WARN Tabor 12K - Manual (Page 7)

8 9
Winch Mechanics
Now that you’ve familiarized
yourself with your Warn winch and its
components, we can begin reviewing
how it works. The major advantage of
an electric-powered winch is that it
can provide reliable service for inter-
mittent utility and recreational use even
while the vehicle’s engine is stalled
— assuming, of course, that sufficient
battery current is available. Your winch
can operate at high current loads, and,
for this reason, the control box uses a
high current control system to safely
handle the current flow.
It is important to understand that the
longer the pull, the more heat that is
created, just like a hot plate. Prolonged
winching without cooling the winch
motor will damage the motor. Also, if
the engine is idling during winching,
the battery may drain faster than it is
charging. So pay close attention to your
voltage gauge to make sure you aren’t
draining your battery too low to start
your vehicle.
Control Of Your Winch
The winch is controlled by the
hand held remote control to allow the
operator to stand clear while controlling
the winching process. The remote
control provides control of the forward
or reverse rotation of the spooling drum.
How the Winch Reacts to Load
Warn winches are rated by pulling
capacity. The maximum pulling capacity
occurs on the first layer of wire rope
on the drum. As the layers increase,
the pulling power decreases. It’s the
mathematics of winching. Exceeding
the winch capacity could cause the
winch to fail or the wire rope to break.
Thinking through how you intend to use
your winch now, could save you a big
headache later.
In addition, you’ll also want to
make sure that your winch’s mounting
system and your vehicle’s frame can
accommodate the rated load of your
winch.
So analyze your situation. Use your
judgement to calculate how much
weight you intend to pull. Calculate the
gross weight and multiply by 1.5 and
then do not exceed the rating of your
winch or wire rope.
The winch is controlled
by the hand held
remote control to
allow the operator to
stand clear during the
winching process.
HOW THE WINCH WORKS
WARN INDUSTRIES • THE BASIC GUIDE TO WINCHING TECHNIQUES
WINCH ACCESSORIES YOU’LL WANT TO HAVE WITH YOU
WARN INDUSTRIES • THE BASIC GUIDE TO WINCHING TECHNIQUES
Alone, the winch is not much more than
a simple tool. But when used with certain
accessories and enhancements, your
Warn winch can become a versatile and
productive tool. In this section, we’ll
review several of these items. Some are
vital to the safe operation of your winch,
while others offer added versatility and
convenience.
Gloves Wire rope, through use, will
develop “barbs” which can slice skin. It is
extremely important to wear protective
gloves while operating the winch or
handling the wire rope. Avoid loose
fitting clothes or anything that could
become entangled in the wire rope and
other moving parts.
Hook Strap Use to hold the hook
and keep fingers away from the fairlead
as the wire rope is being spooled in.
Winches develop tremendous pulling
forces and can easily remove fingers and
limbs that are placed in pinch points. Put
the hook into the loop and hold the strap
between the thumb and forefingers.
Snatch Block Used properly, the
multi-purpose snatch block allows you to:
(1) increase your winch’s pulling power;
and (2) change your pulling direction
without damaging the wire rope. Proper
use of the snatch block is covered in
“Before You Pull”.
Clevis/D-Shackles The D-Shackle is
a safe means for connecting the looped
ends of cables, straps and snatch blocks.
The shackle’s pin is threaded to allow
easy removal.
Choker Chain Can be used to hook-
up to another vehicle or sharp objects
for an anchor point. Chains, however, will
damage or kill trees.
Tow Hooks Secured properly to your
vehicle’s frame, tow hooks provide an
attachment point for wire hooks, straps,
and chains.