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Boat Hoist Failure & Now Replacement


Slayer

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Inlandlaker, I never asked but what's the min and max water depth you have to deal with? Also do you remove your lift every year or leave it in year round? Finally, do you have a canopy now and are you planning to reuse it?

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60 inches of travel! Wholly crap that's a lot. I was looking at options on your list of brands and you might have to step up to an 8K pound lift to get that much travel.

Yes, I want the 60" of travel so I don't have to take the boat out in times of high water. The lake I'm on gets a ton of local drainage and then, when the river rises, it backfeeds in to my lake causing excessive water level fluctuations. While it's uncommon that water is high enough to have to pull the boat, nearly every year we reach flood stage and no wake is implemented on the lake. There is one manufacturer on the list that offers 60" of travel in a 4,000# or 5,000# capacity.

Or step up to a floating lift. You might get lucky end of year and find a used one that fits your budget. The Sunstream FloatLift that my father inlaw has in Florida is a pretty good setup especially with variable water depth.

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Those lifts are really nice, OJ! The only issue I have is the depth of the water during "normal" or average periods.

Inlandlaker, I never asked but what's the min and max water depth you have to deal with? Also do you remove your lift every year or leave it in year round? Finally, do you have a canopy now and are you planning to reuse it?

Wayne... The bow side of the hoist is typically in approximately 18" of water depending on time of the season. The stern is typically in 5-6'. I take it out every year. As for the canopy, yes the old hoist had one and no I'm not planning on re-using it. The frame is gone however I still have the vinyl top.

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Based on your requirements Starr seems to tick all the boxes. I looked them over at the Novi boat show in 2014 but actually thought Hewitt looked a little better in build quality, however I think Starr under rates or over builds their hoists. You're going to be around $10k for a Starr with a canopy and a DC powered drive.

Shore Station doesn't meet your need for 60 inches of travel unless going to a bigger lift like 8k pounds but they sure seem to be designed just right. I see more "old" shore station lifts still in use than any other brand.

Hewitt makes a really nice canopy that accommodates towers but if thou still use a boat cover any canopy will be fine just get the extended side curtains. Since you are going 120" wide get walk on guide ons. I added a set this year and really like having them. I set them right at water level when the boat is floating off the bunks and split the gap between the boat and the lift frame.

Also get an extra long canopy (front to back). I went 26 feet and like the extra sun protection but my lift faces east/west with the bow facing west.

Did you have a powered lift before? If not it makes your life a lot easier. If you don't have AC power for the lift go with a 24V DC system and a solar panel. They are just about the same speed. I have a lift tech powered 24V winch with wireless remotes and it's not a bad system.

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I'm not yet sure on power. It all depends on how the insurance company treats this issue. That will be a determining factor for me.

My previous canopy was 24' and just enough. This time, I may go 26'. My lift is in a north / south direction, so I get some pretty decent westerly winds hitting it.

I'm not liking what Star has to offer for the price. I'm not sure I'm getting the value I'm looking for. Also, I have a spare 20 amp circuit that's dedicated for the boat dock, but I've never installed the conduit or wire to the location. Power is an option.

Again, a great deal of this is going to have to depend on what the insurance company does.

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I agree on value. I know Floe is nice but I just couldn't justify $20k for a lift to get everything I wanted. Had the same feeling looking a Hewitt. Went with LSP since the dealer is on my lake and is really good about taking care of customers. I spent a lot of time looking at lifts at the boat show and didn't see 2x the difference to justify 2x the price. If the frame last me 12 years I'll feel I got my money's worth.

Edited by Wayne
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I have a shorestation. It works, but it's WAY heavier than any of our other friends boat lifts and is a total pain to level in the spring since we are on a mucky bottom.

I have been looking at lifts and I am really impressed with the Floe based on the way you can level the lift. If I was starting over, I would be investing in a Floe lift

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It would be awesome to not have to pull it every year. I've been thinking of getting one of these and just leaving the hoist and dock in.

@dtm...there are few dealers here now. The one closest to me stopped selling them because they weren't a great seller for them. I honestly didn't even pursue a Floe.

Good news is I got my check from the Insurance company today. I have $8,200 to spend. Time to get serious.

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It would be awesome to not have to pull it every year. I've been thinking of getting one of these and just leaving the hoist and dock in.

@dtm...there are few dealers here now. The one closest to me stopped selling them because they weren't a great seller for them. I honestly didn't even pursue a Floe.

Good news is I got my check from the Insurance company today. I have $8,200 to spend. Time to get serious.

Interesting, looks like the same sort of device that my brother in-law has mounted to his dock to keep the weeds and silt out of the area.

Edited by oldjeep
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Interesting, looks like the same sort of device that my brother in-law has mounted to his dock to keep the weeds and silt out of the area.

I've been considering one of these for a few years. It saves a lot of time and effort and for the money, it may be worth it.

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For $8,200 you should be close to buying a Floe. My one word of advice, go bigger than you think you need. I certainly wish we would have done that. My 5000# seems tiny with the new wake boats coming out. I certainly wish we would have gotten a 6000# or larger.

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It would be awesome to not have to pull it every year. I've been thinking of getting one of these and just leaving the hoist and dock in.

@dtm...there are few dealers here now. The one closest to me stopped selling them because they weren't a great seller for them. I honestly didn't even pursue a Floe.

Good news is I got my check from the Insurance company today. I have $8,200 to spend. Time to get serious.

Used those a few times on some of the ponds we hunt. Did a good job of keeping the ice clear.

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Holy Cow! $8200 for a lift. I'd be buying a nice, used ShoreStation for $3000 max...at least around here that would be the highest I've ever seen a 4000lb lift listed for.

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I don't want to buy another used hoist. I want to get a new one. Buying used has some monetary benefit, but it also comes with risk. I like the idea of a new one with a warranty. $8,200 should get me a lot of hoist.

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I've been considering one of these for a few years. It saves a lot of time and effort and for the money, it may be worth it.

I've always believed that there are two dangers of ice: (1) Forming around an object and then shifting causing damage; (2) ice flow in the spring. This device would protect against the first but not the second. We have similar devices to protect our permanent docks, and we had damage one year from the ice flow. We are on the west side of the lake, so the ice usually flows away from us, but one year we had wind out of the north when the ice was melting, and it shifted one of the pilings.

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The owner of our marina just bought some contraption that he will use to pull all the lifts...for free! I offered to help. I'll let you guys know what he got once we use it. I'm probably packing it up after this weekend, too much going on now with sports/school.

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Does anyone leave their lift in for the winter? I got to my new house with the expectation of yearly removal. All my neighbors on both sides had always left theirs in citing lack of ice flow. I was really nervous the first year, but it's been 4 years of bliss now. It has shifted slightly over time to the point I would like to re-level it, but that sounds really hard now when I haven't moved it in 5 years.

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My lift has been left in the water every year for at least 20 years, with no perceptible negative impacts. That said, my lift has always been sheltered in a channel or now cove off the main body of water.

A few years back, someone on our lake left theirs in all winter, on the main body of water. When spring came, the ice receded enough from the edges to start moving around. Unfortunately for the lift owner, the lift was still captive in the ice as it started to shift in the wind. Pulled it away from shore, then as it melted, deposited it at the bottom of the lake. Had to hire a crew to come out and recover it from about 25 foot depth.

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