Farmi Winch

Greetings! I'm pretty new here and really enjoying the community and range of topics. I hope this might be relevant for some, or maybe just interesting.

Two winters ago we decided to harvest some of the big Pines growing on the property. We brought in a portable sawmill with the goal of producing enough timbers to timber-frame three buildings planned for the future. The buildings are a two-car garage with an open room above, a 12 x 20 connector from the house to the garage, and a one-vehicle equipment "shed". We lucked out with the weather that winter since there was little snow after January. All in all it was a great experience, one made all the more efficient and pleasurable by the Farmi winch I was able to use for the project.

Now I know this is a bit of overkill maybe if you're just after a little firewood. And tractors don't grow on trees. However, if you do happen to have a compact utility tractor and find yourself felling and hauling with it, a Farmi winch is an amazing attachment. I was completely surprised at how big a tree the thing would pull. It allowed us to get the tractor close but we didn't have to get right up to the tree. The cable snakes for a long distance and you simply park within range, pull the cable to the downed tree, yank the tree to the tractor, secure it, lift the 3-pt hitch and drive away. With three slip attachments on the cable, you can snake the cable through the woods to three downed trees and yank 'em all together. Huge time saver.

Here are a few pics of the winch:

Cowboy billy?

Ahh, now I get the Cowboy Billy reference, thanks for clearing that up.

Tinsnip

The tractor is a JD 4120-43hp. The Farmi winches come in three sizes (s-m-l) and this one is the large one which is actually a bit big for the tractor. But it belongs to my neighbor so I can't complain. The foot digs like he&%. Even to the point of picking up the front end of the tractor if the log gets buried or bound up. No additional tying off is necessary. The best approach is to position the tractor in as straight a line as possible with the direction of the pull. Otherwise, if it's off to the side at an angle, the winch wants to pull the tractor over sideways. Trust me, I learned that the hard way. Nothing fatal, but enough to make me have to change my shorts. :red:

firefighterjake said:

Just curious . . . Central Maine is a pretty big place . . . if you don't mind spilling the proverbial beans . . . in which town do you live?

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Wow! You're close! I'm in Plymouth, right next door to Newport. Small world, eh?

lukem said:

That's good info. Last question...I see the PTO shaft hooked up. Is it hydraulic or mechanical drive? If mechanical, can you control it remotely (i.e. not sitting on tractor engaging the PTO)?

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You need to be off the tractor and standing next to the winch. There's a rope that let's you stand away from the tractor. Pull the rope and engage the winch.

Tinsnip

They are especially good if you're limbing them where they fall and then twitching tree lengths to a central area. Being able to twitch 3 at a time saves a lot of traveling.

firefighterjake said:

Tinsnip said:

firefighterjake said:

Just curious . . . Central Maine is a pretty big place . . . if you don't mind spilling the proverbial beans . . . in which town do you live?

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Wow! You're close! I'm in Plymouth, right next door to Newport. Small world, eh?

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Yup . . . just a hop, skip and jump away from Unity . . . I've ridden my ATV in Plymouth before in the past and usually make it to Plymouth a few times in winter on the sled . . . and if I was a betting man I would guess that you probably know one of my co-workers -- Ron Green who lives in Plymouth.

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Practically neighbors! As for Mr. Green, I can't say that I know him, although I've probably stood right next to him a dozen times at the Post Office or in the Plymouth store. Enjoy the summer!

Tinsnip

SolarAndWood said:

Is that a 601? I've been wondering if my 29hp pto is enough for my buddy's winch.

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The winch I used was the 501. I mistakenly said it was the largest model Farmi makes but I was wrong. The 501 wants a 40hp tractor (according to the specs), the 60 series needs a minimum 60hp (again, according to specs). I'm assuming the specs indicate engine HP. My 4120 has 35 hp at the PTO and that was certainly plenty to yank anything we could get on the ground. 29 pto HP would probably work to some extent. A bigger concern might be the combined weight of the larger 60 series winch and whatever load you might put on it. Once you get the logs snubbed up on the winch, you have to be able to lift the 3-pt hitch and pull it all.