My Armstrong 2 speed winch has never let me down, nor has my variable speed Wench, though she can be a bit salty at times.

Power equipment will never last as long. Armstrong will last your lifetime!:head:

Perhaps, but my electric winch will get my boat up on my trailer and away from the loading area much faster than a hand crank, with lots less effort, using only
a single person instead of one cranking and one guiding the boat. I'll stay with the powerwinch. (Although a bit salty wench does sound inviting at times) :sly:

Doesn't anybody else drive their boat on the trailer? No need for a power winch to crank up a foot of cable.

I see people doing it all the time, but usually I'm only one person on the boat, so it would be almost impossible for me to do without delaying lots of people that also want to use the boat ramp.

I drive mine on with or without someone. My boat is small now but I done it with my 18 Wellcraft too. Back down drive it up, lean over bow and hook it or hop off and hook it and winch the last couple feet. Leave the motor running and in gear when you get down. Simple.

You guys have to understand that up here in the Northeast, especially in NJ, there are only a limited number of launch ramps and (literally) thousands of boaters using them every day in the summer. So I'd have to tie up to the dock, walk far away to get my truck, wait in line to use the ramp, back down, then walk over to my boat, start it up and ....hopefully... drive it on in the first try... then get out of the boat, tie it up, get into =my truck and drive it up the ramp...all the while incurring the hateful looks of other boaters that are waiting to either launch or retrieve their boats.... Much easier to just pull the boat onto the trailer with the winch and drive away... less maneuvering = less time spent on the ramp. It's a little crowded around here.

Ive got a power winch on my trailer( no name on it) but I just use the hand crank on the side of it. When I got the boat trailer it was already on it and the PO said it didnt work. I removed the cover and found some broken wires and fixed them. It works fine but I've never run the wires to the back of the truck. Like Destroyer Ive got industrial connectors for the hookup, just need to take time to hook it up. When loading my V, I usually back the trailer about 2/3 into the water and use the bow rope to guide and pull it all the way on except maybe two feet. Hand crank it the rest of the way up. Friend of mine use to drive his on, came in one day and hit the keel roller bracket and tore the keel all to hell. Took me a week to fiberglass and gelcoat it to get it back right for him.

The way I launch is very quick......... using the stem of the trailer, and the bow line set in a triangle around the bow cleats. Anyway, I wrap the line on the trailer stem, then let the boat just roll off the rollers in a slow controlled release by taking a loop off the line till it starts to slip.

Several times a season I hear " wow, you must have done this a few times" ...........

It's the cranking back up where I could use a power winch because I don't submerge my trailer wheels......the rear axle water only to just below the hub if possible.

Sure I can still crank a boat up no problemo, but there are hot days when I'd rather push a button !!

I do almost the same thing for launching. Only difference is I hook the line to the bow eye. I might try that triangle thing you mentioned.

And yes, on hot days when you're tired from a long day on the water, pulling a string or pushing a button is SOOOOOooooooooo much easier. I'll leave the cranking to the young guys.