off road atv site

Lewis Winch on Moose Hunt in Maine

2012-02-02T11:00:00.000-08:00

“I bought your winch about a month ago. I was going on a moose hunt here in Maine. I went on the hunt last week and we got a 553 lb. Bull. A good eater! Your winch performed above all expectations. Easy to use, portable, GREAT! 100 yards off the road to on the trailer in less than 20 minutes (minus the 20 minutes of back slapping) You folks are selling a great product. Thank you!”

- William Howe, Maine

For more information please visit www.LewisWinch.com

Lewis Winch Review in Sawmill and Woodlot Magazine

2011-04-29T11:44:00.000-07:00

"The winch, however, mistook the log as the anchor and obligingly pulled the tractor backwards.

Next try was no better, as it easily pulled the tractor wheels up and over the chocks I put behind the wheels. Repositioning the tractor for a sideways pull also proved futile, as the winch effortlessly slid the poor little tractor sideways!"

"Although the winch was sent to me for evaluation, I wound up buying it instead of sending it back."

Dave Boyt has a BS degree in Forest

Management and an MS in Wood

Technology. He manages a tree farm

(2006 Missouri Tree Farm of the Year),

and operates a band saw sawmill.

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For more information please visit

www.LewisWinch.com

Lewis Winch article in Farm Show Magazine

2011-03-24T10:46:00.000-07:00

The Lewis Winch can be powered by any chainsaw motor that’s 3 cu. in. or larger.
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Chainsaw-Powered Winch
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What really sets the powerful Lewis Winch apart is that you can power it with any chainsaw motor 3 cu. in. or larger.

“It grew out of a need Pacific Northwest loggers had for a compact winch when working on steep terrain where they couldn’t reach with a highline setup or a skidder,” says Doug Imbeau, Lewis Winch, Inc. “They already had chainsaws and really didn’t want to have another motor to service, so why not drive a compact winch with a chainsaw?”

Lewis Winch is driven by a chainsaw
with the bar and chain removed.

Imbeau says the winch is driven by a chainsaw with the bar and chain removed. Two adapter kits come with the winch. One fits any chainsaw and uses a small piece of cutterless chain and a mini-bar for mounting.

The other works with outside drive sprockets only and is a direct drive from the motor to the winch.

“After the original setup and with a little practice, you can go from chain sawing to winching or back again in about five min. either way,” says Imbeau.

“If you’re cutting trees and winching day in and day out, you may want to have a chainsaw dedicated to the winch. However, if you’re cutting a few trees and winching them, making the switch isn’t such a bother.”

Imbeau started his company in 2003 after inventor and manufacturer Fred Lewis decided to retire. As many as 30,000 Lewis Winches are estimated to have been produced over the years, with many still being used.

“A few weeks ago I had an inquiry from an owner who was looking for parts,” recalls Imbeau. “I determined that his winch had been made in Lewis’ shop in Medford, Ore., around 1972. I supplied the parts, and the
winch is back in service.”

One reason the winch is so popular, even at a cost of $899, is the pulling power it offers. A general duty chainsaw with an engine size of 5 to 6 horsepower can pull 3,000 to 3,500 lbs. in a straight line or twice that with a snatch block.

A chainsaw engine with 7 horsepower can pull up to 4,000 lbs. in a straight line. Again, a single Lewis Winch snatch block doubles the pulling power. Imbeau warns that an engine greater than 7 hp could damage the winch.

The Lewis Winch comes with a 150-ft., 3/16-in. galvanized aircraft cable. A 250-ft., 1/8-in. cable is also available.

Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Lewis Winch, Inc., 315A Levi St., New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada V3M 4N4 ph 604 524-6863; toll free 877 906-7711; info@lewiswinch.com;

To watch action and instructional videos
of the Lewis Winch, please visit:
http://www.lewiswinch.com/

1-800-834-9665 • editor@farmshow.com • www.farmshow.com• vol. 35, no. 2 • FARM SHOW • 11

Lewis Winch in Popular Mechanics March 2011

2011-02-16T13:39:00.000-08:00

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Click on the links below to read the article in Popular Mechanics

http://www.zinio.com/pages/PopularMechanics/Mar-11/416155179/pg-74

http://www.zinio.com/pages/PopularMechanics/Mar-11/416155179/pg-76

Lewis Winch skids 16 foot Douglas Fir logs up a 30 deg slope

For more information

about the Lewis Winch,

please visit our website

www.LewisWinch.com

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Christmas Stocking Stuffer

2010-12-17T16:06:00.000-08:00

Posted by: Lewis Winch

___________________________

Granted that a Lewis Winch is not your traditional Christmas Stocking Stuffer.

But a Lewis Winch only weighs 22 pounds out of the box.

And after all, it is smaller than a bread box...

So why not?

Stuff a Lewis Winch into a heavy duty Christmas Stocking

and hang it on the fireplace mantle with some chain

and then watch with glee how his eyes light up in the morning

when he runs to see what Santa left him in his (oversized) stocking.

Here's a few other Lewis Winch Products Christmas Stocking Stuffers:

And don't miss our Christmas Special

if you're planning to stuff a Lewis Winch

in his Christmas Stocking.

Click here to receive our Christmas Special and funny bloopers

For more info, visit our website

www.lewiswinch.com

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Lewis Winch bloopers and special deals.

2010-12-06T13:59:00.000-08:00

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Posted by: Lewis Winch

Santa delivering a dream, Lewis winch

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Did you know that Lewis Winch “Inside Scoop” members get special deals on Lewis Winch Products?

If you haven’t signed up yet for our funny Blooper Videos, then you are missing all our special offers, too!

So what are you waiting for?

Click on the link below to join.

Sign up for our blooper videos and periodic special offers!!

And if you sign up before Christmas, you’ll get a GREAT DISCOUNT on a new Lewis Winch!

HO! HO! HO!

http://www.LewisWinch.com/

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I am Looking for My First Winch

2010-11-27T13:10:00.000-08:00

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Posted by: TimW

I am looking for my first winch....

If I buy an el cheapo winch for say $500 and weld up a mount/frame for the winch to sit in, with a hitch bit on it. Then, I weld/bolt a hitch receiver on the front of the vehicle chassis. For that 10% of bogs when I need someone's help.

I can do it myself forwards and backwards.

Rhino stuck in bog.

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Posted by: CBA

If you were stuck in a lousy position I would think it would be a MAJOR hassle lugging a 45 kg (100 lb) object out of the car and mounting it on the back or front, especially if you are up to your knees in mud or sand.

Lewis Winch easily rescues Rhino from muddy bog

Some brainstorming here. Please do not try to pin me down. I am just trying to make you all think.

There are winches powered by small petrol engines.

There are winches that can be powered by chainsaws.

(I assume that everybody thinking winches already has a chainsaw in the boot, or not??). You must see, I am originally Swiss (well, Aussie since well over 10 years now), but that's why I still like Habegger manual winches which are IMO the best there are. In Switzerland we have mountains, called Alps (THE real ALPS that is).

You see, alpine farmers are very humble folks making a living and cheese out of a few dozen dairy cows. Cows eat hay that incidentally does not grow in winter. To transport hay harvested in summer on steep mountain slopes you use....... well, winches. No need to mention, there rarely is electric power availabe on alps (down to valley gravity helps, but upwards....). Hence petrol powered winches.

Yes I know, helicopters deeply hate these temporary winch setups.... there are air maps showing their locations, yet every year some helicopters or small Cessnas manage to fly into the cables and people die.... Anyway, Alpine countries like Switzerland/Germany/France/Italy and Austria have a demand for petrol/chainsaw powered winches which is met by various manufacturers.

I leave the rest to you, but let me add such chainsaw powered winches are lightweight because the alpine diary farmers have to carry them on their back up the mountains since there are no roads. And horsepower of such petrol winches is lmited, meaning it would take sort of "block & tackle" wheels to use as a 10ton 4WD recovery winch.

This is just some food for thought.... Why is there no portable chainsaw powered 4x4 recovery whinch in the Australian market? Is this maybe the magic "product" Australian 4x4 inventors are searching for?? Me personally, I do not need an electric or oil/hydraulic or petrol driven winch, if anything I am happy with a manual Habegger style winch to be used once every few years when the unexpected #### happens. But I could imagine wealthy city 4WD'ers prepared to pay good money for a lightweight chainsaw powered winch. Business opportunity knocking?
I am not crazy, am I?

Look on this page, http://www.LewisWinch.com/

Good enough for skidding logs and freeing equipment in forestry. Up to 4,000 lbs pulling power from a larger chainsaw. Its not a joke at all, and there are other makers, too.

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Posted by: TimW

I think you would find that a 4,000 lb winch wouldn't pull a camper trailer out of a bog, let alone a 5,000 lb 4wd, which when bogged that would maybe double its weight.

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Posted by: CBA

Not so according to the maker of (for example) the Lewis Winch. They explicitely name 4WD recovery among many other uses such as emergency services.

Just because it is a relatively new product, and was originally designed for logging, does not mean it is unsuitable for 4WD recovery. In the US some folks use this Lewis Winch for exactly that. The 4,000 lb straight pull become 8,000 lb using a snatch block. If geared to the right RPMs a chainsaw has serious power, won't drain a battery, and is less likely to overheat or burn out like a DC motor.

Also, do not directly compare pulling force of a bumper winch with a manual or petrol winch: since the bumper winch is 75% of the time at the wrong side of the car, you nearly always got to pull-in the rope at an angle. And that requires a LOT more pulling force, than pulling straight.

Also the winch is cheaper than the chainsaw, and it is out of the way all the time, not taking up space in the back and smelling of fuel on every bump.

- And I thought that anybody doing serious bush tracks automatically carries a chainsaw. A fallen tree across a rarely used track is far more likely than getting bogged. Only sometimes can you drive around... Seriously, if one does not bother to carry a chainsaw, one does certainly not need a winch either. The Lewis Winch is just an accessory to an existing chainsaw, you mount the winch instead of the chain bar. The chainsaw/winch is strapped around a suitable anchor, tree or rock, and used exactly as a manual winch. It just takes the hard work out of manual winching.

- There is little room in a 4x4 and also the payload is limited. If you can combine recovery equipment in a modular fashion whilst saving weight and room, its always a plus. If talking electric bumper winch, you are talking one or two cement bags, most of it far up front, you are most likely also talking a second battery and associated cost and maintenance of everything.... If talking a cradle mounted electric winch, you will have to carry that battery up the bank too....

- Bumper-mounted winches do not work well under water. Regardless if electric or hydraulic powered from the power steering oil pump. If the water is murky you may not even see how the wire is wound onto the drum.

PS: There already are an AU and a NZ dealer for the particular Lewis Winch. Hence, there must also be owners/users around, that could recommend or otherwise such gadget for 4x4 purposes? Maybe you could get a free trial winch in return for writing up a test article for a 4x4 magazine???

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Posted by: Lewis Winch

Hey, CBA. You pretty much have it right. The Lewis Winch will easily pull a fully loaded truck or ATV out of the ditch frontwards, backwards or even sideways. With one Lewis Winch Snatch Block it will pull 8,000 pounds, keep adding Snatch Blocks if you need more power.

Off roaders have been using the Lewis Winch for years and they love the power and portability.

The only thing you got wrong is that the Lewis Winch is not new ... it has been around since the early 1970s and we're making it better all the time!

Have a look at our new Lewis Winch Ground Anchor, used when there isn't an anchor point in sight.

Lewis Winch mounted on Ground Anchor pulls off road ATV out of trouble!

To see great off roading pictures and watch instructional and action videos, please visit our website: http://www.LewisWinch.com/

Lewis Winch Ground Anchor

2010-05-19T13:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been stuck in the mud or a creek with your off road vehicle and even though you have your trusty winch with you there is not a solid anchor point in sight.

Spending the day trying to dig out your ATV, or worse yet, not getting it out at all and having to spend the night or walk back because you just can't free your vehicle is not the kind of fun you were expecting when you left home.

Lewis Winch now has a new product that will save your day.

Click here to see video

The Lewis Winch Ground Anchor is a great ATV accessory for your Lewis portable winch and you will always be able to free your stuck ATV if you carry one of these with you.

Visit our website for more information. http://www.lewiswinch.com/

Venom winch dead in 11 months.

2010-01-26T07:56:00.000-08:00

Well my Venom winch is dead!

It made it 11 months...it's about on par with Warn and Gorilla.

My winch spends it's life under water and used every time I go out, more than once every time.

So it's that time of year, I pull my winch off the Rhino and clean it out.

All the bolts holding the winch to the mounting plate were tight, good...I get the winch home and find the bottom bolts holding the motor side and gear side are cracked. As I open the winch up, I found it full of water and mud...most of the grease is still there and the gears show no wear, but the motor and points look bad, several of the seals are bad or ripped, and spool completely covered with rust.

I spend three hours hours this morning cleaning and putting it back together, but I think it is really done...turns a lot faster than it did, but with so much water in the motor side I think the motor is gone. Based on the last time I used it and had to double up the line to pull the Rhino out of a short ditch...she's just lost power.

As I said before, it seems like I only get about one year out of any of the electric winches I've tried.

Do you guys have any suggestions?

Christopher, Minooka, IL.

Lewis Winch will last longer than electric winch.

2010-01-26T07:52:00.000-08:00

The Lewis Winch is a completely portable winch so it doesn't remain mounted on the ATV permanently. The winch is only mounted on the vehicle when in use or just anchored to a tree or rock etc. and not mounted on the vehicle at all. You never have to worry about your winch being underwater or in the mud the next time you are out in the bush.

The other great thing about this portable winch, is that because it can pull up to 8000 pounds it can be used for many other things such as a hunting winch, boating winch, logging winch or just moving heavy rocks or tree limbs around the yard.

Also, you never have to worry about killing your ATV batteries like an electric winch can do because the Lewis Winch is powered by a chainsaw.

Just strap in onto the rack of your quad like I do, and take it with anywhere...see picture.

Click here to watch the Lewis Winch pull a quad and a rhino out of mud hole.

What a great versatile ATV winch!

4 Categories of Essential ATV Accessories

2009-12-23T13:18:00.000-08:00

Congrats on a great article for all off road atv owners. However, one of the essential atv accessories not mentioned in this article is a portable winch. The Lewis Winch is a great off road atv accessory as it will pull 4000 pounds in a straight pull which is more than enough power to pull most off road atvs out of trouble. Most atv winches that are permanently mounted will only pull 2500 pounds in a straight line. The other great thing about using the Lewis Winch is that you don't have to worry about running your battery dead, because the Lewis Winch runs on gasoline.

4 Categories of Essential ATV Accessories: "When considering the purchase of ATV accessories it is important to consider the categories of essential gear, including riding, safety, navigation, and survival gear. This article discusses the categories of essential ATV accessories, and why they are vital to riders. Whether a rider is going on a short or long excursion they should have these essentials as part of their regular gear."

Welcome to my Blog

2009-11-15T16:32:00.000-08:00

If you own an off road atv like I do, you are probably familiar with the problems of using electric winches on the front of quads.

You know that if the winch drains your battery and it goes dead, you are doomed and left hanging.

The other major problem is that if you drive your quad into the mud or into deep water and can't get out on your own, you will want to pull it back out - not further in!

I always strap my chainsaw and my Lewis Winch on the rack on the back of my quad, just in case I need to clear a trail from a downed tree or if I get stuck in the mud or the water.

Because the Lewis Winch is not permanently attached to my off road atv like electric winches are, I can pull my quad out in any direction I want.

Try it out and you'll see what I mean. I am the president of Lewis Winch and I welcome your comments and stories.