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GENERAL SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS
Safety for operators and ground personnel is of prime concern. Always take the necessary precau-
tions to ensure safety to others as well as yourself. To ensure safety, the tractor and winch must be
operated with care and concern by the operator for the equipment, and a thorough knowledge of
the machine’s performance capabilities. The following recommendations are offered as a general
safety guide. Local rules and regulations will also apply.
1. Read all warning tag information and become familiar
with all controls BEFORE operating the winch.
2. Never attempt to clean, oil or perform any maintenance
on the winch with the engine running, unless instructed
to do so in this manual.
3. Before starting the tractor, be certain all controls move
freely and are placed in the “Brake-On” (neutral) posi-
tion.
4. Never operate winch controls unless you are properly
seated at the operators station on the tractor and are
sure personnel are clear of the work area.
5. Never attempt to handle winch cable when the hook
end is not free. Keep all parts of body and clothing
clear of cable rollers, cable entry area of fairleads and
winch drum.
6. Ground personnel should stay in view of tractor opera-
tor and clear of winch drum. Do not allow ground per-
sonnel near winch line under tension. A safe distance
of at least 1 ½ times the working length of the cable
should be maintained. Never allow anyone to stand
under a suspended load.
7. Avoid sudden “shock” loads or attempting to “jerk” a
load free. This type of operation may cause heavy
loads in excess of rated capacity, which may result in
failure of cable and/or winch.
8. Use only GENUINE PACCAR parts. Do not use parts
from other winch manufacturers on your PACCAR
winch. Do not use PACCAR parts on winches from
other manufacturers.
9. Use correct size ferrule for cable and pocket in winch
drum. Never use knots to secure or attach cable. The
cable anchor or ferrule pocket in the cable drum is de-
signed to provide a self release in the event a back-
sliding load must be released from the tractor in an
emergency situation. The cable anchor or ferrule alone
will NOT support rated line pull. Therefore, a minimum
of fi ve (5) complete wraps of cable must be maintained
on the winch drum.
NOTE:
We suggest painting the last fi ve wraps of
cable bright red to serve as a visual warning.
Recommended Operating Practices
1. Leather gloves should be used when handling winch
cable.
2. Operate the winch to match line speeds to job condi-
tions.
3. Assure that personnel who are responsible for hand
signals are clearly visible and that the signals to be
used are thoroughly understood by everyone.
4. Inspect winch cable, rigging, winch and tractor at the
beginning of each work shift. Defects should be cor-
rected immediately.
5. Position tractor for straightest line of pull to reduce
wear on winch cable and ensure even spooling.
6. When winding winch cable on the winch drum, never
attempt to maintain tension by allowing winch cable
to slip through hands. Always use “hand-over-hand”
technique, being careful to keep hands and clothing
away from winch drum and fairlead rollers.
7. Be sure of tractor ground stability before winching in a
load.
8. Store unused chokers, slings and rigging in a neat and
orderly fashion to prevent damage to equipment or in-
jury to personnel.
9. Do not operate the winch under loads that exceed the
maximum rated bare drum line pull. If excessive loads
are encountered, use a multi-part line and sheave
blocks. Any attempt to exceed the capacity of one
winch (such as coupling 2 or more tractors together) is
extremely hazardous.
FAILURE TO OBEY THE FOLLOWING SAFETY REC-
OMMENDATIONS MAY RESULT IN PROPERTY DAM-
AGE, INJURY OR DEATH.
