Introduction:
When buying a new winch it is very important to understand how it works, how to operate it safely and to know a few key pointers that can ensure you don’t damage your winch through misuse causing costly winch repairs.
The obvious first step which people often neglect is to READ THE MANUAL! It sounds obvious but can still be over-looked especially by those who have already had and fitted winches. Every winch gets supplied out of the box with a relatively comprehensive booklet covering simple safety precautions and safe operation through rigging techniques and maintenance. Taking on board these pointers can make your winch investment last years rather than weeks!
Here are a few simple key pointers that should help reduce the risk of you damaging your winch:-
1. Always fit your winch to a substantial mounting plate (or quality/tested winch bumper). This will give the winch a solid, ridged base which will restrict any twisting of the winch between the motor and gearbox. It also aids with mounting your winch in the correct orientation and also allows you to easily mount your roller fairlead / hawse in the correct position.
2. Always fit an isolation switch (kill switch). In some cases these are even supplied with the winch and are often a warranty condition. These switches are usually fitted on the positive battery lead between the winch and the battery and enable you to kill all power to the winch when not in use.
3. A big problem can be bunching or ‘birds nesting’ of the winch rope which basically means if you’re pulling from an angle the winch rope can soon build up at one side of the winch to the extent of jamming between the winch tie bars or mounting plate. If the winch is still being powered the rope has nowhere else to go and can easily snap the winch cast plates, usually where the tie bars screw in or the mounting bolt slots. This will not be covered by the winches warranty! Two ways round this would be to either fit a synthetic rope as these have more ‘give’ and tend to take less room, or the alternative would be to shorten the winch rope. The winch rope should only be shortened from the drum end rather than the hook end or the rope where required. Ensure you don’t shorten it too much as you will need spare rope to act as a primary grip layer.
4. Always follow the instructions for wiring your winch. It’s relatively simple; the red battery lead needs to go to the positive (+) of your vehicle battery (usually via the isolation switch as mentioned above) and the black battery lead needs to go to the negative (-) of your vehicle battery (NOT EARTHED THROUGH THE VEHICLE CHASSIS!). If the black lead is earthed through the vehicle chassis it can cause your winch to stop/start with a load on or for the solenoid to start clicking.
5. Do not ‘shock-load’ your winch. For example, if you let a car roll down a recovery truck back and let the winch snap tight to hold the car, this will just destroy most winch brakes. Winches should only operate with tension on the rope as this is what the winch brake is designed to handle.
Follow the simple above pointers and you should have years of problem free winching with your new winch!
Other safety precautions:-
1. Do not exceed rated capacity of your winch.
2. Allow your winch to cool between uses. (Use intermittently).
3. Do not use winches to lift items vertically.
4. Do not use your winch to pull or move people.
5. A minimum of 5 wraps of cable around the drum barrel is necessary for pulling and holding the rated load.
6. Keep yourself and others a safe distance to the side of the cable when under tension.
7. Use a pulley block/snatch block to reduce the load on the wire rope and the strain on the motor.
8. Never step over a cable or go near a winch rope under tension.
9. Do not use the winch rope as a towing rope.
10. Always ensure the winch rope spools back onto the winch in the ‘under-wind’ position entering the winch drum from the bottom.
11. Use gloves to protect your hands when handling the winch rope.
12. Never connect the cable back to itself.
13. If the motor stalls do not maintain power to the winch. Electric winches are designed and made for intermittent use and should not be used in constant duty applications.
14. Never disengage the clutch when there is a load on the winch.
Electric winches are extremely useful and in some cases essential, however it’s always wise to respect that your winch can develop tremendous pulling forces and if used unsafely or incorrectly could result in property damage, serious injury or even death. Remember, the safe operation of your winch ultimately rests with you, the operator.
For a ever expanding range of the best winches around at the most competitive prices visit: www.electricwinchshop.co.uk
For more information on Electric winches to suit your application call: 01274 680744 or email: sales@autoliftuk.com
