Lewis Chainsaw Winch Moving Logs Deep in the Woods
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2021
- Lewis Chainsaw Winch is moving logs deep in the woods today as I test out this new tool attached to my Husqvarna 555 chainsaw. For a long time I"ve been struggling with moving heavy logs when deep in the woods away from any dedicated trails where I could use heavy equipment. After much research I've decided that the Lewis chainsaw winch is worth a good look as a highly portable and powerful winch option for log moving. With this being my first use of this winch, I"ll be sure to give you my opinion on whether I think this winch is going to be a great asset or a liability around the woodlot. With the Husqvarna warmed up and ready, I'll also be checking out whether the 60cc 4.3hp chainsaw is up to the challenge. Add to the mix the deep snowy conditions and the recipe is set for something to happen. Let's just hope that the outcome is a good one and that this Lewis chainsaw winch turns out to be a good purchase and not an expensive paper weight. Glad you're all here and hope your'e all doing well, here we go!
Chainsaw used in this video:
Husqvarna 555 auto-tune (4.3hp saw)
Winch used in this video:
Lewis Winch MK2
lewiswinch.com/collections/le... - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
Hey buddy how are ya? For skidding grandpa uses an old wheel barrel. He removed the wood handles and wheel just used the metal part. He cut the back down and a hole to slip the choker through. On hard pulls he would put a block no the end of the choker and hook the cable to the chain, half as fast but not as hard on the engine. I use the wheel barrel skid behind my quad now when I’m skidding logs. I just built a log arch trailer to lift the big ones off the ground easier on the quad. We lifted pigs, deer, unstuck trucks and Jeep’s those winches are truly amazing. Extremely versatile and fast. Ya big engine makes life easier for sure. I’m gonna get one for sure. Good to have in the truck for the winter. Thanks for sharing, God bless you and yours
I like that skid idea!
Glad to see this Lewis Winch will work out for you! Looks like it works really well.
I made a cone to prevent the log from digging in while being pulled out of a 55 gallon plastic container, works perfect. Much easier on all your equipment.
I had made mind up on this winch before I saw it in use. I thank you fore the demo. What surprised me the most is it's speed. I would have liked to see you try both logs up the hill hooked together. Maybe next time. When demoing a product it is as important to show what it won't do. I have worked with small equipment in the woods, the use of a skid cone on the end of logs is a worth while investment. It will allow you to pull logs over brush piles like you would not believe untill you seem it. Almost a must to get the full benefit of a small winch. Thanks.
I have been curious about logging winches, so this video is really well timed! Thanks for the video.
The timber tuff log skidding plate might be a nice companion to that winch.
Great video👍
I would suggest when your pulling to tilt your winch to one side and then the other to help distribute the cable on the spool more evenly. When the cable is under tension during the pull you will find that the tilting will help you out. Great info on the Lewis winch. I have an older Rule gas powered winch which works well for me but does have its pulling limitations.
Heard of these before but never seen one work. I am impressed.
Me too
This has to be the coolest thing ever.
Good job. First time is always a steep learning curve. Very brave recording your first go. Carry on.
Last time I had talked with woodland mills, I told them that you and your videos help me on my decision to buy their products.
I appreciate the great feedback
Wow Sandy that was so cool watching you with that new tool and how it helps make you life a bit easier. As always thanks for the hard work of editing. Now I'm going to turn up the heat a bit! :) :) :) LOL
I was always curious to how well they worked now I know thanks for the video
If you want to see more of this Lewis Winch in action along with a different chainsaw being used to power this winch, check out the playlist. Thanks for watching everyone!
I think 2 things you might really appreciate is turning that length of cable into a 2:1 with a hooked pulley at the log & make the end to the shackle underneath. The second is not go full throttle & focus on the cable spooling on the drum & laying on clean. Remember the torque goes down as you add cable layers to the spool also. As for the chains KEEP the one on the log for sure & even though it's heavy the one on the tree is never a bad call either for safety. An abraded strap failing would take your arm... just saying.
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A total friction coefficient buster. Anything that's easy on the body. Well done
Thank god it works wont lie thought it would snag up and be a rubbish winch, but no it went just like a trooper glad for you Sandy.
My uncle had one similar back in the 70's. We used it for dragging moose out.
OMG skidding logs with that machine looks like soooo much fun. Not where I'd want to be standing if the cable ever snaps though.
works great! I bet it would have even pulled both up the hill, especially with a skidding cone. Regardless, sure beats hauling by hand!! Your only other option would be a capstan winch. The real advantage is unlimited pull distance and no spooling so you maintain full pull power the entire pull. Also, the rope is way easier and safer to handle than steel cable. Thanks for posting this!!
Nice to see the winch in action - makes it so much easier You should consider a snatch block in a tree close to the winch, so your pull is some feet above the ground. I always do that when using my old pto winch to prevent logs to dig in the ground. And a cone is priceless...
Yeah you’re absolutely right there. Ive got a cone coming soon which I think will really help. Thanks again for tuning in Torsten.
Yup I was going to say the same thing about the blocks would help a lot
Also safer as a hardware failure is less likely to strike the user-
The pulling power and speed was impressive. When I first saw the cost it would be hard for me to justify but I spent 2 hours in part of my property today that is not accessible in summer. The area covers about 40 acres, has no trails and is untouched. All I saw today was wasted resources. That winch could be the game changer.
I’m pretty much the same as you in some places. It’s sad to see wasted resources when there are potential options out there.
Super cool! I was considering purchasing one of these. This video was great. Thanks for sharing
I have downed trees in the snow here in Colorado too. My hope is to do a better job this year getting the downed tress hauled to my mill in the fall so I can just mill in the winter and not have to worry about hauling in the snow. This winch looks useful pulling logs off the steep slopes I have where my tractor can't get to. I might go with pto winch that can carry longer cable. thanks for the info.
Thanks for the information. Great job. Good looking wood that won’t go to waste.
For sure
Great to see the winch in action. Work safe be smart about it. Have a great day be safe.
Thanks Arthur
I have considered one of those winches . Have used the Honda winch. It,s a decent unit, uses a rope instead of cable. Used it to pull trees thru the forest for trail building projects.
How you like it so far? I'm considering the same model as you for it's unlimited rope length. Is it strong enough? I have 25+ inches trees (hardwood) on the side of a hill. My snowmobile won't pull them out of there. What do you recommend.
(English is not my native language, hence the grammatical errors)
For someone who does recovery work every day. First thing make sure your hook is up. With the hook down you were loading the tip asking for accident to happen. Next thing oil the cable. If you can run the cable in a lot slower shouldn't burn nest on you.
In my book you're what I call a tough guy I used to work in the woods when I was younger in the winter it's not for the weak at heart
One certainly needs to enjoy the outdoors to work outside on the winter
That’s absolutely awesome!!!
Never heard of this before. Looks amazing
Sandy. I have the same winch on a 660 Stihl. I broke the first cable and have the same issue loading the spool. I dropped back to 100 feet (cut off 50 feet) and it helped. But when you load that cable it will fray so watch your hands. My 660 is direct mount. The Lewis snatch blocks are well worth the money. I bought two of them. Hope to post a video on it soon.
Never turn your back on sleds out in the wild! That one almost got you! Looks like with a little more practice this will be a great tool in your arsenal. I'm excited to see once you get the cone if that will make the job easier. Pretty cool!
Hello you can see that the winch can handle the tree well, best regards, nice work Sandy 👏👍👌
It did handle it well. I was impressed for sure
At 9:13, you appear to be guiding the cable onto the drum. I'd bet that, with a little practice, you could wind the entire 150 feet as neat as fishing line on a level-wind reel.
I thought the same leave the cable long,, watch the winch not the logs coming,, swing it left & right as the spool fills!!!
@@richardsabean5781 Here’s the thing- when it’s under so much tension, it’s very hard to smoothly guide the front left and right. You’d need to modify it to have some sort of handle to grab out front, to be able to have enough leverage to ‘steer’ it. Larger winches spool in nicely due to the size of the cable.
Great video and insights, thanks for sharing. At some point, while you're into the snow and ice weather, would you shed some light on the boots you're wearing, whether they're insulated, pulled over other shoes/boots, etc. I may move to a colder climate with snow and freezing weather in the future. If you've already touched on the subject, please point me to the video. I've learned the best person to ask about something is the one who's living it. Thanks.
Good honest review and use
I put bottom half of a nylon drum over the but end of the log when skidding to help keep it from digging into the ground. Cheap option and works great
I've been using a Lewis winch for about 8 years on a Husq 365, which allows for the direct connect to the clutch. Been a good system for getting logs out of the woods. I replaced the steel cable with 65' of Amsteel rope-- saves a few pounds and no problem with bird nests. My biggest complaint is that it is nearly impossible to disengage with pressure on the line, so I put a boomer on the anchor chain to release the pressure. Skidding cone makes a big difference.
What’s a boomer? Chain binder?
This will be great to have in those wet seasons that you have struggled with in the past. Keep on haulin.
Thanks I think it’ll work great
@@sawingwithsandy I just posted a video on my TH-cam page of hauling some logs with my tractor. Got to do it during winter freeze up.
I use to hook underneath with the cable hook sometimes lifts the log up enough to help.but if you hook on the top it has to pull it into the ground.does work better with straps.
That's a really cool idea!
Nice vid! I’ve not used my winch yet, still in box….had it for over 2yrs! Have you considered a plastic nose cone for front of logs? I got one of those also. I’ve seen them working and have a great advantage over logs dragging through the ground….they also help logs manoeuvre around trees when pulling. 👍🇬🇧
I just bought a Lewis Winch after watching some of your videos. I like it a lot. I know the cable is suppose to carry 4k lbs and 8k lbs 2 parted but the problem is how would you ever know how much tension is on a 1000 lb log getting drug up hill! It's kind've scary. I really don't want that line snapping and ripping my face off lol.
Hi Sandy my verdict it is working well yes I think bigger saw will be better but now for temperadey do the job.
Run what ya brung. Love it
It's very wonderful.
Heavy work depends on tools and ideas.
Use a couple of snatch blocks to decrease the load on your chainsaw. Repositioning the blocks is pretty easy. Place one on the log and anchor the end of the cable on a tree and the winch anchored on another.
Snatch blocks for the win.
Great video, thanks. Very interesting and informative. The first time I saw one of these winches, it was being used to drag an 800 lb moose out of a bog and up to the road in a You Tube video. Wow. But it works when you need it. Thanks.
Have had a LW for a lot of years. I used it for firewood and hauling dead game out of so deep holes. Few pointers.
Don't cut the cable, learn to control the cable. If you get it gamged on one side is tough to get it out.
Narrow the distance where the cable goes through the faired head. I drilled a couple of holes and put hardened bolts. I left about 2 1/4" for the cable. Gives you more control of the cable winding on the spool.
Attach the winch to whatever you are pulling up. You don't have to carry the winch up the hill. You can also bump the load around to go around or over things. Roger
I have a similar area of my woods where winter navigation is the only way to skid logs out but dont have a sled haha Id love to have that winch it seems handy!
Think it’ll be real handy! Thanks for watching Jay
Great invention 👍
Chain with a slip hook or choker cable would work.good. I always had problems with logs slipping out of the chain if it didnt have a big hook.
That Lewis winch seems to work great for remote locations in all weather conditions. The only thing I'd be worried about is if the cable snapped and you have no protection from a backlash which could be deadly. Perhaps rigging up some kind of shield in front of where you operate it would be advantageous. Anyway, nice work. Cheers!
Throw a coat over the cable. That will absorb the recoil if it breaks.
If you don't have at least 2 snatch blocks , you will find they would make life easier . have a good day
Oh yeah! That should really help!
You should check out the receiver mount attachment and stump hook/gaffe they make ,they are awesome , can even attach the ground or snow deadman anchor. I made the receiver anchor myself and it really works good.
Those do look good. I’m going to see about fabricating my own receiver attachment I think. Thanks for checking out the video
From my experience I've seen stihl 044's, and the 029/031/039 have inboard clutches. Honestly something like a Husqvarna 272 would probably work nice on that but its an outboard clutch, I've not ran across a husky with an inboard clutch from my limited experience. Jonsered made some big saws back in the day that had inboard clutches I think (70E,80,90,111).
Glad to see this
Looks like it puts you in a great position to get a direct hit on the noggin if you have a failure in the cable or connections. Probably should use a winch blanket over that line before you become a pirate.
Good candidate for synthetic rope and a soft shackle.
Yeah..it takes too long to teach a parrot to sit still on your shoulder
@@rotattor urrrrr Jim lad !
@@20_below Synthetic rope is not recommended by Lewis. Wire rope only.
Duuuuuuuude that thing is sick!
I gave you a thumbs up for "friction coefficient" haven't heard that in years.
I thought that was awesome, friction co-efficient. You seem genuine Sandy. Thanks for the video
Thanks Carl.
Appreciate that Dave
Bird nesting will happen faster and less preventable (no control over the way the thing pulls) is when the mount point is to one side. If you can I would recommend you try to fashion a triangle so the fixed attachment point to the rear of the saw (i.e. a tree or a strong woman) is in line with the center of the winch spool that way you have "some" control over which area of the spool the cable is spooled onto...
It’s a bit hard to see but the hook under the winch is actually lined up with the middle of the spool. Likely the camera angle and my first time using the winch made it seem a bit cumbersome. I’m with ya that getting the cable onto the spool evenly is something to work on
@@sawingwithsandy I have thought about my comment for a bit more. You could do a little experiment by installing a (temporary) piece of wood which provides some leverage to the angle the spool has to the wire coming from the log.
The spooling is slow enough you should be able to prevent bird nesting the wire while spooling and dragging... Maybe even have a trigger on the extra level so you can throttle the chainsaw as you "steer".
4:37 I love that rod to poke under the log!
You may regret cutting that 150’ when/if you install a snatch block on the cable. Then your 150’ becomes a 75’ when all is paid out and the cable is doubled back and the hock is secured to an anchor point in front of the winch. You don’t recoil the whole 150’ length until you are ready and can control and level windings
I’ve been struggling to get the 150’ to wind up evenly even when not under load unfortunately since the clearance is so tight but you do bring up a good point
Very impressive tool, what you need for the winch is stihl ms880 then you have the power to move anything.
Now I want one, nice buy!!
Thanks Joel
Looks Handy only problem in Australia the trees that grow in the snow line are in National park.
But I'm thinking a capstan winch with big rope. Aussie Jeff
Very good!
It worked pretty good
Looks like it works really fast compared to a 12v electric winch. The crow's nest can be reduced. Any and all winch cables need to be "Relaxed" prior to first use, this is what they don't tell us. Grab a friend to help with this process. Simply unravel all the cable to a safe amount left on the spool, and hook the hook end up to a solid tree as your anchor fixed end, and use something heavy to attach the winch to. A garden tractor, atv, golf cart, anything with weight and that rolls, work well. Use the brake on the weighted end atv, golf cart or whatever you are using to make the winch work and this will stretch your new bound up cable. The whole purpose is to stretch your new cable. Fire up the winch and let the weight and the winch walk slowly towards the anchor point. Once this is done your cable will be "stretched and the wires in the cable will be "Relaxed" and the all of the individual wires that are woven together to make the cable will be "relaxed to reduce" if not eliminate the crow's nest. Hope this helps any and all winch user's prior to first use. Have a great week.
That winch is awsome
Quite impressive. But I’m with you, that saw-winch link seems like a recipe waiting to destroy your clutch. If there was a solid frame for both components to affix to, then it would be better. But that setup seem like attaching two moose with a piece of twine.
Yeah I’m with ya there. I’m going to look for a different saw I think
Great video! Very informative!
Thanks for tuning in! Great to have ya apart of the SWS community 👍
Interesting. I think I could use something like that to snake the black ash, AKA swamp ash, to solid ground where I can hook on with the tractor. You might want to try a choker from an old cable skidder to hook unto the logs. A 3/8 chain hook fits over the cable and grabs the knob at the free end that would normally hook into the bell on the main cable. Cables skidders are getting to be a thing of the past but you can still find chokers at the odd hardware store or logging equipment salvage yard.
if i dont wipe right i get swamp ash
Nice job.
Looks like it works well but it not spooling back and forth the cable is going to bind up I believe !
Keep up the Videos
Where did you get the lewis winch ,i seen it yesterday when you took out of the box and how much is it worth,looks like it does the job.
Learned something new today. But dude, looks like I limbed those logs. lol
What a useful piece of machinery! How did you ever work without it? I know you like Husqvarna but.... I've seen some large Chinese chainsaws that do real good according to the online reviews.
The Husqvarna 371/372/365 series and their Jonsered equivalents (2065, 2071, etc.) would be a good choice-inboard clutch, ubiquitous, not too heavy. I prefer the older variants (non-x-torq) but they'd really all be fine. The 365s tend to be cheaper as it's the lower non-xp model (like the 555 vs 562) but I doubt you'd notice much difference in a winching application.
372xp is decent, but 395xp is perfect.
Think maybe a small piece of plywood or small 2x4 wooden box to set the saw in while you set up before and after using
I think a Stihl 880 would be a good saw for that winch.
That sure would be a huge power upgrade
It is too powerful and has too much engine displacement. More than 7 hp and 100 cc could damage the winch or break the rope, according to the manufacturer.
By shortening the cable you will be increasing the pulling power since there is less cable on each turn of the winch drum, so a bigger saw moter is not necessary.
I like to run 90' to 95' of cable on mine the stihl is the saw to run on them ms362c or ms441c im currently running ms461 ive used all 3 saws on this winch lots the 362 you'll be breaking less parts then running the bigger saws but its easier on the bigger saws when pulling heavy weight
how do you mannage to (almost) die within the first minute of the video :)...love your channel its great and informational.
Sure is a lot faster than my come along !
I would not be using a chain, unless you are trying to pull multiple logs at the same time, just wrap the cable. and if you move the back of the chainsaw side to side rotating on the back mount, you should be able to wind the cable tighter, and elevate the "bird nesting". great job so far. and love the channel. keep up the great content.
Thanks for watching Shawn!
Add a log arch to your equipment list, or a muts trailer which is a Canadian made trailer which converts into a log arch you wil not be disappointed good video
Works great. I guess I forgot to comment on the video last week.
Have you tried double lining the winch? It will pull slower but be easier to level wrap the cable plus 2x your pulling power being easier on the power head.
It will pull slower but the drum will turn faster because of the lesser load.
I yoused a husqvarna 266 .. 66cc ..on a winch a full flat steel flat skid under it a D behind the handle..the pull was on the back ...not on the drum...your one is kicking up hard to control going all over the place.😲.. take a third off that cable OFF not needed......short pulls U.. C what U.. R doing a lot safer...back the late 80s wind blow and swam holes 32ft long 12 14 16 + inch diameter..two tone pull on the flat or down hill no problem.😚..iv yoused tractor and 4×4.. the saw winch very good...😊 hello from Ireland...😉..
Sandy,
I think you have a good addition in the Winch. Definitely should be a game changer for skidding the remote logs. A skidding cone would be a plus for you. I quickly checked and they are not to bad for a 20" cone.
One note about safety, Throw an old blanket on the cable to dampen the snap back if the cable breaks.
Good idea Chris!
Have you done any research on the farmtec saws? I am typically a name brand guy myself but I've been seeing a lot of those holtzforma saws around the you tube and they sure are intriguing. Plenty of parts availability as well
That cable should be wrapped with no space between wraps of cable, gaps between Cable wraps always cause pinches and "birds nests" the single best things you can do to prevent tangle is take time make sure the Cable wraps neatly with no gaps, and this might sounds crazy but grease your cable this comes from heavy industry, I have two winches on 4x4 trucks and I keep both wench cables greased this helps to keep dirt and debris out from between the strands and lays of the cable and prevents premature wear and strand breaks hope this helps
Thanks Brett
I thought you did very well for your first time.
Your very welcomed
that is just what I need. good video
Glad you liked the video. Thanks for watching.
Switch the cable to Syn line stronger and easier to wind
This is awesome. Could you maybe mount it to your tractor bucket or 3 pt hitch? Sometimes my tractor wont pull a log but it may winch it...
Yeah I think I could likely rig something up
Have always wanted a capstan winch
I have seen nylon or plastic cones that would stop the blunt ends from plowing snags cable through the middle !