Lift & lower
GRCS & rigging winches
A mechanical advantage winch with a friction bollard lets a crew lift, hold and lower heavy wood with no shock load at all.
Safety features explained
Self-tailing bollard with integral friction
The same unit lifts and then lowers under friction, so a piece never transitions to a free fall.
~44:1 winch gearing with brake
High reduction lets one person lift heavy wood, and the brake holds the load hands-free between moves.
Fairlead rollers
Route the rope onto the drum at a safe angle, preventing rope-on-frame abrasion and line pileup.
Daily inspection checklist
- 1Inspect frame, welds and mounting plates for cracks and bending; check every bolt and pin.
- 2Check the winch gearbox and brake function under a test load before the first pick.
- 3Spin the fairlead rollers and look for flat spots, grit or seized bearings.
- 4Inspect the bollard for rope grooves and heat marks; check the handle and pawl engagement.
- 5Verify the mounting straps, blocks, slings and shackles are rated and undamaged, and the stem is sound.
Out of service now
- Winch brake that slips or a handle pawl that will not hold.
- Cracked frame, mounting plate or bent fairlead.
- Rope routed off the fairlead and abrading the frame.
- Overloaded rigging point or an unrated sling in the system.
Operating best practices
- Mount low and tight on a sound stem, with the fairlead pointed at the rigging block above.
- Estimate the piece weight before it leaves the tree — a log weight chart, not a guess.
- Pre-tension the line to take up slack, cut, then lower under friction with no drop.
- Communicate with clear repeated commands or hand signals; one voice runs the pick.
- Keep everyone out of the drop zone, out of the bight and clear of the block and stem.
Standards & compliance
- ANSI Z133: rigging systems are planned, load-estimated and kept inside working load limits.
- Manufacturer load ratings and setup instructions govern mounting height and sling configuration.
Summarised for field use. The current ANSI Z133 standard, OSHA rules and the manufacturer's manual are the controlling documents.
Resource & video hub
Generated demonstrations are saved for the whole crew · Connection required
GRCS setup and operation
Mounting, fairlead routing, lifting and controlled lowering with a GRCS.
Generate a demonstration
Pick a step and the app films a short demonstration clip for it. Finished clips stay in this hub for everyone.
Videos stream online and are not stored for offline use.