Difference between marine and auto winches

[Yellowtulip]

Originally Posted by pas63

That is what happens when you assume. Noting in the original post indicated anything more than why here is a rating difference between the two.

Well, the fact that it’s in the Anchoring and Mooring section rather than, say, the Engineering section indicates a connection with that topic. Unless you wish to ban inference from the forum.
But, regardless, you must have noticed that thread drift is endemic in all fora. They are, after all fora, (ie, places for discussion of and around topics) not Q&As.

[bcboomer]

I've seen some steel sailboats and lots of fishing boats with a reel style anchor winch. Pretty easy to do but they aren't pretty to look at.

[capn_billl]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

I don't get this discussion at all.....why on earth would anyone want to install an auto " winch" on their boat ??? There is absolutely zero benefit in attempting to do this, except comic relief from passing boat owners.

If I had an under 30ft power boat I used only freshwater, and was a complete cheapskate (after dropping $50 grand on a floating toy), and didn't have any anchoring capacity.

A $50 winch bolted under the bow with sufficient reinforcement , with the cable passed through a small hole with a roller would be cheap, and effective for temporary anchoring in shallow fresh water. (Under the bow, and doused regularly with lubricant it should last several years). Remember they are usually on a bumper, and dragged through mud, and road salt.

You could replace the cable every year for 80 years for the cost of a single Lewmar windless ($1,500 last time I checked).

So while they aren't suitable for most marine uses, you can't say they can NEVER be used.

After all, I see small fishing boats anchored in the bay with a 10 ft pole stuck through the transom.

[Tudorsailor]

I bet that the motors are similar but the gearing is different.

I took apart my Lewmar gearbox and motor last season. From memory, the wormdrive has a 1:8 ratio so 8 revolutions of the motor spindle gives one revolution of the windlass shaft. According to a Jeep site gear ratios range from about 150:1 to 300:1

TudorSailor

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Sam Woodbridge

Is a auto wrench designed to continuously pull? I thought those wrenches where for shorter bursts on smaller distances.

Beat me to it. Usually, you only need to move the vehicle a few feet before you can get enough traction to drive out of the problem.

[jeepers]

As someone said Apples to Oranges..
Well maybe this should be the Grade 4 Physics Class. Remember....
Rolling, sliding, inclined plane....ie. Rolling, Friction, Friction & Lifting.
Do you remember?
No problem you will get it in 2nd yr. Engineering class as well.
A windlass is a hoisting winch. NB. "Weigh" anchor.......
It overcomes gravity. Pure grunt lifting...
Tough job !!!
An automotive drum winch is rated for a "rolling application" Pull, not weight.
For this reason.
A 5,000-6,000 lb winch will pull your Jeep onto the trailer.
When you get your 4000 lb Jeep stuck in the mud.
You need a 10,000-12,000lb winch with snatch blocks (pulleys).
To overcome the resistance.
NB. You absolutely can use a 12 vDC Auto winch on a boat.
But it won't last very long.
Since, hoisting against gravity is very hard on them.
The duty cycle is low. ie. They wear out fast.
They are not meant to work numerous times a day.
For that application you would source a hydraulic powered winch.

[capn_billl]

Originally Posted by jeepers

As someone said Apples to Oranges..
Well maybe this should be the Grade 4 Physics Class. Remember....
Rolling, sliding, inclined plane....ie. Rolling, Friction, Friction & Lifting.
Do you remember?
No problem you will get it in 2nd yr. Engineering class as well.
A windlass is a hoisting winch. NB. "Weigh" anchor.......
It overcomes gravity. Pure grunt lifting...
Tough job !!!
An automotive drum winch is rated for a "rolling application" Pull, not weight.
For this reason.
A 5,000-6,000 lb winch will pull your Jeep onto the trailer.
When you get your 4000 lb Jeep stuck in the mud.
You need a 10,000-12,000lb winch with snatch blocks (pulleys).
To overcome the resistance.
NB. You absolutely can use a 12 vDC Auto winch on a boat.
But it won't last very long.
Since, hoisting against gravity is very hard on them.
The duty cycle is low. ie. They wear out fast.
They are not meant to work numerous times a day.
For that application you would source a hydraulic powered winch.

I personally have never used a 5,000lb anchor.

Also I don't used my anchor windless to lift my boat.

[Buzzman]

Did anyone else notice in the post above of the various davit winches that the last one had cleverly run the lines reversed, so the single winch in the central position hauled evenly on both lines to each end of the dinghy...??? Have another look.


Also, for the record, as someone who used to sell auto winches, aka 4x4 winches, most are derived from industrial 'lifting winches'.


If you search hard enough on the maker's sites (especially Chinese winch makers) you can find the same specced winches in 'industrial mode'.


As others have pointed out, it's the gearing and the load that makes the difference.


Boat anchor winches are hauling an "X" lb anchor and a 100-300 ft of rode, not all of which is unsupported.


4x4 truck winches often are asked to shift 4000lb of solid metal, stuck fast in 2ft of mud. The suction/pull in that case often exceeds the rated cap of the winch, even at 12,000lb cap, hence the need for a pulley block and doubling of the cable to double the effort, or halve the force required.


And you'd be amazed how many 4x4 drivers just don't get this, and burn out their winch motors or relays trying to overload the winch without using a pulley block.

So if your anchor winch says "don't use to haul the boat up to the anchor" then probably "don't" is a good plan....

[svRaison d Etre]

Originally Posted by jeepers

A windlass is a hoisting winch. NB. "Weigh" anchor.......
It overcomes gravity. Pure grunt lifting...
Tough job !!!
An automotive drum winch is rated for a "rolling application" Pull, not weight.

So why does West Marine and Defenders show maximum pull on their catalogs?

[Cadence]

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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: New South Wales, Australia
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Re: Difference between marine and auto winches
Did anyone else notice in the post above of the various davit winches that the last one had cleverly run the lines reversed, so the single winch in the central position hauled evenly on both lines to each end of the dinghy...??? Have another look.
I noticed! it appeared to be somewhat ingenious.