What they manage, and how it actually works are two very different things. And having just found a parts diagram, those with the brake option, use two seperate controls, unless you go for the remote option, where they can sneak in a some electronic wizardy to help provide a smooth transition, which is part of my long term plan.
Not anymore than a manually operated one. With a manually operated winch, you've got two levers. One for the brake (that's if theres one fitted, as the brake is optional on quite a lot of winches), and one for the clutch. You can get the timing just as wrong with two manual levers, than you can with two hydraulic spool valves.
I know the importance of safety, and getting a machine that does the job, how we want it done without failing is the top priority. If you've ever been on site, when the winch that's supposed to pull 3.5t decides it's not going to when you've just cut through the trunk of a 50 foot tree, you'd soon understand why failure is not an option.
And in case you're wondering why a commercial winch isn't an option, we want a custom set-up on the front of the tractor that minimises how far it sticks out the front, and can also accomodate the PTO which isn't positioned suitably for commercial winches.