Who makes the best trailer winch?

[Jersey Jim]

Was about to pull the trigger on a good electric trailer winch, but then I read nothing but bad reviews on one particular site for that product. I need the type with a wireless remote.

Also, I will be installing trailer steps/walkways down the side of the trailer frame, so am also looking for a good quality (beefy) product as well.

 

[warthog5]

Here in the South we drive on our trailers. When someone shows up at the ramp with one of those electric winches, it clogs the ramps up.
Setting the depth of the trailer correct is part of the key. Not to deep and not to shallow. It's for sure easier to see when you have a 2nd station Crows Nest.

Only one I know of is a "Powerwinch" and Yes it's a crappy product.

 

[Jersey Jim]

Here in the South we drive on our trailers. When someone shows up at the ramp with one of those electric winches, it clogs the ramps up.
Setting the depth of the trailer correct is part of the key. Not to deep and not to shallow. It's for sure easier to see when you have a 2nd station Crows Nest.

Only one I know of is a "Powerwinch" and Yes it's a crappy product.

Ramps are steeper up here in the north east, and trailer is a roller type. The boat centers itself better when rollers aren't fully submersed, like bunks, but this takes more effort in cranking. The only reason for needing a remote winch is launching solo quite often.

 

[warthog5]

Gotcha.

 

[Sara F]

Jim, I have a Dutton-Lainson winch on my trailer. I have a 2007 21 Parker SC and I have had the winch on the trailer since I bought the boat new in 2007. I have not had any issues with the winch. Works every time and I trailer quite often. I replaced the cable a few years ago, but other than spraying it with WD40 and greasing the gears every Spring, I have not done much to the winch. I bought it at a place in Delaware. You can PM for the name of the place I went too if you want. I am not certain if I will violate and rules by posting the stores name. Here is a link to Dutton-Laison. BTW, mine model does not have a remote. However, it does have power in and power out which is real nice feature; especially, on the steep crappy ramps we have here in south Jersey. When I launch by myself, which is quite often, I wear hip-boots, I put a line on the bow cleat and wrap it around the winch post on the trailer. I use the power out feature along with he line from the bow to gradually let the boat roll off the trailer. Works very well for me. Hope that this helps you out. Any questions, don't hesitate to PM me. Where in Jersey are you located?

Winches - Dutton-Lainson Company - Since 1886

 

[Jersey Jim]

Jim, I have a Dutton-Lainson winch on my trailer.........Where in Jersey are you located?

Winches - Dutton-Lainson Company - Since 1886

Phil, thanks for the good info. I remember looking at DL at the start of my search, but can't remember why I ruled them out. Not sure if their boat models were not rated strong enough, or if because of no wireless remote. Somehow I recall they are a machine shop too. I almost pulled the trigger on a "Powerwinch" product, but read almost unanimous bad reviews, even at 600 plus bucks! Now I'm looking at Trac winches ( tracoutdoor.com ). They have a wireless version but the cheap price worries me. (299 on sale for 199). A few reviews state they are under powered for their 10k lb rating. (10129-S) model. They only make 3 models, so the "Lite Cruiser" model (10k rolling weight) was only one I could consider. I would even forego the wireless remote and extend a wired remote option if I could find a good quality trailer winch.

I'm located in Pittsgrove, but slip in Cape May at the Bree-Zee-Lee most of the season. Yes I use knee-high boots, but have been wanting to add hip-waders to the routine. By chance do you know which model D-L you use?

 

[Jersey Jim]

Phil, I just now took a second look at Dutton-Lainson, and somehow previously overlooked their TW series (trailer winch) 2 models. They were on their 7th page of winches. The TW9015 is the clear choice, with ALL good reviews on various sites. It has the best speed over all mfgrs, (faster than I can hand-crank) but certainly due to the intermittent duty high-power motor. I will order the 10-foot wired remote model, and inquire about a remote extension-cable if I find the 10-foot cord is too limiting. This is a bit of a large unit, and wonder if you had to modify the mount. What trailer are you using? I'm using a Sea Lion. Since you bought new, and live so close to Williamstown, you probably bought from Cecil marine, in which case you most likely have a Sea Lion trailer also. Did this unit swap right out with the hand-crank winch, or was there modifying to do? Can you post a pic of it mounted? Thanks for posting, I almost purchased junk.

 

[Sara F]

Jim, I took some pictures and measurements for you this morning. Front to back, the winch measures 11". I did not have to make any special modifications other than drilling new mounting holes. However, if the winch was any bigger (front to back) than 11", I would have had to make some adjustments to get it to fit on the mounting plate. You can see that in the pictures. I have the 9000 model, single line pull. Yes, I do have a Sea lion trailer and I did purchase my Parker from Cecil. They are very good to deal with IMHOP.

We have to meet up sometime in 2017. I am in Marmora during the boating season. But I have fished the Delaware Bay out of Fortescue for years. I sometimes miss fishing the Delaware Bay though.

Good luck and I hope that the pictures help. Best of luck!

 

[Jersey Jim]

Phil, thanks for all of your replies & pics. Today I ordered the 9015 model, which is same as yours but with a plug-in wired remote. The standard remote length is 10-feet, but for 15 more dollars I got 15 more feet (25'). They are wonderful to deal with out there at Dutton-Lainson. I was asking about their mfgr facility and she said they have approx. 300 employees. I've read nothing but positive reviews about this product, unlike the other two companies with wireless remotes.

Yes the mounting plate looked VERY tight, based on the drawing dimensions I printed out. The Sea Lion trailer came with a Dutton-Lainson DL2500A hand winch, which had the same hole pattern, but it looked as if I would have to shift some holes around. I'm very glad to see that it barely fits without needing to cut metal.

Now here's the big question... since this winch can draw under max load, up to 75 amps, did you install a heavy duty power receptacle at the rear of your vehicle, or mount a battery? I'm tempted to take the lazy way out and just mount a battery box on the trailer frame, with a small deep-cycle battery. This would allow me to use the trailer with other vehicles that are not equipped with heavy power outlets. The sales dept. at DL stated that this is a very common approach. After all, a 2-3 minute pull with half of that at half amp draw would not tax a small group 24 battery in the least. I would miss however, the extra couple of higher volts from the alternator, which should add an extra foot per minute or so I would think.

Although the 4000# model under this one just might pull it off, it does not have the free-wheel "strap extend" feature, and must be powered out. That would require more battery drain and time to launch. The TW9000 (9015) was a clear choice. Thanks again

 

[Sara F]

Jim I installed a heavy duty plug on my truck and ran straight to my truck battery. I can take picks tomorrow if needed. BTW i have a chevy silverado 1500 2wd. I keep the engine running while using the winch. It seems to help with current draw.

 

[Jersey Jim]

Phil, pics of the power won't be necessary, but thanks. If you hung a battery on the trailer, I'd be interested in knowing where you hung it. I have the exact same model Sea Lion trailer, only a 2017. Hopefully the winch-plate remained unchanged in 10 years. I see your u-bolt excess threads are cut flush with the nylock nuts. As you see in my attached pic, the 6 or 7 threads will interfere. Will have to cut them.

 

[Sara F]

Jim, yes I had to cut the U-bolt studs short. I did not think of this before, but I could have just turned the U-bolts 180 degrees. I might do that so I can get my winch cover to fit better. LOL Good luck!

 

[Sara F]

Jim, one more thought. You could probably mount a batter box on the trailer frame. You could cut a piece of 1/2" plywood in the bottom of the plastic battery box for stability and use two U-bolts to secure it to the trailer frame. It looks like a battery box could fit nicely to the left of the winch post (on the trailer frame between the boat and winch post).

 

[Jersey Jim]

Jim, one more thought. You could probably mount a batter box on the trailer frame. ........ It looks like a battery box could fit nicely to the left of the winch post (on the trailer frame between the boat and winch post).

I just can't remember how far up the water comes on the frame, but yes, I'll prob start with a battery until i get time to mount a heavy duty receptacle on vehicle. Just trying to make the striper migration in time, so quick and easy will have to do til winter.

As far as flipping the U-bolt, that would require a plate with2 holes in it. I just might put a shim under the u-bolt, on the non-nut side. This will draw the threads closer to the nuts

 

[Jersey Jim]

Phil, I bit the bullet today and dropped off the Expedition to have a heavy duty power outlet installed on the rear bumper. I hate paying someone else to do it, but I've been working so much O.T. this past month & half, and covering everyone's remaining vacation days for the rest of the year, that when I finally get an occasional day off, it will be spent ON the water instead of UNDER the vehicle.

I had them run #4 battery cable for both positive & negative all the way to the battery. I don't want to rely on frame ground for the negative polarity. Also beefed up the connector to couple hundred amps just to accommodate the #4 wire. Even if I were to max out the winch rating (which will never happen) and it drew the full 70 amps, the voltage drop would have been way under 1 volt even if I were to use smaller #6 wire. Also putting an 80-amp breaker with manual-disconnect under the hood near the battery too.

I dremelled off that excess 6 or 7 u-bolt threads today on the winch-plate mount, same as you did, and it took 3 or 4 mini cut-off wheels per stud. They clearly would have been in the way. This winch should just barely fit on the plate without needing to shim it up a half inch higher. As long as SeaLion hasn't modified that model trailer in 10 years, and Dutton-Lainson maintained the same case style over the years, it should drop right in as yours barely did. We will have the same boat, trailer and winch setup, other than I will be using a 20-foot strap instead of steel cable. 20 feet should just about clear the rear rollers if fully run out. I'm half tempted to move the 25-foot strap from the original DL hand-crank winch, over to the new electric drum. It's not like the boat will be any heavier for the original strap (2600# working, 4000# breaking), it's just that the electric winch is way stronger now than the hand crank. Once I see the sewn-on strap tag on the new one, I'll see if they're using anything different other than just 5 feet shorter on the electric. There may not even be enough room on the new drum. The only reservation I have about that, is the larger drum diameter with 25 feet of webbing fully rolled up, reducing the winch strength when the boat is exerting max pull that far out of the water during the last couple of feet.

One question I have is, how much cable do you usually pay out, and does it retract within the 4 minutes of max recommended run time? Thanks.

 

[Sara F]

Hey Jim, hello from Calgary, Alberta Canada. Flew here on Tuesday for business and I am here through Friday. You sound like you have a good plan of action. Congrats. I agree, I hate paying people to do things that I normally can do myself. Hell I just paid someone to put brakes on my truck for the 1st time in my adult life. I, like you, just did not have the time to do it.

I usually only use about 10-15' of cable. I float the bow of the boat up past the first set of rollers then attach the cable. I was always concerned about extending the cable too far out past the trailer and not having a good couple of wraps on the drum.

On a side not, have you ever experienced issues with the boat not loading squarely on the trailer. It seems that my boat always loads on the trailer with a slight list to the starboard side. I usually put my cooler on the port side as a counter balance and that seems to work most of the time. It is not a bad list but I notice it and it drives me crazy. I originally thought that the cradles on the port side were stiffer and did not rock as easily as the starboard side (port side I had to lean on the cradles to get them to move; starboard side I could move with a finger) . I talked to Mike at Sealion and we decided on a course of action. So, I cut away all of the U-boats, cleaned and greased all of the areas where the roller assembly attaches to the cradle and that seemed to help some. I spray the crap out of those areas now with PB Blaster to keep the salt at bay.

Keep me posted on your progress. We have to get together in the spring/summer and meet somewhere out on the water.

 

[Jersey Jim]

Phil, glad you found something familiar to do when on the road. As far as the boat loading squarely, I had a bigger problem when loading the flatter bottomed 1801. This 2120 with the 21-degree hull slips into place much better, but the rollers still can't be submersed too deep. When in the slip I notice she lists to starboard also, but when leaving the motor tilted up, I lean it to port and that almost fully straightens things out. A 5 gallon bucket of water on port side almost full seems to square it up. I figure it's due to the helm and 2nd helm station on the starboard side. Everything else is symmetrical. Surprisingly, it's hardly noticeable when on the trailer. Definitely acceptable.

As far as paying out too much cable, the strap version of the TW9000 is supplied with 20-feet, and the cable version 30 or 40 feet, so you should be ok. There may even be some means of cable retention. The DL2500A supplied with my trailer, has a sewn loop on the drum end with a bolt through it, so running fully out is not an issue. Funny thing, when loading for the first time, I thought I had a single speed manual winch, and brought it all the way in on the "fast" speed. The Dutton-Lainson manual winch uses a quick detachable crank handle that swaps between two different shafts. I've never had that type of gear selection before. The fast mode requires 4.5 cranks per foot of webbing (full drum), and 15 cranks per foot on slow/easy mode.

I got the Expedition back today with the high-amperage power outlet installed. They used a 175-amp connector in order to accept the 4-ga cables, but installed an 80-amp breaker on the firewall. They used Anderson PowerPole connectors (SB series). I've seen these used on electric forklifts, floor scrubbers and UPS battery banks. They also supplied a matching rubber boot to cover the connector when not in use. As tough as it was for me to pay someone else to do the install, what made it worse was when I got home I noticed the contacts were barely inserted and not clicked into place in the housing shell. They had some young kid do the install. If I'm going to pay top dollar for an install, I expect it to be done better than what I would do. I struggle with this on everything that I could do myself. All in all, a nice install. I might even modify a pair of jumper cables with a matching connector on one end, for when backing up to another vehicle is the only option.

I will look forward to meeting up one day next season. Do you ever fish out at the Cape May artificial reef? I freedive & spearfish many of the wrecks out there. It should be about the same distance from your port as from mine. I head SE once I leave Cape May. You probably head more south.


P.S. Here is a factory link to show how your cable is attached to the drum. No danger of it unraveling. https://youtu.be/t4R2awyn-IQ

 

[Jersey Jim]

The Dutton-Lainson electric winch (TW-9015) has been working flawlessly, although the 25-foot wired remote cord is not as streamlined as I would like it to be. So searching for wireless winch controllers, I found this Chinese receiver with 2 remotes for only $13, new! As luck would have it, the simple 4-wire receiver (2 for power, 2 for in/out) passes +positive polarity out their yellow & white wires when pressing the remote's in & out buttons. The winch I have also passes +positive power through the pendant remote to activate it's 2 internal relays. Therefore I just ordered a spare connector from Dutton-Lainson, and simply plug the wireless receiver into the winch's existing pigtail with connector, in place of the wired-remote pendant cable. Like it was made for it. As the receiver uses both positive & negative power wires, but the wired remote had no need to use a negative wire in it's pendant connector, I snuck the negative wire into the winch connector's unused 4th pin. A little Velcro and I just stick the receiver onto the winch post when I get to the ramp. I remove it when done. I now have the option to plug in the wired remote if the wireless unit goes south. Did I mention this receiver and 2 remote's was only $13?!! on E-bay, new. You can also choose one large remote and a small key-Fob type transmitter too. These remotes worked 100-feet away, and was still working! I only need it to work from the back of the boat. The little hanging wire is the antenna. I opted to mount the receiver outside of the winch housing, as this gets it farther away from the electrical noise of the motor. So far it's been flawless. Tomorrow I try it at the ramp under "straining" high amperage conditions, where electrical noise may present itself. Time will tell.