9
8
Installation (Continued)
Wire Rope
A part of your winch that will require periodic attention and eventual replacement is the wire rope.
Inspect the wire rope frequently. If fraying exists, replace the wire rope at once. Your winch uses
galvanized aircraft type 7 X 19 cable. Always replace the wire rope with Keeper Winch replacement
rope. All rope is subject to wear, therefore it is excluded from our warranty.
The wire rope has been installed on your winch under minimal load at the factory. The wire rope must
be re-spooled onto the drum under load so that the outer layers will not draw down into the inner ones.
Thereby damaging the wire rope.
Tips for Extending the Life of your Winch
1. KEEP A TIGHTLY WOUND WIRE ROPE DRUM. Do not allow the wire rope to become
loosely wound. A loosely wound spool allows a wire rope under the load to work its way
down into the layers of wire rope on the drum. When this happens, the wire rope may
become wedged within the body of the windings damaging the wire rope. To prevent this
problem, keep the wire rope tightly and evenly wound on the drum at all times. A good
practice is to rewind the wire rope under tension after each use.
2. DO NOT ALLOW WINCH MOTOR TO OVERHEAT. Remember the winch is for intermit
tent use only. During long or heavy pulls the motor will get hot. At 1,500 lbs. (680 kg)
allow the motor to cool after 20 seconds of “On” time. At loads less than 500 lbs. (227 kg)
allow to cool after 2 minutes of “On” time.
3. USE A PULLEY BLOCK FOR HEAVY LOADS. To maximize
winch and wire rope life, use a pulley block (KTA15120) to double
line heavier loads. (Figure 8).
4. The pull required to start a load moving is often much greater than
the pull required to keep it moving. AVOID FREQUENT STOPS
AND STARTS during pulling.
5. PREVENT KINKS BEFORE THEY OCCUR.
a. This is the start of a kink. At this time, the wire rope should be
straightened.
b. The wire rope was pulled and the loop has tightened to a kink. The
wire rope is now permanently damaged and must be replaced.
c. Kinking causes the wire strands under the greatest tension to break
and thus reduces the load capacity of the wire rope. The wire rope
must be replaced.
Figure 8
Figure 9
Installation
Mounting Your Winch
This winch MUST be mounted with the wire rope in the underwind
direction. Improper mounting could damage your winch and void
your warranty.
This unit may be mounted in either a horizontal or vertical position, or
vertical position, on a wall or other suitable support. In all installations,
the unit must be mounted so that the wire rope feeds perpendicular to
the drum axis and does not rub across the housing or base.
Do not operate this winch outdoors or in a corrosive or explosive
environment.
Minimum Electrical Requirements
The three-prong plug must be plugged into a 115/120 Volt, AC grounded outlet equipped with a
ground fault interrupter (GFI). Don not plug into an ungrounded outlet by using a three-pronged
adapter. Make sure that the power supply and reversing switch cords are positioned so that the
moving load will not damage them. Unplug the winch when not in use. Electrical storms or line
surges can cause premature failure of the internal bridge rectifier.
Failure to ground this winch could result in a fatal electric shock.
Do not substitute any strength grade weaker than ISO grade 8.8.
The switch assembly must be kept free of dirt and moisture to ensure
safe operation.
Operation
This unit is activated via the switch at the twelve-foot
cord. To remove wire rope from the winch, depress
the “Rope Out” direction. The load will stop without
coasting when the switch is released. To pull a load
or spool wire rope onto the drum, depress the “Rope
In” direction. See figure 6, for switch markings.
Your winch is designed to pull 1,500 pounds in single line for 20 seconds “On” time on the wire
rope layer closest to the drum. Attempts to pull more than this weight or exceed the duty cycle
may cause damage to the winch or wire rope and could cause the circuit breaker to trip, and the
winch will not operate. (see “Trouble Shooting”). Maintain a minimum of five wraps of wire rope
around the winch drum before attempting any pulls.
