Electric winch?

[Farmer17]

I went to change the blades on my riding lawnmower and I typically throw a rope and pully over a tree limb and use a come-along to winch it up. The problem is, the older I get even the come-along is tiring, so I was thinking of some kind of electric winch. I thought about putting one on the front of my Suzuki four Wheeler but maybe some kind of portable winch would be more versatile. Any thoughts?

 

[6518John]

I have a Warn 3500 Pro Vantage on my Argo 8x8 and can't recommend it more highly. May be a bit big for a four-wheeler. I believe it is a side-by-side ATV model. Warn Industries - ATV & Side X Side Winches: ProVantage 3500-s

 

[Mexican Kerry]

Whichever winch you decide on, if you mount it so it can be used in a hitch receiver it will be more versatile for you. If its only going to see duty around the yard of on an atv a 4000 lb unit should be lots of capacity for you. Superwinch is decent, Warn is great. Priced accordingly in my experience.

If its going to see intermittent/light duty, a lesser winch would probably also serve you well.

 

[Rule3]

How big/heavy is the lawn mower (or is it a tractor) compared to your 4x4? Does it have the torque to pull the rope? If a come along can lift it??

Can the 4 wheeler (or even a Pickup) be used to pull the rope on the pulley??

Guess I am missing something here

 

[Farmer17]

My four wheeler is old and pretty small, I doubt if it would have the power but I plan on buying a 420cc Honda Rancher ATV when I save up a little more cash.

 

[steelslaver]

I have 2 winches, a 10,000# Warn on my Ford Powerstroke and a smaller off brand on my Ranger. Love them. But, do set them up on a cradle or plate with a piece that fits in a hitch receiver. Only way to go. I have plugs that ar similar to small welding lead plugs on both ends of my trucks. Can quickly remove or relocate either winch. Plus have sets of heavy jumper cables with the plugs on one end. Also have a 2000 watt 110 volt inverter with the plugs. Handy Dandies.

 

[Big Cholla]

4 Wheel Parts has a small winch designed for ATVs. It is rated at 3k lbs. direct pull or 6k lbs with a doubled line. I bought one on sale for $99 and installed it on an overhead I beam in my shop. I run it off of two auto batteries (in parallel) that are on a trickler system. It works great. I can run single line lift or two part lift. It is controlled with the typical remote on a cord which gives me every control that I need. I just wish that I had extended the I beam over my lathe. Some of those big 'chucks' are getting pretty heavy for me at my age. ..........

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Lots of places offer a hydraulic lift for lawnmowers & 4 wheelers fairly cheap....I've got one....You drive the front tires onto it and pump the foot pedal to lift......They are not that heavy and are portable.

 

[Rintimtin]

+1 on the cradle mount.

 

[SweetMK]

I use a skyhook,,, install it anywhere,,,,

That is my Gravely 24G

 

[Bkreutz]

I mounted a Jet hoist on a trolley in my shop, it's situated so I cam pull and engine if I need to, mostly I use it to move heavy items from the first floor to the second floor.

 

[Zipdog]

Winches are not designed for lifting. Anyone who wants to be under a suspended load with a winch must not put any value on their life.

 

[dswancutt]

This is the best 149 bucks I ever spent for servicing a riding lawn mower

Pro-Lift 500 lb. Capacity Heavy-Duty Lawn Mower Lift - For Life Out Here

Jacking it up using a tree limb, great until it breaks and falls on you.

 

[bigwheelzip]

Could a Block and Tackle set do the job?

[ame="https://www.amazon.com/Generic-Pulley-Block-Tackle-Hoist/dp/B001Z0WELC"]Amazon.com: Generic Rope Pulley Block and Tackle Hoist: Home Improvement[/ame]

 

[dswancutt]

Winches are not designed for lifting. Anyone who wants to be under a suspended load with a winch must not put any value on their life.

I'm with you. I do use a chain hoist to lift and hang my deer, but lift a 500+ lb lawnmower from a hoist, no f-ing way.

 

[brigeton]

This is the best 149 bucks I ever spent for servicing a riding lawn mower

Pro-Lift 500 lb. Capacity Heavy-Duty Lawn Mower Lift - For Life Out Here

Jacking it up using a tree limb, great until it breaks and falls on you.

I'd do this. Actually I just jack up the front of my tractor with a hydraulic floor jack and reach under the deck. But if you don't have one the mower lift is the way to go.

 

[SweetMK]

Changing the blades or cleaning the deck don't require getting under the mower anyway. I get it up to an angle to make it easier to work on. Nothing more.

I could lift it with a farm tractor and forks on a loader but the winch and quad is easier and quicker.

I'd do this. Actually I just jack up the front of my tractor with a hydraulic floor jack and reach under the deck. But if you don't have one the mower lift is the way to go.

My 72 inch mower deck for the Gravely 24G;

I take the deck off about every 10 years for a good cleaning,,,

 

[tops]

I worked around winches for about 35 years and have never found them to be anymore dangerous than anything else for lifting and pulling. We used them for lifting, lowering and lateral pulls. Larry

 

[Tom S.]

Winches are not designed for lifting. Anyone who wants to be under a suspended load with a winch must not put any value on their life.

EXACTLY! Never ever work under a load supported by a winch, unless you want make your wife a widow. A winch brake can and do fail, and whatever it's holding will fall. I've seen brakes fail on 25 and 50 ton winches at work, and whatever load they had, came down NOW. I've also seen the result of a cable breaking: the press flywheel it was carrying went through the wood block floor and put a big chip into the concrete below. Chain falls are much safer so long as they are used within their load limit. And their load limit is their actual lift rating where most winches use a rolling weight measurement that is no where near their actual lifting capacity.

I raise my mower with a hydraulic jack and put a jack stand underneath of it.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

This is the best 149 bucks I ever spent for servicing a riding lawn mower

Pro-Lift 500 lb. Capacity Heavy-Duty Lawn Mower Lift - For Life Out Here

Jacking it up using a tree limb, great until it breaks and falls on you.

Yep.........That's what I use......NEVER EVER put any part of your body under a suspended load......I was a Rigger for 29 years.