Sure Willie, but so far have only used the winch on two sites, so experience is still limited. The logs I've pulled were all pine, the max being around two feet in diameter, and bucked up to twelve foot or longer lengths. Consistent dependable pulling power, and I haven't had to use the double line yet, which as you know will decrease pulling speed by half. It took a little bit of using before figuring out the best way to control the line coming off the capstan reel, the amount of human pull, etc., so the winch is working best for me and human effort is at a minimal. A nice feature built into the device, is that if the load gets excessive beyond the rating, the winch stops working, a sort of clutch mechanism that acts as a safety override, I guess it is. The manual gives a tip on what to do if the load is borderline too heavy, a kind of quick pull and release cycle over and over, to get the load skipping your way.
I've never used a capstan winch before, and it was a bit strange to see the unit lift up off the ground when pulling and be held by the sling around a tree. I didn't consider the physics of what would be going on.
Like I mentioned earlier, if you were to be using the device in one location for an extended period of time, I'd look into getting the tree attachment plate option, sold separately, or make one up. It attaches to the tree like a GRCS, and the winch is fastened to that. I think the fact that the unit is stabilized and not moving up and down a bit, makes for easier management of the winch line, and also saves a little bit of inconvenience when reaching for the throttle. Attaching the winch higher on a tree than using a sling allows, gets the head of the log up higher too, so as to help alleviate the digging in tendency. At first I thought the nose cone was a must, and that I should have purchased one, but using the angled face that Brian mentioned, and rigging to get maximum lift, mostly eliminates the need. Attaching the cone would probably end up being just another non-essential task that uses up some time. Once the log gets moving, it pretty much keeps on, unless you run into something. Over longer distances the cone might be more essential. Still not clear on it though, and varying sites and ground conditions may be a factor.
They advise against using the winch for pulling downwards, it isn't really designed for that, the risk being that there is likelihood that the base plate that holds the winch, will separate...strip out?. I think that the attachment plate option might alleviate that concern, there was something about getting around the problem, but the manual is at the shop and I can't remember. Only one situation so far, but the unit proved very effective for pulling out a hung up tree, when I got myself into a less than fun scenario with my cuts and the way the trunk would be sliding apart when freeing up the bind, and where I'd have to be to accomplish it. I hooked up the winch and it pulled the suckers apart while I might have been drinking a cup of tea...slick!
That's about where I'm at with the winch up to this point.
