FAQs

Q…How do you anchor the Lewis Winch to a truck-and-camper hitch?

A…If you have a 2" receiver-hitch on your truck, then can use a Lewis Winch Trailer-Hitch Mount to anchor our portable winch. If your vehicle doesn't have a 2" receiver-hitch, you could use a Lewis Winch Tree-Saver Belt and attach it to the ball on your bumper-hitch to secure our portable winch.

Q…Will a 16” bar d3350b Homelite chainsaw fit the Lewis Winch?

A…Yes, it will. The Lewis Winch comes with a Universal Adaptor Kit that contains adapters to attach our portable winch to all chainsaws.

Q…Will the Lewis Winch Model 400 work with my Stihl MS 260 Pro Chainsaw - or do I need adapters?

A…The Lewis Winch comes with all the adapters to work on any chainsaw. Your 260 Pro Chainsaw is just over 3 cubic inches. To be able to pull the full 4000 pound in a straight line, you will need a 5 cubic inch chainsaw. You may want to consider using a Lewis Winch Snatch Block to double your pulling capacity. Snatch Blocks are also used to re-direct the load to go in angles or around corners.

Q…Does the Lewis Winch have a reverse-gear, a line-brake and a neutral/free-wheel?

A…The Lewis Winch can perform all of the above functions using the right chainsaw, such as one with an outboard clutch (the chain brake is not part of the side-cover). The Lewis Winch has a hand-brake on the drum that gives you some control, but the chainsaw-brake using the 100:1 gear reduction, can be used as a very precise line-brake. When you disengage the Lewis Winch clutch, the spool will be in neutral/free-wheel. You can then use the Lewis Winch hand-brake to precisely release the load. However, there is no "power-out" reverse function per se. In summary, with the right chainsaw, our portable winch can perform all the above functions.

Q…What chainsaws can you use with the Lewis Winch? Can you use a 15 year old McCulloch?

A…The Lewis Winch will fit almost any chainsaw as long as it isn't a gear drive. A mid to large size chainsaw will give you maximum pulling power using our portable winch.

Q…How do you anchor the Lewis Winch?

A…There is an anchor clevis on the bottom of the Lewis Winch that is used to anchor our portable winch. Most people use a chain, a wire rope or a Lewis Winch Tree-Saver belt with a hook attached to it to anchor our portable winch with the clevis.

Q…Isn't the Lewis Winch too heavy to carry into the bush?

A…No, not at all. The Lewis Winch only weighs 22 pounds without the cable. Our portable winch is a heavy-duty winch built to pull 8,000 pounds. So although it’s made for tough jobs and it feels very sturdy, it is still light enough to carry anywhere you need to go, especially into areas where even an off road atv cannot travel. The Lewis Winch is made from a super strong aluminium alloy to take the punishment of an industrial atmosphere and yet, it is a light weight portable winch. The Lewis Winch comes with a 150 feet of galvanized aircraft cable. If you wish to lighten your load a little, just cut off some cable as most people don't use the full 150 feet anyway.

Q…How long does it take to change my chainsaw from the cutter-bar to the Lewis Winch?

A…It is as simple as changing your bar. Once you have initially set-up your portable winch and selected and assembled your adaptor, you can switch back and forth from the cutter-bar to the Lewis Winch in only a few minutes. For most chainsaws you will only need to use one open-end wrench and a screw driver to do the transformation.

Q…How do I direct-mount my Lewis Winch to a chainsaw with an outboard sprocket?

A…Enclosed with your new Lewis Winch, you will find the Universal Adaptor Kit. Choose an adaptor that fits the sprocket on your chainsaw. You will also find a thicker adaptor with counter-sunk holes in it. This is the one that fits the Lewis Winch. Now bolt the 2 adaptors together with the 3 bolts provided. Use some "Loctite" on the treads so the bolts stay tight. Adjust your chainsaw “tensioner” so the lip fits in the smaller slot of the casting. Line up the adaptors and the studs on your chainsaw with the slot of your portable winch and install the 2 nuts. The unused adaptors are for other brands of saws.

Q…How do I mount the Lewis Winch on a chainsaw with an inboard sprocket?

A…Use the supplied short mounting-bar and bolt it to the yoke on the Lewis Winch with the supplied bolts. Attach this mounting-bar to your chainsaw like you would your cutter-bar. Slide the supplied rim-sprocket on the spline of the Lewis Winch’s input shaft. Wrap the cutter-less chain around the two sprockets and connect it with the master link. Set the tension of the chain as you do with the cutter bar.

Q…Is the Lewis Winch Snatch Block strong enough?

A…Yes, it is. The breaking strength of our Snatch Block is 13,668 pounds which will not be exceeded if you stay within the Lewis Winch's 8,000 lb. maximum load. Only a fraction of that load will actually be on the Snatch Block. For rigging purposes where a life may be at stake, we recommend using our larger Snatch Block with a breaking strength of 39,903 pounds.

Q…I am a small person and weigh about 150 lbs. Can I safely handle the Lewis Winch?

A…Yes, any person can use the Lewis Winch because this portable winch does all the heavy work. Of course, your Lewis Winch must be anchored to something heavier or stronger than the object that you are trying to pull for it to work.

Q...Can the aircraft cable break and snap back and hit the operator?

A... We have never heard of this happening with a Lewis Winch, but wire rope can - in some conditions - fail (break) and in so doing release stored kinetic (elastic) energy. The key to how much kinetic energy gets stored in a tensioned wire-rope, is the length of line that is out. A short length will not have enough energy to do much at all even if it parts at the hook, while a much longer length parting in such a manner might snap back with enough force to hurt a person. As the Lewis Winch comes with only 150 feet of 3/16 "cable and the maximum single line pull is 4000 pounds this length and weight is unlikely to snap back with any force.
We also offer a 250 foot cable as an option for the Lewis Winch. There could be more stored kinetic energy in this cable because of it's length and therefore more potential of a snap back.
The simple cure is that if one has a lot of single line out and expects a hard pull, to drape a jacket or towel over the winch line at around the mid point. This way if the line were to part at the winch then the line is going away from you anyway, and if it parts at the hook then the jacket or towel will absorb the energy (unless the cable is damaged, it's very unlikely that wire rope will part in the middle somewhere).

If you have say 150 - 200 feet of line out and you drape a jacket at mid point, then if you are still winching by the time you reach the jacket then simply pluck it off and carry on. The amount of line still to go won't have enough stored elastic energy to do anything, and besides if you are still winching you probably aren't pulling hard anymore.

All of the above is based on a person pulling very hard on a single winch line. There's little need to do that if you are properly equipped. Just put a snatch block on that really hard pull, and take it easy on everything.