Short rant on prices on winch handles nowadays.
Posted by dwkfym@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 88 comments
I remember when these were under 30 dollars. 71 dollars on one of the cheapest web stores in the world, before you add in 11 dollars or so for shipping. Retail, they are close to 100 dollars. There is really not much to these winch handles. I am really surprised that chinese manufacturers haven't copied them and put 'em up on Aliexpress yet. If there is one sailing bloatware product that deserves to be knocked-off, its winch handles.
chisailor@reddit
Praise be west marine pro accounts
dwkfym@reddit (OP)
I have one, discount isn't that great. but then again I have a low tier pro account.
chisailor@reddit
dwkfym@reddit (OP)
wow, that is quite good. at that price, I'll only grumble a little bit and go buy one.
chisailor@reddit
Depends on your spend. We regularly hit 25-30k a year and it's pretty great at that tier. 50% off VC17 for example (the bottom paint we use in the great lakes). Most west marine branded things are at least 50% off. I just got a $1875 anchor for $450.
dwkfym@reddit (OP)
it sounds like... i could use a hookup. LOL
my discount is good for things like fasteners and chemicals, but for sailing hardware it isn't that great. I actually lost online access to my account but I should at least go in store and check on the pricing.
TriXandApple@reddit
I don't really understand, these are single purchase items. Buy 3 lewmar onetouches and they'll last forever.
Federal_Cobbler6647@reddit
Not in racing boats. Handle to winch interface tends to wear down and loosen. We have had to throw them away because they are not secure enough in winch anymore.
Nearby_Maize_913@reddit
same here. HArd to know what to do with a wobbly winch handle when its all done.
supereh@reddit
We intentionally remove the lock mechanism on ours. More swimming of handle, and less of me.
Federal_Cobbler6647@reddit
It was not lock, but octagonal head itself. Handle was floppy in winch :D
supereh@reddit
Yah. So take the lock off, that’s the hard metal that bangs it all up. While fumbling. The rest meshes much gentler without it.
mrchin12@reddit
Our jib trimmer fractured his forearm from one snapping back last season. It's cause all the pawl springs were broken in the drum but it's also one of the least maintained boats being actively raced.
dwkfym@reddit (OP)
this doesn't happen often enough to justify the choice between lightweight and heavyweight winch handles, but its one of the reasons to get a lightweight plastic one.
n0exit@reddit
Sure until your throws one overboard.
dwkfym@reddit (OP)
I like how you left the subject in that sentence missing, because it could be anyone. your dog, your crew, your partner, your alter ego when you're really frustrated, etc.. lol
n0exit@reddit
I initially wrote "crew", but there's was another typo and when fixed that one, I made another.
I don't use the floating ones. They seem flimsy, and if one goes over when I'm racing, and it's always when I'm racing, I'm not going back for it anyway.
silverfstop@reddit
I prefer the red plastic ones because they’re less damaging to gel coat when dropped or roughly handled during racing. I’ve never retrieved one that went OB, and I’ve never had one fail in the last 20 years of racing 80+ days/year.
dwkfym@reddit (OP)
this exactly. I prefer these to more expensive ones, which I actually have a few of.
n0exit@reddit
My boat is as old as beat up as me.
spongue@reddit
For a budget boater that's still a lot of money
silverfstop@reddit
Agreed. About once a decade we give one to Neptune, otherwise they kinda last forever.
Mehfisto666@reddit
I get out of this by tributing screwdrivers monthly, so far i got to keep the handles
ExtraTallBoy@reddit
As is tradition.
dwkfym@reddit (OP)
yeah, I'm gonna be happy about spending a hundred bucks on a piece of plastic just because I only have to buy them once per boat.
TriXandApple@reddit
1) Winch handles go with you, not with the boat.
2) Not sure why you're talking about cheap plastic when I'm talking about die cast and machined parts.
dwkfym@reddit (OP)
Actually, I'm not sure why you're talking about more expensive ones because those are not what I'm complaining about.
WaterChicken007@reddit
When I bought my boat, the former owner took a few nice pieces from it. Like the fancy winch handles. I now have cheap winch handles that he left. He also took the outboard for the dinghy. And a couple of other small items. You don’t have to leave it all on the boat if you don’t want. As long as it is clear what comes with the boat and what doesn’t.
pab_guy@reddit
That is industrial strength plastic, not the same cheap plastic used in kids toys.
Cptawesome23@reddit
Gotta buy em from another country. Try one with a big fish industry like Taiwan.
Lord-of_the-files@reddit
I just bought a One Touch for $40 on sale at West. Probably the only time I've got a good deal from there.
pdq_sailor@reddit
For less than this you can buy used real winch handles
katrk824@reddit
One of these blew up on me last year while putting my main up
TenYearHangover@reddit
Imagine how long the ones from TEMU would last
dwkfym@reddit (OP)
probably the same - usually its the same factories sell those unbranded.
audentis@reddit
Same factory doesn't say much if they use different materials, tolerances, machines, you name it.
Sometimes the B brand is everything that didn't meet the A brand's tolerances, sometimes the B brand is produced under the same roof but by different staff on different machines with different materials.
Pattern_Is_Movement@reddit
This is false. There is no incentive to make a product to the same standards (tolerances, QC inspections, material quality etc) when there is no brand recognition.
It doesn't matter if it's made in the same building, they will make all manner of the same products to wildly different quality levels depending on the requirements of the contract, and that is true even for name brand items, much less throwaway brands from Temu etc.
This urban myth "they are all made in the same place anyway" needs to die. It's convenient surface level thinking.
dwkfym@reddit (OP)
do you have direct experiences? I do. its hit or miss for the reasons you speak of, but you can find very good products if you find the right source. also, a lot of the branded ones are just ones they slap on a brand name on something already made in china. I used to do this for a living in a different industry (manufacturing and importation of products)
StatisticalMan@reddit
Hit or miss is fine for usb charging cable not essential gear.
Shhheeeesshh@reddit
It’s almost always terrible for usb cables 😅 that’s the number one consumable on my cruising boat that shouldn’t be.
anmd@reddit
You can be upset all you want, but Lewmar's stuff is still made in Havant.
TenYearHangover@reddit
Sometimes that’s the case. Other times, it isn’t and they’re sub standard knockoffs. Not something I’m going to risk for a critical piece of gear.
dwkfym@reddit (OP)
you should have a few on your boat. In my case, I have heavy duty chromed bronze ones already as a back up. Its really not a big deal trying out cheap ones to see how well they do.
dwkfym@reddit (OP)
yeah, they do break! I had one break on me too.
Pretend_College_8446@reddit
But they float!
thetalkingcure@reddit
so get as cheap as you can find so it breaks on you when you need it
dwkfym@reddit (OP)
I really hate how smartass this sub is.
1. I have heavy duty backups but highly prefer lightweight winch handles
2. I had a set that lasted 8 years and going strong, thousands and thousands of miles on them. Stored outside. went from mid atlantic to the tropics, etc. they don't break that easy.
cruisinbears@reddit
Yep, I had the Amazon version ones that were like $50 for 2, stored outside in the cockpit in SoCal and lasted years. When one failed you could see the flex in the plastic before it cracked and breaking it was more for my satisfaction.
And I also have stainless backups, however these are good for taking from the cockpit to the mast in your pocket and if they do fall overboard they can be easily recovered.
Raneynickelfire@reddit
"My experience is different than yours, so you're a dumbass!" - You.
If that's the part of this sub that you hate, stop being a part of it.
DippityDamn@reddit
he was making a joke. maybe you're autistic?
Blue-Eyed_Triathlete@reddit
Lmao, no thanks. I'll stick to my non-plastic real one. Yep
millijuna@reddit
Hmm. We’ve had ours for probably 30 years now.
katrk824@reddit
Mine was probably that old. Came with my boat
STAXOBILLS@reddit
Had that happen to me a few years ago with an ancient one that I had found in a shed as one of the kids on my boat dropped the actual one over board. Got fed up and welded the gear from the one that broke to a piece of steel tube that I cut and welded a handle on to. Might have been heavy but it worked great
permalink_child@reddit
I bought a “Five Oceans” brand handle in 2020. I like it.
8” version is $49 on Amazon.
dwkfym@reddit (OP)
you have to order the lalizas from overseas, which now come with tariffs too. the 8 inch version is too small for my boat. (I've also owned a five oceans branded one before)
permalink_child@reddit
Yep. The 10” Lalizas comes out to $36.90 if one includes the shipping.
Beelzabub@reddit
Just rake the bottom of the marina. There's hundreds of them down there.
Pretend_College_8446@reddit
I just found 2 of these on a boat that’s going to be crushed in a week. And an aluminum one and a chrome one. Crazy the things people throw away
fourbetshove@reddit
What my dad wouldn’t have done for one of these back in the 70’s when I dropped his brass one in the drink! Sorry pops.
IanSan5653@reddit
I got all my winch handles from the local marine salvage yard. Every boat they salvage has a few handles onboard, and handles last forever. Mine are all metal Lewmar handles I paid $20/each for. Also check Facebook Marketplace.
Grumpy-Man19@reddit
everything marine is twice as expensive. I just heard of a windlass for $7K.
PresenceLeft2074@reddit
There’s a tax for letting it go overboard.
supereh@reddit
The ones on Amazon explode. Do not recommend the knockoffs.
Horror-Implement-722@reddit
I've found about 20 of these in my time working in a Marina... I generally hand them out as spot prizes when I see them falling off boats when im racing... I see a splash, go up get changed grab one from the bucket and hand it to the skipper... I usually get handed a pint...
spongue@reddit
Totally agree. I have one of these, and that is the extent of my winch handle collection. It's a chunk of plastic. The profit margin must be insane
StatisticalMan@reddit
The flipside is winches essentially last forever. They make up for that with stupidly expensive handles.
dwkfym@reddit (OP)
they do wear out especially if you don't do proper maintenance on them
spongue@reddit
I mean, the winches aren't cheap either
greatlakesailors@reddit
Winch pricing is weird. There's retail list, which looks absurd. Then there's what you pay if you call the distributor to say "I'm fitting out a boat, here's a list of 72 pieces of sailboat hardware, quote the batch please" which is more reasonable. And then there's what you pay if you say "I'm a buyer for a production builder and I need 300 of this, 600 of that, etc. for the next year" which is a fraction of either of the above.... and still reflects a fair profit above root cost.
strictnaturereserve@reddit
listen the plastic covers for an instruments 6inches by 4 inches is €50
Everything on a boat is expensive
Honestly I surprised it is not over a hundred.
Mav3r1ck77@reddit
Can’t even afford to go wenching these days. We are truly on hard times.
permalink_child@reddit
Such a thing as “wench handles”?
millijuna@reddit
When they cost $30, that was what, 25 years ago? That’s roughly $70 in today’s dollars.
We’ve got one, it’s lasted 30 years or so. Even at $100, that’s not a bad deal.
dwkfym@reddit (OP)
IIRC I paid 30 dollars about 8 years ago
Westar-35@reddit
The pictured winch handle is a massive pile of poo btw…
FlorinSays@reddit
well. it could be worse: https://www.oltrevela.com/en/hkb10bl-harken-bronze-lock-in-winch-handle-254mm-for-efficient-cranking-in-racing-and-cruising-harken-4
dwkfym@reddit (OP)
I actually have a few bronze non-locking ones on my boat. I don't like heavy winch handles.
the-montser@reddit
All my winch handles are from Facebook marketplace.
t-ride@reddit
Do not buy these plastic POS handles. I had 1 and completely destroyed it in 30 days. They are garbage and surprised if no one has gotten injured from them. We’re all on a budget. You can find some good steel or aluminum ones used online.
dwkfym@reddit (OP)
How? I've broken one before. 1 out of 17+ years of using plastic handles. That one was old as f and suffered sun damage over the years.
TenYearHangover@reddit
Or, you know, just don’t dump them overboard so much.
Stygg_Varg@reddit
How rude
SG_87@reddit
My Winch handle is from 1982... Like how do you break those things?
porttackapproach2@reddit
One touch or bust!
oogaboogaman_3@reddit
Why are you gettting floating handles?
dawa43@reddit
It goes on a boat... The price goes up...
No matter what it is, the boat version costs more
captain-cowboy@reddit
Any marine consignment near you? They usually have a bucket of these guys.