Winch Line

[brendonv]

I am going to be acquiring a winch pretty soon (mini mounted/chipper mounted). I want a small diameter line for it's use. What do you guys suggest...I want something durable that's not going to pick. Amsteel looks like it would pic easy. I am just picturing a job where the winch is set up high, and the rope might rub on the crest of the, that's where Amsteel seems sketchy.

Whats your thoughts?

 

[SkwerI]

You need something with little or no stretch. My winch on my boom uses 1/2" double braid polyester rope, my old truck used 7/16". The 7/16" was New England Sta-Set, this 1/2" stuff is virtually the same but it's a different brand.

It's durable and cheap. Two qualities I like.

 

[NickfromWI]

What about something with a tight polyester cover? Maxibraid Plus has a dyneema core like Amsteel but with tight cover to protect the core fibers. Would that work?

 

[lumberjack]

He just needs to use 1/2" Stable Braid or other full poly line. It's going on a capstan winch, up to 2klbs working load.

Since he said "small" and 1/2" isn't his variety of small, you could get by with 3/8". Here's 150' from the rope guy for $75. I'd cut it into 50 and 100 methinks. 5600ABS according to him, giving you roughly a 4:1 safety factor.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Sams...emQQcategoryZ26451QQihZ001QQitemZ110276008241

7/16" would probably be my choice if I was going to buy a special rope, but I'm way harder on stuff (7700ABS).

Since I probably wouldn't order a special line, I'd just use retired 1/2" ropes.

You may want to splice an eye on the rope and put a piece of chain to handle the majority of the abrasion.

 

[Hobby Climber]

I like all that I hear about Amsteel but cannot offer you an opinion because I've never used it myself.

Maybe get yourself a peice ot Amsteel and play with it for yourself before ordering a role. Otherwise I like "stable brade".

HC

 

[Al Smith]

I don't much about capstan drive winchs used for tree type trhings but I can tell you about their use in general .

These devices are what we use for our heavy duty cable pulling operations .In days perhaps 15 years ago the best stuff was three strand nylon .Now of days it seems to be that stuff made by Plymouth .I think it's called stabol [sp] or something .White in color . Well it's white for a short time until it gets some use rather .

What ever is used it has to be rather tough because a softer rope/line can burn real easy because of the slippage around the drum . Avoid anything that has a large amount of poly in it .This stuff will nearly melt it two .

On a capstan you want to avoid the use of steel cable which can cut into the drum .This creates cut marks that will destroy a line in short order .

 

[lumberjack]

I never hurt poly with this capstan.

Amsteel would be a terrible choice.

 

[rbtree]

So, Brendan, Is the winch going to be a capstan or drum? Will the rope be continuously spooled as with a GRCS, or wound on?

If a capstan, then stay away from slippery HMWPE spectra/dyneema ropes. As Nick mentioned, a double braid with a spectra core will work--high strength, near zero stretch. Or any polyester rope (low stretch) will be fine.

If a winch drum, then go with 5/16th or 3/8th spectra....cheaper than Samson's Amsteel Blue, or PSRopes Plasma, and plenty strong. 3/8th is about 12,000# tensile. Yes, it does pick, so a sleeve should be installed on the end. We didn't do that on my 3/8th chipper winch line. It's really tattered, but has held all the work we've throw at it. If it does break, I'll just reverse the ends, and sleeve that end.

 

[lumberjack]

It's a capstan winch w/o a self tailer.

1/2" Stable worked great for me. Thick enough that it can take alot of punishment and still retain enough strength to keep from pushing the rope to breaking.

7/16" would be "fine". 3/8" would be "ok". The thicker the rope, the more it can abrade before it gets thin enough to break.

 

[Bounce]

Amsteel isn't going to work well for you. It is definitely vernerable to abrasion. I would also go with 1/2" stable braid.

 

[brendonv]

Cool, thanks for the responses. 1/2" stable braid it is, I have a retired one sitting on the shelf.

 

[lumberjack]

It almost feels like I've seen that very rope.

 

[JIML]

I think vermeer uses amsteel 2? Like amsteel but with a cover? Maybe im dreaming.

 

[lumberjack]

Different kind of winch.

 

[rbtree]

It's a capstan winch w/o a self tailer.

1/2" Stable worked great for me. Thick enough that it can take alot of punishment and still retain enough strength to keep from pushing the rope to breaking.

7/16" would be "fine". 3/8" would be "ok". The thicker the rope, the more it can abrade before it gets thin enough to break.

What's the capstan diameter? I use 1/2 inch line on my 034S powered Simpson capstan winch, (only abt 2.5 inches diameter), knubbier the better....True blue would be good, now that I finally have some.....7/16th db would also wprk, as it is stronger than other lines. Simpson suggests 3/8th 3 strand, but its strength is low, and the winch is rated for 2500 lb line pull.

 

[NickfromWI]

And 3 strand is very stretchy. I'd avoid it on a winch.

 

[lumberjack]

I'm guessing 4", but I don't remember off hand.

It's grippy enough with stable braid that I can drag my mini (a bit over 2kkbs with me on it) on concrete with a couple wraps and very little pressure on the tail.

 

[Al Smith]

You folks are taking about little bitty capstans and braided line .The ones we use will hold about a dozen wraps of 1" and pull about 10,000 pounds dead weight . Around 10-12 inch capstan diameter ,aluminum or smooth cast iron .After much use those capstans look like they have been polished .

This is why I mentioned the poly .I have damned near had one of those on fire slipping a big load through a 90 degree bend .--Then again it wasn't tree work .

 

[sotc]

al, your not on a ship anymore

 

[Al Smith]

al, your not on a ship anymore

Contrair Pooh bear .The capstans on the boats where 36" and the line was 2" three stand .I have pulled a giant cleat smack out of a pier that must have weighed at least a thousand pounds . Three hundred hydraulic HP can literaly move mountains .

 

[Stumper]

Al, I'm confident that you are talking about polypropylene or possibly polyethylene rope. Both of which are slicker than snot on a doorknob and melt from a dirty look. The evil and sloppy worded Carl is talking about polyester ( which is normally called polyESTER to distinguish it from the common, lightweight, cheap and weak Polyethl/propylenes that commonly get called poly.)

 

[Al Smith]

Yes sir ,pretty much what you said .

A case in point was 2000 foot foot cable pull ,some years ago .

The cheap axxed contracter had about 1800 foot of 1" three strand nylon ,of which I now own,beside the point .He bought an additional 600 hundred of poly .

That stuff is pure junk as far as I'm concerned .Then ,once again it was not used to disassemble a tree . Different type of usage ,differrent perspectives .