deep denial
Member
Hello. Any views on whether it is worth paying the extra for Anderson ST winches, over and above the cheaper Harken, Lewmar etc alternatives? Thanks in advance
Anderson winches - worth the money?
- Thread starter deep denial
- Start date
vyv_cox
Well-known member
I had some years ago when they were cheaper than the opposition. Since then I have owned many Lewmar ones, now cheaper judging by your post. I assume this is simply a result of financial exchange rates, rather than superior quality. All my Lewmar ones are fine, remain in good condition cosmetically and work well.
npf1
Active member
IMHO, the Andersen ones still look very good after many, many years of service. Mine are approx 18 years old and still look fantastic. If I spent 5 minutes on each with a polishing machine and replaced the plastic top ring, I reckon they'd be almost indistinguishable from new, unlike the couple of chrome winches I also have which are beginning to show their age (as do many anodised ones I've seen) and would be very expensive to re chrome to a high standard. I guess only really worth the extra if you want/need the longevity and/or and aesthetics are high on your agenda.
Talulah
Well-known member
I like the look of the Andersons but I've never used one.
I have Lewmar winches which are fine after many years.
Having used the later Harkens on other boats I would not buy them. In my experience the diagonal grips loose too much grip for a slight slackening off of the rope. I much prefer a textured surface.
If I was buying new winches Andersons would be on my list but in the back of my mind I would be thinking I can get Lewmar spares all over the place and since I wouldn't be replacing all the winches at once I would now be carrying two brands of parts. With one brand some of the components may be interchangeable.
Another vote for Andersons would be the electric conversion. Motorizing an Anderson winch looks neat. So if down the years I need some added muscle I could be wishing I had gone for the Anderson.
I have Lewmar winches which are fine after many years.
Having used the later Harkens on other boats I would not buy them. In my experience the diagonal grips loose too much grip for a slight slackening off of the rope. I much prefer a textured surface.
If I was buying new winches Andersons would be on my list but in the back of my mind I would be thinking I can get Lewmar spares all over the place and since I wouldn't be replacing all the winches at once I would now be carrying two brands of parts. With one brand some of the components may be interchangeable.
Another vote for Andersons would be the electric conversion. Motorizing an Anderson winch looks neat. So if down the years I need some added muscle I could be wishing I had gone for the Anderson.
JumbleDuck
Well-known member
I have Anderson STs for my sheet winches. As far as I know they are originals from 1986 and they seem to be holding up very well indeed. Individual parts availability here doesn't seem to be great, but Seateach do overhaul kits which don't seem too expensive.
PetiteFleur
Well-known member
I also have Andersen ST winches and they are excellent. However I did buy them v cheap from an auction(£50 for 2 x 46's) they had been salvaged from a sunken yacht and were full of sand. Spent a pleasant couple of evenings cleaning them up, fitted new pawls & springs and they still look like new. Probably oversized for my boat but does make winching very easy. Checked them again a couple of years ago and are still in excellent condition. If I remember correctly the pawls were Lewmar and identical.
AndrewB
Well-known member
Andersen winches are well worth the differential. After 12 years, I threw away my Lewmars. The aluminium of the drums was disintegrating so that the assembly bolts wouldn't screw down properly, the pawl bearers were damaged and the pawls didn't work smoothly, and the winch bearings were getting clogged by the aluminium oxide goo. Another 10 years on, and the Andersens look and work every bit as good as the day they were bought. Mind you, this is with a yacht in non-stop use, perhaps Lewmars would be OK with lighter use, and the old bronze versions seem to go on forever.
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aluijten
New member
We've got a few on our boat (7 in total) in the range from 28 to 52 and they are really working well. They grab the line like no other winch I've used. The stainless steel keeps the shine forever. So they look nice and work well. The winch handles that came with the winches look pathetic and the locking mechanism is a nuisance to operate. In the mean time we bought some proper ones.
The only disappointment I had is when I found out that on of the big ones has some broken off gear-teeth inside the drum itself. As I did not own the boat from new I cannot say what happened to it for sure but I do have a strong suspicion it was a fabrication fault in the gear ring that is welded to the drum.
Andersen was very helpful and quick to send me a new part (drum), but it did came with an significant invoice.
Hope this helps...
The only disappointment I had is when I found out that on of the big ones has some broken off gear-teeth inside the drum itself. As I did not own the boat from new I cannot say what happened to it for sure but I do have a strong suspicion it was a fabrication fault in the gear ring that is welded to the drum.
Andersen was very helpful and quick to send me a new part (drum), but it did came with an significant invoice.
Hope this helps...
choppy
Member
We have 4 2 x st & 2 x normal all look as new and work well with minimum maintenance (stripped once since 07 when we bought her a '98 boat -