How To Use Your Winch - Step By Step - Horn Tools HPA Series User Manual

HOW TO USE YOUR WINCH – STEP BY STEP
1. Take time to analyze your situation and plan the use of the winch. Secure your vehicle. It is important to
ensure that the vehicle is secured at all times.
2. Wear gloves to protect your hands.
3. Loosen the clutch (if available) to allow free winding and save energy.
4. Attach the hand safety loop to the load hook.
5. Drag the rope with the hand-safety-loop up to the fastening point you want.
6. Attach the load hook to the attachment point with a noose, chain or pulley. Do not attach the hook back to
the rope.
7. Engage the clutch (if available) and make sure that the clutch is fully engaged (pull the rope for a short
while). It is very rare that the clutch is difficult to insert, if that is the case, put the clutch back on freewheel,
pull the cable out a bit and repeat the process.
8. Put the winch under power with the circuit breakers. Connect the remote to the winch.
9. Perform a test run with the winch in two directions. Each direction about two seconds. If you change
direction you have to wait until the engine stops.
10. Start your vehicle engine to make sure the battery is loaded.
11. Bring the rope to tension to tighten it. Once the rope is under tension, check that there are no people or
animals in the danger area.
12. Check the attachment points again and make sure all connections are secure.
13. Check the rope. Make sure there are at least five rounds of rope on the winch drum! Read the safety
precautions again (pages 4 to 8)!
14. Make sure that any spectators are at a safe distance and that no one is right in front, aside or behind the
vehicle or the attachment point.
15. Start the winch. Make sure the rope winches evenly and tight around the drum.
16. Avoid shock loads. Keep the rope under steady tension.
17. In the case you're pulling out a vehicle, the handbrake should be loosened. The gear should be in idle
unless it is driven slowly. Release the brake pedal when the rope is under tension. Avoid shock loads.
This can damage the winch, rope and vehicle. As soon as the winch pulls, try do slowly drive (rope speed)
depending on the situation.
18. The winch is meant for periodic use. Under full strain, winch should not run more than a minute. Then allow
the engine to cool for a few minutes. Then continue the winching process.
19. The winch process is finished as soon as the vehicle is on safe ground and can be driven with its own
drive.
20. Secure the vehicle. Make sure the brakes are tightened and put in a gear or with automatic transmission in
parking position.
21. Release the tension on the rope. The winch is not meant to hold the vehicle for long periods of time.
22. Loosen the rope from the attachment.
23. Wrap the rope up again. Ensure that the rope lays tight and neat on the winch drum. If not, pull out the
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