Harken Radials

[Umeds?]

I just ordered a couple of Radial 40.2STA's.

I would like to know where these are made.

Also, has anyone had any negative experiences with these?

[mdbee]

Italy

http://www.harken.com/pdf/MRW-01_40-2st.pdf

[Umeds?]

Thanks mdbee.

Page 15 clearly shows that Harken Italy S.p.A. is the manufacturer and bottom of page 18 of said manual clearly states: "Made in Italy".

Would be good to know if anyone has had any issues with these winches.

[zz4gta]

Only issues I've heard of were with hightech line. They don't grip very well in those cases. Sailing Anarchy had a thread about them, and Harken added a disclaimer to the producted stating this. Dacron lines don't seem to have an issue.

IMHO, huge FAIL by Harken.

[Umeds?]

Talk about a "target group oriented" product! So, Harken Radial winches are intended for Cruisers only. Or rather, Harken Radial winches are intended for non-high-tech sheets and halyards. Great.

Funny thing though, when i was going through the catalog, that didn't really JUMP OUT at me. They now have the "Performa" range: "The Performa features a sandblasted drum optimized for halyard and sheeting applications using smaller high-tech racing lines."

I haven't received the winches yet, but i'm already wondering if i shouldn't have saved up a bit and "invested" on the Andersens...

[zz4gta]

I don't think they purposely went out and made a winch for cruisers. I think harken are always looking to advance their products. This one is an advancement, but when they started getting complaints about hi-tech line slipping, they had to do a quick "fix it".

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by Umeds?

I haven't received the winches yet, but i'm already wondering if i shouldn't have saved up a bit and "invested" on the Andersens...

Andersen winches are fine. But who dreamed up the idea that the lock toggle on the handle would only work in one direction?

[Umeds?]

I find it odd how they didn't discover the issue with the high tech lines during the testing. Quoting from this article:

“Grip is a compromise of friction and wear. In the process of designing the new Radial line, we tested more than 70 different types of ropes."


What about the claim of "no overrides" when easing lines? Can anyone confirm that this is the case in real-world scenarios? I always found this to be a hassle with my previous winches.

[SloopJonB]

Originally Posted by Umeds?

What about the claim of "no overrides" when easing lines? Can anyone confirm that this is the case in real-world scenarios? I always found this to be a hassle with my previous winches.

Overrides are almost completely dependent on proper mounting of the winches so the line leads in to the drum at the correct angle. Achieving this almost always requires some degree of shimming of the winch or the turning blocks.

I've never had an override on a properly oriented winch unless the line was being hauled in hand over hand at too fast or uneven a rate - in that case the line gets too loose on the drum and begins to "float" over itself.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by Umeds?

I


What about the claim of "no overrides" when easing lines? Can anyone confirm that this is the case in real-world scenarios? I always found this to be a hassle with my previous winches.

Overrides when easing is unusual. I recommend holding your left hand against the coil on the winch and using your hand to ease out the sheet / halyard, etc in a controlled fashion. When hardening an override can be prevented by starting with two wraps on the winch and then filling the winch when all the slack is out and you need to use a winch handle.