbs.

[Cypressstump]

I use Spydura and Amsteel brand syntheic ropes. Iam not advocating a normal rope such as nylon or the such. The Syntheic is stout stuff, and I love the way it handles on the winch drum.I can use smaller diameter Syn. rope w/ more breaking strength and have more footage on the spool, versus larger diameter wire rope.
In my line of work, I've seen 3/8 to 1.5 inch wire rope / cable break due to pure over loads, not bad cable / poor cable attachments / sharp edges, etc.  The sudden release of energy when a steel cable breaks is deadly to anything in it's path. The syntheic rope will dead fall when it bearks, it does not snap back such as cable.

[Offthebeatenpath]

I have been using the Samson Amsteel synthetic rope for about five years and I love it for particular applications.  I use it primarily for overhead rigging lines, similar to a zipline for people, except I move rocks and logs and steel I beams for backcountry construction work.
I have noticed the following characteristics, some good, some bad:
1. Although the rope does fade through exposure to sunlight, the UV does not degrade the spectra fiber, just the dye.
2. If the rope breaks under tension, it does not fly like cable/wire rope or nylon rope.  It simply falls to the ground.
3. Ground skidding applications may not be the best use of this rope. Definitely avoid loading the rope around trees, sharp edges, rocks, etc.  A brand new rope can be severed in its first use. Dirt in the rope fibers also adds to accelerated wear.
4. It is worth getting the end professionally spliced with a Blueline thimble that surrounds the rope on all sides, unlike a typical wire rope thimble.
5. Knots reduce the strength significantly and are sometimes nearly impossible to untie after loading.  I have manufactured (in my basement) terminus devices that you wrap the rope around to shorten it at any point.  They do not reduce the rope strength and are very easy to remove and adjust.
6. "Proper" spooling and coiling of the synthetic rope is way easier than wire.  Messy spooling, stacking, twisting, and bending barely affect it.
7. I put between a 5:1 and a 10:1 safety factor into my ropes.  For example, the 9/16" Amsteel has a breaking strength of 40,500 pounds.  I try not to use it past 4,000 pounds, but hardly ever past 8,000 pounds.

In terms of the Lewis winch: they are great, but I have found the wire rope to be undersized for many applications.  It is also difficult to spool the wire rope cleanly when the winch is moving quickly.  Perhaps they have improved the fairlead since the time I used them, but I had a helluva time keeping the cable spooled cleanly.

[John Woodworth]

I have a Lewis and it"s wonderful, mine is a older model which mounted to the saw with a short bar and is driven by toothless saw chain, I believe the newer ones mount directly to the saw, however be sure to tuurn your chain oiler down or off depending which model you get otherwise it's pumping oils up the saw clutch and it will not pull.