Product Manual

Page 11
SAFETY TIPS
•NEVER DISENGAGE LOW GEAR CLUTCH LEVER WHEN THERE IS A LOAD ON THE WINCH. To manually lock the winch
to hold a load, engage BOTH HIGH and LOW GEARS. First, engage low gear. After low gear is engaged, engage
high gear. Power the winch IN momentarily. You will hear the high gear engage, and the winch will “lock up.” In
this position, it is mechanically locked up and will not freespool, power IN or OUT. To disengage locked posi-
tion, disengage high gear lever to “FREE.” Power the load OUT momentarily and the spring loaded high gear will
disengage, leaving the winch in LOW gear.
•Store the remote control cord in a safe place when not in use to prevent use by children or other unauthorized
persons who could injure themselves or others or damage the controls.
•Do not operate winch under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or medications.
•Isolate winch before putting hands in or around the fairlead or wire rope drum (The Danger Zone).
•DO NOT OVERLOAD YOUR WINCH. Do not maintain power to the winch if the drum stops. Overloads can damage
the vehicle, winch or winch rope and create unstable operating conditions.
•It is recommended to lay a heavy blanket or jacket over the rope about halfway along to the hook attachment.
If a rope failure should occur, the weight of the cloth will act as a damper and help prevent the broken rope from
whipping (See Figure 8 Below). Remember to move the blanket or jacket as winching proceeds, but halt winching
when doing so. Partially raising the hood of the vehicle will also give a measure of protection to its occupants
from broken rope or cable, consistent with sufficient forward visibility for the operator.
SELF-RECOVERY
1. Always aim to get the cable as straight as possible to the direction of the vehicle. It is acceptable to start a
pull at an angle if it is obvious that the vehicle will turn towards the hook anchoring point. Turning the steering
wheel will assist the process. It is recommended that the driver is in the vehicle.
2. Make sure hand brake and foot brake are free and that the transmission is in neutral.
3. When the driver’s attempt to regain vehicle traction is successful, he or she should be careful not to overrun
the cable and risk the possibility of it being trapped under the vehicle.
4. DO NOT move your vehicle in reverse to assist the winch. The combination of the winch and vehicle pulling
together could overload the cable and winch itself.
Figure 8