Coolest rock winch ever???

[Guest412]

For the longest time like many of you I'm sure, I have used comalongs, grip hoist , gear drive hand winches which are fine I suppose. But I got this old trencher for cheap on CL. It ran but needed a rebuild, had a wisconsin VH4D engine. But I got the 4bolt 350 for 200 bucks and I have a lathe So I dressed it up made a stub shaft to connect the 350 to the original hydraulic pump. Ditched the trenching arm and chain and use the gear drive as a winch drum. Not sure how much it will pull but with 200ft of 3/8's cable and a snatchblock or two Im sure it will do fine. Ill post more pics when I get off this deployment and put it to work , Im still in the Navy full time. Let me know what Yall think.

 

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[TheHarleyMan2]

That thing is sweet! So tell me, how you going to keep from smoking the tires down and flying at 140mph? You gonna need a role bar and a 4 point seat belt system so you don't get thrown out of the tractor on take off!

 

[oragonads]

That looks like one heck of a Chevy small block for $250!!! Smoking deal on that. I like the headers set up .

Heck, you can pull a mountain out of the way with that thing if need be

 

[russau]

no sweat bringing in/out your equipment now! heck you could even have people pay for rides!

 

[Guest412]

Well , by using the original hydraulic pump, it doesn't go any faster than it did in the first place , 8.2 mph , but it will do so reliably!! and I can get parts for it anywhere. It doesn't stall when you are pushing a pile with the blade on the front either. The rebuild kit was over 500 bucks for the wisconsin engine and it only had 30hp , it now has almost 300 hp hahahha. I had to make those block huggers fit by extending them 2"s kind of a pain. The motor all scummy was 200 bucks I put another 300 into it with stuff off craigslist, so I have maybe 1k total investment. I will have to lower the whole tractor down a cliff to get it to my barn 90ft from where I can park. The cables the miners used to lower equipment down are still there growing through the oak trees . I will take more pics when I get up to my plave and get this thing in use.

 

[EagleDown]

I don't usually post if I can't say something positive, but in the interest of reality, (and you asked for our opinions,);
On the positive end, it is truly impressive!! BUT; in reality, the only places you'll be able to use it are the ones that are already "over-worked" by the week-end prospectors.

Several years ago, I designed and built a gasoline powered winch. It had a rating of 5,000lbs of dead lift, and operated with a 3hp Briggs & Stratton engine. BUT, loaded with 150' of 3/8ths aircraft cable, it weighed less than 60lbs, which meant that I could put it on my shoulder and hike up a canyon 3/4 mile or so.

Using it to move boulders, I found many large nuggets. But with your rig, I would have been S.O.L. as the only way I could have got it up the canyon would have been by airlift. (Chopper) And who can afford that expense?

Incidentally, I'm an old ex-Navy (AT5). Thank you for your service. And good luck with your power winch.

Eagle

 

[Guest412]

Well the good news is I own my own private mining claims and the river has only been dredged by me and a little by my father. I have a lifetime of river that is virgin as it gets that no one else can get to. That and I can move rocks far bigger than most people just because of my shear physical size and strength. But as you say it will have only some area of use as I can't get it too far up or down river from my house. I will keep the 6ton comalong for those times. Really just wanted to see if I could make it work. Does good at plowing up my chip piles from my logsplitter too.
Thanks for the thanks!!! 8.5 yrs to retire and dig for gold full time haha
I will post vids and pics of it in action when I head up to the hills in two weeks. Anyone from norcal is welcome to come hang out and camp out.

 

[EagleDown]

Good Morning downdeep.

If I sounded like I was "putting down" your idea, I apologise. On the contrary, as I said; "it's truly impressive"!! And, I can foresee many uses for it. It's just that I've been an inventor all of my life, but when I come up with a new idea, one of my first thoughts is: "Will people buy it"??

I guess from now on, I'll have to take into acct. that not all people build things to sell.

I wish you great luck with it and sincerely hope that you post your finds, (with photos of course,) so that we all might share in your adventures.

Who knows, I do a bit of prospecting a little North of Sac. Perhaps one day I might take you up on your very kind offer of a camping spot, and the chance to see it in action.

Love and Respect,

Eagle

 

[Goldwind]

I think it's cool!!

 

[Guest412]

Hey Eagledown, I know you weren't puttin it down man don't worry. I only built it because I had a use for it, although it didn't come about until I found it for so cheap in the first place.and made a use for it. As you said if it were easy to get to its been gotten to. Im not that far from sac, bring yer pans and come dig on my place! Its pretty virgin ground. I'll be on leave all of july just PM if you get a wild hair.
thanks ya'll
John