Can Keeper winches be used to hoist a load?

No, Keeper winches are not intended for Lifting / Hoisting or lowering loads.   There is a difference between Winches and a Hoists in the way of the internal Brake and Load Locking of the wire rope drum are designed.  Winches are not made to support an overhead load or weight lifting or lowering.  Winches are designed for pulling and general do not require or need to support a weight or load against the wire rope drum when not pulling.  Electric Hoists have locking brakes and are designed for Hoisting and Overhead Lifting, where cable should not payout or release when wire rope drum is in the off position.

Our winch uses dynamic braking, which relies on the winch’s gears to hold the load. This makes winches suitable for pulling a load horizontally, but not for safely suspending a load vertically. Also, our winch drum is designed for horizontal spooling.

Hoists are designed with mechanical braking systems that provide a more reliable way to hold a load in place when suspended. Hoist drums are designed for vertical spooling.

Without a mechanical brake, a winch used for lifting can be prone to slippage, potentially causing the load to fail.

Even if the winch is mounted in a positioned to be pulling horizontally vs vertically, we still cannot recommend this from a safety point of view.