WARN 30XL User Manual

Warnings and Cautions

As you read these instructions, you will see

WARNINGS, CAUTIONS, NOTICES and NOTES.
Each message has a specific purpose. WARNINGS
are safety messages that indicate a potentially
hazardous situation, which, if not avoided could
result in serious injury. CAUTIONS are safety
messages that indicate a potentially hazardous
situation which, if not avoided, could result in minor
or moderate injury. A CAUTION may also be used to
alert against unsafe practice. CAUTIONS and
WARNINGS identify the hazard, indicate how to
avoid the hazard, and advise of the probable
consequence of not avoiding the hazard. NOTICES
are messages to avoid property damage. NOTES
are additional information to help you complete a
procedure. PLEASE WORK SAFELY!

WARNING

MOVING PARTS ENTANGLEMENT
HAZARD

Failure to observe these instructions could
lead to severe injury or death.

To avoid injury to hands or fingers:

• Always keep hands clear of rope, hook
loop, hook and fairlead opening during
installation, operation and when spooling in
or out.

• Always use extreme caution when handling
hook and rope during spooling operations.

General Safety Precautions

WARNING

CHEMICAL AND FIRE HAZARD

Failure to observe these instructions could
lead to severe injury or death.

• Always remove jewelry and wear eye
protection.

• Never lean over battery while making
connections.

• Always verify area is clear of fuel lines, fuel
tank, brake lines, electrical wires, etc. when
drilling.

• Never route electrical cables:

- Across any sharp edges.

- Through or near moving parts.

- Near parts that become hot.

• Always insulate and protect all exposed
wiring and electrical terminals.

• Always install terminal boots as directed in
installation instructions.

WARNING

Failure to observe these instructions could
lead to property damage, severe injury, or
death

• Never exceed the maximum recommended
hydraulic pressure or flow for any of the
components used.

• Always connect the winch to the hydraulic
system as shown in the hydraulic schematic.

• Always use the correct type of control valve
as shown in the hydraulic schematic.

• Always Stand clear of hydraulic lines during
operation.

• Always install hydraulic components in
accordance with manufacturer’s
recommendations.

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General Safety Precautions

CAUTION CAUTION

MOVING PARTS ENTANGLEMENT
HAZARD

Failure to observe these instructions could
lead to minor or moderate injury.

General Safety:

• Always know your winch. Take time to fully
read the Installation and Operations Guide
in order to understand your winch and its
operation.

• Never operate this winch if you are under
16 years of age.

• Never operate this winch when under the
influence of drugs, alcohol or medication.

• Never exceed winch or rope capacity listed
on product data sheet. Double line using a
snatch block to reduce winch load.

Installation Safety:

• Always choose a mounting location that is
sufficiently strong to withstand the
maximum pulling capacity of your winch.

• Always use factory approved mounting
hardware, components, and accessories.

• Always use grade 8 or better mounting
hardware.

• Never weld mounting bolts.

• Always use care when using longer bolts
than those supplied from factory. Bolts that
are too long can damage the base and/or
prevent the winch from being mounted
securely.

• Always position fairlead with WARNING
label on top.

• Always prestretch wire rope and respool
under load before use. Tightly wound wire
rope reduces chances of “binding”, which
can damage the rope.

MOVING PARTS ENTANGLEMENT
HAZARD

Failure to observe these instructions could
lead to minor or moderate injury.

• Always inspect, rope, hook, and slings
before operating winch. Damaged
components must be replaced before
operation. Protect parts from damage.

• Never hook rope back onto itself. This
damages the rope.

• Always use a choker chain, choker rope, or
tree trunk protector on the anchor.

• Always remove any element or obstacle
that may interfere with safe operation of the
winch.

• Always take time to use appropriate rigging
techniques for a winch pull.

• Always be certain the anchor you select
will withstand the load and the strap or
chain will not slip.

• Never engage or disengage clutch if winch
is under load, rope is in tension or drum is
moving.

• Always double line or pick distant anchor
point when rigging. This maximizes pulling
power and avoids overloading the winch.

• Never winch with less than 5 wraps of rope
around the drum. The rope could come
loose from the drum.

• Never touch rope or hook while in tension
or under load.

• Never touch rope or hook while someone
else is at the control switch or during
winching operation.

• Always stand clear of rope and load and
keep others away while winching.

• Always be aware of stability of vehicle and
load during winching. Alert all bystanders of
any unstable condition.

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General Safety Precautions

CAUTION

CUT AND BURN HAZARD

Failure to observe these instructions could
lead to minor or moderate injury.

To avoid injury to hands and fingers:

• Always wear heavy leather gloves when
handling a wire rope.

• Never let rope slip through your hands.

• Always be aware of possible hot surface at
winch motor, drum or rope during or after
winch use.

WARNING

FALLING OR CRUSHING HAZARD

Failure to observe these instructions could
lead to severe injury or death.

• Never use winch to lift or move persons.

• Never use winch as a hoist or to suspend a
load.

CAUTION

MOVING PARTS ENTANGLEMENT
HAZARD

Failure to observe these instructions could
lead to minor to moderate injury.

• Always use a hook with a latch

• Always insure hook latch is closed and not
supporting load.

• Never apply load to hook tip or latch. Apply
load only to the center of hook.

• Never use a hook whose throat opening has
increased, or whose tip is bent or twisted.

NOTICE

AVOID WINCH AND EQUIPMENT
DAMAGE

• Always avoid side pulls which can pile up
rope at one end of the drum. This can
damage rope or winch.

• Always ensure the clutch is fully engaged or
disengaged.

• Never use winch to tow other vehicles.
Shock loads can momentarily exceed
capacity of rope and winch.

• Always use care to not damage the vehicle
frame when anchoring to a vehicle during a
winching operation.

• Never “jog” rope under load. Shock loads
can momentarily exceed capacity of rope
and winch.

• Never use winch to secure a load during
transport.

• Never submerge winch in water.

• Always store the remote control in a
protected, clean, dry area.

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WARN Industrial Winches

What is a Winch?

WARN Industries produces a large family of
winches and hoists. But what makes a winch
different than a hoist?

Winches and hoists look alike. Both consist of a
motor, a rotating drum with rope, reduction gears,
a base, and usually an electrical control system.
However, winches and hoists are used for
different purposes.

Winches are used to pull a load horizontally
across the ground, while hoists are used to lift a
load into the air. Unlike hoists, the operator of a
winch may unwind cable by “free spooling” or
disengaging the motor from the gear train using
the built-in clutch. Then the operator reverses the
position of the clutch to connect the motor to the
gears and pull the load.

Pre-Install Checklist

1 Check to see that you have received the

following:

• The winch

• The winch mounting hardware

2 Upon removing winch from packaging, check

for damage including bent or cracked tie rods,
tie bars, or housings. Correct any damage
before installing winch.

3 Make sure the environment surrounding

winch and controller is free of :

• Combustible vapors

• Chemical fumes

• Oil vapors

• Corrosive material

4 Make sure that the air temperature

surrounding the winch and controller stays
within 120° F (49° C) and -20° F (-29° C).

5 Make sure that the mounting structure can

withstand the full rated pull of the winch.

Mounting the Winch

Mounting Bolts:

Use the supplied fasteners whenever possible or
SAE Grade 8 bolts of the same thread size. The
tie plates, tensioner bracket, and spacers
supplied with the winch should NOT be removed.
Mounting brackets (if required) should be added
to the tie plates and spacers supplied with the
winch. Mounting brackets thicker than ½ inch
(12mm) in thickness may require longer mounting
bolts to be used. The bolt threads must extend a
minimum of ¾ inch (19mm) into the drum
supports. Bolts that are too long or too short will
fail to anchor the winch securely and may cause
a failure of the winch mounting.

Mounting Brackets:

When foot mounting the winch, the mounting
plate should be a minimum of ½ inch thick steel.
A thinner mounting plate will not support the
winch properly and may cause a failure of the
winch mounting. Foot mounting plates thicker
than 1/2 inch (12mm) will require longer mounting
bolts.

When side mounting the winch, brackets must be
a minimum of 4 inch (100mm) by 4 inch (100mm)
by ½ inch (12mm) thick angle iron or larger.
Mounting brackets with inadequate thickness
may cause a failure of the winch mounting. Side
mounting brackets thicker than 1/2 inch (12mm)
will require longer mounting bolts.

1 Make sure that the mounting surface is flat

within +/-0.020 in. (0.50 mm). If the surface is
not flat, use shim stock as needed to avoid
straining the winch.

2 Torque all mounting bolts to the

recommended values on the product data
sheet.

3 Use the mounting hole locations provided on

the product data sheet.

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Mounting Configurations

This section illustrates the recommended
mounting configurations for the Series XL winch.
This section does not include every possible
mounting configuration, but illustrates the correct
methods for mounting the winch.

Foot Down Mounting Position:

DO NOT wind the rope from the top of the drum.
DO NOT position the load direction away from
the mounting surface.

Foot Down Mounting Position:

DO wind the rope from the bottom of the drum.

WARN Industrial Winches

Foot Forward Mounting Position:

DO wind the rope from the top or bottom of the
drum towards the direction of the mounting
surface.

Side Mount:

DO wind the rope from the top of the drum.

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