2
Safety Precautions To Guard Against
Possible Injury…
A minimum of five wraps of cable around the drum barrel is
necessary to hold the rated load. Cable clamp in not
designed to hold the load.
A. Keep yourself and others a safe distance to the side of the
cable when pulling under load.
B. Don't step over a cable, or near a cable under load.
C. Use supplied hook strap when handling hook for spooling
wire rope.
D. Don't move the vehicle to pull a load on the winch cable.
This could result in cable breakage.
E. Use a heavy rag or gloves to protect hands from burrs
when handling winch cable.
F. Apply blocks to wheels when vehicle is on an incline.
G. Winch clutch should be disengaged when winch is not in
use and fully engaged when in use.
H. Modification, alteration or deviation to the winch should
only be made by Ramsey Winch Company.
I. Keep the duration of your pulls as short as possible. If the
motor becomes uncomfortably hot to the touch, stop and
let it cool for a few minutes. Do not pull more than one
minute at or near rated load. Do not maintain power to the
winch if the motor stalls. Electric winches are for intermit-
tent usage and should not used in constant duty
applications.
J. Disconnect the remote control switch from the winch when
not in use.
K. Note: Do not use winch in hoisting applications due to
required hoist safety factors and features.
L. Do not exceed maximum line pull ratings shown in tables.
Shock loads must not exceed these ratings.
M. To respool correctly, it is necessary to keep a slight load
on the cable. This is accomplished by (wearing gloves)
holding the cable with one hand and the remote control
switch with the other, starting as far back and in the center
as you can, walking up keeping load on the cable as the
winch is powered in. Do not allow the cable to slip through
your hand and do not approach the winch too closely. Turn
off the winch and repeat the procedure until all the cable
except a few feet is in. Disconnect the remote control
switch and finish spooling in cable by rotating the drum by
hand with clutch disengaged. On hidden winches, spool in
cable under power using supplied hook strap.
Tips for Safe Operation
Don't underestimate the potential danger in winching opera-
tions. Neither should you fear them. Do learn the basic
dangers and avoid them.
The uneven spooling of cable, while pulling a load, is not a
problem, unless there is cable pileup on one end of drum. If
this happens, reverse the winch to relieve the load and move
your anchor point further to the center of the vehicle. After the
job is done you can unspool and rewind for a neat lay of the
cable.
Store the remote control switch inside your vehicle where it
will not become damaged. Inspect it before you plug it in.
When ready to begin spooling in, plug in remote control
switch with clutch disengaged. Do not engage clutch with
motor running.
Never connect the hook back to the cable. This causes cable
damage. Always use a sling or chain of suitable strength as
shown in the illustrations.
Observe your winch while winching, if possible, while stand-
ing at a safe distance. If you use vehicle drive to assist, stop
and get out every few feet to assure the cable is not piling up
in one corner. Jamming cable can break your winch.
Do not attach tow hooks to winch mounting apparatus. They
must attach to vehicle frame.
When double lining during stationary winching, the winch
hook should be attached to the chassis of the vehicle.
Since the greatest pulling power is achieved on the innermost
layer of your winch, it is desirable to pull off as much line as
you can for heavy pulls (remember, you must leave 5 wraps
min. on the drum). If this is not practical, use a snatch block
and double line arrangement (see illustration).
Neat, tight spooling avoids cable binding, which is caused
when a load is applied and the cable is pinched between two
others. If this happens, alternately power the winch in and out
a few inches. Do not attempt to work a bound cable under
load; free by hand.
