Hi. Has anyone tried using the Milwaukee M28 Angle Drill and Winchbit combo with a non self-tailing winch. (which is what I have for my halyard winch on my 26).
Ken Julian
“Idyll Hours” NS26C #9
Fredericton,NB,Can.
No reason why it wouldn’t work as long as you have someone to tail the halyard.
Joe
Ns26c# 156
Ken:
We’ve used them with our Barient halyard winch for the past 12 years without a hitch. Although our winch is self-tailing, I don’t see why they wouldn’t work with a non-self tailing winch, although it would be a bit more awkward. For us, they have been a most useful enhancement to the boat.
Richard Fried
Melita NS36 #2
Marblehead, MA
Right. I do quite a bit of single -handing so that might take some acrobatics…
You might find the rubber winchers to be a useful addition...the Milwaulkee
has quite a bit of torque...I make sure mine is leashed.
Joe
NS26C #156
Yes, everyone seems to love them on self-tailers.
Great idea. I’ve heard those aren’t well regarded for use with sheet lines because they don’t hold that well, but they might cause enough friction to get my halyard up and cleated. Thanks!
Ken:
I don’t know if this would be helpful, but I may have a couple of self-tailing Barient winches I lifted off my boat years ago. As I recall, they’re intact and in good shape. I’m not sure of their sizes, but one was larger and the other smaller.
Perhaps, you might wish to replace your existing winch with a self-tailing winch of the same or similar size. If so, let me know what size winch you have and I’ll check to see what I have. The winches are in storage with the boat, so I won’t be able to access them for another month or so until the ice melts in Maine.
If you want one of the winches I have, it’s yours for the shipping cost, whatever it may be.
Richard Fried
Melita, NS36 #2
Marblehead, MA
I use a small but torquey Hilti drill and Winchbit on my Lewmar #16 single-speed S/T halyard winch. A life saver, to say the least. Any drill/Winchbit combo would mechanically grind any winch but, without S/T, someone has to tail. I have had very poor luck with thos rubber winchers, actually. The line slips out of them … arrghhhh.
Personally, I would never use a drill/Winchbit combo any ANY other line on my boat except for the halyard. Truth is, I almost never crank the mainsheet winch - I just harden up, tighten the line as it loosens and bear off (but this wouldn’t work for racers, I don’t think). I’ve never winched a reef line and only mildly winch the choker, sometimes.
But, she’s a smaller boat so …
Ernie A. in Toronto
Been using the combo for years, single-handed always. M28 is 10 lbs, heavy, but made a mount from standard wood sizes, fits as a saddle over hatch slide, holds drill at proper angle so drill is not “hanging” cantilever like from the winch. Tailing, using a “wincher”, works well, but is not something to forget, as doing so results in an unbelievable tangle. Can leave it in the support until boat is fully trimmed, the remove an place in a bag hanging below. Works like a power winch.
Carl Linkinhoker
NS26C, 146, Break of Day
Mayfield, NewYork
Thanks for all the great ideas and offers!
Ernie, you got me thinking about switching my mainsheet ST winch for my halyard but if Richard is willing to donate one to the “cause” I’ll probably go with that.
Richard, thank you for your generous offer! The manual calls for a size 19 ST or 18 regular. If you have anything close to that I would love to get it from you when things warm up.
Carl, it sounds like you have a great set up. So you have a regular winch with a wincher then? Any pics?
Ken Julian
“Idyll Hours” NS36C
Fredericton,NB, Can.
I use a winch-bit attached to an 18" breaker bar for my main halyard. Works fine on my 30C. Stows easily and never needs recharging. Tides track probably helps.
Bob D
Nice. Simple and I’m sure effective with that amount of leverage.
I bought a Kobalt 1/2" standard high torque drill to try out on my halyard winch. My mast is fitted with a Tides system. Only been out once so far, but the drill took the main up with ease. I suspect the battery will be good for quite some time, but I plan to buy extras for a longer cruise. Based on the Winchbit specs, the drill should be at least 1,100 ft in of torque. The drill I bought is 1,200 and seems to be plenty for my main. I am also adding Lewmar line stoppers for the halyard, topping lift, and chocker line. I’m thinking I should be able to handle the reef lines manually.
Ron Weber
N22 Magic Time
Punta Gorda Fl
Ron -
Your Kobalt should, indeed, work like a charm. My Hilti (same torque running at lowest speed) zips my sail up in 6 - 7 seconds on my N22. It did the same to my buddy’s former boat, an NS26. My standard duty Hilti battery holds lots of charge and is rarely near the charger.
Ernie A. in Toronto
Aren’t the Kobalt and Hilti have only a 3/8” chuck, not the 1/2” chuck needed to fit the Winchbit, and that, as far as I know, the big Milwaukee drill has the 1/2”?
Howard Wright
NS26 Merrythought
My Hilti has a 1/2" chuck and the Winchbit drops right in. I don’t know about the Kobalt but if it is a hi-torque unit, I’m certain that it is 1/2".
Ernie A. in Toronto
I use a Sear’s 28v drill in reverse with the original large bronze Australian winch, 5 hoists per charge from the 12v input charger. Using reverse gives 2x torque. The Wincher rubber self tailing adapter grips the 3/8” Dimex halyard just fine.
Richard Lane
Ns26c #35 Swoose
Port Townsend
I also use a regular Sears hand drill with a winchbit for raising the halyard and also for on board projects. It works great for raising the halyard. I believe the drill you use just needs a minimum of 440 inch pounds of torque to work but, won’t break anything if something hangs up.
Mike
BIANKA
1986 30U
biankablog.blogspot.com
I use a Sear’s 28v drill in reverse with the original large bronze Australian winch, 5 hoists per charge from the 12v input charger. Using reverse gives 2x torque. The Wincher rubber self tailing adapter grips the 3/8” Dimex halyard just fine.
Richard Lane
Ns26c #35 Swoose
Port Townsend
Good to know, Mike. You don’t have a problem with clearance with your dodger using a regular drill?
Dick, glad to hear you find the wincher on a regular winch works well because that would be the simplest and cheapest option for me. So I was going to try that first.
Cheers,
Ken Julian
Idyll Hours NS26C #9
Fredericton, NB,Can.