Electric drill winch bit

MQMurphy · Post by **MQMurphy** » Tue May 16, 2006 7:54 pm

Is it just me - or does anyone else think that this is the most asinine "invention" ever?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NO-HANDL ... dZViewItem

Sorry if that link doesn't work - I'll try to fix it.

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Tue May 16, 2006 8:01 pm

yep. I know a hunter 37 that went that route. and I mean he SERIOUSLY went that route. He doubled his house bank and installed an inverter to run the right-angle drill.

His argument is that, though he spent a big chunk of money, it delayed him spending an even bigger chunk of money by delaying the purchase of the next boat with electric winches and in-mast furling, etc.

two words: Power Boat.

MQMurphy · Post by **MQMurphy** » Tue May 16, 2006 8:08 pm

Yahoo - sounds like fun: heeled over in a wet cockpit with a right-angle AC drill in my hands! :-0

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Tue May 16, 2006 8:18 pm

no no, hunter 37.
Even at 40degrees of heel it still has 3' of freeboard on the leeward side.
Plus the HUGE dodger.
Plus the whole thing where the engine automatically starts whenever the anemometer reads higher than 15knots....

That's one dry cockpit. ;)

MQMurphy · Post by **MQMurphy** » Tue May 16, 2006 8:46 pm

Arf! Seeing things from my 24'-centric universe . . .

kendall · Post by **kendall** » Tue May 16, 2006 9:45 pm

wouldnt want to see an electric drill go overboard!

Is it just me or are there tons of labor saving devices coming out for 'easy' tasks now?

Guy at work has a pencil sharpener that fits in a drill motor, by the time he has it chucked up and ready to sharpen a pencil, I'm already coping the part he was trying to mark.

ken.

Duncan · Post by **Duncan** » Tue May 16, 2006 9:59 pm

Yes, and the power requirements on the floating condos are getting pretty serious, considering they have everything a shoreside apartment does, plus a watermaker. This is not to mention all the interfaced microprocessors - pretty soon, you'll just program the whole trip into the laptop, and it will bring itself into the next marina.

Post by **Tim** » Wed May 17, 2006 5:56 am

Do any electric or cordless drills really have the torque required to spin a winch like this under heavy load?

It seems like the 1' winch handle moment arm has a significant impact on the ability to turn the winch. Some of these tools are powerful, but the loads on a winch on any reasonably-sized boat would seem far greater. But then I have no real idea what sort of actual torque or force is required to turn a winch. (And if you happen to know, it goes in the "Boat Nerdery" section for sure!)

Maybe this would work on a MacGregor 26.

I have to give the "inventor" credit for this thing, even though I think it's ridiculous. I bet he sells a fair number, though--probably mostly to well-meaning relatives buying gifts for their boating nephew, or whatever. Let me guess...I bet it doesn't cost him anywhere near $39.95 to have this thing made. Capitalism at its finest...all he needs is dumb consumers. I can't imagine where he'd find any of those. (groan)

Figment wrote:yep. I know a hunter 37 that went that route. and I mean he SERIOUSLY went that route. He doubled his house bank and installed an inverter to run the right-angle drill.

His argument is that, though he spent a big chunk of money, it delayed him spending an even bigger chunk of money by delaying the purchase of the next boat with electric winches and in-mast furling, etc.

I bet he'd get along great with Beer Guy. They're probably already slip neighbors.

kendall wrote:Is it just me or are there tons of labor saving devices coming out for 'easy' tasks now?

No, it's not just you. The labor-saving market is big business; it's all supposed to make everyone so much more "productive".

In reality, it's more like your own experience: the labor-saving deivce takes so long to find, prepare, and set up that unless all you did was that single task with the device, you waste far more time than save...thereby causing one to look for yet another magical device to save them even more time!

People would get a lot more done and have more time for themselves if they'd just get working and stop looking for ways to get out of working.

Ric in Richmond · Post by **Ric in Richmond** » Wed May 17, 2006 7:48 am

I love grinding!!!

High gear grind grind grind.....low gear....grind...tweak tweak tweak..the sounds of the sheets snugging up and the boat leaning her shoulder into it....the water coming closer......and away we go...

MQMurphy · Post by **MQMurphy** » Wed May 17, 2006 8:17 am

Tim - when you posted that photo I realized that when the battery goes dead you've got a $180 Milwaukee winch handle. Non-locking, non-floating.

Jason K · Post by **Jason K** » Wed May 17, 2006 10:16 am

FROM THE AD:

It's much better than an electric winch, because it's always where you need it.

I wonder where they keep their winches.

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Wed May 17, 2006 6:39 pm

People would get a lot more done and have more time for themselves if they'd just get working and stop looking for ways to get out of working.

Gosh, you really are a Mainer...

-Britton

Post by **Tim** » Wed May 17, 2006 7:46 pm

#218 wrote:FROM THE AD:
It's much better than an electric winch, because it's always where you need it.

I wonder where they keep their winches.

You mean you don't take your winches off and store them below when not in use? It only takes an hour or two.

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Wed May 17, 2006 7:48 pm

Tim wrote: I bet he'd get along great with Beer Guy. They're probably already slip neighbors.

Kitty-corner across the dock, actually.
Nah, not bosom-buddies by any means. They both just happened to listen to the same dockside "electrical expert".

That's a whole other rant.

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Wed May 17, 2006 11:50 pm

Tim wrote: You mean you don't take your winches off and store them below when not in use? It only takes an hour or two.

That's the second time I've laughed out loud while catching up on the board tonight. Hee hee! Perfect timing, too, after a 12-hour day at work. I hear it was a lovely day. I could confirm it IF I HAD windows at work. But I don't.

--- Rachel

There must be a parts department somewhere with windows, no?

Summersdawn · Post by **Summersdawn** » Thu May 18, 2006 7:51 pm

no no, hunter 37.
Even at 40degrees of heel it still has 3' of freeboard on the leeward side.
Plus the HUGE dodger.

I think we are taking a huge assumption here - a hunter 37 under sail?

Do any electric or cordless drills really have the torque required to spin a winch like this under heavy load?

I don't think it matters - it's really just something to have on board to brag about...

MQMurphy · Post by **MQMurphy** » Thu May 18, 2006 8:02 pm

I keep seeing those things on eBay, and I never bothered to click on them before because they just seemed so stupid. It is depressing - I guess there are people buying them. They'll make their way to the absolute bottom of the tool bucket and start to rust . . .

Plastic Classic Forum

Electric drill winch bit

Electric drill winch bit

seen too many handles go overboard