Gators rope cutters

[rwakeham]

I have done a search on PBO and found lots about rope cutters. I have been recommended a Gators rope cutter to go on my Fisher 30. I can find no comments on previous posts. Does anyone have one ?

Web site is: Prop Protect

Thanks

 

[eyehavit]

It looks like a Stripper clone so could be classified as a scissor cutter.
There are now three distinct cutting technologies used for commercially successful rope-cutters.
You could do well to read this short paper.
www.quicKutter.com and follow the relevant links.

 

[jon]

Sailing Today October 2000 did an excellent review of rope cutters,the Stripper was best buy, Pro Protector performed well and is much cheaper. I decided on the Gators, very similar to Stripper but teeth shape I considered to be better as more chance of rope being retained as cut through. Also very well engineered.

 

[pvb]

Richard, you might usefully have mentioned....

Richard, you might usefully have mentioned your commercial interest in the Quickutter!

 

[eyehavit]

Re: Richard, you might usefully have mentioned....

My information and interest are declared. But who are you?

 

[pvb]

Re: Richard, you might usefully have mentioned....

Just a consumer.

 

[discoduck]

Hi
Go for Srripper. You are buying top quality s/ steel and machining.Remember these cutters rev at 2000 plus.You only get what you pay for.Only a consumer

 

[Colvic Watson]

Re: Richard, you might usefully have mentioned....

Does anyone have any experiece of the Compass branded rope cutters? It's just that at £70 they are a darn sight cheaper. And before anyone says 'you get what you pay for' that argument has kept marine prices sky high for years! If anyone has used the Compass ones (or a similar design) i'd love to know. www.compass24.com.

 

[TigaWave]

Only the disk cutters and scissor cutters rotate with the shaft, shaver cutters are fixed.
Trouble with cutters is, as an individual liesure boat user I believe it is difficult to asses their effectiveness or long term reliability or vulnerability.
As a supplier of cutters I would suggest that people talk to fishermen, they are in the practice of catching ropes frequently and can tell you from experience if there are any drawbacks or advantages of different approaches to this on going problem. Failing that a marine engineer, naval architect or stern gear supplier will give an unbiased opinion as to the merits of the three very different approaches.
Neil

 

[dickh]

The compass one is a disc cutter which is why it's so cheap. Very easy to make. All the disc cutters fared badly in all the tests compared to the Ambassador Stripper. the Spurs and other scissor type cutters. The quickutter looks interesting. I've had the Stripper on a previous boat and never picked up a rope that I knew about. My current boat has a disc type fitted - don't know whether it's effectieve yet.

 

[eyehavit]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi
Go for Srripper. You are buying top quality s/ steel and machining.Remember these cutters rev at 2000 plus.You only get what you pay for.Only a consumer

[/ QUOTE ]

Hold that thought Discoduck.
1) What do you think the others make their products out of - plasticine?
2) What is the big deal about 2,000 rpm? I speak authoritively only for quicKutters because I make them. As long as your shaft, bearings & drive assembly can take it, 10,000rpm is a walk in the park for quicKutter.

 

[Noggin80]

I have a busted one, just the blade, broken off where the narrow bit joins the hub, found on a slipway in the west country, it looks like a gator but has no name on it so it might be cloned clone. The gator is not a Stripper clone but a spurs clone with the same "Upside Down" blades, narrow at the base and wide at the tip (fan shaped). He didn`t copy the patented spurs ramps on the tips of their blades. According to the spurs patent these ramps prevent the blades from crossing over and locking when the tips meet, clever idea IMHO.

The spurs patent makes no mention of trapping the rope as a design feature and anyone who has had a rope fouled, will know only too well the rope winds itself very tightly around the shaft.

He did clone my teeth I imagine to improve its appearance. I watched him fitting his first one on his squadron, (Yes I was really there watching) but he got stuck when he came to the striker plate. I went over to see him and he told me he had just won a high court action against Ambassador Marine (That`s my outfit) but before I could tell him who I was and that I had never been near a lawyer he volunteered me a leaflet. The leaflet then, as now, claimed 5 years field testing when it was obviously not even 5 minutes. I have to say I had a good giggle and still do.

 

[pvb]

A gem of a post!

I had a giggle too.

 

[PaulR]

was doing my research last year and visited the gators people whilst in area-very friendly but for us deciding factor was that of the 2 best known (ie spurs and stripper) both of which seem to be well established and been around for some time! and widely recommended, the spurs would fit in the gap between our p bracket and prop hub without needing a spacer so easier and cheaper - fitted it earlier this month - hardest part drilling the 3 mounting holes in our stainless p bracket - got there in the end but not easy, having had fouled prop too many times certainly hope it will make a very positive difference!