Harbor Freight Tools Badland Apex 12000lb Winch User Manual

Harbor Freight Tools Badland Apex 12000lb Winch

Specifications

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

1. Do not wear loose clothing or jewelry, as they can be caught in moving parts. Non-skid footwear is recommended. Wear restrictive hair covering to contain long hair.
2. Wear ANSI-approved safety goggles and heavy-duty leather work gloves during installation
3. Before installation confirm that the area is clear of fuel lines, brake lines, electrical wires, gas tanks or any other component that could be damaged during drilling.
4. Mounting location and hardware must support Winch and load.
5. Use supplied power cords and synthetic rope listed in the manual only. Do not use thinner/longer cables or link multiple cables together.
6. Do not route electrical cables near sharp edges or parts that will move or become hot
7. Ventilate the area well before and while working on the battery. Explosive invisible hydrogen gas can accumulate and then explode when ignited by a spark from the battery connection
8. Only connect to a clean, corrosion-free battery
9. Do not lean over or come in contact with battery while making connections.
10. Remove all metal jewelry before working near battery
11. Connect the red cable to the Disconnect Switch, then connect the 12″ 2AWG cable to the Disconnect Switch and the positive battery terminal. Connect the black cable to the negative battery terminal
12. Insulate all exposed wiring and terminals after installation.
13. Install Winch and Fairlead in underwing orientation, so that the Synthetic Rope enters and exits the Winch at the bottom of the drum.

Service Precautions

1. Wear ANSI-approved safety goggles and heavy-duty leather work gloves during service.
2. Disconnect power to Winch and allow it to cool completely before service.
3. Use supplied power cords, synthetic rope or cables listed in the manual only. Do not use thinner/longer cables or link multiple cables together.
4. Have the Winch serviced by a qualified repair person using only identical replacement parts. This will ensure that the safety of the Winch is maintained.
5. Maintain labels and nameplates on the Winch. These carry important safety information. If unreadable or missing, contact Harbor Freight Tools for a replacement.

Installation and Setup

What’s in the Box

Mounting the Winch

1. Make sure the Winch will fit the chosen mounting area. If relocating the Control Box is necessary
   or desired, perform the removal and installation of cables to the Winch before mounting. Refer
   to Relocating the Control Box on page 8.
2. The mounting plate must be rated to at least the Winch’s capacity.
3. Align the Winch perpendicular to center line of the vehicle at the desired location, and mark the
   locations of the winch base holes. Compare the dimensions of the marked holes to Figure A.
4. Before drilling, verify that the installation surface has no hidden components or structural pieces that will be damaged.
5. Drill holes appropriate for the hardware at the marked locations.
6. Install the Winch using the hardware specified on the specification chart. Tighten fasteners to the following torque values:
7. Mount the Fairlead centered on the Winch to guide the Rope onto the Winch drum.
8. Install the Fairlead using the hardware specified on the specification chart. Tighten fasteners
   to the following torque values:

Relocating the Control Box (optional)

1. Engage the clutch on Winch.
2. Disconnect the vehicle battery cables, and negative terminal first.
3. Disconnect the Ground Cable and Small Black Wire from the terminal on the rear of the Winch. Make sure the Small Black Wire that connects to the Control Box is disconnected and hanging freely.
4. Remove the Terminal Cover by unscrewing two M4 x 16 Screws holding it in place. Remove the six Motor Terminal Nuts and three Copper Plates. Retain all the hardware.
5. Remove four M6 x 25 Screws holding the Control Box in place and gently lift it off of the Winch.
6. Attach the Control Box Baseplate to the Control Box using the four M6 x 25 Screws removed in step 5.
7. Install the three Extended Copper Screws to the terminal on the motor. Mount the Terminal Box on the Winch using two M4 x 12 screws. Do not overtighten screws.
8. Connect three Power Cables (Control Box Relocation Kit) to the Extended Copper Screws on motor terminal using three of the Motor Terminal Nuts removed in step 4.
9. Install the Terminal Box Cover on the Terminal Box using three M4.8 x16 Self-Tapping Screws. Do not overtighten screws.
10. Connect three Power Cables (control box relocation kit) to the Control Box using remaining three Motor Terminal Nuts removed in step 4.
11. Use the Small Black Wire Connector and Small Black Wire Extension to lengthen the Small Black Wire from the Control Box. Reconnect the Ground Cable and Small Black Wire to the backside of the Winch motor.
12. Install the four decorative M6 x12 Screws onto the Winch.
13. Place the Control Box on a solid mounting surface in a suitable place near enough to the Winch to allow the cables to be routed properly.
14. Verify that the installation surface has no hidden components or structural pieces that will be damaged before drilling.
15. Secure the Control Box assembly in place with Baseplate mounting hardware.

Wiring

1. Plan a route for the wiring from the point of the vehicle where the Winch will be mounted, or used, to the battery. This route must be secure, out of the way of moving parts, road debris, or any possibility of being damaged by the operation or maintenance of the vehicle. For example, you may wish to route the wires under the vehicle, attaching them to the frame using suitable fasteners.
2. If you drill through the bumper or any part of the body to route the wires, be sure to install a rubber grommet in the hole to prevent fraying of the wires at that point.
3. Route the Cables from the Winch to the battery, following the precautions discussed above.
   Refer to Figure C.
4. Attach the 12″ 2AWG Disconnect Switch Cable to the positive terminal on the battery
5.  Attach the 12″ 2AWG Cable from the battery to either terminal on the Disconnect Switch.
6. Attach the red Battery Cable from the Winch to the remaining terminal on the Disconnect Switch.
7. Attach the black Ground Cable and the Small Black Wire to the terminal at the rear of the Winch.
8.  Attach the black Ground Cable from the Winch directly to the negative terminal of the battery.
9. Lift the Socket Cover exposing the Remote Control socket and Wireless Receiver Switch. Connect
   the Remote Control Cable to the socket and the Remote for wired remote control. For wireless
   control do not use the Remote Control Cable and turn on the Wireless Receiver Switch. Refer to
   Remote Control Instructions on page 12.
10. Turn on the Disconnect Switch and operate the remote controls briefly to test the Winch function and drum rotation direction. If the operation is reversed, the Battery Cables may be connected backward. Correct any such issue before use.
11. Disconnect and turn off the Remote Control when not in use.
12. Turn off the Disconnect Switch when the Winch is not in use or when the vehicle has returned to on-highway operation.

Disconnect Switch

WARNING! TO PREVENT SERIOUS INJURY: Off-highway driving subjects the vehicle and wiring to much higher vibrations than on-highway driving which can cause a breakdown of wiring insulation over time. Use the high current Disconnect Switch included with this Winch to turn OFF the power to the Winch when it is not in use to help reduce the risk of a short circuit.

1. To use the Winch, use the Disconnect Switch to turn the power to the Winch ON.
2. When the Winch is not in use, turn the Disconnect Switch OFF to reduce the risk of a short on the main power to the Winch.

Preparing the Synthetic Rope

The Synthetic Rope must be properly coiled under tension to be able to support a load without damage.

1. Find a suitable location where the Rope can be spooled onto the Winch while anchored to a solid object. Approximately 70 feet will be required. Alternately, a snatch block (sold separately) may
   be used to reduce the distance to 35 feet.
2. Move the Clutch Handle to the Freespool position and uncoil the Synthetic Rope until 5 wraps remain on the drum. Move the Clutch Handle back to the Engaged position.
3. Slowly and carefully move the vehicle in reverse to remove slack from the line.
4. Place the vehicle in neutral. Spool the Synthetic Rope back into the Winch while gently applying
   the brakes. If the ground is flat, shallow mud or dirt, the brakes can be fully applied. Pavement can generate much higher loads, in which case only light braking is needed.
5. Use a second person to monitor the rope spooling evenly onto the drum.
6. The last layer of Rope can be put on without tension.

Remote Control instructions

Wired Operation

1. To use the Remote Control in a wired configuration, connect the Remote Control Cable to the bottom of the Remote Control and to the Remote Control Socket on the Control Box.
2. The blue indicator light will come on indicating the Remote Control is ready for use.
3. With the Clutch Handle in the Engaged position, press IN on the Rocker Switch to retract the Synthetic Rope — the red indicator light will flash during winding.
4. Press OUT on the Rocker Switch to extend the Synthetic Rope out.

Wireless Operation

1. For wireless Remote Control operation, turn on the Wireless Receiver Switch on the Control Box.
2. Press and hold the ON/OFF Switch on the Remote for approximately 2 seconds until the red indicator light comes on, indicating the Remote Control is ready for use.
3. With the Clutch Handle in the Engaged position, press IN on the Rocker Switch to retract the Synthetic Rope — the red indicator light will flash during winding.
4. Press OUT on the Rocker Switch to extend the Synthetic Rope out.
5. To turn off the Remote Control, press and hold the ON/OFF Switch until the red indicator light goes out, approximately 2 seconds. Turn off the Wireless Receiver Switch.

Operation

Before operating this Winch, refer to the Harbor Freight Tools publication Guide to Winching includes with the Winch for important operational safety information, winch basics, winching tips, and general winch operating procedures. If this guide is unreadable or missing, contact Harbor Freight Tools for a replacement.

Maintenance and Servicing

Cleaning, Maintenance, and Lubrication

1. Before each use, inspect the general condition of the Winch. Check for:
   • loose hardware
   • misalignment or binding of moving parts
   •  cracked or broken parts
   • damaged electrical wiring
   • corroded or loose terminals
   • any other condition that may affect its safe operation. Examine the Synthetic Rope. Do not use the Winch if the Rope is frayed or has cut strands.
2. After use, wipe the external surfaces of the Winch with clean cloth. If the Winch is submerged during use, rinse thoroughly with fresh, clean water when finished.
3. The Winch’s internal mechanism is permanently lubricated. Do not open the housing.

Synthetic Rope Replacement

1. Move the Clutch Handle to the Freespool position.
2. Extend the Synthetic Rope to its full length, noting how the existing Rope is connected to the inside of the drum.
3. Remove the old Synthetic Rope and attach the new assembly.
4. Retract the Synthetic Rope onto the Rope drum. Refer to instructions for tensioning the Synthetic Rope under Preparing the Synthetic Rope on page 11.
5. Test Winch for proper operation.

Troubleshooting

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING CAREFULLY

THE MANUFACTURER AND/OR DISTRIBUTOR HAS PROVIDED THE PARTS LIST AND ASSEMBLY DIAGRAM IN THIS MANUAL AS A REFERENCE TOOL ONLY. NEITHER THE MANUFACTURER OR DISTRIBUTOR MAKES ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY OF ANY KIND TO THE BUYER THAT HE OR SHE IS QUALIFIED TO MAKE ANY REPAIRS TO THE PRODUCT, OR THAT HE OR SHE IS QUALIFIED TO REPLACE ANY PARTS OF THE PRODUCT. IN FACT, THE MANUFACTURER AND/OR DISTRIBUTOR EXPRESSLY STATES THAT ALL REPAIRS AND PARTS REPLACEMENTS SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN BY CERTIFIED AND LICENSED TECHNICIANS, AND NOT BY THE BUYER. THE BUYER ASSUMES ALL RISK AND LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF HIS OR HER REPAIRS TO THE ORIGINAL PRODUCT OR REPLACEMENT PARTS THERETO, OR ARISING OUT OF HIS OR HER INSTALLATION OF REPLACEMENT PARTS THERETO.

Parts List and Diagram

Parts List

Assembly Diagram

Limited 90-Day Warranty

Harbor Freight Tools Co. makes every effort to assure that its products meet high quality and durability standards, and warrants to the original purchaser that this product is free from defects in materials and workmanship for the period of 90 days from the date of purchase. This warranty does not apply to damage due directly or indirectly, to misuse, abuse, negligence or accidents, repairs or alterations outside our facilities, criminal activity, improper installation, normal wear and tear, or to lack of maintenance.

We shall in no event be liable for death, injuries to persons or property, or for incidental, contingent, special, or consequential damages arising from the use of our product. Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation of exclusion may not apply to you. THIS WARRANTY IS EXPRESSLY IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS. To take advantage of this warranty, the product or part must be returned to us with transportation charges prepaid. Proof of purchase date and an explanation of the complaint must accompany the merchandise. If our inspection verifies the defect, we will either repair or replace the product at our election or we may elect to refund the purchase price if we cannot readily and quickly provide you with a replacement. We will return repaired products at our expense, but if we determine there is no defect, or that the defect resulted from causes not within the scope of our warranty, then you must bear the cost of returning the product. This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state.

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Harbor Freight Tools Badland Apex 12000lb Winch-FAQs