A portable gas winch works where no battery and no vehicle can follow — the back forty, the canyon, the woodlot — and almost every real one is a capstan: the rope wraps a spinning drum and passes through, so the pull never weakens as the rope spools (there is no spool) and the pulling distance is limited only by the rope you carry. One maker — Portable Winch Co. of Canada, Honda-powered — defines the modern field, and this guide ranks its three pulling models plus the chainsaw-driven Lewis drum winch, with a fifth documented option covered without a button below. The previous version of this guide included a battery-electric capstan in a gas guide and one listing this site could not tie to any product at all; both are gone. Electric portables live in our portable winch guide; the PTO end of logging is our tractor logging guide.
How we researched: Portable Winch Co. datasheets and manuals and Lewis Winch distributor specification material, cross-checked against forestry and hunting forum owner records (linked in the sections). We do not test winches. Portable Winch rates in kilograms first — its figures below lead with the maker ratings converted, and the one US datasheet that rounds differently is flagged where it matters. None of these winches is rated for lifting.
Short answer: the PCW5000 is the forestry standard; the PCW4000 is the control pick (the only one whose drum stops at idle, with an anti-rollback brake); the PCW3000 is the hunting-weight pick. The Lewis is the fastest — if your chainsaw is already coming along.
Capstan discipline: use the specified low-stretch double-braid polyester rope only. Nylon and melt-prone synthetics are unsuitable on capstans — friction heat can melt them (Simpson’s guidance, echoed by rigging suppliers). Control is hand tension on the free end: pull to winch, ease off to stop. On the direct-drive models the drum turns whenever the engine runs — there is no load-holding brake, which is why the PCW4000’s clutch and capture system exist.
Our top portable gas winches
Best Overall Gas Winch
Portable Winch PCW5000
2,200 lb single / 4,400 lb double · Honda GXH50, 4-stroke · 35 lb
Best Control
Portable Winch PCW4000
2,200 lb single / 4,400 lb double · Honda GX50, 4-stroke · 26.5 lb
Best Lightweight
Portable Winch PCW3000
1,550 lb single / 3,100 lb double · Honda GX35, 4-stroke · ~21 lb
Fastest Line Speed
Lewis Winch 400 MK2 (Chainsaw Winch)
2,000–4,000 lb (by saw size) · Your chainsaw (40–90 cc) · ~20 lb + saw
Portable gas winches compared
| Winch | Max pull | Engine | Line speed | Weight | Warranty | Our Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portable Winch PCW5000 | 2,200 lb single / 4,400 lb double | Honda GXH50, 4-stroke | 40 ft/min (57 mm drum) | 35 lb | 5-yr private / 1-yr commercial (maker manual) | 9.2 | |
| Portable Winch PCW4000 | 2,200 lb single / 4,400 lb double | Honda GX50, 4-stroke | 44 ft/min | 26.5 lb | 5-yr private / 1-yr commercial | 9.0 | |
| Portable Winch PCW3000 | 1,550 lb single / 3,100 lb double | Honda GX35, 4-stroke | 33 ft/min | ~21 lb | 2-yr private / 1-yr commercial | 8.9 | |
| Lewis Winch 400 MK2 (Chainsaw Winch) | 2,000–4,000 lb (by saw size) | Your chainsaw (40–90 cc) | 59–82 ft/min | ~20 lb + saw | See distributor | 8.4 |
How our score works: verified pulling capability for remote work 30% · carry weight 20% · control and load-holding design 20% · published-spec honesty 15% · owner feedback 15%. Our Score is editorial judgement based on published specs and owner reports, not test results.
Recovery safety: capstans hold a load by your hand tension (PCW4000 excepted — its capture system holds for you). Never wrap the free end around a hand or body, never leave a loaded capstan unattended, and anchor to a tree or ground anchor rated for the pull — the winch body takes the full reaction load.
1. Portable Winch PCW5000 — Best Overall Gas Winch
The PCW5000 is the forestry standard: a Honda GXH50, 110:1 gearing and a standard 57 mm drum pulling 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) single-line — 4,400 lb doubled with a snatch block — at 40 ft/min, with an optional 85 mm drum trading pull (700 kg) for speed (60 ft/min). At 35 lb it is the heaviest carry here and the one professionals choose anyway: Forestry Forum users call it handy but slower and lighter-pulling than a tractor PTO winch (double-lining is their standard workaround, at half speed), and a Forestry Journal professional review carried one all autumn and winter at 16 kg without trouble. Warranty prints the maker-manual US figure; UK/EU retailers print a shorter private term — a regional discrepancy we flag rather than hide.
| Max pull | 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) single line; 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) double line |
| Engine | Honda GXH50, 4-stroke, 360° inclinable |
| Gear ratio | 110:1, direct drive |
| Drums | 57 mm standard (40 ft/min); optional 85 mm (700 kg at 60 ft/min) |
| Rope | 12 mm (1/2 in) double-braid polyester ideal, 10–16 mm range, unlimited length |
| Weight | 16 kg (35 lb) |
| Warranty | 5-yr private / 1-yr commercial per maker manual (+1 yr on registration); EU retailers print 2-yr private |
Pros
- The professional standard
- Drum options trade pull for speed
- Unlimited rope length
Watch-outs
- Heaviest carry here
- Direct drive — drum turns at idle
- Warranty term varies by region
What owners say: Forestry Forum and Forestry Journal records linked in the intro — professional users, realistic about the PTO comparison.
2. Portable Winch PCW4000 — Best Control
The PCW4000 is the control model: the only Portable Winch pulling winch with a centrifugal clutch (the drum stops at idle) and the Progress Capture System — an anti-rollback rope brake that holds the load when you release tension. Same 2,200/4,400 lb ratings as the 5000 on a Honda GX50, at 26.5 lb. Owner coverage is thin (the model launched in 2020 and forum threads are scarce) — stated plainly rather than padded; the pick stands on the maker’s documentation.
| Max pull | 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) single; 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) double; up to 5,000 kg with pulley systems |
| Engine | Honda GX50, 4-stroke, 360° inclinable |
| Gear ratio | 200:1 |
| Clutch | Centrifugal — drum stops at idle |
| Load holding | Progress Capture System anti-rollback brake |
| Rope | 3/8 in (10 mm) recommended, unlimited length |
| Weight | 12 kg (26.5 lb) |
| Warranty | 5-yr private / 1-yr commercial (+1 yr on registration) |
Pros
- Only model that holds the load for you
- Clutch stops the drum at idle
- Lighter than the 5000
Watch-outs
- Owner coverage thin so far
- PCS cannot be retrofitted to other models
What owners say: Coverage thin — the pick stands on maker documentation, labelled as such.
3. Portable Winch PCW3000 — Best Lightweight
The PCW3000 is the lightweight: a Honda GX35 on a 200:1 drive, 700 kg (1,550 lb — the maker figure; some US datasheets round it to 1,600 lb, flagged in our research) at 33 ft/min, ~21 lb carried. Hunters’ records are its biography: a UK deer manager who owns both this and the older Simpson weighed it at 10 kg fuelled and praises both for carcass extraction; its full record began on this site in our portable guide.
| Max pull | 700 kg (1,550 lb) single line; 1,400 kg (3,100 lb) double line |
| Engine | Honda GX35, 35 cc, 4-stroke, 360° inclinable, 1.3 hp |
| Gear ratio | 200:1, direct drive |
| Speed | 33 ft/min (76 mm drum) |
| Rope | 10 mm (3/8 in) double-braid polyester recommended, unlimited length |
| Weight | 9.5 kg (~21 lb) |
| Warranty | 2-yr private / 1-yr commercial (+1 yr on registration) |
Pros
- Lightest gas capstan here
- Hunter-proven
- Unlimited rope
Watch-outs
- Lightest pull here too
- Direct drive — drum turns at idle
What owners say: The Stalking Directory and hunting forum records — carcass and game extraction praised; the weight is noticed honestly (10 kg fuelled).
4. Lewis Winch 400 MK2 (Chainsaw Winch) — Fastest Line Speed
The Lewis is the different machine: a DRUM winch that bolts onto your chainsaw in place of the bar, so pull scales with the saw — roughly 2,000 lb on a 40 cc saw to 4,000 lb on a 90 cc, 8,000 lb doubled. It carries 150 ft of 3/16 in cable on the drum (so pull fades as the drum fills — the capstan’s structural opposite) and runs the fastest line speed here, 59–82 ft/min. Alaska owners on the Outdoors Directory call it faster than capstans but heavy with a saw mounted — one bought a dedicated older big saw for his. Note: this listing is an older one; check the current kit (sold in the US as the Powerhouse Lewis kit) before ordering.
| Max pull | 2,000 lb (40 cc saw) to 4,000 lb (90 cc saw), single line; 8,000 lb with snatch block |
| Power | Chainsaw powerhead (adaptor kit fits essentially all saws) |
| Cable | 150 ft x 3/16 in galvanised aircraft cable (drum capacity) |
| Speed | 59–82 ft/min, throttle-variable |
| Drive | Direct drive, freespool clutch, band brake |
| Weight | ~20 lb with cable, without saw (maker sheet) |
| Warranty | See distributor |
Pros
- Fastest line speed here
- Scales with your saw
- Freespool + brake (drum-winch manners)
Watch-outs
- Ties up your chainsaw
- Pull fades as the drum fills
- Older Amazon listing — verify the current kit
What owners say: Outdoors Directory (Alaska) and Firewood Hoarders Club records linked in the intro.
Also documented: the Simpson capstan (no buy button)
The Simpson Model CS is a 9 lb capstan head that mounts to a chainsaw powerhead (under 57 cc — a bigger saw overpowers its gears), pulling roughly 2,000 lb with 125:1 gearing and an anti-reversing brake; hunters’ records are glowing (elk hauled whole from steep canyons; a shallow-draft boat pulled over 1,000 ft — the capstan’s unlimited rope in action). It is covered without a button because its current production is unverified: one long-standing retailer lists it in stock, another reports the supplier appears to be out of business. If you find one — new old stock or used — the owner record says it earns its keep. Sources: Long Range Hunting capstan thread and the Forestry Forum.
Portable gas winch FAQ
Capstan or drum — what is the real difference?
A capstan never stores the rope: pull and speed stay constant for any distance, and the rope length is whatever you carry. A drum winch (the Lewis, and every electric) stores its line — pull fades as layers build and distance caps at drum capacity.
How much can a gas capstan actually pull?
1,550–2,200 lb single-line across the Portable Winch range, doubled with a snatch block. Forestry owners are blunt that a tractor PTO winch out-pulls them — these win on portability, not peak force.
Can I lift with one?
No. Portable Winch’s pulling models are explicitly not designed for lifting, and this guide prints that in the intro where it belongs. (Vehicle winch sizing lives in our what size winch guide.)
Gas or battery portable?
Gas pulls all day anywhere; battery (the PCW3000-Li and electric portables in our portable guide) is quieter and cleaner for occasional work. Duty decides.
Our verdict
Remote pulling, ranked: PCW5000 for forestry, PCW4000 for control, PCW3000 for the carry, Lewis for speed with a saw in hand — and the Simpson honoured in words while its makers’ status is unclear. The rope never runs out; plan like it.
Sources
- Portable Winch Co. datasheets and manuals: portablewinch.com; Lewis Winch specification material via its distributors.
- Owner records: Forestry Forum, Forestry Journal professional review, The Stalking Directory, Long Range Hunting and Outdoors Directory threads linked in the sections.
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