Taking Precautions When Using a Winch
- Always keep the cable wrapped around the winch drum a minimum of eight times. If you do not, the cable can come off the drum, releasing the tension immediately and unexpectedly. The resulting sudden shifts in load can cause serious injury or death.
- Do not plug the remote control cord into the control box until you are ready to use the remote. Keep the cord plugged in only while the remote is in use.
- Do not exceed the pulling capacity of your winch. Exceeding the capacity could cause the winch to fail or the cable to break.
- Be aware that a winch delivers its rated amount of pull with the last layer of cable on the drum.
- While winching, stand clear. A safe distance is 1½ to 2 times the length of the cable you are using. For example, with a 20-foot cable, the safe stand clear distance would be 30 feet.
