2 speed self tailing size 52 or better winch recommendation desired :)

[Seeratlas]

Title says it all. Anyone got an opinion on the current offerings? Would like one that isn't a kitchen soup combination of dissimilar metals looking to simulate a battery in seawater

On my previous boat had good luck with Barients but checking to see if anyone is up on the current crop available out there.

Thanks in advance for your opinions.

seer

[senormechanico]

Previous boat had Barients. I love them. They would handle almost any size line, but they needed polishing to look presentable. Annual maintenance was no big deal as my wife was the winch wench. She loved the job!
Our current boat has Andersen SS winches. They are bulletproof, but don't take kindly to different line sizes. I have to tail my main halyard even if it's in the tailer (although it's a very hard surfaced low stretch line).
IMHO, they're very low maintenance. I took them apart last summer and they looked fine even before cleaning and disassembly.

Steve B.

[Seeratlas]

I saw a reference to a mag winch test sometime last year that concluded the Andersen's were the top choice, but man, are they expensive LOL. I was looking at the aussie guys who took over barient/barlow and now put out the Hutton/Arco brand. There's are substantially less, and carry a lifetime warranty. Any aussies or kiwis here that know the Hutton winches?

seer

[Boracay]

I visited the Arco factory last year.

Short report with photos here.

Windlass seems to work fine but no chance to seriously test it yet.

They did sell me a relay to raise as well as lower the anchor and then later told me that most installations use the winch to raise only.

Engineering is very solid and conservative.

[44'cruisingcat]

We've had Arco 45's for seven years now. No problems whatever. I like that the self tailing jaws aren't made of plastic, they are still exactly like new. I checked out an Andersen winch recently, and while they are a bit nicer than the Arco's - they spin more smoothly, I'm not sure they are worth the price difference.

[Pblais]

On my previous boat had good luck with Barients but checking to see if anyone is up on the current crop available out there.

Barients were nce. Lewmar bought them for the self tailing patent. They are no longer made. Bronze cut gears last a very very long time if clean and lightly greased.

Would like one that isn't a kitchen soup combination of dissimilar metals looking to simulate a battery in seawater

I'm not aware of any winches made that would fall in to that category. The modern Lewmars look mostly like the last newer Barients before they were bought out. The basic design of all winches use the same gear concepts. So long as you get a bronze gear box I can't think of any other serious requirement. Andersen offers a SS gear box, but I'm not convinced it's a clear better way to go. The outer shells come in an assortment of materials. I personally prefer SS shells. The lower gear track of the shell mates to the lower driver gear on the winch. The issue of dissimilar metals there I don't see as an issue. My 16 year old Barients show almost no wear on the teeth. Even the delrin rollers seem to be as good as new.

At this point the really nasty issue is price. 52's are not a cheap trip to the store.

The problem with all winches is they use machine cut gears. These all have to be manuafactured. Cutting gears is an expensive operation.

[Joli]

We have had good luck with our Harkens self tailing 3 speed 98's. No problems to date.

The HUTTON-ARCO Yacht Winches look like nice winches along the design line of the old Barients. Buy what you like because chances are you will have them for the life of the boat.

[Pblais]

The old Barients had one feature not duplicated and that was the spring loaded tailing collar that adjusts to the line diameter. It was the only thing Lewmar wanted aside from buying out the market share.