Lewis Winch Operating Tips: Pull A Vehicle Out Of The Ditch

Posted by: Lewis Winch
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Q...How do you pull a large vehicle out of the ditch using a Lewis Winch?  Isn't a full size pick-up truck too heavy for the Lewis Winch?

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A....No, a full size pick-up is not too heavy for the Lewis Winch.

Actually it is easier to pull a truck out of the ditch than skid a large log because a vehicle is on wheels and there is less friction to contend with.

The Lewis Winch is designed to efficiently skids logs weighing thousands of pounds across the ground and through dense bush, so a vehicle on wheels is child's play for this portable chainsaw winch.

Just remenber to block the wheels so that the vehicle doesn't roll forward or backwards once it is out of the ditch.

Here is what our customers have said about pulling stuck vehicles using the Lewis Winch:



Lewis Winch recues car stuck in snow

 

"My wife and kids took a bit of a wild winter ride on our snowy driveway last night.





They got part way up, lost traction and slid backwards on the 15% grade for about 40 very anxious feet. In three easy pulls, the winch walked the car up the remaining 200 feet like a champ. No snatch block, it pulled the car (a Nissan Maxima) with far greater ease than most of the logs I've dragged around the forest.  

This is a tool that my wife now fully supports!!!"

 -  Scott M., Pemberton, BC

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The Lewis Winch will easily pull a 3/4 ton truck out of the sand

  "I work in sugar sand, and vehicles get stuck weekly.

 I direct mounted a stihl 066 that I don't get much use out of because all the hurricanes have taken down all the big trees.

Well the Lewis Winch will actually start pulling a 2500 truck buried in the sand with barely any throttle... 

This winch is awesome!" 

  - Mark Stewart, Jensen Beach Florida 



Lewis Winch rescues ATV from mud

 

Watch the video below to see how to pull vehicles out of the mud

For more information visit our website
 http://www.lewiswinch.com/

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Lewis Winch Operating Tips: Winding Cable Evenly On Spool

Posted by: Lewis Winch
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Q...How do you keep the Lewis Winch cable wrapped evenly on the spool?  I have difficulty controlling the cable when I am pulling a heavy load.

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A.... Like you, I found that there was a concern with cable loading on one side of the spool, but I easily control that by positioning a Snatch Block right in front of the Lewis Winch.



Snatch Block anchored to tree to control cable


You can see this set-up in the first photo.






I watch the spool and if the cable is loading up too much on one side, I back off a little to ease the tension on the cable and change the angle of the unit so the cable winds on the other side of the spool.





Winch and Snatch Block used on lumber rack



I also use the chainsaw winch to load 8 foot logs into my pick-up or my logging trailer.

I have a stout lumber rack on the pick-up and I run the winch off of the top of the rack.





This allows me to load logs right into my truck box - also utilizing snatch blocks to guide the log, and again watching the cable, backing off the throttle when nessesary to change the angle and insure the cable winds evenly.

Beside my Norwood portable sawmill I have a cedar post in the ground and I attach the Lewis Winch to it to drag the logs out of the pick-up or my logging trailer.

Keep with it - like everything else, you have to figure out what works best for you.

Watch video about how to use Snatch Blocks

For more information visit our website
 http://www.lewiswinch.com/

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Lewis Winch Operating Tips: Unspooling Cable

Posted by: Lewis Winch

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Unspooling Cable:  The Lewis Winch is a drum winch, and it has similar operating challenges as any type of drum winch. Unspooling the cable and rewinding it back evenly on the spool becomes second nature to a seasoned winch operator, but can be a challenge to a newbie.

This Lewis Winch tip is about unspooling the cable without causing the cable to expand on the drum and become tangled, commonly called a "birds nest". 

A "birds nest" is a result of the cable being unspooled in such a manner that the free-wheeling drum starts to increase in speed and turn faster than the operator is pulling out the cable. The cable then becomes loose on the spool and will eventually cause a jam.

There is a very simple solution to this annoying challenge.

The Lewis Winch is equiped with a hand brake which slows or stops the drum from turning. The brake handle has a small hole at the end which will accept the hook of a small bungee cord.




Bungee cord attached to brake handle

 

If you connect a bungee cord  to the brake handle and pull back to apply a little tension, then attach the other end to the back of your Lewis Winch or to your saw, then you can easily adjust the tension and control the drum speed.

With a little practice you will find just the right tension to allow you to pull the cable out easily but not allow the drum to run faster than you are pulling, thus eliminating the possibility of a "birds nest".

Watch this video for more details on unspooling cable.

   

For more winch tips please visit our website:

 http://www.lewiswinch.com/

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