Marinco 71012 12V Waterproof Wiper Motor with 110-Degree Sweep

The Marinco 71012 is the 1.5 series waterproof wiper motor, a 12-volt two-speed unit built for boats that take real spray over the bow. If you run a center console, a walkaround, or a cuddy cabin and you're tired of squinting through a salt-crusted windshield, this is the motor that clears it. It drives a 110-degree sweep and carries 109 in-lbs of stall torque, which is plenty of muscle for a single blade on a mid-size windshield.

What sets this one apart is how it's sealed. The base and housing are powder-coated aluminum, fully sealed against water intrusion, so wash-downs and driving rain don't get into the works. The drive nut is chrome-plated solid brass, knurled for grip, and the drive shaft runs brass and stainless steel. That matters out on the water. Cheaper wiper motors use pot metal that corrodes and seizes after a couple of seasons. This one is built to keep turning.

Wiring it in is straightforward. You get sealed 6-inch, 16 AWG leads and a 5-amp fuse with a holder right in the box. One thing to know up front: the operating switch is not included, so you'll want a marine rocker or 3-position switch to run it. We'd pair it with a Marinco switch for a clean match. Run the 5-amp fuse at the battery, and double-check your polarity before you power it up. Reverse polarity will cook the motor, and that's not a warranty claim you want to be making on a fresh install.

Sizing your arm and blade is the other thing to get right. The 71012 is spec'd to drive a 22-inch Deluxe arm and blade combination, or a 20-inch Premier arm and blade. The shaft measures 0.625 inches in diameter and 2.5 inches long, so it fits standard marine wiper hardware. Before you drill anything, measure the arc your blade will travel. That 110-degree sweep covers a wide field, but on some windshields the blade tip can catch the frame at the outer edges of the stroke. Measure first, mount second. It saves you a re-drill.

The motor self-parks, adjustable to either the right or the left, and it coasts to park so the blade settles cleanly instead of slamming to a stop. RF-shielded circuitry keeps it from throwing electrical noise into your VHF or stereo, which is a nice touch on a boat with a lot of electronics packed into the console. And you get two speeds off the same switch, a slow wipe for light mist and a faster one for a downpour, with no extra wiring to manage between them.

One maintenance note from the field: on boats that sit uncovered in strong sun, the shaft seal can dry out and start letting a little moisture past after a couple of years. It's an easy fix. A fresh O-ring or a dab of dielectric grease on the shaft seal at your annual service keeps it sealed for the long haul. Keep it under a cover when you can, and it'll last you even longer.

Who's it for? Small to mid-size boats running a single-blade windshield. Walkarounds, cuddies, center consoles, hardtop skiffs. It's a workhorse for an 18 to 22-inch blade. If you're running oversized flybridge wipers or 24-inch-plus blades in heavy rain, this motor will labor, so step up to a heavier unit for that job. On outboard-powered boats that buzz with engine vibration, back the mount with a plate and a little thread locker so it doesn't work loose over a season. But for the boats it's built for, the 71012 is a buy-once part. Seal it up right, mount it solid, fuse it properly, and it'll clear your glass for years of hard running.