anchor winches

any one no much about stress free anchor winches lookin at having one fitted


Posts: 1755

Date Joined: 02/01/10

I got one on my signature

Sat, 2010-11-27 16:57

I got one on my signature 650.
Is a bit slow on the way down, so you have to motor forward another15 meters before you drop it.
It is very strong, and seems to pull the anchor out of the sand / shale quite well. I'm yet use a reef anchor around the rocks though....

Posts: 19

Date Joined: 27/11/10

looking at the stress free

Sat, 2010-11-27 17:27

looking at the stress free with free fall i guess that would make a difference or is yours already freefall pale ale

fisho-ron's picture

Posts: 2539

Date Joined: 26/09/09

mate, i have heard that the

Sat, 2010-11-27 17:02

mate,

i have heard that the rope can bind up on one side and jam it??? i did look at them until i seen the lewmar(its prettier)

i have a lewmar profish, manual down, and never had an issue with it.

 

do just like your doing and get some feedback from those that run them.

cheers

Posts: 19

Date Joined: 27/11/10

yeh ive heard that too that

Sat, 2010-11-27 17:21

yeh ive heard that too that they bind up, ,not enough drop in anchor well to get suffitient rope or chain if i go lewmar stress free seems like only choice

Posts: 1755

Date Joined: 02/01/10

Look up x-winches on google.

Sat, 2010-11-27 17:28

Look up x-winches on google. They are made in Vic and apparently really good. There is a bit of write up on "fishnet forums"

Posts: 19

Date Joined: 27/11/10

 will do cheers

Sat, 2010-11-27 17:31

 will do

cheers

fisho-ron's picture

Posts: 2539

Date Joined: 26/09/09

also i run 30mts of chain,

Sat, 2010-11-27 17:38

also

i run 30mts of chain, which also helps with anchoring because of the weight, and i have never had rope out yet....but

i only ever anchor in shallow sandy bays so it might not suit you, if your a diver maybe not a good idea.

if my anchor ever gets stuck i am in the shit and will have to lose 30mtrs of chain to get to rope to cut it.

just another thing to think about.

Posts: 19

Date Joined: 27/11/10

thats a point,this whole

Sat, 2010-11-27 18:11

thats a point,this whole anchor winch thing is becoming a bit hard basket

Posts: 9358

Date Joined: 21/02/08

No expert but I've done a

Sat, 2010-11-27 17:53

No expert but I've done a few anchor retrieve dives - most are from people that run really long chains. They can tangle like a bitch down there.

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AllBoatsChandlery's picture

Posts: 118

Date Joined: 17/07/10

Anchor winch

Sat, 2010-11-27 19:00

Well anchor wiches can be a daunting task as there are alot of choices out there and if you dont choose the correct one it is a nightmare. it all depends if you have a big enough anchor well to hold the chain and rope but most of all the min fall needed to keep your anchor winch from fouling. Lewmars we sell are so popular and are a good looking winch on the front of the boat, ideal if you have plenty of space otherwise the the stress free NG series free fall are great too. i do alot more Lewmars as the price also is a winner but the stress free is a little more but atleast you dont need to change your rope and chain to suit, ie 6mm shortlink chain and 12mm nylon. i havnt heard too many problems re the stress free binding up on one side, bit like your overhead reel without a level wind, does that bail up on one side...... bono i suggest you have a good look into what suits you best. I keep both in stock so if iyou have any questions dont hesitate to ask.

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Posts: 19

Date Joined: 27/11/10

yes it is a bit daunting, my

Sun, 2010-11-28 08:26

yes it is a bit daunting, my problem is that i can only get about 50 m chain if i went lewmar because of anchor well size i would like to have about 100 preferably rope thats why im steering towards stress free.would need to do mods to anchor well, not really abig deal I guess.

fisho-ron's picture

Posts: 2539

Date Joined: 26/09/09

my winch, it's sexy as

Sat, 2010-11-27 19:13

my winch, it's sexy as well..ha ha ha.

 

 

Posts: 19

Date Joined: 27/11/10

yes I agree very sexy and

Sun, 2010-11-28 08:17

yes I agree very sexy and effective Im assumng

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Date Joined: 07/08/08

Great customer service from SFree

Sun, 2010-11-28 09:59

I dont run a StressFree i have a Maxwell HRC8 but one of my best mates has one on his and he loves it to bits and has also had some great product suport from SF aswell check out the post if you want Stress Free Winch

The only thing is that the amount of rope you can fit on the drum, my mate runs a 8mm high density strength rope which enables him alot more compared to the 10/12mm silver rope that most people think they can put on there..

 

Cheers Mick

strike_zone's picture

Posts: 403

Date Joined: 09/09/10

maxwell

Sun, 2010-11-28 10:48

i recomend the maxwell hrc series had one on my last boat great price tough as nails had it for 5yrs with no probs highly recomend

Posts: 19

Date Joined: 27/11/10

maxwells have heard of them

Sun, 2010-11-28 15:44

maxwells have heard of them ,Im assuming there a drum winch with the same principal as stress free 

Cammos's picture

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Date Joined: 30/06/09

More like Lewmar

Sun, 2010-11-28 17:40

More like Lewmar

AllBoatsChandlery's picture

Posts: 118

Date Joined: 17/07/10

Anchor winch

Sun, 2010-11-28 23:16

Maxwells similar to Lewmar but they have that winch that alows knots through the gypsy(non Jamming) but they recomend 8plait nylon which cost arm and a leg and not many people out there know how to splice it. Not the nicest looking winch but practical. Go a Lewmar or Stressfree NG series. the good thing about a stress free you can go smaller rope and hold more line, 8mm nylon will be fine for that size boat.

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strike_zone's picture

Posts: 403

Date Joined: 09/09/10

better rope

Sun, 2010-11-28 23:24

the 8plait rope is far supperior as it has no memory and lays flat in your anchor well which = no binding up of the winch plus you dont need to splice it as you can buy it already done it is a bit more expensive but well worth the extra cost plus with the money you save over a lewmar would cover that

Posts: 18

Date Joined: 07/08/08

Agree and disagree

Mon, 2010-11-29 09:46

Not to sure what ABC is on about with regards to letting knots through the gypsy cause my HRC 8 works like it should with the clutch stopping the rope if there's a knot in it ! The last thing you want 50 mtrs of rope out with your boats weight on the knot pulling it tighter and tighter !! You'll never get the bloody knot out.
As for the 8 plait rope your spot on cause of it's square laid it sits in the gypsy better therefore it dosnt slip as much and fray and get chewed like the cheaper constructed silver line. As for the cost comparison Yes it does cost 2.5 times as much as the normal silver line but it's life span will out last by double of that of the silver. I bought a 250mtr roll from a rope wholesaler in Malaga and saving was huge compared to the chanderly shops.
In my opioin the maxwell look better as well but that's just personal choice, I love mine and if I had to buy another one the HRC series from Maxwell would be my number 1 choice with ease.

Mick

Lucky Tim's picture

Posts: 2536

Date Joined: 28/11/07

I've got the Stress Free and

Tue, 2010-11-30 10:36

I've got the Stress Free and rate it pretty well for the time I've had it. If I was buying it new I'd consider the freefall model, otherwise you just need to be a little smarter when anchoring to allow for the time taken to lower the anchor instead of dropping it. We've dove with it a few times and with a bit of nous the anchor has been on the reef we were aiming for in nearly 40m. You just need to decide if the free fall feature is worth the extra $500.

Mine says it fits 75m of 8mm plus 6m of chain, but I got about 90m plus the chain and had no probs with it bunching up on one side of the drum. Just lay it on nice from the start and it will follow its own lay time and time again. I also paid the extra for 8mm nylon rope, this comes in at 1300kg and when you're spending over $2k on a winch, spend the extra $70 and go nylon over silver rope.

You sure get spoilt having a winch, so if the $$$ isn't a issue, go the Stress Free.

AllBoatsChandlery's picture

Posts: 118

Date Joined: 17/07/10

HRC8

Wed, 2010-12-01 17:50

Well i remember seeing these winches at a show wher they on purpose had a knot in the rope to show that theyre jam free. as said on brochure here, (An integrated composite nylon through deck hawse pipe allows for ease of installation and smooth, snag free operation.) There is nylon 3 lay which has no memory and soft lay just the same as the 8 plait, but you need to look around who does it cause the stuff that comes from india is useless and too soft sometimes. If you had to cut your rope loose cause it was snagged who would re splice it back to the new chain....(8 Plait) or you could always buy a new lot. Anyways Lewmar , Maxwell and stress free are all good brands, just need to find one that suits you better and the after sales parts and servicing. i just got in a NG stress-free midi in the other day. Come in and check it out, as well as the Lewmar i have too.

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strike_zone's picture

Posts: 403

Date Joined: 09/09/10

can be done

Thu, 2010-12-02 14:46

there are places down fremantle that splice 8plait rope so thats not a issue

sarcasm0's picture

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Date Joined: 25/06/09

Fremantle, Kewdale, Cockburn, Henderson

Thu, 2010-12-02 16:23

Take your pick, you can also learn how to do it yourself.  Lifting and rigging shops, chandlery and commercial marine places. Tafe has units on it.

Posts: 19

Date Joined: 27/11/10

what about wolf winches

Thu, 2010-12-02 20:06

what about wolf winches (drum winch) any one know much about them 

AllBoatsChandlery's picture

Posts: 118

Date Joined: 17/07/10

Woolf winch

Fri, 2010-12-03 22:20

look like az stress free but has alloy drum compared to stressfree's s/s and stressfree have free fall. http://www.woolfwinch.com.au/

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"There's no business like boat business"