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Buyer's Guide
Tree Winches & Hauling Devices Buyer's Guide
Directional felling and tensioning a difficult tree by hand risks losing control the moment the load shifts — a tree winch gives that pull mechanical advantage and lets you hold tension precisely rather than fighting it. Lightweight portable winch units suit remote access where carrying weight matters, while heavier mechanical winches handle sustained ground-based hauling and recovery work. This range spans Portable Winch's full capstan and battery range alongside anchoring hardware, redirect pulleys and the Aztek mechanical advantage system, sized to the job rather than one general-purpose unit.
Petrol & Battery Pulling Winches
Portable Winch's capstan-drum winches span from the PCW3000 Petrol Pulling Winch (700kg) up to the PCW4500 2-stroke (1200kg) and PCW5000 (1000kg, with a 350kg Hi-Speed HS version for faster, lighter pulls). Battery models — the APW6000 (1500kg) and PCW3000-LI-AW / PCW3000-LI-K (both 1000kg) — trade fuel and noise for cordless convenience on jobs where running a petrol engine isn't practical.
Winching Kits
The PCW3000, PCW4000, PCW4500 and PCW5000 Winching Kits bundle the winch with the rope, accessories and case needed to start pulling straight out of the box, rather than sourcing rope and hardware separately. It's the simplest way to get set up with a specific model if you don't already own compatible rope and rigging hardware.
Capstan Drums & Winch Accessories
Capstan Drums in 57mm, 76mm, 85mm and 108mm each change the pulling speed and rope capacity a winch delivers — a smaller drum pulls slower with more control, a larger drum moves rope faster. Keep a winch running with genuine spares: PCW3000 Rope Guides and Throttle Lever/Cable, the PCW5000 Winch Rope Entry Pulley, a Spark Arrestor for the Honda GXH-50 engine, and a CRAMER 82V battery for compatible battery models.
Anchoring & Rigging Hardware
A winch is only as secure as what it's anchored to and pulling against: the Tree & Pole Mount Std Winch Anchor and Winch Anchor Plate for tow balls give fixed anchor points, while the Pulling Plate for Ball Hitch adapts a winch to vehicle towing hardware. The Rope Choker and Chain Choker attach the pulling line to the load itself, with the Captive Eye Hook, Locking Grab Hook and ROPEWIZER Heavy Duty Thimble covering the connections in between.
Progress Capture & Redirect Pulleys
Single and Double Progress Capture Pulleys hold gained rope in place between pulls, stopping a load slipping back while you reset for the next haul. Single and Double Swing Side Pulley Sheaves (76mm and 100mm) redirect the pulling line around obstacles or awkward angles, and the Medium Single Prussik Pulley adds a lightweight redirect option for 13mm rope.
Aztek Mechanical Advantage System
The Aztek Kit gives a compact mechanical advantage system for hauling without a powered winch, built around a bag of interlinked micro pulleys that packs down small enough to carry as standard kit. It's a useful lighter-weight backup or primary option on jobs where a full winch setup isn't justified.
Choosing Between a Capstan Winch & a Wire Rope Winch
Portable Winch's capstan-drum models pull rope of effectively unlimited length by feeding it through the drum, making them well suited to felling and directional work at distance. The Wire Rope Winch with Cable & Handle instead spools a fixed length of cable onto a drum, giving a simpler, lower-cost option for shorter pulls where unlimited rope length isn't needed. Match rated pulling capacity to your heaviest anticipated load with a safety margin, not just the average job.
Pairs Well With
- Rigging Equipment — pulleys, slings and hardware to complete a full rigging setup
- Rigging Rope — 10-20mm rigging rope built for friction and shock load
- Pulley Blocks — forged single and double sheave blocks for mechanical advantage
- Rigging Karabiners & Connectors — steel hardware rated for rigging shock loads
- Rigging Slings & Strops — whoopie, loop and rated slings for anchor points