D6D Cat winch

Seems like you would lose considerable pulling capacity if you change from the 11 to 25rpm drum speed.

You can research the Hyster winch specs at: www.alliedsystems.com/pubs/pubs.htm

I don't have source of info for the 56 Cat winch, to new for me😄 😄

Dave, I agree with OM, I think you will loose pounds pull. For some applications it might not bother too much. I have a D6D, 20X with a Hyster W6F winch with the logging high fairlead. So far no problems with it. It will be interesting to hear others on comparing the two brands.

I already forgot, but the W6E is supposed to have the pump off the engine flywheel, the W6F is supposed to have internal pump with hyd accumulator to keep the controls happy until the PTO turns some more...I found a dealer for reman Hyster W6E for $9500, so if the Cat doesn't work out we will look into that...WE have a manual shift Hyster on a 17A that hasn't caused a minutes trouble in the 30 years we have owned it...But had a Hyster W8K on a 977L that Hulcher's had made up special and pulled some gear teeth on it while pulling out a 235 excavator...The 17A winch is geared fast, tractor has to be running wide open if winching hard or the engine will pull down and die, so we keep a block and pulley handy with it, dead man back to the oil field headache...I think the faster 56 winch will pull enough, I am just concerned about its staying power...we ran 1 1/4 inch premium lang lay on the W8K and 1 1/8 on the 56 and D7...Winch service is good money IF things don't go the wrong way.

So, do you think faster gearing would be easier on the gear case and gearing on a winch or harder than a slow speed?..Cat actually calls the gearing sets low speed and slow speed...one would be 11 rpm and the other 25 rpm...take your pick on which is slow speed and which is low speed...The torque convertor makes winching a different ball game.

Kinda depends on how you are going to use it. For the same pull the reactions to the winch case would be the same but the low speed, more gears, 11 rpm version would take less loading on the engine and gear train to achieve it.

How is the torque converter figured into this? catskinner

the winch is eased into forward with the engine at idle, then increase engine speed while [hopefully] the load starts coming your way...With a clutch as the older D7, the engine has to be running pretty much wide open if the load is heavy or the engine will die...Not so with TC...just keep increasing the engine speed evenly until the winch drum starts turning...it seems very exact and smooth going until a tooth begins to break off a gear, then that sickening sound comes into play.

It seems to me that Cat decided one countershaft was enough, and a higher drum speed gives the winch an easier life, less torque, for sure...may not pull some things it would before, might have to bring in the second Cat...One conclusion here though, we need to get it to where it quits shucking teeth off those gears.

It seems to me, best of memory, that the Carco winches on oil field Cats were not a slow speed winch, but a more medium to high speed.

best case scenario is for first gear foward on the Cat is same speed as reverse on the winch...That way the roughneck can hold the tail chain as the Cat moves forward, then when enough line is pulled off, the Cat simply backs up so the roughneck or swamper can make the hitch, not having to pull the line off the drum creating a bird nest and taking a lot of time off the life of the wire rope.