Anybody use one of these

[wdfifteen]

https://www.4wheelparts.com/p/warn-pullzall-hand-held-electric-1000lb-pulling-tool-885030/_/R-BCSQ-885030

I need to buck a fair amount of timber up out of the ravine below my house. Between last spring’s flood and the ice storm we just had i think there must be 10 cords of prime firewood down there. There is an access to the base of the ravine - it’s a steep slope that I can barely get my tractor down. I’m thinking of cutting it into manageable lengths and using this thing (or something like it) to drag them to the slope and up onto flat land for cutting and splitting.
Anybody had any experience with anything like this?

[KFC911]

No experience with a unit like that. Seems like a mounted winch might work too and probably more robust though. I could see how that would come in "all kinds of handy" though in areas with poor access...if ya had one!

Lemme know how it works

[drcoastline]

Well the "pulling tool" looks like an electric winch with a built in handle and trigger to me. What I dislike most about it is unless there is a remote not shown, you need to stand at the winch and hold the trigger to operate. This keeps you right in the line of fire for when the clasp breaks. Safety first.

I think a winch with a remote mounted to your tractor or a truck makes a bit more sense. First the remote allows you to get out of the line of fire, Mounting the winch to a vehicle allows you to use the power and maneuverability of the vehicle if needed as well.

[wdfifteen]

I would prefer to use a tractor mounted winch. The problem is getting the tractor close enough to the downed trees. I’d need 200 yards of cable.

[KFC911]

My uncle has a winch on the back of his 4-wheeler...he needs it for deep woods hunting. Ya got something smaller... mebbe?

[cabmandone]

I'd like to see the terrain. I think you could rent a tracked skid steer and have it all out of there in a day. Typically a track loader will rent for about $200/day If the grade is steep, cut the logs and back up the hill in the machine.

[recycled sixtie]

I agree with drcoastline it is not worth the risk unless there is a remote and you can operate it and not be in the line of fire if it lets go.

Can you not cut the wood in the ravine into small manageable pieces with a chain saw and bring up the small pieces with an off road machine that can climb the slope? Perhaps the slope is too great for that?

Safety first though. The other suggestion of renting a heavy duty skidder sounds good.
A hired hand or friend could help out for a couple of days to ease the workload and provide an additional level of safety.

[dad911]

No clutch means unwind by motor=pain in the butt....

I would use a long strap, keep your tractor high on level ground and use the tractor to pull. Will be much faster.

To drag logs after hurricane Sandy, I was cutting them in 10-12' lengths, dragging a 15' strap with my ATV. Helper had a short chain with hooks to connect logs to strap. Went pretty quickly.

Think I used a few of these: https://www.harborfreight.com/2-inch-x-20-ft-heavy-duty-recovery-strap-67232.html

[onewhippedpuppy]

1000 lb pulling up a hill might not do it either, particularly if there is soft ground or stuff to get the logs hung up on. Have you considered a winch that mounts into a truck trailer receiver hitch? It will get you way more capability and a remote. You can always add more cable if needed.

[wdfifteen]

This is mostly a hobby type project for me. If I have to invest in a bunch of machinery it would probably be cheaper to just let the wood lay and buy firewood.

I wish I could get good photos of the terrain. It's basically a 30 to 40 foot cliff, not vertical but too steep to climb without a ladder or something. There is a cut in the cliff that allows access by small vehicles with good traction. There is a creek at the bottom and a plain between the base of the cliff and the creek that is marshy and soft. I had my Kubota down there last winter when there was a hard freeze.

I don't need to pull the logs up the hill with a winch, if I can get them to the base of the cut in the cliff I can park the truck on level ground, rope them to the truck and drag them up to the top. The cut (we call it the ramp) is steep and the surface is loose and crumbly, driving up it tears it up and sends dirt and rocks cascading into the creek. I don't want to be driving down there unless it's frozen.

.



This is some of the downed wood I want to harvest.



It's hard to capture the 3d nature of the area. The leaves in the foreground are at the top of the cliff. It's 30 to 40 feet almost straight down to the marshy area, in the center of the photo between the base of the cliff and the creek.



Again, hard to see what's going on here. The Japanese Honeysuckle in the foreground is at the top, the snow has melted off of the softest part of the marsh, the more solid part still has snow on it.

[widebody911]

California facepalm...

[Wetwork]

If you cut them into fairly small lengths look into some mule tape. 1000ft of the heavier duty stuff (it's fairly cheap) should work depending on how heavy you make those logs. You could also double up the tape to make it even stronger. We use mule tape a lot over here to drag elk out of the far reaches during hunting season, or pull each other out of stuck vehicle situations. But as with everything safety first...snap-back can easily take your legs off. -WW

[Seahawk]

Sub'd.

[rfuerst911sc]

Harbor Freight and Northern Tool almost always have sales going on their in house brand of 12 volt winches . Watch for flyers with coupons and get yourself a 5,000 lb. or higher . Mount it on your tractor or truck and get to work . It will be slow going but you have to eat an elephant one fork full at a time . Also a safety tip , hang an old blanket or similar about halfway between the winch and what you are winching . If the cable or clevis snaps the blanket absorbs the impact vs. your body parts .

[onewhippedpuppy]

If you just waited for a hard freeze, could you drag them up the ramp with your tractor?

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

If you just waited for a hard freeze, could you drag them up the ramp with your tractor?

Yes, the more I think about this and read the comments I may go down and trim the logs and get them ready. Then wait for a good freeze and take the Kubota down and drag a bunch to the base of the ramp. I can keep the truck up top on level ground and use a long rope to drag them up the slope with it about any time.
I hate to miss the opportunity (excuse) to buy a cool tool though. I liked the ATV suggestion. I wonder what MrsWD would say.....

[Zeke]

That's gonna be slow work albeit gratifying. Only someone with a lot of time on their hands would even think about it.

That poor little winch.

[Seahawk]

I'll do it for you



I have a front winch on my 6x6 Ranger that has been very handy but the concept of the small winch you posted would be of value in some parts of my farm.

Great suggestion on the blanket, btw, I had not heard that advice before.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

I'll do it for you

THAT is cooler than the other side of the pillow.

[911 Rod]

I've done similar before with a toboggan pulled by a snowmobile.