Choosing a boat lift motor for your freestanding boat lift can be less confusing if you know the different options that are now available.  When it comes to after market boat lift motors, the two most popular types are the direct drive or chain drive winch mount and the wheel to wheel drive.
Winch Mount Direct Drive and Chain Drive

Winch Mount

Winch mount units like the Lift Tech Marine (shown above), the Shore Commander and the chain driven Sidewinder have become very popular and work for many different brands of lifts. They replace the wheel on your lift and can be operated with the turn of a key, toggle switch or key fob remote. These units can be powered with 12v DC or 110v AC.  Each unit also has a back-up that allows you to use the unit even if your power source has failed.

Lift Tech Marine features:

  • 110v AC or 12v/24v DC power options
  • gear driven
  • turn key or remote operation
  • easy installation and low maintenance
  • fairly quite operation
  • comes with back-up bit that allows you to use a battery powered drill to raise and lower lift
  • 2 year warranty on motor
  • optional accessories – solar kit, push button pendant
  • average price $700 with key operation, $900 with remote

Lift Tech Marine motors can be used with Beach King, CraftLander (NuCraft), Daka, Dock Rite, Dutton Lainson 1200B, Dutton Lainson 2500/3500, Dutton Lainson B1200A, Dutton Lainson B1500A, Eastern Township, Feighner, Great Lakes Lift, Harbor Master, Hewitt, Lakeshore, Lakeside, Metal Craft, Midlander, Newman, Northern Lights, Pier Pleasure, Port-A-Dock, RGC, Ridgeline, Shore Master, Shore Master Whisper Winch, Shore Master Whisper Winch 2, Shore Mate, Shore Station, Summit,  and Vibo.

Sidewinder features:

  • 110v AC or 12v DC power options
  • chain driven
  • toggle switch or remote operation
  • comes with back-up handle to manually crank lift up and down
  • 1 year warranty on motor

Sidewinder motors can be used with Beach King, CraftLander, Daka, Dock Rite, Eastern Township, EZ Roll, Feighner, Great Lakes, Harbor Master, Hewitt, L&M Manufacturing, Lakeshore, Metal Craft, Midlander, Newman, Pier Pleasure, Porta Dock, Triton, Shore Master, Shore Mate, Shore Station, Vibo and Wickercraft.

Shore Commander features:

  • 110v AC or 12v and 24v DC power options
  • gear driven
  • turn key or remote operation
  • easy installation and low maintenance
  • fairly quite operation
  • comes with back-up bit that allows you to use a battery powered drill to raise and lower lift
  • plastic housing over motor
  • 2 year warranty on motor
  • optional accessories – solar kits, AC Buck Booster, photo eye limit switch, mechanical limit switch, light, battery stands
  • average price $700 with key operation, $900 with remote

Shore Commander motors can be used with Beach King, Bulman, CraftLander, Daka, Dock Rite, Dutton-Lainson, Floe, Fulton, Harbor Master, Hewitt, Lakeside, Midlander, Newmans, NuCraft, Pier Pleasure, Porta-Dock, RGC, Shore Master, Shore Mate and Shore Station.

Note: Shore Commander has been purchased by Hewitt If you are looking at buying one of these units, make sure the DC has the grey motor and plastic enclosure and the AC motor has a blue motor with a plastic housing. For more information, contact www.boatliftanddock.com.

 

Wheel to Wheel Drives or Wheel Assists

 

Wheel to Wheel Motor

The wheel to wheel units or Wheel Assists like the Lift Mate and Shore Riser allow you to keep the wheel on your lift. The unit is mounted to the upright, below the winch while the rubber wheel is placed up against the lifts wheel. With the flip of a toggle or push button remote, the rubber wheel begins to turn the wheel on your lift.

These units have been around a long time and if you live on a lake with freestanding lifts, you have probably seen or used one of these units. The mounting hardware that comes with the unit allows the motor to be attached to almost any lift.

The biggest selling feature for the wheel to wheel units is that they can be powered by your boats battery using a quick connect. This keeps you from running power out over your dock or using another battery. The other features are very similar and they pretty much work the same.

It is important to make sure that the mounting hardware is set-up in a way that it keeps the rubber wheel tight against your wheel. Try to keep the mounting brackets as short as possible. You can also disengage the unit when lowering your lift, this saves power and you can lower your boat faster.

If the wheel on your lift is wet, the rubber wheel may slip a bit under load.

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