Review on BROK Products 15957 Trailer Winch by Cre Soto

I bought this winch about 3 hours ago to install on my boat trailer right away. My old winch was worn out and I needed this to attach my boat to the trailer before towing. I took a close look at the winch and installed it on my trailer in the same orientation as my old winch. I was beginning to wrap the boat tightly to attach the harnesses when suddenly the pawl on the BROK winch broke and the boat began to slide. Luckily I wasn't behind it when it happened. The problem seems to be that the bolt holding the pawl assembly was not tight, it sagged a bit and allowed the pawl to over-wind and allow the spindle to rotate freely against the tension of the boat. I was able to fix this by removing the screw, replacing the pawl assembly, and then tightening it firmly. Apparently that was the problem and it's now fixed. Take great care when installing this winch to ensure ALL bolts and parts are properly installed and tightened. My 17 foot boat weighs no more than 980 pounds so I did not exceed the 1500 pound winch capacity. Otherwise, the product makes a well-made impression, but just check the workmanship before using it for the first time.