You can put the cone in a stand. There is a larger sidewinder that does use cones.
I've found mine very helpful. It hasn't met a bobbin it doesn't like, since I wind bobbins to use with as serger. I've wound Pfaff, Babylock, and Brother bobbins without a hitch. Saves me the trouble of using the sewing machine to wind a bobbin if I'm in the middle of something.
You can adjust the tension and even out the winding by using your finger.