Hello timber brained,
They aren't cheap but a chainsaw winch sure is handy for pulling trees out, rocks to and fro and all sorts of rigs.
For the real heavy stuff I've got a 5 ton Beebe handwinch with 7/16 cable. Wintech makes them now. They are slow, but can move a whole house and can be carried into the site.
A griphoist is another option. They come in several sizes.
If you're handy, all three can be found used (if you're lucky) for cheap and can be fixed up.
Glad to hear other folks out there doing gravity experiments.
Best,
Zach
