Getting a winch to wind evenly under a load

[whateg01]

Maybe it just doesn't happen, but it seems like there ought to be a thing that makes a winch wind evenly. I guess I do what everybody else does and just let it wind up however it wants to and then when the job is done unspool the winch line and wind it up evenly. If it's pulling straight, one can nudge the line over one way or the other but I prefer to stay clear of the line for obvious reasons. But if I have to pull from the side, the line ends up on that side and I have to pay attention that I don't overload it and bunch it up so I can't unwind it again.

 

[PCustoms]

Maybe it just doesn't happen, but it seems like there ought to be a thing that makes a winch wind evenly. I guess I do what everybody else does and just let it wind up however it wants to and then when the job is done unspool the winch line and wind it up evenly. If it's pulling straight, one can nudge the line over one way or the other but I prefer to stay clear of the line for obvious reasons. But if I have to pull from the side, the line ends up on that side and I have to pay attention that I don't overload it and bunch it up so I can't unwind it again.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://wdelivers.com/i-10092-ramsey-level-winder-11-5-16.html&ved=2ahUKEwi84-6MscuLAxX8F1kFHeKiCrEQFnoFCJMBEAE&usg=AOvVaw21h7EDmyRkCY0BuYVuou3R

Several variations.

I always re-spooled and zig zagged my way back to an anchor point after using mine.

 

[jmarkwolf]

You mean like a fishing reel?

 

[whateg01]

You mean like a fishing reel?

Haven't gone fishing in 20 years. I don't know much about fishing reels other than some people spend crazy amounts of money on them. All of the reels I've had in the past just had a thing that spun around the end and rolled it around the perimeter.i don't recall them doing anything to even out how it wound.

 

[My Old Tools]

Here you go. Charlie Lebus, current CEO, is a family friend...

LeBus International, Inc.

 

[racecougar]

I'm not aware of anyone using an oscillating fairlead on a vehicle winch. Someone might be out there, but I'd say that 49.99% of folks don't pay much mind to their cable winding and 49.99% re-wind by hand after the work is done.

 

[tworley]

For my jeep, I typically find an anchor point on relatively flat ground and use the weight of the jeep to spool with a very light parking brake. I just nudge the synthetic rope over if needed. Been doing this for years.

 

[PCustoms]

I'm not aware of anyone using an oscillating fairlead on a vehicle winch. Someone might be out there, but I'd say that 49.99% of folks don't pay much mind to their cable winding and 49.99% re-wind by hand after the work is done.

So what are the other 0.02% doing?

 

[TurnipTruck]

Here is an ex-military Garwood 20k PTO winch adapted to the rear of a Unimog with LevelWind:




I found these low resolution pics on Benzworld years ago when I was collecting parts to do the same thing to my Mog. I got stalled when I decided to narrow the drum three inches to fit between the frame rails instead of on top like this example. And rear Pto stuff is a dozen times harder to find than front Pto…