Superwinch TALON SERIES WINCH User Manual [en, es, fr]

WINCH USER’S GUIDE

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

Please record the following information:

Model Serial No. Date

READ AND UNDERSTAND THIS MANUAL BEFORE

INSTALLATION AND OPERATION OF YOUR

SUPERWINCH.

Superwinch LLC.
Winch Drive
Putnam, CT 06260, USA
tel: [phone]
fax: [phone]
e-mail: [e-mail]
www.superwinch.com

87-14468 Rev- 01/07/10

Superwinch Ltd.
Union Mine Road
Pitts Cleave, Tavistock,
Devon, PL19 0PW, UK
tel: [phone]
fax: + 44 (0) 1822 615204
e-mail: [e-mail]
www.superwinch.com

1

INTRODUCTION

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Thank you for purchasing a winch from Superwinch. It is designed and manu­factured to provide years of trouble-free operation. We hope you are pleased
with it’s performance. If, for any reason you are not, please call our Customer
Service Department. Contact information included on the cover of this
User’s Guide.

When requesting information or ordering replacement parts, please provide the
Model Number and Serial Number.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

The responsibility for safe operation with this winch ultimately rests with you,
the operator. Read and understand all safety precautions and operating instructions
before installing and operating the winch. Careless winch operation can result in seri­ous injury and/or property damage.

Throughout this manual, you will nd notations with the following headings:

DANGER

!

WARNING

!

CAUTION

!

Indicates an imminently hazardous situation which, if not
avoided, will result in death or serious injury.

Indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not
avoided, could result in death or serious injury.

Indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not
avoided, may result in minor or moderate injury. This
notation is also used to alert against unsafe practices.

This winch is designed to move a load at ground level or up an incline.
It is neither designed nor intended for hoisting.

This winch is not to be used to lift or move people.

This winch is for intermittent use due to heat build up characteristics of various
components.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

1. Operator must be alert. Do not operate the winch under the inuence of drugs,

alcohol or medication.

2. The best way to get acquainted with how the winch operates is to make practice
runs before you need it in an emergency situation.

DANGER

!

WARNING

!

If a wire rope pulls loose or breaks under load, it can lash back with dangerous
force.

3. Beware of the danger zone. The danger zone is the area of the rotating rope drum,
the fairlead (if tted), the rope, the hook, and motor (see Fig 1. ) First relieve tension on
load then disconnect the control switch before putting hands in or around the danger
zone. Disconnect power leads to battery before working in or around drum.

Never connect DC powered winches to AC current. Motor
damage or fatal shock may occur.

Stand clear of rope and load during winching. Keep
helpers and spectators at a safe distance.

The following symbols on the product and in the Owners manual are used:

Read Owner's
Manual

Always Use
Handsaver

Keep clear of winch,

rope and hook

while operating

Never use winch
to lift or move
people

Never use
winch to hold
loads in place

Note: Indicates additional information in the installation and operation procedures of
your winch.

Correct installation of your winch is a requirement for proper operation.
Please Note: Winch is designed primarily for intermittent applications. This winch is not
designed to be used in industrial or hoisting applications and Superwinch does not
warrant it to be suitable for such use. Superwinch manufactures a separate line of
winches for industrial/ commercial use. Please contact Customer Service Department
for further information.

Congratulations on you choice!

2

Fig. 1

4. It is recommended that if you are within four feet of the winch, do not hold rope
and remote (if equipped) at the same time.

5. USE ONLY FACTORY APPROVED SWITCHES, REMOTE CONTROLS AND ACCESSORIES.
Use of non-factory approved components may cause injury or property damage and
could void your warranty.

3

INSTALLING THE WINCH

WIRE ROPE

DANGER

!

taken before making battery connection:

* Wear eye protection.
* Remove all jewlery.
* Follow wiring diagram included in installation instructions.
* Keep spectators away.

In the event of a battery explosion, acid should be ushed away immediately. Seek
medical help as soon as possible.

1. Mount the winch to a rm base. Be sure that your structural support is strong
enough to support the rated pulling forces of the winch.

2. While mounting attitude is at your discretion, always remember that your winch is
to be operated with the rope in an under wound orientation on the rope drum. Your
winch is designed to ROPE IN and ROPE OUT in one direction. DO NOT attempt to
reverse the operation of winch.

Fig. 2

CAUTION

!

will void your warranty.

3. If you do not understand an instruction, or if you have a question that is not cov­ered in the manuals with your winch or mounting kit, please contact the Superwinch
Customer Service Department.

CAUTION

!

installations, the unit must be mounted so that the rope feeds through the hawse or
roller fairlead on the front of the winch and does not rub across housings.

Be aware that vehicle batteries contain gases that are ammable
and can explode violently. The following precautions should be

Underwind

Do not weld or machine any part of the winch. Machining or
welding may weaken the structural integrity of the winch and

Do not mount the winch inverted (base upward) or put the winch
mounting hardware in a direct tension condition. In all

Overwind

DANGER

1. The life of the wire rope is directly related to the care it receives. The wire rope on a
new winch, and any replacement ropes, should be respooled under a minimum of 100
lb. load before using the winch. Failure to do this will result in wire rope damage.
Inspect wire rope before use. Mashed, pinched, frayed or kinked areas severely reduce
the load-carrying capability. Replace damaged wire rope.

2. 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 rope is now permanently
damaged and should not be used.

(c.) The result of kinking is that each strand pulls a
dierent amount causing the strands under great­est tension to break and reduce load capacity of
the wire rope.

a.

b.

c.

SYNTHETIC ROPE

DANGER

!

use. Any rope that exhibits cut strands, fused or melted bers, inconsistent stiness
over the length of the rope, chemical contamination, at areas or lumps that are not
eliminated by exing the rope, or is otherwise visibly damaged must be replaced im­mediately. Failure to do so can result in rope failure and personal injury.

WARNING

!

• Do not knot or tie the rope to secure to a load, or to repair a broken rope.

!

• Do not expose the rope to heat sources or chemicals.

• Do not pull the rope over rough surfaces or sharp edges.

• Do not pull the rope around non-rotating sheaves or rollers.

1. Synthetic Winch Rope Installation:

Pull the rope through hole, (enough line so it reaches opposite end of drum). Position
inserted line lengthwise down the drum as shown. Using duct tape or similar, secure
end of line to drum, taping around drum. Setscrew is not used in this installation. You
are ready to wind on the line. (Be sure that line is wound on from underneath drum.
Line should come o drum on bottom).

Sharp edges and abrasion will signicantly shorten rope life.
Inspect entire length of rope and protective sleeve before each

4 5

2. Synthetic Winch Rope Inspection:

When rope is new, it has a smooth nish (a.). When the rope is rst used, the outer
laments of the rope will roughen and give the rope a slightly ,“fuzzy” appearance (b.).
This condition of the outer laments creates a rougher rope surface and actually helps
to protect the bers underneath. Rope must be replaced when approximately 25% of
the visible outer bers exhibit abrasion (c.).

a. b. c.

New Rope Used Rope Rope must be replaced

Examine both inner and outer bers. Open the strands of the rope by compressing
the rope length-wise (e.) and look for powdered ber and abrasion - this is a sign of
internal wear of the rope. Estimate internal ber loss to include in your determination
of overall abrasion ber loss of the rope.

d. e.

Glossy or glazed rope Compressing Rope Length-wise

Glossy or glazed areas in the rope (d.) can be the result of 2 dierent conditions. The
most common form of glossing or glazing is caused by compression, which can occur
when the rope is wound on the winch drum, or through a pulley block. Compressing
the rope length-wise (e.) will generally make the rope more pliable and begin to
resemble normal rope. If the glazed section remains hardened, this can be a sign of
heat damage, and the rope must be replaced.

Tips for prolonging the life of your synthetic rope:

It is your responsibility to exercise proper care to prolong the life of your synthetic winch rope.

1.) Minimize rope abrasion. Use the movable abrasion sleeve whenever the rope comes in con-
tact with rocks or other objects. Slide the sleeve up and down the rope as required. Abrasion
will reduce rope life.

PREPARING THE WINCH

DANGER

!

handling the hook, always use handsaver (Fig. 4). Never put your ngers into the
hook. Placing nger(s) in hook could result in injury.

Fig. 4

1. When anchoring the pulling vehicle, set the parking brake and block or
chock the wheels. Keep the vehicle’s foot brake depressed and place the
automatic or manual transmission in neutral.

WARNING

!

winch to run as soon as it is plugged in.

2. When using the remote switch inside a vehicle, always pass it through a window to
avoid pinching the wire in the door.

Wear heavy leather gloves when handling rope. Do not let the
rope slip through your hands, even with gloves on. When

WRONG

Inspect switch and wiring for cracks, pinched spots, frayed, or
loose connections. A damaged, shorted lead could cause the

2.) Keep the rope clean. Allowing dirt and debris to enter the rope will lead to abrasion of the rope.

3.) Avoid sharp bends. A sharp bend in the rope decreases it’s strength substantially under load

and may cause rope damage or failure.

3. When it is necessary to respool the rope under no load after use, hold the remote
switch lead in one hand and the rope in the other. Start from as far from the vehicle
as the remote switch will allow, activate the switch, walk in several feet of rope and
release switch. Repeat the process. Always release the switch before your hand comes
within four feet from the fairlead ( the physical opening through which the rope passes ).

4. Be sure the rope is distributed evenly and tightly on the drum. A loosely wound
drum allows the rope to work it’s way down into the layers of rope on the drum and
become wedged.

5. It is not advisable to grease or oil the wire rope due to dirt contamination that will
reduce the wire rope life.

6

7

WINCHING

load

Anchor Point

Winch

Approx. 1/2 Load

Approx. 1/2 Load

DANGER

!

guide a rope under tension onto the drum with your hands (see Fig. 5).

Never touch the rope or hook while they are in tension or under
load. Even at rest, the winch may have the rope in tension. Never

4. If you install a tow hook for double lining, it should be attached to the vehicle frame.

5. Equipping the winch with a fairlead will reduce wear on the rope during angle pulls
( see Fig. 8 ). The rollers reduce rubbing and abrasion to the rope.

Fig. 8

Fig. 5

WRONG

1. Winch with at least ve wraps of wire rope or at least eight wraps of synthetic rope

around the winch drum. With fewer wraps the rope could pull loose from the drum
under load.

2. When pulling a load, place a blanket, jacket or tarpaulin over the wire rope near the
hook end (see Fig. 6). This will slow the snap back of a broken wire rope and help to
prevent serious injury. Raise hood to protect windshield.

Fig. 6

Fig. 6

WARNING

!

Note the winch’s rated capacity and do not exceed it.

3. Double line with a pulley block ( see Fig. 7 ) to reduce the load on the winch, rope
and battery. Double lining will also reduce winch line speed. Be sure all equipment
used meets the winch’s maximum line pull rating. When double-lining, pulley blocks
should be rated to a minimum of two times the winch’s line pull rating.

Roller Fairlead

Hawse Fairlead

6. Pull as straight as possible to reduce the buildup of rope on one end of the drum.

7. The vehicle’s engine should be running during winching operation. If consider-

able winching is performed with the engine o, the battery may be too weak to restart
the engine.

CAUTION

!

Use a pulley block to avoid winching at sharp angles. Uneven

layering will cause serious damage to the winch and rope. It
can be corrected by securing load, spooling out the rope and repositioning it to the
opposite end of the drum.

!

DANGER

Do not disengage clutch under load. If your winch is equipped

with a freespool clutch, be certain that there is no tension on the
rope when you disengage the clutch. Before winching a load, be sure the clutch is
fully engaged.

!

WARNING

Use the winch to move the load. Do not attempt to assist the
winch by moving the vehicle. The combination of the winch and

and vehicle pulling could overload the rope and the load could break the winch.

!

DANGER

Never rely on the winch to hold a load in place.

None of our winches are designed for load-holding
applications and may unwind or fail due to shock loading as the
load is being transported. The load should be secured by other means, and the
winch hook detached from the load.

8

load

( Single Line )

Winch

Fig. 7

Pulley
Block

Anchor
Point

( Double Line )

9

RIGGING

WARNING

!

equipment. It can also cause injury.

Take your time when rigging and include a reasonable factor for
safety. Improper rigging can result in damage to vehicle and

3. Figure (11.) Illustrates the most commonly used rigging. A nylon sling is used to
protect the tree when it is used as an anchor, and the rope is attached to the sling. The
use of a chain or rope is not recommended due to the damage it could cause to the
tree.

1. Never handle the rope or rigging while anyone else is at the control switch.

CAUTION

!

Use a nylon sling when attaching the rope to an anchor point.
Do not attach the hook back on to the rope. Doing so can cause

the rope to break.

Fig. 9

Right Wrong

W

!

ARNING

Always use the handsaver ( see Fig. 10 ). Do not hold

the hook with your hand. This is important not only
when reeling rope in but also when removing rope from the winch under
power.

Fig. 10

Fig. 11

4. Figure (12.) Illustrates a method of rigging used to obtain a mechanical advantage.
The use of a pulley block will almost double pulling capacity.

Pulley
Block

Fig. 12

Winch
Vehicle

Anchor point

Load

5. Figure (13.) Illustrates the use of a pulley block to change the direction of the pull.
Mechanical advantage can be obtained by attaching a pulley block to the nylon sling
with a shackle and running the rope to the anchor point.

2. Run the winch intermittently to take up rope slack. When using a pulley block, be
sure the rope is running properly in all pulley rollers before applying a load.

WARNING

!

WARNING

!

Do not re-engage clutch while winch is running.

Always operate winch with an unobstructed view of the winching
operation. Never obscure warning and instruction labels.

10

Fig. 13

CAUTION

!

Equipment such as tackle, hooks, pulley, blocks, straps, etc.,
should be properly sized and rated and should be inspected

periodically for damage that could reduce their strength.

11