Boat winches has any one got a Savwinch ,stress free or micks winch?

[Hatwell]

I'm after some feed back good or bad thanks and looking forward to hearing about your experiences .i have a new boat arriving soon and I need help to spend some money on it thanks from Andy

[Back In Black]

Andy,
Got a stress free on our cat, best money you will ever spend!
Tony

[eyeskeenas]

I have a stress free on my boat. Name says it all.

[hakuna]

Another vote for stress free
Best think I ever did

[johndeere]

Check out Mick's winches and wolf. Mick has excellent units with good ideas on rope recovery. Also look into freefall if in deeper water.

[Hatwell]

Well so far stress free seems to be popular .does anyone have the free fall? What's the finest rope that you can use so to get more on the drum? Thanks and hope you can help me decide thanks from andy

[OZ 640]

hey mate, i am getting a stress free free fall, not fitted yet so can advise but they are fitting with 8mm braided line with 6-7m of chain on a 6.4m boat.
getting the Midi size which should hold over 100m.
Good luck on the choice.
Cheers Oz

[copie]

Hey Hatwell I have just purchased a Lone Star Marine winch have not used it yet as boat is having the anchor well made deeper as I type. Researched several before I purchased and decieded on this one. Mid sized holds 80m of 8mm braid 7m of 6mm sort link chain. Quality looks great and comes with everything. Wiring loom was fantastic took me about 2 1/2 hours to fit switch,solinoid and wire it up ready to mount the winch. Oh no free fall electric up and down, drops at 40m per minute.
Price and service was great.

Mark

[Hatwell]

Copie let me know how it goes I haven't heard of a loan star before where was it made and what did you like about it ? Eg quality ,price? Thanks from andy

[Back In Black]

Andy,
We have the freefall on ours, with about 200m Dyneema braid & 10m of 10mm chain. We fish in 70-100m usually, so freefall is essential, or you'd be way off the mark by the time it got down.
Tony

[Hatwell]

Tony what size winch did you get and what diameter rope are you using as 200m is a lot of rope but you would need it has the freefall given you any trouble? Thanks from andy

[Drew70]

Have a Stree Free Mighty with free fall on 28 Sharkcat, best piece of gear I have bought.
Massive pulling power it lifted chain and cable of a wreck we were anchored at.
No problems at all as a single handed winch.
I would make sure you can see the drum however as tangles can occur of your free spoolimg out not using the freefall when the anchor is on the bottom.
Drew

[copie]

Copie let me know how it goes I haven't heard of a loan star before where was it made and what did you like about it ? Eg quality ,price? Thanks from andy
When I rang around and spoke to most of the suppliers I found this guy welcoming and helpfull. If and when I fish and want to anchor in water deeper than about 50m I use a different anchor and rope and use a retriva ball. So anchoring in depths up to about 40m this one will suit mty needs. As it is I have had to have the anchor well made deeper and strenghten to acommodate this size drum winch.
Google Lone Star Marine and have a look.

Mark

[Back In Black]

Have a Stree Free Mighty with free fall on 28 Sharkcat, best piece of gear I have bought.
Massive pulling power it lifted chain and cable of a wreck we were anchored at.
No problems at all as a single handed winch.
I would make sure you can see the drum however as tangles can occur of your free spoolimg out not using the freefall when the anchor is on the bottom.
Drew
Agree with Drew on this one. How we get around it is by watching the anchor on the sounder & when about 10m off the bottom, take it out of freefall, as it can overspool & be a bit messy.
Mines a maxi winch with 6mm Dyneema braid. We went with this to get the volume on the drum.
Tony

[hakuna]

If you over spool in free fall mode you have a problem with your winch

Should never happen

cheers

[Back In Black]

If you over spool in free fall mode you have a problem with your winch

Should never happen

cheers

Probably right Hakuna. Any suggestions??
Tony

[Drew70]

Guys
I never have a problem in free fall, the drum stops as soon as the weight of the anchor is off it.
Issue can be when anchored and let extra rope out in power mode tangles can happen unless your watching the line, basically overfeeding rope. Same can happen if motor up onto anchor without keeping rope tight.
cheers
Drew

[Hatwell]

Gee I would not have guessed that a little company from south Australia would have the most popular winches.?Has anyone got a Savwinch or know someone with one? Thanks from Andy

[Jarrah Jack]

Seeing that you're asking around it would be worth looking at the X winch, another top of the line model. A guy on here, HH565, makes them. They don't come with freefall though.

[Hatwell]

I have heard a lot of good things about stress free but does anyone know anyone or have a Savwinch ...???

[Hatwell]

I apreciate the tips but I am shocked that a little company from south Australia seems to have the most popular winch!Does anyone have a Savwinch ?or know anyone with one? Thanks heaps from andy

[Hatwell]

The x winch is a catchy name I might google them and take a look thanks jarrah jack .Ps I'm loving all this help from every one.

[BM]

Andy,

I think you'll more or less find it won't matter who you go to for a drum winch as they are all pretty similar. Little differences here and there with bearings and gearboxes Eric but fundamentally they are the same.

Factor in the costs of hull modification to support the winch also as this is usually pretty costly. Balance that cost against the cost of installing a gypsy type (continuous feed) winch if you have the space available for such a winch.


Either way you go you will encounter issues. Gypsy winches jam from time to time and drum winches jam and over-run etc so its horses for courses.

Make sure the winch you buy has a genuine power rating. One brand was putting 1000W stickers on too of his 600W stickers for an instant power upgrade.

LoneStar Winches are manufactured in China by a mate of mine and I know what effort goes into the constant R&D and the exciting innovations on the close horizon. In my mind, and not because he is a friend, he is among the market leaders as he is heavily involved in the constant design upgrades. I know this because we kick these ideas around regularly.

Some winch manufacturers simply buy a motor and gearbox from a wholesaler. They have no say in any part of it. Malki from LoneStar is involved in the designing of new motors and other new innovations. So whilst some buy a part off the shelf, he is part of designing new parts so has far greater control over things and is truly at the forefront of the future of these winches.

Those not directly engaged with the manufacturers are simply only able to take what they get their hands on.

I know Malki is moving a very large number of winches on an annual basis. Actually quite staggering how rapidly he has grown but it should be no surprise really as he deserves it due to his dedication and front foot approach and skillful business management.

Who would you prefer to buy from?

[johndeere]

Micks winches have a great idea which stops the rope building up on the centre of the drum. He's worth a call to discuss it. If you watch the tension on the rope carefully then overrun will not occur. People need to realise that a spare anchor and rope should be mandatory if you have a drum winch because if it fails you have no time to get the rope off the winch. Also when in swell never retrieve the anchor from directly above because if it is stuck you can bury the boat!

[Hatwell]

BM I have heard of this sticker rumor !is it just an honest mistake ? Wouldnt the bigger motor weigh more and be easily able to see the differance ?ihave a small anchor well in my new boat so that may be a factor in ordering the new winch ?Thanks for your feed back and hope to get more thanks from andy

[BM]

No accident as I understand it.

I guess if several models were side by side you could make an obvious distinction? I'm sure many would simply look at the item on the shelf and take it at face value and run with it.

In any case a good indicator would be to take note of the cable size to the motor. Compare a few diff brands of similar power to gain an idea of the applicable wire size for a given power.

[Hatwell]

BM yes the cable might be the obviouse one. It's a competitive world! Have a great weekend from andy

[SHOOTER1]

Looking at a winch as well. Fish off Cairns. Is free fall essential?

[BM]

Shooter,

From my understanding the free fall setup can be difficult to operate in terms of getting over-run when the anchor hits the bottom. Same can apply (to a lesser extent) with a non free fall unit.

I do know that one manufacturer (Lone Star) is working on a better solution than free fall. Less hassle and a smarter solution. Benefits of being directly involved in the component manufacture.

[Drew70]

Shooter
Free Fall comes into its own when there is wind and / or current and your in deeper water say 40m+. The free fall gets you connected to the bottom very quickly while powering down takes a lot longer. I have never had an over run issue on the Stress Free when in free fall, as soon as anchor weight is off the drum its stops turning.
cheers
Drew

[fishing111]

Never had an overrun with the freefall feature on the Stressfree either and it works great. Stressfree's customer service is second to none in my book, and for me that was a huge part of the decision in purchasing one of there units.

[Hatwell]

There's an over welding support for stress free ! Has any one had the chain jam between the frame and the drum?as there is enough of a gap I would think for the chain to get stuck if it came off the drum? I did see a sav winch at our boat show and there was hardly any gap between drum and frame !and there free fall system was different and sounded interesting but I can't find anyone with them !i guess there a newer company and don't have so many winches out there! I'm not against stress free at all I'm just looking at my options .like lone star that I didn't even know before I joined this forum thanks from andy

[fishing111]

Ours is spooled to the max and have never had the chain or rope between the drum and frame. By looking at it i can see your point but it just doesn't happen, or at least hasn't happened to us.

[NTMID8]

Mate i have a micks winch, couldnt be happier! Mick is a great bloke to deal with, he lived close to me so i went and picked it up. Whilst there he showed me how they were made, quality stuff with a well thought out design! Easy to install, comes with everything you need and mick is only a phone call away. Havent used any of the other brands so i cant comment on them but im very happy with my winch, holds 100m of 8mm rope and 6m of 6mm chain with room for more. Drops and retrieves quickly and the torque!!! I reckon it could lift the titanic!😜

[hakuna]

Shooter,

From my understanding the free fall setup can be difficult to operate in terms of getting over-run when the anchor hits the bottom. Same can apply (to a lesser extent) with a non free fall unit.

I do know that one manufacturer (Lone Star) is working on a better solution than free fall. Less hassle and a smarter solution. Benefits of being directly involved in the component manufacture.

Never get an over run with free fall
I anchor in 220 ft

Cheers

[firecat150hp]

Have a Stree Free Mighty with free fall on 28 Sharkcat, best piece of gear I have bought.
Massive pulling power it lifted chain and cable of a wreck we were anchored at.
No problems at all as a single handed winch.
I would make sure you can see the drum however as tangles can occur of your free spoolimg out not using the freefall when the anchor is on the bottom.
Drew

This is how I see what's going on with mine hidden under the hatch.
Mine has a manual freefall with 10mm DB and 6 meters of standard 12 mm .
Will be dropping to 8mm soon with S/link.
Freefall can be set up with a 'trip cable' but haven't bothered as I can trip it from inside cuddy if needed.

Regards Steve.

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x58/stevefisho/MY%20BOAT/d7310a3c.jpg
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x58/stevefisho/MY%20BOAT/df63a0f8.jpg


http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x58/stevefisho/MY%20BOAT/a8b7e3ee.jpg
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x58/stevefisho/MY%20BOAT/31826515.jpg

[Jarrah Jack]

Hi Steve Very interesting set up. Is the foam for noise reduction? Also is the rope around the length of the chain to stop the clink clink clink that snapper don't like?

[firecat150hp]

Hi Steve Very interesting set up. Is the foam for noise reduction? Also is the rope around the length of the chain to stop the clink clink clink that snapper don't like?

The red/pink foam is to stop anchor well spray blowing back into the cab ("does the job and stopped misting in the cabin which I accidentally found was coming from the well") The plaited braid (Inner core removed) quietens the clink clink clink of the chain very well indeed.

[Jarrah Jack]

The plaited braid (Inner core removed) quietens the clink clink clink of the chain very well indeed.

You might be a bit crazy but you're not silly.;D I've been wondering how to stop the clink with having the chain running around the drum winch. Looks like I've found another job. Hope to see you on the water some time. I'll be out from Stoney a few times this week.;)

[WalrusLike]

Daft question submitted in error now deleted... sorry.

[Hatwell]

Hay great photos love people who think! In some areas fish are actually inquisitive and come up to the boat especially when noise is made but in other areas they are boat shy . But where I fish they are mainly boat shy and I think when it's shallow water it's a lot more important especially where I fish in 4-7 metres of water .i think if you like and are confident in your set up it makes a big difference . We have to be confident and enjoy our time out there .work to live not live to work!!Thanks from Andy.

[Rosshelen]

We've just bought a Stressfree Midi NG for our Trailcraft 6.1m Sportscab. Bought it at the Mandurah boat show, and saved nearly $500 on the cost of the unit, which paid for the wiring loom, rope, bow roller. All up $3178. Finished fitting it yesterday and spooled the rope on. Can't wait for the weather to improve and get out there. Now we need to buy a new anchor and we are looking at the Sarca as an all purpose anchor. Does anyone have one and would you recommend it?

[copie]

Picked the boat up from the fibre glassers this morning had the anchor well made deeper for the winch. Sat it in position marked and drilled the holes bolted it in wired it up spooled the rope and chain on works a treat at home cant wait too see how it goes in the wet stuff now.

[hakuna]

Copie,

Be careful with the first retrieves, looks like your spool is too far back, chain will not come on that neat and will spool a lot higher over itself in the centre and by the photo you do not have much clearance

Cheers

[copie]

Thanks hakuna i will keep a good check on that.

Mark

[Hatwell]

Copie looks good I bet you cant wait to test her out .you will never go back to pulling the anchor by hand unless of course you want more exercise . Hope she goes well great to see thanks from andy

[Hatwell]

Thanks heaps some real effort with pictures and great info I really apreciate the imput. I will have to learn how to put up pictures by the time I get the new boat ready for the fit out. Thanks from andy