Rugged Ridge 3,000 Pound Heavy Duty Winch, ATV/UTV - Manual (Page 6)

6
Moving Parts Entanglement Hazard
Failure to observe these instructions could lead to minor or
moderate injury.
• Always inspect, rope, hook, and slings before operating winch.
Frayed, kinked or damaged rope must be replaced immediately.
Damaged components must be replaced before operation.
Protect parts from damage.
• Never leave remote control plugged into winch when free
spooling, rigging, or when the winch is not being used.
• Never hook rope back onto itself. This damages the rope.
•
Always use a choker chain, choker rope, or tree trunk protector
on the anchor.
• Always remove any element or obstacle that may interfere with
safe operation of the winch.
• Always take time to use appropriate rigging techniques for a
winch pull.
• Always be certain the anchor you select will withstand the load
and the strap or chain will not slip.
• Never engage or disengage clutch if winch is under load, rope
is in tension or drum is moving.
• Always select an anchor point as far away as possible. This will
provide the winch with its greatest pulling power.
• Never winch with less than 5 wraps of rope around the drum.
The rope could come loose from the drum.
• Never touch rope or hook while in tension or under load.
• Never touch rope or hook while someone else is at the control
switch or during winching operation.
• Always stand clear of rope and load and keep others away
while winching.
• Always be aware of stability of ATV/UTV and load during
winching, keep others away.
• Alert all bystanders of any unstable condition.
• Never use winch to secure a load.
• Always mount the winch and attach the hook to the rope`s end
loop before connecting the electrical wiring.
• Always spool the rope onto the drum in the direction specified
by the winch warning label on the winch and/or documentation.
This is required for the automatic brake (if so equipped) to
function properly.
• Always prestretch wire rope and respool under load before use.
Tightly wound wire rope reduces chances of binding , which can
damage the rope.