Help me with a Winch

The Winch · May 25, 2010

Hello.

I need some ideas regarding a winch.

I am remodeling a house at the bottom of a fairly steeply sloped 5 foot wide gravel walkway. We are not able to drive to the house. The walkway is 150’ long.

I want to be able to haul construction debris up and take construction supplies down. My best idea is to have a cart that is tied to a cable and winch the cart up the hill.

Here are my questions.

The winches I see only move about 10 feet a minute, so that means it would take 15 minutes to get the cart up the hill. That would not be practical. Are there significantly faster winches?

I figure I will be hauling about 500-800 pounds in each load. I see some winches with 100 feet of cable, do they make them or can I swap out the cable to 150’ in length?

I have access to AC power at the top of the walkway. Would an AC or DC winch be best?

Do you have any other ideas, other than a winch, to get the cart up and down? I am also considering using a system of pulleys and pulling the cart up with my truck which would be at the top.

Thanks for your help!

Dave

atomarc · May 25, 2010

Dave,

You'll probably tell me to take my meds but I'll run this by you anyway. Park your pickup at the top of the hill. Remove a rear wheel and stick a naked rim on the hub. Use the rim as a capstan and you can run the cart up and down the hill as fast as you want with a length of heavy rope.

It would take a second person in the cab working the controls but it sure would beat a winch at the 'turtle' speed you mentioned.

There MUST be a You tube video of someone doing this deal!

Stuart

jabezkin · May 25, 2010

atomarc said:
Dave,

You'll probably tell me to take my meds but I'll run this by you anyway. Park your pickup at the top of the hill. Remove a rear wheel and stick a naked rim on the hub. Use the rim as a capstan and you can run the cart up and down the hill as fast as you want with a length of heavy rope.

It would take a second person in the cab working the controls but it sure would beat a winch at the 'turtle' speed you mentioned.

There MUST be a You tube video of someone doing this deal!

Stuart

Just get a capstan winch. One that runs off a chainsaw would work. Try Baileys
online. Chainsaw supply place, they have them.

Stuart;
I like your idea, but they should not try it at home.

We can because we are trained professionals, on meds, at homes.

jabezkin · May 25, 2010

Or have 2 carts, pulley, rope, debris up mostly pulled by other cart with supplys down.

Or slide stuff down on a sheet of plywood, in a boat, whatever, rope on truck to pull boat full-o-debris up.

jabezkin · May 25, 2010

John boats are fairly cheap right now, I really wasn't kidding.

Or have a bunch of kids and wait a while, they can be trained to use simple tools, and can carry lots of things.

And they are fun to make too...........

JoeE. · May 25, 2010

jabezkin said:
Or have 2 carts, pulley, rope, debris up mostly pulled by other cart with supplys down.

Or slide stuff down on a sheet of plywood, in a boat, whatever, rope on truck to pull boat full-o-debris up.

That is a good idea- Two carts, one rope, one pulley at the top. When one cart is full, let it go from the top of the hill and the weight of it pulls the light one back up the hill to be filled.

There is a neat youtube video of an man~ Fred Dibnah~ over in England dismantling big factory chimneys, by hand, and he has a pulley at the top of the chimney, with a long cable and 2 buckets. Knock some bricks loose, fill bucket, and let it go, it hauls the empty back to the top as it descends, emtpty is filled, and the cycle is repeated. Real timesaver.

The Winch · May 25, 2010

JoeE. said:
That is a good idea- Two carts, one rope, one pulley at the top. When one cart is full, let it go from the top of the hill and the weight of it pulls the light one back up the hill to be filled.

There is a neat youtube video of an man~ Fred Dibnah~ over in England dismantling big factory chimneys, by hand, and he has a pulley at the top of the chimney, with a long cable and 2 buckets. Knock some bricks loose, fill bucket, and let it go, it hauls the empty back to the top as it descends, emtpty is filled, and the cycle is repeated. Real timesaver.

Hey Everyone.

I don’t think the two cart idea will work since I don’t have enough width for two carts to pass and I won’t necessary have anything to go down when I want to bring something up.

But thanks for all of the great ideas. Keep them coming!

Troup · May 25, 2010

You don't need so many kids if you have a whip or two...

;-)

Seriously I think either of the capstan ideas is a damn good proposition for a long haul like this. They're often overlooked, but without them, shipping would be a pale shadow of what it is.

Didn't know Baileys did a capstan winch, as opposed to captive cable reel winches.

I've just been involved in mechanical design and packaging for a Baileys-type chainsaw winch of the latter description, except on steroids (and without the terrible handling deficiencies of a Bailey "Lewis" winch - I think those guys must never actually use their own stuff; they always put the anchor points in the wrong places)

If anyone with a big Stihl wants to retrieve at high line speed with 4 (long) tons of pull, PM me for more info.

(PS - if you follow atomarc's suggestion, be sure to lash the vehicle to a solid anchor, and use blocking under the vehicle rather than just a jack).

moonlight machine · May 25, 2010

Just get a gear motor, put a drum of the appropriate diameter to give you the number of feet per minute you want the rope to move. Wrap the rope around the drum a few times then to a pulley by the road then back to the motor / drum back by the house. Hook a cart of some kind to the rope. wire it for fwd. and reverse to drag the cart to the road or to the house. wire switches at both ends to make it easy to use.

Sea Farmer · May 25, 2010

"We can because we are trained professionals, on meds, at homes."

I resemble this remark

"Or have 2 carts, pulley, rope, debris up mostly pulled by other cart with supplys down."

And I agree with this one. You did reply that both timing and room to pass were issues, but both of those variables can be adjusted. You can leave either supplies or rubble in one cart or the other to accommodate your schedule. And you can (probably) knock out a little bypass on the side(s) of the driveway to allow the cart, sleds, whatever, to pas at that point.

10"-15" pneumatic tires on the carts would make all the difference in the world.

jabezkin · May 25, 2010

Troup knows from wence he speaks.

If you don't keep the cable winches tied flat, at least keep a camera handy.

Capstan winch with Honda 50cc 4 stroke $1300, mounting plate $150, 300 feet of 3/8 rope $130.....
40 ft a minute, 2500 lbs of pull

Yikes, adds up.

Troup, I saw a really nice chainsaw capstan one time, can't remember where, and 4 tons sounds familiar.

And I happen to have a couple of 075s.............

KIMFAB · May 25, 2010

This is what you need
http://www.kimfab.com/products/hydtrailer.htm

I built this for the local phone company to pull cable into their buried conduit.
It uses a 16 hp engine to run a hydraulic pump which turns a hydraulic motor at any speed you want with instant reverse.

Atomarc's idea is good too but you need a lot of beer to operate it properly.

henrya · May 25, 2010

You need a utility vehicle (mule, whatever they're called) or a 4-wheeler with a small trailer. I bet you could rent one for a few weeks for not much money. Or you might already have a mower or garden tractor? Or a concrete buggy?

jabezkin · May 25, 2010

KIMFAB said:
This is what you need
http://www.kimfab.com/products/hydtrailer.htm

I built this for the local phone company to pull cable into their buried conduit.
It uses a 16 hp engine to run a hydraulic pump which turns a hydraulic motor at any speed you want with instant reverse.

Atomarc's idea is good too but you need a lot of beer to operate it properly.

Well yeah but it looks about 25 years old........

Nice work guy, simple, neat and rugged.

henrya · May 25, 2010

Cool trailer Mr. kimfab!

jabezkin · May 25, 2010

henrya; you are right, maybe without knowing it.

M274 I think. Mule, a 4 wheel drive 4x8 sheet of plywood. A lot cheaper and can carry what it weighs.

Beware, It will go where ever you point it. 2 cylinder engine worked better.

The Winch · May 25, 2010

henrya said:
You need a utility vehicle (mule, whatever they're called) or a 4-wheeler with a small trailer. I bet you could rent one for a few weeks for not much money. Or you might already have a mower or garden tractor? Or a concrete buggy?

I really considered a quad pulling the cart but we realized that at the bottom of the walkway there is no room to turn around.

So we would need to back the cart and quad down the hill or have a hitch on the front of the quad and then lift the cart over the quad (after backing down) to get the cart to the downhill side once at the bottom. Seems like pulling the cart up the hill with rope or cable is a better option.

Great ideas. I am loving them all!

Sea Farmer · May 25, 2010

Or how about renting a roofing shingle conveyor and jury rigging an extension (sheave with rope, attached to wheeled trailer) on the low end?

Roof shingle conveyors are standard equipment rental items. Just don't come in 150' lengths

But you could hang an extension off one, or even link a few of them.

Or buy a Dingo

Toro - Dingo Compact Utility Loaders - Mini Skid Steers

jabezkin · May 25, 2010

Google:M274

Military Mule.

The steering wheel flips over, forward so you can back it into somewhere while crawling on your belly, safe from enemy fire!!

And the 106 Recoilless Roifle model will settle most neighborhood squabbles.

They really are a workhorse though.

Robert Campbell Jr. · May 26, 2010

Here ya' go,
YouTube - M274 mule mudhole
Lot's more where that came from.

Looked for a video of it being used with the steering wheel folded down and operating it on foot, walking behind but to no avail.

In your situation, walk it down hill, drive it up, equally able in forward as reverse, no need to turn around.

I bought a beater from a nursery years ago, it didn't have the side rails, all flat on top with the seat folded down, Onan engine IIRC.

Bob

Help me with a Winch

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