About Lone Star
LSM are dedicated anchoring system specialists with an eye for Quality, Innovation, and Value. For many years drum style anchoring systems left a lot to be desired in design, performance, aesthetics or price. Being boating enthusiasts ourselves with a background in fabrication we began testing components and designs already available, making small changes along the way and filing ideas for the future. After thorough testing and refinement Lone Star Marine was born and we have been working full throttle every day since to provide our customers with the very best winches and accessories, achieving a well earned status as Industry Leaders in Performance, Innovation, Value, and Customer Service. We now manufacture in Australia many standard drum anchor winch models, anchors, line hauling and fishing systems, as well as custom fitting accessories.
We realize you work hard for your boat, and time in it. Our commitment is to work just as hard to make sure you enjoy it! Our staff are also boating enthusiasts, every product we make from concept to manufacturing to retail is designed to give you confidence in your equipment make your time on the water more enjoyable. Manufacturing and Warehousing is at our head office in Melbourne with an LSM owned distribution facility in the USA. There are over 400 LSM dealers in Australia, New Zealand and North America eager to help with your anchoring system inquiries.
Leading the Way
We are proud to have helped shape the drum anchor winch industry into what it is today. We are the first company to manufacture drum winches with purpose made waterproof drives, twin shaft bearing design as standard, use more customized parts, heavier gauge stainless construction, and custom designed drive components. In time we have had many of our original product & accessory designs emulated all over the globe.
We always have our end user in mind, and while we have no desire to play the “how cheap can it be made” game, we do work very hard to keep RRP as low as possible. Our modern manufacturing techniques & streamlined distribution networks help ensure our customers get maximum value for their hard earned. Value for us is not supplying a “cheap product”, but rather supplying the best product at a price that is less than what it should be. Our focus is on making products that perform better and last longer, reducing the real cost of ownership in the long term. While we do make more customized parts for our products and design them to last, we do not pass on the R&D costs on to our customers.
Please feel free to contact our office with any questions or inquiries, or visit our Retailers list for your closest LSM dealer. Happy Winching!
Why Choose Lonestar Marine?
LSM build products with consumer satisfaction in mind first & foremost, over the long term. This has led LSM to pioneer many innovations in the field with several worlds first designs and over 12 Patents and Design Registrations under their belt for innovation. Lone Star’s current GX Series feature the first and only IP68 motors with proven certification (Austest Labs Dec 2015). They feature oversized drum shafts, a twin shaft bearing design for less side load on the transmission, Italian Manufactured gears and cases, oversized custom designed and manufactured motors, an Emergency Manual Release as standard, and a 316Ss frame, spool, and shaft construction.
GX Series motors are the highest speed and torque models on the market today per drum size, and are made for real longevity, not to an easy sales pitch. GX Series motors feature a 6061 T6 hard anodised aluminium external construction, not stainless steel. Find out why here : Aluminium vs. Stainless in Thermal Dissipation
GX Series are the fastest on power down and up under load per drum size on the market. Average mid size drum winches will drop at around 100-120ft per minute. Ours do it at around 150 or more. Our winches also retrieve under load at about the same speed as they pay out. GX Series are also extremely power efficient, only using what is required to do the job! The working scope on the GX Series is wider than many others on the market. This is the sort of performance that just cant be faked, and is why the GX series is so popular with commercial operators. All this means you are purchasing a fast, ultra reliable winch right out of the box with no clutches to fail or add ons. At LSM Reliability is paramount.
Before you spend $1,500-$3,000 or more on a new anchor winch, view the drum winch shootout:
Lone Star Marine GX Features
- Massive Pulling Power
- Superior Corrosion Resistance
- All Machined Fittings
- Marine Grade Outputs
- Fast Drop/Retrieval Speeds
- IP68 Motors for Exposed Use
- No Paint / No Glue / No Silicon Sealant
- No Exposed Terminals
- Long Duty Cycle
- Emergency Manual Release
- Pursuit of Excellence
Malki Ary, CEO, Interview w/Moose Marine 2016
” I started looking seriously into this market in 2008 and pretty quickly figured out that while there were some great operators & products available, there were also poor quality products & operators taking advantage of the consumers lack of knowledge in this industry or relying on a sale by sale business model with large profit margins. From the outside looking in for the average consumer it was near impossible to tell the difference. I knew the demand was there for more affordable-high quality products and there was also plenty of room for improvement so we started with a business model based on volume and excellent customer support. After only a few short years and assembling a team with a shared vision our innovation really came into its own, we now have over a dozen original Worlds First designs under our belt, hold numerous IP registrations & patents on a variety of products, and are recognised across the globe for innovation & reliability. Our reputation for excellence is hard earned and its obvious leading the drum anchoring system industry is not something we take lightly.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are your products made?
As of 2015, 85% of our products (by volume) are manufactured in Australia. LSM utilises local staff & helps support a great local manufacturing economy, keeping millions of dollars in materials and skilled labour costs in Australia every year. We are proud to be part of the Australian Made Campaign (license #7352).
How do I choose the right LSM winch for me?
The best thing to do is correlate your boat size with the desired rope and chain capacity to suit your anchoring depth. This will give you your ideal LSM Model. Note smaller winches can be used on much larger boats in shallow water or placid conditions.
Lone Star GX and Elite Series winches are classed by drum (not motor) size:
Size 1-200mm, Size 2-250mm, Size 3-300mm, Size 4-350mm, Size 5-420mm, Size 6-550mm, Size 7-750mm
Will a Lone Star Winch fit my boat?
Aren't all Drum Winches the same?
How NOT to choose a drum winch?
Motor size.
Guys there are just too many companies stretching the truth these days, which is why it pays to buy from reputable companies. One companies 500w motor is another companies 1500w motor.
“Motor Size”, weather stated ‘’spec’’ or physical dimension alone is no indication of ultimate output, quality, pulling power, speed, efficiency, rating status, duty cycle, or ultimate longevity. Motor output is only relevant in relation to the to the drum diameter & gearing, not boat length or weight.
LSM Motors are conservatively rated to output efficiency and duty cycle. All LSM winch models use well oversized motors and gearboxes per drum diameter, more power than you’ll ever need & are purpose built to pull the heaviest possible rode per recc. boat size.
Do Drum Wiches Get Tangles?
No, well they shouldn’t.
Tangles can occur in four ways:
1. The drum is overfilled with rope and it spills off to the side. Our rope and chain kits are perfectly suited for each Lone Star Winch model, so when using our kits there is no chance of the rope and chain overflowing.
2. The winch is mounted drastically to one side. Mounting the winch more than 25% off centre to the bow sprit can cause the rope to bunch up on one side. Unless the drum is overfilled with rope however, this still shouldn’t be an issue.
3. Rope is continually paid out after the anchor is on bottom and starts to coil in the anchor well. After your anchor reaches the bottom the boat should be in reverse until the proper amount of line is let out, this will eliminate the chance of an overrun.
4. Your anchor line digs into itself on the drum. This is avoided by spooling your winch with rope under load the first time it is loaded. If you are unsure if your winch has been packed under load simply let the majority of your line out on your first trip out then spool it back in with a little resistance from the vessel.
Drum winches by design do not twist anchor rope like a capstan, any twist occurring during drop or retrieval is easily alleviated by a dual anchor swivel.
Be wary of any manufacturer who claims theirs prevents line twist, it is simply not an issue on any drum winch.
What Goes into a Lone Star Winch?
Robust and Reliable, LSM systems feature only the highest quality drives and fittings. All are manufactured to spec and not re-purposed from industrial applications.
Motors
We wanted the perfect drum winch motors-so we had them made from scratch. Our motors (internals) are designed & custom made to OEM spec for drum winches by the largest American Owned DC motor manufacturer in the world, and are exclusive to LSM. In other words you won’t find our drives in an ‘off the shelf’ catalogue or used in other industries. Motor development typically takes 12-18 months per model and are tested up to 6000 duty cycles. LSM use oversized motors on every drum size for efficiency and longevity. LSM focus not only of the performance of our motors but the corrosion resistance and waterproofing as well. All LSM motors are finished in AU made machined & hard anodised marine grade aluminium, Certified AS/NZS 60529 Spec, and rated at IP68. In a nutshell they are the most waterproof winch motors available. You certainly wont find any GX or Elite series winch motors patched up with paint or globs of silicon sealant. Utilising fine CNC machining, innovative design, marine grade anodised aluminium, and in house assembly our motors are made to work hard & get wet!
Transmissions
LSM transmissions are among the best available with no mild steel, plastic or poly parts. Each oil filled gearbox features oversized high ratio gears, large quality worm drives, open high speed bearings, and marine grade (not mild steel) mariner bronze & stainless steel outputs. GX series transmissions are Marine Grade (not industrial) & 100% Manufactured in Italy. Elite transmissions are Manufactured in Australia & utilise work hardened Italian Made gear sets and SKS bearings.
Stainless Steel
Every GX, Elite, GXC, CR, & CX series product feature marine grade 316 stainless steel construction, made right here in Australia with all welding and assembly in house. All winches feature a minimum of 6mm plate construction (a lot of companies use 4mm) & solid shafts from 24-60mm. All stainless steel is chemically polished for superior finish and corrosion resistance. This process is actually a removal of material, not a coating. This is the same process used for high precision medical instruments.
Machined & Anodised Aluminium
All GX & Elite series winches feature bearing covers, gearbox collars, and motor externals that are machined and anodised for marine use. There are no load bearing cast fittings to get brittle or crack with age and stress in a saltwater environment.
Special Features
Each LSM winch features a minimum of 6mm 316 stainless plate in a mirror like finish. Solid spool shafts are minimum 24mm and the assembly spins on 2 triple sealed maintenance free bearings. LSM is the only manufacturer to utilise a triple sealed twin bearing system on the spool shaft. This only allows for very tight tolerances in winch construction and assembly, however our customers are still reaping the benefits of this system after many years of use. Our rates on transmission issues is a testament to this fact. Drives on all GX and Elite series winches are adjustable to 24 positions for easy installation. LSM GX & Elite series winches also feature an emergency manual release in the event of power loss and a 5 + Life recreational Warranty.
Standard Inclusions
Each winch kit includes backing plates, 400 amp H/D solenoids, Genuine MP (USA) circuit breakers, up/down switch panels, and every nut and bolt needed for installation. For the home installation this simply means you will not have to waste countless hours running back and forth looking for fittings.
How Fast Do Your Winches Drop?
The GX Series drop speeds are from 139ft to 170ft in the first minute (with a full drum), depending on which of the 6 models you choose. This is without any additional fastfall devices.
An even bigger difference between the GX series and our competitors however, is our retrieval speed under load. In 2014 the team at LSM set out to develop the ultimate anchor winch motor range, and with the help of the Worlds Largest DC motor manufacture 5 new GX Series motors were developed. These have proven to be a quantum leap forward in performance and reliability, proof being that no other winch manufacture can claim their retrieval speeds under a standard load being the same or close to the same as drop speeds under no load!
Our engineering at play here is the same principle used when choosing an outboard for your boat. You could use a 50hp for a 20ft boat, you will eventually get where you want to go, but it will be slower and the motor will be working harder, which will ultimately lead to a poor performance, poor efficiency, and a shorter working life.
Do Lone Star Drum Winches free fall?
Absolutely Not.
From an engineering standpoint it is not possible to create a free fall unit that is as reliable, over many seasons of use & a variety of conditions, than a non-freefall unit. All LSM winches are direct drive, our units do not rely on one way bearings, magnetic breaks, actuators, or additional gearing for deployment.
Simply stated there are less parts to fail & no break or removal of the solid shaft from the gearbox. Your anchor will deploy at a controlled drop speed every time. This eliminates any possibility of the winch letting go while underway (a potential life threatening situation), ensures higher load ratings while at anchor, keeps maintenance to a minimum, avoids chain piling on top of your anchor under deployment, and helps to prevent overruns and tangles while deploying the anchor.
Consumer Satisfaction is paramount with LSM. As such we do not, and will not, create a product that has the potential of causing more problems for a consumer than they fix. So, to combat the issue of getting your anchor down in current, the GX series was engineered to drop up to 50% faster than most other units on the market under power. Even with this fast drop rate they are still #1 in retrieval speed under load. In our experience customers have a higher level of satisfaction over seasons of use and variety of depths with non-freefall units. Our commercial users especially appreciate the simplicity and durability of our non-free designs.
All GX and Elite series winches feature an Emergency Manual Release for emergency deployment only.
Do Lone Star Winches require regular servicing?
What if I have questions about my Lone Star Winch after purchase?
We are always available by phone and email for any questions with your Lone Star Winch, regardless of place of purchase.
Every Lone Star Winch is backed by an 5 + Life Warranty. We keep all spares in stock at our distribution facilities so you can rest assured if your winch ever does require attention you will be back on the water in no time at no additional cost
How do I purchase a Lone Star Winch?
Where did the name 'Lone Star' come from?
The owner is Texan, enough said.