Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This product does not come any where near its advertised expectations. Even though it has a rated capacity of 1500 lbs., the actual rating must be closer to a few hundred pounds.
My old Powerwinch model 212(rated at 1000 lbs.) had finally worn out after many years of good service. Actually, the only thing wrong with it was that the clutch plates needed to be replaced, but unfortunately these parts were no longer available according to the manufacturer.
So I purchased the ST 215 winch as a replacement to help load my 15 foot fiberglass boat onto a trailer that has a bed of all rollers. I liked the idea of not having cable that becomes 'prickly' after years of use and felt that the additional 500 lbs of capacity would bring my boat onto the trailer easier.
The first time I used the ST 215 it was only able to bring the boat to within 3 or 4 feet of the front of the trailer before it stopped. No matter how tight the clutch was tightened the winch would not bring the boat in all the way. After several phone calls to the retailer and manufacturer it was decided to return it back to the manufacturer for repair. With a 4 week turn around I received the same winch back, but this time it did not work at all. After another call to Powerwinch I was told that maybe the small drive gear at the end of the motor shaft has come off during shipping. Fortunately I was able to fix this problem myself with locktite. Unfortunately, when used again back at the boat landing the winch still was not able to retrieve my boat all the way up the trailer. I returned the ST 215 again and this time after another 4 weeks turnaround time, I received a new winch. Again the same thing - the winch would not retrieve the boat all the way up the trailer. The winch was returned and another 4 weeks passed. This time the winch was not slipping as it had in the past and appeared to be able to load my boat. However, about a foot before the boat was all the way up on the trailer, the ST 215 exploded internally and the boat went flying down the trailer back into the water. Have you ever tried loading a boat without a winch? Backing the trailer until it was completely submerged worked - not a recommended method. Later on I opened up the case on the winch and found that one of the main shafts had sheared completely off right at the final drive gear. Obviously, this ST215 could not handle my little 15 foot fiberglass boat. My patience had worn out with this product. Not only had I to deal with the hassles of multiple returns and remounting this winch, but I lost many precious months of boat use. Powerwinch refused to refund my money and would only offer a product of lesser value in exchange, but fortunately the retailer made good on this product.
In my experience the ST 215 winch is not anywhere near capable of reaching its 1500 lb rating. My old model 212(Made in America) rated at 1000 lbs had no problem handling my boat for about 20 years. I think the ST 215 would work for a small aluminum jon boat or something of that nature, but definitely not anything more than that. The only good thing I found in this was the Powerwinch customer service - they paid shipping both ways for the multiple returns. I think the bottom line to this is that this product is made in China.
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Powerwinch 215 12 Volt Trailer WinchPowerwinch features a 20 feet polyester strap and power-in/freewheel-out operation. This product is a reliable spur-gear system that provides more powerful pull with less amperage draw.
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