Made a pull pall from this design - http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5207. My cost was $75 and about 3 hours. Took it out and it works like a charm - Keijo

Do you get out much around Dauphin? Question being cause i live in Gilbert Plains and in order to realy go play around a second unit with a wench is needed.

Dunc built one of those also. Same one. I don't think he has tried it yet though.

Not wanting to BUMP a thread, but...

I did some trail exploration today. Took the dogs for a long walk, tried some new trails, spoke to a landowner, got some good leg work done. All in all a good productive afternoon... Till I got stuck and had NOTHING to winch to! After an hour and a half of digging, and the use of some carefully placed logs, I was able to drive home.

But it got me thinking about investing in a pull pal type anchor. Then I saw the $300+ USD price tag! So, alternatives? What do you guys use? Didja make it yourselves? Do you trust it? Most importantly... Does it work?? What did it cost? Did you use these plans? They look pretty good on paper. Who is using this currently?

Another trick is to dig a hole and burry your spare tire and use that as your anchor. Its a lot of work but it might be easier than digging out 4 tires. I think I saw it on a super winch how to.

Not sure how easy that would be to do when the ground is frozen.

But I have read about that also. I think it is posted here somewhere...

Ed, Dunc and Keijo have both manufactured this device using these plans (I think they may have made some personal mods) and apparently it works good. I think cost was about 130 in materials and your labour time was free! Either of them could tell you better. The only drawback is that it is an awfully bulky piece of kit to drag around in a Wrangler, and even though it is collapsible and can be dismantled, it still takes up a fair bit of space.

It must have been designed by a Chero owner.

the one I have plans for will be closer to the original "pull pal" with the removable spade to tuck away a little easier. but the one shown can have a couple wing nuts on the caltivator shovel would tuck away very well

Here's some pictures of the beast I built off of pictures Dunc sent to me:





Pictures were taken just after I finished and had not yet added a lead to the unit, I consequently beefed the area where the hole was made to attach the strap for recovery to protect against pull through. End of tube was smoothed to prevent cutting the tow strap or winch strap.

All the square tubing is 2"and the bolts are grade 8 and designed for disassembly so it will fold up or take down into manageable pieces.

The only thing I would think to modify from this design would possibly be to strengthen the horizontal bar and the angular bar that holds the shovel by using the I beam parts from old Jack alls for the purpose. This would be very strong and provide a lot less resistance in sinking into the ground for the shovel to fight against. Then just add a good shackle on the end to pull from.

Just a thought: I think I would put an extra gusset where the bolts penetrate thru the square tubing, just to prevent the bolt from ripping thru the tubing and turning the main tube into a spear coming at you.In order of occurances just visualize what would happen if one of these bolts(any one of them) should rip thru at a full load hard pull.The grade 8 bolts are perfect but I think the weak link of it all could be the tubing where the bolts go thru. Also a half inch plate on the end where you are to hammer on to get it started to dig into the ground. Just my thoughts...... I lovewhat you did with this! Got me thinkin! If I can prefab every think I know a young welder that would stick all the pieces together for me.

Now this is an interesting idea two tools is one



John

Yeah, that is a good idea. Especially considering most of us carry a Hi-lift/Jack-All/Farm Jack.

Where's that pic from? Is that someone local?

Its from the second page of the link up top

http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5207&page=2

John

I like that! It gives the rig some more weight to help it "start" to dig in to the dirt.

Re-inforcing the holes with washers or extra metal is a darned good idea too, I did this at the shovel mount bolt area and I think you are right about the other bolt positions when you really get a tug going on this anchor.

More is certainly better to prevent tearout.

Best way to reinforce HSS for through bolting is too use a piece of pipe or round HSS with an inside diameter larger than your bolt, closer the better.

John

Thanks man, I have'nt finished the brute off yet so that will be encorporated into the final work of art that finishes it up.

I'm going to make so a shackle can be fitted through the end and a strap can be attached with ease so hook up to a winch should be pretty easy.

Hey i realize this is an older post but i had a couple of questions for whoever has built one of these.. there are a few dimensions on the link at the top for the size but i was wondering when people built them what dimensions they used and what seemed to work best? i see a couple of you guys on here have made them so please let me know if you can(spade size, down bar, main bar, thickness of tubing.. stuff like that?) getting stuck alone sucks and this would be cheap insurance. Thanks.

lol, I thought I already pulled this one back from the dead a year ago, now Matty's doing it! That's too funny!