A hydraulic soft-start system includes a flow control valve which is in fluid communication with a pressure source and an inlet of a motor. The system includes a first flow restricting orifice and a second flow restricting orifice disposed between a pilot for actuating the flow control valve and the inlet of the motor. A first flow is passed from the pressure source via the first orifice to an inlet of the motor, placing the motor in a partially-actuated state. The flow control valve is actuated after a threshold pressure of the pilot is reached allowing a second flow to pass from the pressure source to the motor inlet. The second flow is higher than the first flow, thereby placing the motor in a fully-actuated state.