A Winch is a Winch is a Winch . . .?

[spiker_man]

Hi. I have a 17 foot Glastron on a trailer that I bought in Nov. The winch post is bent towards one side and I'm replacing both the post and the winch. Have a replacement post already . . . my question concerns the winch. I've looked on eBay and find them priced anywhere from $10.00 and up. I don't want an electric winch for hundreds of $$$, nor do I want a cheap one which me thinks is probably a Chinese knock-off. I'm looking at something that can winch 1500 lbs. or so. Any suggestions on a particular manufacturer (Fulton??) or what I should be looking for when I purchase the winch? Any advice would be greaty appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: A Winch is a Winch is a Winch . . .?

Gear ratio is the key to effective winching. Its all about leverage. A winch with a 200:1 ratio will retrieve line/cable at a faster rate than one with a 250:1 ratio but it will take more power to turn the crank. The 250:1 will crank easier than the other but will require more turns to retrieve the same amount of cable. So to answer your question, rating in pounds (1500# for example) is the ability of the winch to handle the weight being pulled without coming apart. It has nothing to do with ratio. So -- when comparing two winches you want one that meets the weight or pull requirement and if they are the same, pick the one with the higher ratio.

 

[paulie0735]

Re: A Winch is a Winch is a Winch . . .?

I suggest you take a walk around a couple of boat yards in your area, have a look at 'how to' and 'how not to' set them up! Also look at brands, as you point out there are a few that are just not worth having. A quality winch is easy to pick when you start to compare them side by side. When you know what you want you can shop with confidence.

 

[roscoe]

Re: A Winch is a Winch is a Winch . . .?

Fulton makes a decent winch.<br />Get it bigger than you need, makes no sense to save $10 and end up with something that is undersized for the job.<br /><br />You should be able to get a nice one for around $40-45.<br /><br /> http://www.fultonperformance.com/products.php?group=77&subgroup=78 <br /><br />The make a nice "2 speed" winch which is nice if you ever have to do any real heavy winching, say to get the boat on the trailer at a very very shallow launch.<br /><br /><br /> http://www.fultonperformance.com/products.php?group=77&subgroup=79 <br /><br /><br />They are available online at many boating sites, like HERE !!<br /><br /> http://www.iboats.com/mall/index.cg...=935766357&search_in_category=t&view_id=38145 <br /><br /><br /> http://www.iboats.com/mall/index.cg...*=935766357&search_in_category=t&view_id=4195

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: A Winch is a Winch is a Winch . . .?

go with a fulton. bought 1 of those cheapies off ebay and the gears stripped 1st time on my 250lb aluminum v hull fishing boat.