I built a skinning machine from an electric motor off a bed and a hand crank winch. The winch is turned by the motor which raises and lowers my gambrel. I know it will work to lift and hold the critters up but for some reason as it's going up I can push down on the gambrel and stop it from going up. I have to push pretty hard to do so but I can. It can lift a cinder block but two is iffy. I was just wondering if this was enough power to use it as a skinning machine or maybe I will have to wait until next year and just buy an electric hoist or winch to use. I figured I'd ask and get some input before I went ahead and added the base and bolted it to the floor just to find out I can't use it. I will be skinning coon mostly but fox and coyotes may be a possibility. Thanks. Dan

I can't stop mine. It would lift me right off the ground. I don't think your gonna have much luck skinning with it. On a more positive note the winch I use is on sale at harbor freight cheaper than I've seen in quite some time... click here

Look at it this way... the time and energy saved skinning can be put forth in setting new traps... thus more furs... it will pay for itself the first three days of season.

BTW, if you'd bought the cheaper welder I reccomended you could of used the money you saved for this winch. LOL Just ribbing you.

I just ordered that winch this morning, plus 3 pair of their 99cent leather gloves.
For the price your getting twice the hoist as the 440 lber.

Hey has anyone put a foot pedal control on their hoist? If so where did you get it?

I made a foot contol for mine with a three way toggle switch. I spiced into the wires inside the hand controler so I can use it either way. I use the foot contol about a 100-1 over the hand control.

RR 3
Can you explain the foot controller and where did you find it?

This is going to sound stupid to you guys, but does the electric hoist really help that much? I skinned out some of my fur last year, but ended up selling most on the round, it took me more than an hour for a coon, and that was just to get it off the carcus.

I would rather skin them out myself, but it would take me many hours everynight.

8up

"This is going to sound stupid to you guys, but does the electric hoist really help that much?"

I know I wish I'd bought mine years ago... WAY EASIER on you physically. I can do 15-20/hour with almost no fatigue to my hands and body.



~ADC~

Well a cold coyote can take me up to 30 minutes. I've seen them on electric skinners done in less then 3 minutes. Less time skinning mean more sleep and more time to set/check traps.

I made mine. I will try to post some pictures of my foot control when tonight when I get home.

thanks, I've seen them but can't find them on the internet anywhere

8up,

the difference is something akin to NIGHT AND DAY!! set up properly, the skinning machine saves time, money, muscle, sweat, foul language, tired back, sore hands, and energy.

at 57 years old, degenerative spinal disease, arthritic hands, and a little "overweight" this machine has extended the amount of time i will be trapping. i use an old "roll-around" stool thats about the same elevation as a standard bar stool, maybe a couple of inches shorter. i can set down, and move the animal, not myself, to skin the entire thing. even if i don't "pull" the skin off with the machine, it is still easier raising and lowering the animal rather than myself.

coon, once past the tail and hips, can be skinned in a matter of a few minutes. and that's without putting a rush on it. the animal stays on a semi-rigid, "vertical" plane without all of the wrestling around as is normal with a standard gambrel set up. it is well worth twice the price and effort having one than being without it. it is sooooooooo much easier.

the grump.

OK,next question,I would like to make one of these that is mobile,that I can hook into my Reese hitch for coyotes.Anybody have pictures?

Phil, not saying it cant be done, but youd need a pretty long pole, as 11 feet heigh is the bare minimum for comfort and accesibilty.

ive seen them on a hitch, but the head is touching the ground.

Dont have any pictures but it could be done very easy. Would you leave it mounted all the time. If so the main pulling mast could be made to telescoped up to get the height as Charles said then be slid down for road height.

Hey thanks guys, I am affraid of tearing the fur, is it a prolbem with this machine? Instead of buying a large chest freezer to freez the coon and sell on the round, I could buy this set up and still be money ahead. Do you mind ADC if I try to build mine like yours?

8up

working on an electric version of one based off of these portable moose skinners

I have no trees (bald prairie) so its alot better than in the back of the truck on the tail gate.

Plan B

All ready checked on square tubing that fits inside a bigger piece of tubing for telescoping purposes.It would be dismounted to use the truck.I thought electric would be the way to go,but that boat crank would work also.Just trying to figure out how to set it up.

No problem at all.

PM me. I can build them.

excellent drawing ADC,

looks good ADC, I might would add a couple gussets on the piece that goes in the receiver.

Thanks ADC,whisky jack,and all others.Intend to get on it soon.

Good show ADC.

Do you think a hoist like that one from harbor freight will work in a small shed? I am 6 foot tall and can reach up and touch the roof and it comes down at an angle in the back. There is no beams or anything to support this hoist just the framing of the roof.
No big deal on the welder adc...the money I get from trapping this season is what's going to pay for a skinning machine for next year and maybe a cutting torch. Besides all that...I am in love with her. I mean I like it alot. I went through the 1 pound spool they give you to start with in just a night and a day lol. I was having a great time. Now I ran out of things to weld that's why I'm plotting the skinning machine and a few other things. I'm just gathering info first.
How about something like this. click here Does this plug in or is it something you hook to a battery? If it does hook to a battery is there a way I can make a cord and plug for it to go into a 110 outlet? dan

Dan,the winch ya posted I happen to have if ya want to Mount it and test out the set up, Yet it is a 12 volt type ... I had it Mounted on my atv along with that yellow power in and power out box just hanging so I could power in and out, yet I hated to draw my battery down...Even when the motor was running...

I also Have a 6 ton Electric / Hand crank winch It is the type sold in Wal-marts that slip over the rear ball hitch and you can manuelly crank by hand or remove the handle and run the wires to your battery and Power off it...

I Just got back from putting in a Order yesturday to build me a new skinning shed/work shop 10 wide and 12 long with 7 foot walls and a high peek for a Gabreal set up at the one end with a fiber glass top table to skin on and clean off....

I hope to have my order of lumber,osb,plywood,shingles,drip edge,2x4x10,2x4x12,2x4x8,4x4x12 2x6x12 and so on to get started As Bow season is just around the corner and working the heck out of my tennis elbows to Keep me in shape to Pull the pse bow and hold it full draw..I'm as excited as I was my first trapping season... I can't wait... Keep in Touch lad

Dan I mounted the one in my new fur shed to a piece of 1 1/2" square tubing and rested it atop 2 2x4's that I lag bolted across the rafters. If you can cut a small hole in the ceiling for yours that would work...

ADc that is the bluest roof I have ever seen.

W.N.Y.S. I will figure something out but thank you for offering to let me try it. Most places have a return policy if I buy one and it doesn't work I'll simply return it. I was kinda hoping that they sold something like what I posted only with a plug or maybe I could mount the hoist that yall were talking about earlier upside down on my bench and run it over a pully?
Anyways w.n.y.s. It sounds like your going to have a nice shed to do all your skinning in. Oh and good luck with deer season. I hope you get a nice one. I remember my first archery season and I didn't get anything, but it was worth it to me. Dan

You must have posted your last post as I was replying to someone else. I didn't see your post until today. That is a slick Idea. I may have to keep that in mind. I have a few other things I have to work on right now but as soon as I get some money I will get on of these to put in. How exactly do you mount them? Is it just bolted or what? The things on the top of it look bigger than a bolt. I'm refering to the link to harbor frieght where you can see the top of the hoist. Would I have to cut holes in my roof that big? Thanks for the help guys. I know it can be a pain to answer sometimes but I would rather ask questions before I ruin something. Oh and I wanted to mention that in my shed the roof isn't open and I can't see the rafters. It is closed in with plywood. When installing am I going to have to take that down? The way my shed is made I don't know if I can do that without having to cut it out. Dan