bought this unit used and no manual; the winch wont unspool....or I dont know how to make it come out. Need to reset the hook, but cant get the cable out. I push the out button, it comes out a little then starts spooling in. Same with the up button. No manual. so? how to operate would be a good start. then fix. thanks

 

It sounds like the cable is jammed. Look and see if it's stacked up nice and neat on the drum or if it looks messy. If it looks like a mess let it out as far as it will go, then grab the hook and jerk on it. If it's still stuck after that hook the cable to something solid and back up. If that fixes it, let the cable out all the way and rewind it under tension. Sometimes I hook mine to my truck and let the winch pull the ATV forward. I've also helped friends by pulling the cable as tight as I can while they winch it in. You have to make sure it stacks nice and neat. Letting a little bit of cable in and out over and over, like raising and lowering a plow loosens it. Then the cable can slide down into the layer below and get jammed up. Let us know if that's your problem or not. If it's not, someone will come up with an idea.

 

Thank you so much for this, I will give this a shot today and let you know how it works out! Appreciate the info. Sounds exactly what has happened, the plow has been used mainly for snow plowing and now I have it and will be putting it to work here on the rancho! thanks again!

 

You're welcome. I found an illustration showing what might have happened. It's the last picture on this troubleshooting page.

PROBLEM: Wire rope knifes into lower layers.

POSSIBLE CAUSES: Lower wire rope layers are not installed properly due to light load.

Wire Rope Spooling Troubleshooting | Winches, Inc.

Even if the cable is wound properly like when it was new, going in and out a lot without enough tension can loosen it up. Then when you pull hard on the cable it can go down into a lower layer and get stuck like it shows here.

 

Update. Man, I jammed 'er good. That cable is sucked in tight and deep! Theres no way I can pull it free OR dig it out....or any free spinning cause its like wedgied in there so bad. So....next step is to....? take it to the dealer and have them fix it? Is is reasonable to think I can take the winch off and get this fixed? Should I try to wrench on it myself? My skills are well....tolerable, tools are decent....but tolerance? That may be another issue. Theres what appears to be several 1/2 in bolts (and I will google this too) and some electrical that needs to slip up and around some tight spaces to the battery....hmmm. I probly ought to take this to a pro that can do the thing. Thanks everyone for your replies and getting me pointed in the right direction!

 

If it was mine, I'd set it to free spool and hook it up to something that's not going anywhere, like the recovery hooks on my truck, or a big tree. Then I'd back up, and if I couldn't jerk the cable out, I would go faster to give it a harder yank. I honestly don't know any other way, but mine has never been stuck really bad, and that worked for me.

Whenever you hook your winch to a tree or anything else DO NOT loop the cable around and put the hook on the cable. That's a good way to snap your cable in two. Put a tow strap or a rope around the tree and hook on to that. If you take the winch off I don't know what you could do to fix it. Hopefully someone else has another idea.

 

Well. this worked! I am such a dumb ***! I had to reconnect the hook cause it had broken off, but hitched 'er to the pickup and free spooled right out! Woah! Was I Surprised! thank you so much to everyone that helped here. Maybe i will even post a pic. someday! LOL But we are back in action now! Lookout world! Grannys got 'er gear on now!

 

I would recommend getting synthetic winch rope for it. Less likely to ever get stuck like that again. (also safer to use)
this type winch rope is allot easier to deal with.

 

Thank you Hawkeye if this setup continues to give me grief that will be the next step. Lots of cable here to mangle first! I dont quite know how else I will be using the winch except for the snow plow. But what do I know? LOL. Still a lot to figure. Reading. Watching you tube. learning the limits of what I can and cannot do still. LIke it won't plow dirt. well. much anyway! Or, not supposed to. hmpf. I have to remember, its not a tractor.
Thanks again, so appreciate everyones help.

 

I had one plow that was supposed to plow dirt and one that wasn't. 48"-54", maybe, depending on the manufacturer. 60", no for the plows I checked.