Just got my first winch and wanted to confirm the following:

1. Should the clutch lever be disengaged when not in use?
2. Should the power switch be turned off? I understand that it doesn’t draw power unless you’re using it with the remote.

Any other useful tips? It’s a Smittybilt winch is that helps.

you want to leave the clutch IN when not in use. otherwise the cable may unspool as you drive.

if its got a master disconnect power switch, I would say yes, turn it off. most don't have that, and are powered directly and constantly without issue.

a generic tip, BE CAREFUL. winches can be very dangerous if used wrong. rope is slightly less dangerous than cable, but not entirely safe. just be smart.

Pop into youtube and watch some tutorials.

if you're asking question #1 then there are many questions you don't even know enough to ask yet (not trying to attack). definitely spend some quality time researching safe winch operation before playing with it!

A recovery class is worth every penny. A winch is a good tool, but is worthless if not properly used and if you don't have the proper accessories to go with it. Try to find an I4WDTA certified trainer in your area. If you happen to be in Colorado, Matt at On Trail Training is the best:

ON TRAIL TRAINING | HOME

I like leaving the winch main power disconnected at all times for the following reasons:

- If the solenoid pack (rare chance) goes wonky, and activates for some reason (bump, crash, etc), the winch will activate all by itself...

- If you were to end up in a crash, and the winch power cable shorts, it's unfused. It's likely going to catch fire and torch the car.

I don't have a winch on the 4Runner yet, but do have it my job truck. Here is my opinion:

1. Engage clutch. Spool in until you get tension. Be careful too much tension can break the motor or any other moving part. Stop as soon as you get tension. This will prevent someone from manually unspooling your line, or unspooling itself while driving. Also, if you clipped the line to the vehicle itself such as a D-ring on the bumper, the tension will prevent someone from easily stealing that D-ring too.

Not sure if yours does this, but tension on the line also prevents someone from disengaging the clutch.

2. I would put your winch on a perko switch or equivalent. Not so much of possible parasitic draw, but for safety. You would want a way to kill power to the winch if you had to.

Thought this thread was about my wife...

to the winch, wench!

gold star for those that can place that quote...

Will this story never end?

Watch your fingers....

Thank you everyone for your feedback. I do plan on taking a recovery class soon, but I would like to have my Factor 55 Flatlink installed before I attend the class.

Can anyone confirm if I can just simply use the remote and let some rope out with the clutch engaged, replace the original winch hook with the Factor 55 one and use the remote again to retract it snug against the fairlead? Or do I need to disengage the clutch first and free spool it by hand?

I would do it by disengaging the clutch, but I guess you could winch out those few feet without hurting anything. Why don't you want to just pull it out by hand? Wait....synthetic or wire rope?

Synthetic. I don't have any issues pulling it by hand. Just wanted to double check which method is preferred. I've watched a few YouTube videos that showed winching out with remote and other videos free spooling by hand.

you can power it out a bit to do what you need. typically there will be pressure against the drum anyway, so you wouldn't be able to unlock the clutch until you power it out slightly.

keep in mind, you are working against the internal brake every time you power it out. to release the pressure so you can free spool it is fine. to power it out until you reach a recovery point, not fine.