Electric winch
Submitted by FishNChick on Mon, 2011-12-12 20:03
Just wondering if anyone has bought and used an electric winch on their boat trailer? I have a 4.2m Stacer and currently have just a hand winch. My ideal is to create a situation where I can use my boat on my own and be able to get it back on the trailer. This would obviously be easier if I could winch it up remotely from the back while I keep it straight.
Can anyone comment on a brand that they have bought, where they bought it from and what I need to be looking out for. I am not sure what can go wrong and what I should be avoiding in this case.
Thanks very much!!!
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
They seem to be regarded as
They seem to be regarded as pretty crap really. Even a grandmother I know thought they were slow, took theirs off and went back to hand winching.
Why not convert to drive-aboard? Its super fast and not to bad with the right trailer.
Swan River Fisher
Posts: 877
Date Joined: 03/05/11
a 4.2m ali wouldn't be that
a 4.2m ali wouldn't be that heavy, so i rekon no need for an electric winch
Just pull it up as far as you can and it should stay, or drive it on as till mentioned. Is it a tiller or forward steer? You don't need a drive on trailer to power load your boat on. ( IMO and from experience)
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
electric winch - starter motor & fly wheel
Hi
In my experience most 12 volt electric winches advertized for boat use are expensive and slow. I have a 6m quinnie and using a starter motor and the fly wheel of a ford falcon (starter motor came from same ford) I fully recover my boat in 17 seconds from the time I hook up and start the winch. I have a remote switch wired to the solinoid which allows me to keep the boat straight on the trailer and recover the boat by myself. I use the starter motor gear to engage the teeth on the fly wheel when the power is applied so I didn't have to buy any pulleys or belts. Just make a small bracket to hold the starter motor in a position that allows the small gear to move into mesh with the fly wheel which is welded to the manual winch main shaft and away it goes. Total cost $20.00 for fly wheel and starter + 4 hrs work.
Willlo
Posts: 1490
Date Joined: 07/10/11
Yep drive it on.
Yep drive it on.
Call Sign - BZ785
Haynes Hunter Prowler CC
Mulie
Posts: 546
Date Joined: 20/02/11
Guides
Go see a boat trailer specialist and they will be able to supply and fit self adjusting guides (can't remember the real name) to your trailer, allowing you to wind the handle and not having to guide the boat on. They sit next to the first roller.They cost me about $70 five years ago for a 4.2 Stacer (for the parts).
Mulie
BFK
Posts: 5
Date Joined: 16/10/11
Cordless wrench
Had a thought about useing a 18 volt cordless wrench with a socket to fit your manual winch rather than a eletric winch any thoughts ??
Lastchance
Posts: 1273
Date Joined: 02/02/09
http://www.au.best-price.com/
http://www.au.best-price.com/search/landing/query/Superwinch+Winch/s/google/koid/2040916464/?gclid=CM-579SM_qwCFYSBpAodtggMTg
Ive got an electric winch on my trailer (it pulls a 8m boat) and it is handy when its just myself, the missus and the 85 kids. However, Id steer clear personally if you have a 4.2mtr boat as there are easier ways to do it as suggested. Just set up your trailer and drive the big girl on. Put on an auto latch and you'll be at the OBH before you know it!.
Juneka
Posts: 222
Date Joined: 14/12/09
Manual is best
I have had two electric winches on my trailer for my 6.5 metre Razerline - The first one died - the second one had a moment when it didn't feel like working (dirty connections), and it took forever to winch the boat on with the emergency handle...
I've taken the electric one off - it was way too slow anyway - and put a geared manual winch on. Even with my feeble biceps, it is no problem to winch Juneka up.
Haven't ever done it by myself though - winched the trailer, that is!
Save the Whales! May as well - they won't fit in my catch bag!!!
Bodie
Posts: 3758
Date Joined: 05/11/07
Going to be blunt on this
Going to be blunt on this one...electric winches are absolute shit! I hate getting stuck behind someone at the ramp with a slow old eletric winch.
Went to Exmouth for the fishwrecked comp this year, the other boat that came up was a 28ft protector...had an eletric winch and the thing burnt out trying to winch the boat up Bundegi ramp!
They are absolute toilet!!!
Drive on is the only way....altho if you had of seen my piss poor attempt of driving on the trailer saturday you would have laughed (first time in years it didnt go on straight!) i blame the guy who reversed the trailer into the water!
Tomcat
Posts: 614
Date Joined: 24/02/11
Blunt
Seen you guys that drive on you take up all the jetty to get lined up while we all sit around the marina my superwinch 5000 pulls my cat on just as quick
marrisy
Posts: 202
Date Joined: 08/09/11
the only decent way to go is
the only decent way to go is a 4wd type winch mounted to the trailer post. we have done a few. need to be water resistant. Its not cheep, but realiabilty doesnt come cheep. I perfer to drive on myself.
smash
Posts: 434
Date Joined: 01/12/10
doesnt need to be
fit a tow ball on the front and use the 4 wd winch to pull it up the trailer
dsb
Posts: 1
Date Joined: 18/02/12
Hi Mate,had an electric winch
Hi Mate,
had an electric winch on my last tinny (4.1 stacer) and absoultly loved it, was faster than a hand winch and had a good 15ft of extra rope past the back of the trailer which ment when i got stuck by the tides here (port hedland) i could just winch her up the mud safely to the trailer.
wasnt a 'boat trailer winch' but an ATV recovery winch, long extention remote so i could hold the boat at the transom and winch at the same time, rigged with a solar pannel and its own battery
still kept a hand winch attached for when the battery karked it, but never used it.
will deff recomend them and will be putting one on my new project when ready :)
fishy fingers
Posts: 1719
Date Joined: 28/04/07
get a starter motor type
with a fly wheel type arangement unfortunatley you need to find someone who can engineer it! mine whinches my 6m glass boat up in about 15 to 20 seconds depending on the ramp even quicker if I get someone to drive it half way and hold it there whilst I attatch the whinch rope
Oh and it's lasted 12 years upto now!
carnarvonite
Posts: 8673
Date Joined: 24/07/07
4.2
With a 4.2 metre boat you could nearly drag it up without the need for a winch.
My boat is a heavy 5.0 metre plate ali and it only takes me a minute or so to winch it up on my own. The trick is not to have the first [at back end of trailer] any further than 4 inches under water, any more than that and it can track off and have you starting off all over again. Once you've hooked the winch wire on slowly wind it in until the keel is on the second roller then give it heaps
scotto
Posts: 2471
Date Joined: 21/04/08
Hmmm,
Has anyone toyed with the idea of a bull bar/4wd recovery winch, to retrieve their boat??
I know that most proper electric boat winches are farkin shit, but I've seen some decent looking, mid range/size 4wd winches at reasonable prices. I wonder how quick they can retrieve? You could mount it vertically too, so as its not so cumbersome.
kane
Posts: 1752
Date Joined: 07/12/08
Ironman
Seen ironman 4x4 winches used on dumbarges at barrow for lifting anchor chains etc, the first one lasted 3 uses before it crapped itself, time will tell how long the 2nd one lasts... Obviously ironman gear is cheap junk but if you went with a decent warn winch you'd be looking at some big $$$$, I don't think many people would choose to spend thousands on a boat winch???
Gooooone Fishin!
bluemule
Posts: 97
Date Joined: 14/02/12
Electric over manual
Na man, I had a five to one two speed manual for my 6.3m platey. tried the electric after five stents in my ticker.Went out and got myself three speed 10/1- 5/1-1/1. never fails can use one hand on 10/1 to easy.
Cheers, Jim
just dhu it
Posts: 1081
Date Joined: 14/05/09
manual
i had a electric winch on my 6.2 vagabond and found it very slow my next rig i bought a five speed winch and are very happy , i launch by myself 6.1 trailly and dont have a problem using the different speeds to get it back on the trailer quickly when needed, i wouldnt go back to the electric unit
aweall
Posts: 83
Date Joined: 16/11/10
hayway closes for good on
hayway closes for good on wednesday but they had an easy latch at half price on the shelf on saturday
oakley
Posts: 3
Date Joined: 14/03/12
Hayway Marine Still Open
FYI - Hayway Marine is still open just under new management now and operating out of one building instead of the 3.
Outrageous
Posts: 50
Date Joined: 13/01/12
Manual winching is the go
With a 4.2 metre boat you should be able to winch it up real easy. (if hard i would be checking boat rollers)
I winch my 280 outrage most of the time, as most of the time there are others at the ramp and if i drive it on the trailer it will blow others around at the jetty with the prop wash.
Bit of big arm effort required - but not too hard to do really.
If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough