Electric Winch Cranker

Please see my update at the bottom of this post before ordering!

I’m a lazy bum! Well, maybe not really, but I do attempt to make sailing aboard Priorities as easy and comfortable as much as I reasonably can.

Sometimes sailing can be hard work, though, especially when shorthanded or solo. Grinding a winch to raise the mainsail or trim in our overlapping jib is one of the first things to come to mind.

Permanently installed electric powered winches are awesome, making hoisting or trimming a large sail more of a mental exercise than a physical one. But at a cost of well over $1000 per winch, multiplied by three or four winches, they get expensive.

We’ve had excellent results with a more affordable electric winch grinder. I use and highly recommend The Ultimate Cranker attached to a Milwaukee Tools M28 Right Angle Drill. A dock neighbor suggested it eight years ago when I bought Priorities, and I heeded his advice.

It’s made a HUGE difference in our enjoyment of the boat! We have a traditional (non furling) mainsail, and jumping the halyard is difficult when shorthanded… which is nearly every time we sail. Using our electric winch cranker to raise the main is super easy. We also use it for sheeting the jib, making us/me more willing to get the trim just right since it’s not a lot of physical work, and making a singlehanded beat inside the Milwaukee harbor very doable and fun.

Initially we used the more basic The Cranker, merely a stainless steel bit that fits in the Milwaukee drill’s chuck. It lasted for about three years of hard use and abuse, but eventually got bent after fatigue. I replaced it with the more substantial Ultimate Cranker, which actually replaces the entire chuck of the drill. It’s lasted five years, and will last many more. There’s also a soft cover for the drill, too, which makes holding it more comfortable and might help reduce gelcoat scratching.

The Milwaukee Tools M28 Right Angle Drill is a powerful tool, requiring us to be be SUPER careful when using it! I’ve learned to be very hesitant to let inexperienced crew use it for fear of ripping sails or dropping the tool overboard when loaded up. We also need to be careful to keep it perpendicular to the winch during operation, too, or the bit can bend, it can shake loose from our grip, or can leave metal shavings in the winch top.

I’ve also noticed I can’t use it at full speed to raise the main… I think there’s too much friction in the self tailor that results in a heat buildup in the winch, and the plastic parts of the winch can melt and partially seize. This may be a function of the type of line I’m using perhaps, too.

It’s also NOT waterproof, and I don’t know how salty air will affect it since we sail “Priorities” on the freshwater Great Lakes.

While I may sound like I have a long list of precautions, it’s easy to use properly if you have moderate experience with power tools and don’t force things. I have had inexperienced crew that really did not understand these concepts, though!

Battery life is good enough for about a day of use: raising the main 2-3 times and maybe a dozen tacks. Charging the battery takes about 40 minutes and uses AC power, but my small 400W inverter can charge it if we’re away from shore power. Originally the drill came with a “V28” battery, an inferior design that died in the first year. The “M28” battery, however, has lasted over 7 seasons.

At the end of this past season, after 8 seasons of hard use, the trigger switch on the Milwaukee tool malfunctioned. Their website has parts diagrams, and parts can be ordered online for DIY repairs to the expensive tool. I brought it to their repair shop (there’s a bunch all over the world, though I brought it to company headquarters here in Milwaukee) and they quoted me a flat fee of $175 total to replace the $45 switch. I left it to the pros to do the work, and they ended up repairing it for no charge. So, I’m pretty happy with the whole setup. I highly recommend!

Update as of September 26, 2020:

I’ve had a few readers complain about the lack of responsiveness from the seller of “The Cranker” and “Ultimate Cranker.” I just tried emailing them, and the email bounced back as undeliverable. I’ve also noticed a few online forums noting this same lack of response. Their webpage hasn’t been updated since 2013 from what I can tell. Bummer!

Pending any further changes, I do not recommend “The Cranker” to anyone at this time. There are one or two other options out there, though, including a “Winch Bit” available from Bayou King that might be worth a try.

If anyone has any other information, I’d love for you to comment/give me feedback.

Additionally, after only two seasons of use with the replaced switch on the Milwaukee 28v drill, the switch failed again a few days ago and required service again. I was actually raising the main and the switch stuck in “full on,” putting a bunch of tension on the halyard and requiring me to remove the battery to stop it. Professional repairs were about $150. More things to fix!