Product Manual

Page 9
GENERAL OPERATION
•The vehicle’s hydraulic pump is used to power the winch. The engine must be running for winch operation. •The
winch has maximum pulling capabilities at engine idle.
•The winch is operated by an electrically activated hydraulic switching valve.
•Wear leather gloves when handling winch cable. DO NOT handle cable with bare hands as broken wires can
cause injuries. Always use a hook strap where possible.
•When extending winch cable, ensure that at least five wraps of cable remain on drum under load. Serious
personal injury or property damage may result.
•Ensure that all persons stand well clear of winch cable and load during winch operation, 1.5 times the cable
length is recommended. If a cable pulls loose or breaks under load it can lash back and cause serious personal
injury or death.
•Draping a heavy blanket or similar object over the extended winch cable is recommended as it will dampen any
lash back should a failure occur.
•Ensure rated “D” or bow shackles are used in conjunction with an approved tree trunk protector to provide a
safe anchor point.
•DO NOT operate the winch control when the engine is OFF and a load remains on the cable. This may put the
winch into a freespool mode when not required, therefore not holding the load.
•NEVER disengage the winch clutch under load.
•Store the winch with clutch lever function in the HIGH GEAR position.
•The maximum winch capacity is available on the first layer of rope on the winch drum. During all winching
operations it is recommended to unspool the rope back to the first layer to provide maximum capacity and avoid
rope damage.
•The use of a snatch block will aid recovery operations by providing: A doubling of the winch capacity and a
halving of the winching speed; and the means to maintain a direct line pull to the center of the rollers.
•The Mile Marker winch is a 2-Speed unit: low speed for vehicle recovery winching and high speed for line
retrieval.
•DO NOT use the winch to lift, support or otherwise transport personnel, as it is not to be used as a hoist.
•DO NOT drive your vehicle to assist the winch in any way. Vehicle movement in combination with winch opera-
tion may overload the cable, the winch itself, or cause damaging shock loads.
•Shock loads when winching are dangerous! A shock load occurs when an increased force is suddenly applied to
the cable. A vehicle rolling back on a slack cable may induce a damaging shock load.