Tirfor winches and similar

[Stephen1]

Could anybody recomend a cheaper alternative to a tirfor winch? I mainly need it for selective/halo thinning of 40year old Douglas fir - where getting trees hung-up is just inevitable!

Many thanks

Stephen

[RichardKing]

Draper do a cheaper winch that looks like a copy of a Tirfor. I had been thinking of getting one but then spotted a Tirfor on Ebay that I got for about £120-.

When I went to pick it up I discovered it was a monster TU32 with a 5 tonne pull in extremely good condition, came complete with the cable and the bloke (an engineer) even threw in a couple of heavy chains.

The size is not a problem as I can get my Land Rover near enough to drop it off, although I had to get a heavier duty sling as I did not want it to be the weakest link.

[Darren]

Hi Stephen not sure if this is any good for you http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/5-TON-HD-HAND-PULLER-WINCH-TURFER-4-CARAVAN-BOAT-Q52_W0QQitemZ330304150408QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Home_Garden_GardenEquipment_HandTools_SM?hash=item4ce7a95b88&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

I use one with extra rope to pull down snagged spruce.

[RichardKing]

Darren, I did look at that type of winch, but to be honest I was not very impressed with them.

The cable is only about 4 or 5 mm thick & while it might be capable of moving a wheeled object, personally I would not trust it over a few hundred pound pull.

The Tirfor has a cable about 3/4 inch , how can it be rated the same as that little winch, even when allegedly doubling its capacity with a snatch block ?

If that cable, or the winch fails while operating it then you would be in the line of fire & it could be fatal.

[Keith Williams]

http://www.mod-sales.com/auction/vehicle/related/25392/TIRFOR_WINCH_3-5_TON_SWL.htm current bid £40. ?? any good?

[Catweazle]

I wouldn't bother with the cheap "pullers", they might be capable of moving something weighing 5 tons if it's on wheels on a smooth surface but not much else. I have one and it's pretty useless, the cable doesn't spool properly and the ratchet mechanism is crap too.

I also have a Tirfor 3200kg, that's a serious winch and will pull a landrover up a cliff. The downside is the weight - you're more likely to get stuck because of the weight of it in the boot. Mine had a 20m cable which I have cut in half to make it more portable.

A word about the cable - the Tirfor cable is not the same as cable used on lifts or for general pulling, the Tirfor winch clamps the cable to grip it so the cable must not compress and it has a steel core unlike most other cables which have a rope filler core to make the cable more flexible around pulleys.

[mikepepler]

Does anyone in our vicinity (Rye) have a tirfor or similar that we could borrow (or rent) for this autumn? They're just so expensive to buy new, and I'm wary of getting a second hand one that's been abused...

[John H]

I have one somewhere , I have never used it , I bought it in a local auction. Only problem I am in Essex, 35 minutes from the tunnel. If you ever get up this way you are welcome to borrow it.

John

[tracy]

You fancy selling it to us? Is it a tirfor, what is its rating, and how much rope does it have?

Thanks John H!

[John H]

I will see if I can find it tomorrow, it is a Tirfor but I can't remember what model. Pleny of rope, again I will have a look tomorrow. You can borrow it or you can make me an offer.

John