I was describing this winch my friend has to the Jeff's one day on the new connector trail. We had stopped to look at this big rock they plan to move a few feet south. It made me think of this piece of equipment that can move boulders the size of small cars. Moser immediately asked if it was on the front of a vehichle. This thing is in it's own little frame. You tie it off to something permanant like a tree or a bigger boulder, or the combination of the two. They carefully wrap tow straps, old rubber innertubes and moving blankets around the tree to protect it from becoming damaged. Then they take big-rig tire chains and wrap them around the boulder that is to be moved. Once this thing gets fired up and starts pulling there is a small handheld clutch that engages and disengages the spool. I have seen this thing pull giant boulders out of the ground with ease.
This homemade winch packs a punch.
Boards and fabric that is much like a diaper is laid out underneath the unit to catch any dripping fluid from the motor. Under that are pieces of Plywood to further level it and prohibit oil from dripping on the forest. It runs off a Briggs & Stratton 5hp lawnmower engine.
It gets tied off from the rear and then the line is fed through a series of pulleys. The more pulleys, the more power.
In this particular application, the winch is being used to pry loose boulders that are resting on bedrock, so the material on the bedrock can be scooped up and sluiced for gold. They primarily use this on the mining claim to get to better material, but it can be used to free stuck vehicles, remove heavy obstructions and it really really works.
This pulley is old, but it works.
You can see in the distance, this steel cable is attached to a boulder that is ready to move. The more pulleys you add to the line, and the more strengh and power you have. With each one added, you get incremental foot-pounds of torque. If used improperly, the line can snap and cut a person in two.
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