ORIGINAL: DougMD
I see, Hawgnman. I have another 16 gallon feeder whose rope doesn't have to be so tough. I might need a cable for the 55 gallon one, though.
Firstshot, I would consider fixing it at my preferred height using 2x6's nailed to two trees and doing it like you say, but my feeders are a pain to get the lid off of (Game Country), unless they are on the ground so you can swing the cable attachment to both sides of the feeder top out of the way. Otherwise, we have a hard time getting the top off. I'd hate to have to worry about that as I am 15 feet in the air on a ladder with a 50 pound bag of feed in my arms! By the way, what load capacity or gear ratio, etc. did you try when you used the winch? Do you suppose if I used a 1,400 pound winch on a 300 pound feeder it wouldn't be so hard to crank?
Thanks fellas!
DougMD
The winch system makes a lot more sense for the Game Country feeders if the lids are hard to get off. I was primarilly refering to the 55 gal drums which usually just fave a metal band that holds the lid on and is tightened down with a bolt & nut. I just put in two "eye bolts", one on each side about 6" below the top of the barrel. Then put two eye bolts in the 2/6's MUCH further apart & connected with wire cable. The cables run from the barrel eye bolts to the eye bolts in the 2x6's at about a 35-40 degree angle. That way the cables do not get in the way of taking the lid off. Oh yea, to attach the cable to the eye bolts in the feeder, I used those links that you can unscrew and remove so that I can take the barrel down if I need to. (I don't know what they are called, but they are C shapped and the part that you unscrew closes the link)
You'll probably be just fine with the 1,400 Lb winch. I guess it depends on it's gear ratio. I had just used the smallest, least expensive winch I could find (probably my first mistake...LOL). I don't remember the load rating but obviously the gear ratio must have been next to nothing, because it was still a chore to raise that 300Lb barrel even with the pullies.
By the way, I highly recommend using cable for your 55 Gal drum!
Good luck & let me know how it turns out.
firstshot