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The Farmi Logging Winch The chainsaw is the most common forestry machine in the world. The Farmi logging winch is number two. Over 90,000 Farmi winches are in use today. Farmi logging winches have been sold by Northeast Implement Corporation in the United States since 1975. The Farmi products are durable machines, allowing us to offer an exceptionally long warranty on wear parts, such as the clutch, the heart of any winch. The longevity of the Farmi winch is reflected in the 5 year warranty offered on its clutch. Due to the heavy duty construction of the Farmi winches, spare parts are not often needed. However, if spare parts are needed, we have them on hand. If you have an old Farmi skidding winch, click here for access to a spare parts explosion picture of your Farmi winch.
Jaakko Sarvela, together with his brother Juhani, invented the three point hitch mounted skidding winch. The inventor is pictured here in October of 2003 with a 41 year old early model of the Farmi Winch.
TYPES OF WINCHES The two types of winches that are
available are the single drum winch and the double drum winch. The single drum winch
totally dominates the market, it is used for winching and skidding worldwide. The double drum winch is used to power
high lead systems in Alpine terrain. WINCH SIZES Skidding winches are available for
farm tractors that range in size from 17 HP to 200 HP. The pulling capacities of the
winches range from 6000 lb. to 18.000 lb.. The
pulling capacity is measured when the winch drum wraps the cable for the first time on an
empty drum. The pulling capacity reflects the weight
that the winch can lift clear off the
ground. How much weight the winch can actually pull out depends on many factors such as
the amount of cable on the drum, the leaning of the terrain and how much the logs dig into
the ground when winching. There should be
some relation between the pulling capacity and the size of the tractor that the winch is
used on. The table below gives some
direction for you when you are selecting a winch for your tractor.
FEATURES TO LOOK FOR IN A SKIDDING
WINCH Separate Winch Frame The winch mechanism should have its
own, separate frame which is detachable from the rest of the winch. The separate frame
makes it easy to take out the entire winch mechanism for service and repair. Winches where
the winch mechanism does not come out in one
piece are very difficult to work on. The winch mechanism should be totally
covered so the components of the winch are not exposed to water, snow, ice or branches. The controls for the clutch
engagement and the brake must be accessible from the operator's seat on the tractor. The operator usually stands on the ground in a
safe place 6-8 feet on the side of the winch when winching in a load. The load is then
skidded out and it is common that one comes to a wet spot on the skid trail. The operator
should be able to drop the load before the wet spot, drive the tractor through the mud and
then winch in the load from dry ground on the other side without climbing off and on the
tractor. To enable all this to be done from
the tractor seat one should choose a winch where the clutch engagement control rope and
the drum brake control is accessible from the cab of the tractor. Winches which can be
operated from the driver's seat have the clutch control rope in the center on top of the
winch. The control rope runs through a swivel pulley which enables operation from any
direction. Clutch Protected From Burnout The winching process creates a lot of
heat in the clutch mechanism. The clutch pads will eventually burn and glaze if the heat is not pulled away from the clutch.
Top of the line equipment have heat sinks built into the clutch which will absorb the heat
that has been generated. That prevents glazing of the clutch. Those winches can be identified by the 5 year
warranty the manufacturer gives to the clutch. If
there is no warranty on the clutch and there is warnings against slipping the clutch in
the operator's manual, move on. The Upper Pulley. The winch is pushed toward the ground
when the cable is pulled through the upper cable pulley. This down pressure anchors the
winch in place when winching. It is
therefore advantageous to choose a winch where the upper pulley is higher above the ground
because that will increase down pressure and anchorage. The diameter of the upper pulley is
also a factor to observe. The cable will wear out faster if the pulley diameter is very
small.
The Lower Snatchblock The cable is run through the lower
snatchblock when skidding. This lowers the center of gravity, so larger loads can be
winched out. The lower snatchblock also
functions as a hinge, so that the tractor turns easier. The snatchblock must be
constructed so that the cable is easy to place in it and easy to remove from it. The cable
must stay securely in place when skidding. The common method to achieve the above requirements is the design
where the cable goes into the snatchblock only when it is turned sharply to the right. The
cable stays securely in the snatchblock because the tractor can not turn sharp enough to
release the cable. Height Of The Winch The upper pulley is usually on the
top of the winch, so the needed down pressure for anchorage
comes from the height of the winch. Weight Of The Winch. The winch must be built to withstand the
stresses of logging. The weight of the winch is one indication of durability. Another indication of durability is
the design of the winch. Is the design durable because the form of the material provides
strength to it? If, for example you are comparing two winch frames. One has a deep frame
with many folds the other had a shallow frame with less folds. You should choose the deep
frame with the folds. The strength comes from the form. The Main Frame Of The Winch. The frame should provide a rigid base
for the winch mechanism. A blade on the bottom of the frame will dig into the ground and
thus anchor the winch and tractor in place. The blade can also be used for stacking the
logs in the landing. THE CABLE The cable that works best in
skidding winches is steel core wire rope. There is other types of cable being sold to this
use and one should especially avoid "aircraft cable" which is a cheap quality cable too stiff for use
in a skidding winch. Aircraft cable has a tendency to retain the form of the winch drum,
so after a while it looks like one is pulling out a slinky from the drum. Wire rope of 6X25 type is suitable
for use in skidding winches. The wires on the outside should be thicker than the wires on
the inside. The thicker outside wires provide longer wear and the thinner inside wires
keeps the cable flexible. The cable clamps should put equal
pressure on both sides of the cable. " Iron Grip" clamps are the most popular. They have a round form so they do not get hooked
onto roots and branches. They have 2 bolts
which tighten the lock which enables repairs at the work site. Iron Grip cable clamps are
very expensive, but you can use them a long time if you replace the bolts when needed. Cables which has been terminated by
pressing a metal bushing on the ends can not be repaired in the field, and should
therefore be avoided. To view the full line of the current Farmi Winches, click here.
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Telephone: (607) 589-6160. Fax: (607) 589-4026 Email: valby@baka.com |
