Anybody have experience with the Minn Kota DeckHand Series?

Not a problem...I'm looking for feedback and you are giving some...

I was hoping some of the river guys had tried them to give me a real world test though...

90% of the time my little 16 foot boat probably would only need 30lbs of anchor...but you never know.

I don't want to be under powered but yet I don't want to be so rediculously over powered either.

-Jim

I agree six, don't waste your money. You can get a high powered winch for 300 bucks or so. If you have connections , alot less!
I have had my warn for over 10 yrs and it was used when I bought the raft! It is rated for 1500 lbs, but I would doubt it would lift thyat much. Hell, that would pull the nose off the ole raft!
If you look at all the riverboats on the river, they all have heavy duty wenches. Some go for over 600 bucks. I would not take your boat out with less than 45 lbs! The current we seen this weekend was nothing compaired to what it will be in 2 weeks on the Joe! The Kazoo is another animal, alot slower most of the time, usually 40-50% of the flow of the Joe!

hey sixshooter if you remeber my little tub i use a 40 lb anchor and sometimes it is not enough. once in a while i will end up dragging it. your boat is a bit bigger than mine so i would go bigger. i also heard the same thing about winches. go with a better one. or if you can afford to feed the wench youhad aboard than keep that one. i thought it wasnt bad. he also does a good job pulling fish from the wood.

Thanks guys...I think I have come to the though that I'm going to put a Devit? whatever those things are called on my bow and also one of those anchor rope grippers that hold the anchor rope in place based on a spring...

And use good ole fashioned bicep power...

I can think of a lot of other cool stuff I want to do with my boat/fishintackle than drop a winch on it...

Again thanks for the feedback guys...

I'm gonna get some of that heavy link chain probably a couple sections so i can add and subtract as needed.

Spanky do you think i would hold in the Zoo with 30lbs? Or should I just go for the 40lbs right off the bat?

-Jim