winches are not meant for lifting.
Again, as The Cobbler wisely states, winches are not made for lifting.
Correction:
Some winches aren't made for lifting. These statements are generalizations and don't apply to all winches guys.
I've owned and operated winch trucks on pipelines plus my old power wagon that I built many log homes with for years. These vehicles were equipped with A frames and not only lifted 1000lb weights but they drove around with them and lowered them into place. Winches on steel spars lifted tons of weight and supported skylines on logging operations. These had two main winch drums, the haulback and the mainline. By holding the haulback and lowering the mainline the rigging would come down in the direction of the back spar or by holding the mainline and slacking the haulback the rigging would come down toward the head spar and so the operator could accurately place the rigging for the ground crew. However when bringing a load into the landing an interlock was engaged that locked the drums in unison so the haulback fed out while the mainline reeled in thereby keeping the load up in the air. Crane winches lift loads all day long. Before anyone claims those winches are called hoists you better google some of the top name winch manufacturers and see what they call their winches. Most winches have built in brakes and you have to power for up or down or you can disengage the drive cog and let them free wheel (only do this if there is no load on, used to quickly drag the line out).
That said the new breed of light duty winches like are being discussed here need a little more caution specially if they use a spur gear. Spur gears work one way only - winching in. To feed out or lower the load the spur gear has to be disengaged and it's possible the load could overcome the drive mechanism. The 1st thing I learned when I was rigging in the 70's was NEVER stand under a load, nor beside or behind it if you can avoid it. Stand at the end opposite the boom. If the operator hits a wrong lever by mistake and the load swings or a boom or winch line fails the safest place is not underneath or in it's path. Same for light duty stuff, dropping an engine in a pick-up, never put your hand or fingers under a load, guide with your finger tips at the sides or top where the load can come crashing down but where it will be moving away from your digits.
Industrial winches have fairleads that control the fleet angle of the line so it spools on the drum in a neat row. Fairleads on pick-up truck bumpers etc are too close to the drum to maintain a 5° fleet angle so the line does not spool neatly, it birdcages. When feeding out, slack line in the birdcage will spool out quickly and the load will jump a few inches so watch your fingers.
