Any Opinions - Winch Buddy or Roto-Winch?

[thomaswaier]

All Hail!
Seems like a neat idea versus the cost of converting the primaries on a Beneteau 473 to electric -- $10,000 for the conversion versus $1000 for the tool. Has anyone used either one? They seem to be the same and I suspect that the Roto-Winch is a copycat idea at a $300 less price. Appreciate any advice pro or con, or any alternatives.
Thanks Mates,
Tom

[iiii]

Try a Milwaukee 28 volt right angle drill and a winch bit.
Works great for us.

[Joli]

I've broken them, does that count?

As the previous poster stated, buy a cheapy from Lowes and go to e-bay for the winch bit.

[Sluce]

We have had good luck with a Milwaukee 28 volt cordless and The Cranker bit. The only problem is if you overload the drill you have to put the battery back on the charger to reset it.
I got the whole package for less than $400.
The Cranker - a S.S. Sailboat Winch Drill Adapter Bit

PS No affiliation with either.

[anjou]

The bit looks simple enough to make in the lathe.

[roverhi]

You need a mill, not a lathe. You can't cut a the star shaped bit on a lathe. NO HANDLE - Winch Bit Makes a Sailboat Winch Electric:eBay Motors (item 200372165857 end time Aug-20-09 08:12:56 PDT)

The Milwaukee right angle drill is an expensive beast but a beast that will last. Make a water proof spray cover for it to keep the water off it.

Aloha
Peter O.

[anjou]

The tool in the pic has a square head, so I figured its made from square stock with a turned shank

[svHyLyte]

See http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ndle-8497.html and/or do a search on "Electric Winch Handle".

[Chief Engineer]

I could never figure out why people would want that cumbersome beast in the cockpit. Unless they had some physical disability that precluded them from turning a winch handle.