Harken Industrial Traction/Riggers Winch 500

[AHPP]

 

https://www.harkenindustrial.com/gallery/b5b6aaf5-c587-416a-a917-d28b0b8272b1.pdf

https://www.harkenindustrial.com/en/harkenindustrialcom/riggers-winches/riggers-winch-500/

 

Is anyone using one of these? I've got a Hobbs (which I'm going to keep using because it's indestructible and fairly foolproof) but I want a sailing winch device for quick, light stuff, gunning lifts with a drill and making groundsmen's lives easier (juggling ropes to lift with a Hobbs takes practice). Trying to stay away from the bigger ones like the GRCS etc but worried the Harken 500 will be too dainty. Especially worried about mounting it firmly enough for cranking and the back plate not snapping with ratchets or under load (though would probably base choke, strap lightly and expect the designers to have made it so it sits nicely under load).

 

Interested to hear direct experience and general musings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Timm]

I hold my hands up and say I've never used Harken in any arborist-type application.

That having been said, I've sailed on everything from a Lazer dinghy to large square-rig stuff and have personally owned and used probably upwards of 20 Harken winches fitted to various boats over the years. It's incredibly good stuff, it's designed to be used and last at sea, in some of the roughest conditions imaginable. They're also designed to withstand some pretty incredible forces - I myself have used two older models (40's I think, it was 20 odd years ago!) in a GF 8, off the Channel Islands - so wind speeds of 60+ kph.

Anyway, it's bloody good stuff in general, can't answer the question beyond that but you did ask for musings!

 

[AHPP]

1 hour ago, Timm said:

I hold my hands up and say I've never used Harken in any arborist-type application.

That having been said, I've sailed on everything from a Lazer dinghy to large square-rig stuff and have personally owned and used probably upwards of 20 Harken winches fitted to various boats over the years. It's incredibly good stuff, it's designed to be used and last at sea, in some of the roughest conditions imaginable. They're also designed to withstand some pretty incredible forces - I myself have used two older models (40's I think, it was 20 odd years ago!) in a GF 8, off the Channel Islands - so wind speeds of 60+ kph.

Anyway, it's bloody good stuff in general, can't answer the question beyond that but you did ask for musings!

 

It's mainly the base I'm worried about. It's aluminium. I'm used to a steel Hobbs that you can be strong with.

Edited November 26, 2021 by AHPP

[Mr. Squirrel]

I think the intended purpose of these is purely on the lifting and lowering front, ie not snatching/dynamic rigging. I know a couple of people who have them and use them as a secondary winch, eg for tensioning the top line of an english reeve, with a grcs for the 'running rope'. It look like a much smaller bollard than on the grcs/smart winch, and the whole thing is probably a bit more compact. 

 

I get your concern though, it's a bit odd just being flat metal with holes in it... 

[AHPP]

I think the intended purpose of these is purely on the lifting and lowering front, ie not snatching/dynamic rigging. I know a couple of people who have them and use them as a secondary winch, eg for tensioning the top line of an english reeve, with a grcs for the 'running rope'. It look like a much smaller bollard than on the grcs/smart winch, and the whole thing is probably a bit more compact. 
 
I get your concern though, it's a bit odd just being flat metal with holes in it... 

Aye. That’s basically what I’d use it for, tensioning zips and reeves, maybe the actual reeving on light/static picks. I’ve got a petrol capstan for heavy pulls but it’s loud and the unfamiliar struggle with it. I can rig with it and get it to start under load etc but I wouldn’t trust many others to.

[Dan Maynard]

I think working the other way, you'd struggle to get enough pull on a 1/2" rope by winding the handle to bend the plate if it was on something flat. Problem I see is cranking it round a tree stem, might just need a couple of bits of bar across to reinforce.

[AHPP]

Any other experience or thoughts?

[kimtree]

i have a harken 46 with a custom made carrier. When i was climbing we used it alot for lifting branches etc.

however i then made a bollard to slide into the carrier and the harken is now sat on a shelf getting bored.

I doubt its been used in 5 years 

 

[AHPP]

i have a harken 46 with a custom made carrier. When i was climbing we used it alot for lifting branches etc.
however i then made a bollard to slide into the carrier and the harken is now sat on a shelf getting bored.
I doubt its been used in 5 years 
 

I’d be interested in seeing it, maybe even buying it.

[htb]

2 hours ago, AHPP said:

I’d be interested in seeing it, maybe even buying it.

Postage might be a problem, Kim is in AUS. or take a whilst.