Chain Hoist Guide
If you’re in the market for a new chain hoist, it’s important to know what type of hoist - manual hoist and electric hoist - will provide you with the most benefits e.g cost-saving and efficient operation. Whether you own factories, auto shops, or warehouses, this chain hoist guide will help you pick the right one.
📝 Chapter 1:
Manual Hoists vs Electric Hoists
With working load limits (WLL) up to 50 tons, Manual Chain Hoists are widely used in multiple industries for moving heavy objects without power supply. Here are their key features and benefits:
1. No power supply required and cost-saving
As no electricity is required, it's especially advantageous for lifting work in open-air grounds and places where no power supply is available. They're small in size and well-fit in a toolbox for easy carrying, especially Yale Handy Lever Hoist with a length of 24 cm only. These portable tools are great for drifting loads when no overhead crane is available or there is limited access. More examples will be shown in the next chapter.
2. Simple design with trouble-free operation
If your business operates at a small venue, a manual chain hoist will be a great choice since it’s portable. Its simple design also makes it easier to repair and maintain. There are no wires or motors to sift through during inspection. If you’re looking for a low-maintenance hoist, you’ve found the one.
3. Cost saving
If the budget plays a big role in deciding what type of hoist to buy, manual chain hoists are one of the more cost-efficient options.
4. Reasons For Choosing Electric Hoists
While manual chain hoists are effective for lifting and lowering materials across industries, electric hoists in a number of instances should be considered depending on your applications. Here are some situations where you may consider switching to an electric hoist:
- Speed is the criteria for your work and you need to keep things running efficiently.
- Loads to be lifted/lowered can't enable you to physically stand close to the chain for operation.
- A long lift, e.g. lifting a load over 18 meters
- A heavy load to be handled
- Transport the hoist with heavy loads along the long runway beam
📝 Chapter 2:
Lever Hoist vs Chain Hoist: Which is Better for You?
Both lever hoists and chain hoists (or ''chain blocks'' / ''block and tackle'') are portable and easy to maintain without electricity supplied. Chain hoists move a load by pulling a chain while lever hoists by cranking the lever/handle forwards and backwards. A chain hoist with a greater capacity of up to 5 tons is typically used vertically whereas a lever hoist has the advantage of being able to lift in vertical and horizontal positions.
Here is an infographic of chain block and lever hoist comparison in terms of capacity, lifting mechanism and use.
1. What is A Chain Hoist?
A chain hoist (known as a ''chain block'' / ''chain fall'' / ''block and tackle) is a mechanical device containing a hand chain and lifting chain. Typically used vertically, it raises or lowers a heavy material by pulling down on the hand chain. A small pulling force will be turned to a larger force to handle heavy objects thanks to the lifting mechanism.
📝Fun Fact: Many customers have asked the difference between chain hoist and chain block. While they are now used interchangeably, ''Chain Block'' is a relatively old term to describe this kind of tool and commonly used in the Asian lifting industry.
How does a chain hoist work?
Once a small pulling force is applied to the hand chain, it's transformed over a long distance to make a hand-chain wheel turn a series of cogs, axles, gears, and sprockets. They increase the mechanical work applied when pulling the chain many times, and in turn rotates the second lifting chain to lift or lower your heavy load. The whole process transfers a small force over a long distance to a large force over a short distance, explaining why a chain hoist is great for lifting heavy loads when speed is not important.
Capacity
As a force multiplier, it gives you the ability to lift very large loads up to 50,000 kg (See Yale VSIII Chain Block) with ease by using mechanical advantage. Its working load limit (WLL) is greater than a lever hoist's one.
How To Use A Chain Hoist?
Common ways to suspend a hoist is by attaching it to a beam with a beam clamp or to a secure anchor with a shackle. If the load has to be moved from one place to the other, a trolley will be the right suspension choice that can traverse the length of the beam flange it is attached to, carrying the load to the desired place with minimal effort. After securing the hoist and the load, you can put it to use for your application by pulling the hand chain by hands.
Applications:
A chain block is ideal for high vertical loads, unlike a lever hoist that has to be used next to you. You can still operate the pulling chain from the ground even when the hoist is positioned up high. Most hand hoists are used for infrequent maintenance applications where speed is not a requirement. They should not be specified for continuous lifting applications, especially when long lifts are required. Typical uses are to:
✓ Lift and hold beams and pipes in place for welding or bolting operations
✓ Maintain a turbine for critical lifts and installs where precise, micro-movements are required
✓ Be used as coal gun hoist in the wind energy industry
✓ Install and remove valves in the oil & gas sector Lift pumps, generators, or other heavy equipment in water treatment facilities
✓ Lift loads from the higher levels on construction sites
✓ Remove engines from cars easily in automotive garages
✓ Lift items to and from the belt in assembly-line factories
✓ Others: machine shops, workshops, or warehouses farms etc to load or unload goods. In some industries where the risk of an explosion is high such as metal processing companies and energy production companies, an explosion-protection-rated chain hoist should be considered.
2. What is A Lever Hoist?
A lever hoist or called a come-along is a device with a lever/handle, operated in most positions, including horizontally and vertically, for applications like pulling, dragging, stretching and positioning heavy loads across industries by operating the lever with one hand. The design of a lever hoist is similar to that of a hand chain operated hoist.
📝Fun Fact: Lever hoists are actually more often used for pulling and securing than they are for lifting. - Based on 200 interviews conducted by the University of Wuppertal (Germany) across 10 countries.How Does a Lever Hoist Work?
Ratchet lever hoists have a ratchet and pawl system fitted with a load chain. A manual action of cranking the handle/lever forwards and backwards allows the system to turn, making the chain pass over it to either bring in the chain or advance the chain out, i.e. to move the load.
Capacity:
Its capacity is generally lower than a hand hoist's capacity, but it can still move a load up to 10,000 kg.
How to Use a Lever Hoist?
Instead of pulling a chain, this mechanical device has a lever that can be cranked up and down to move an object. By switching the pawl rod lever, you can easily change the operation direction, i.e. to raise/lower the object (See details below).
Unlike hand hoists, lever hoists, especially small devices, can be operated using just one hand. Speed is not a characteristic of them.
• To raise the load: Turn pawl rod lever to the lifting position (⬆) and operate the lever with a pumping action.
• To lower the load: Turn pawl rod lever to the lowering position (⬇) and operate the
• To adjust the chain length: Turn pawl rod lever to the neutral position (central). The chain can now be pulled in both directions and the bottom hook will be quickly brought to the required position.
To suspend a lever chain hoist, the top hook of the hoist can be attached to a shackle, beam clamp, push trolley or other secure supports. To secure a load, the bottom hook can be attached to an object directly if the load has an appropriate fitting or via lifting slings with a shackle. If it is for pulling or tensioning, the top and bottom hooks are usually secured to the objects via lifting slings.
Applications:
Lever hoists are ideal for machinery alignment, maintenance, repair and installation in many industrial areas thanks to their capability of vertical and horizontal movements. They're heavily used on construction sites, railroads; in the wind energy industry, utilities, lumber yards and mining environments. The compact size is critical while working in the extremely cramped engine compartment in a tight space, or in confined places underneath a car. Some typical applications would be for:
✓ Aligning pipes, plates, and beams for welding or bolting operations
✓ Pulling conveyor belt and/or rails together to make connections during install, maintenance, and repair
✓ Opening railroad car doors
✓ Moving parts, such as yaw motors, into place during maintenance of a wind turbine
✓ Tensioning utility lines (used together with wire grips)
✓ Straightening poles
✓ Pulling tree stumps from the ground
✓ Installing fences
✓ Pulling pipe
✓ Stretching wires
✓ Lifting and lowering in some industries where the risk of an explosion is high such as metal processing companies and energy production companies. (An explosion-protection-rated lever hoist should be considered.)
📝 Chapter 3:
7+ Popular Manual Hoist Uses in your Daily Life
Manual hoists are also broadly used in non-industrial areas. 50% of our manual hoist enquires are from general consumers who intend to use them at home or on the farm. They also comprise a large number of the lever-operated hoists sold. Here're the applications we have come across the most:
A. Chain Block:
- To lift motorcycle engines and frames on their own
- To lift things up to a storage area in the garage
- To lift the motorcycle off the ground for an easier oil change
- To lift a garden tractor front end about 3-4 feet to clean the mowing deck and change the mowing blades
B. Lever Hoist:
- To lift sailboat out of the trailer
- To pull a 10,000-pound dozer/backhoe up onto a trailer
- To pull a generator out of a boat.
- To be used to help with tree removal.
- To lift, reposition and align marine engine (big block) without actually removing it from the boat.
- To lift the front of a zero-turn mower to change blades.
- To be attached to a small work crane to lift around 100 lbs of steel cover
📝 Chapter 4:
Best 3 Hoist Picks: You Can't Go Wrong with Them
Lever Hoist vs Chain Hoist is well covered. Next, let's take a look at the manual hoists our MTN rigging experts handpicked for us!
#1 Yale VSIII Block and Tackle
This chain block has been designed to prevent canting, or jamming, of the hand chain, ensuring the smooth running of the hand chain, load chain, and drive pinion. You can purchase this hoist knowing your production won’t be halted by malfunctioning of the hand chain. Also, this medium-duty manual chain hoist is perfect for outdoor use as it has the fully enclosed stamped steel housing. If your business operates outdoors, this hoist will meet your needs.
PS: We understand the importance of lifting safety for every business so we provide chain hoist bag (chain container) option to house the slack chain, reducing lifting hazards. You don't need to worry about the chain hoist bag size because we will select the properly fitted one for your order.
PPS: The heavy-duty range from 10,000kg to 50,000kg has lately been added.
#2 Yalelift 360 Block and Tackle
It has a revolutionary design that contains a 360-degree rotating hand chain guide which allows the user to flexibly and safely operate the hoist from all directions or in confined spaces. With this device, operators are no longer within the danger zone as before. It is also very suitable for heavy industrial applications.
Combined with a manual trolley, it provides the horizontal motion of the hoist along a beam/bridge rail, creating even more flexibility in the application of the Yalelift 360. Yalelift 360 ATEX version is also available, ideal for manual lifting in hazardous areas
#3 Yale Handy 500/250kg Chain Hoist
Now, you can lift/pull your load professionally with the Yale Handy - the smallest, lightest yet robust in the Yale range without compromising safety and quality. Yale Handy is extremely low tare weight and the very compact design makes it easy to use even in confined working conditions. Due to the multitude of application possibilities e.g. in industry, trade, and service this ratchet lever hoist is indispensable.
You can find our Yale manual chain hoists at a very affordable price at MTN SHOP.
📝 Chapter 5:
8 FAQs by Chain Block and Lever Hoist Users
What Is A Lever Hoist?
Lever hoists is a portable mechanical device. It can be used horizontally and vertically for applications like pulling, dragging, stretching and positioning heavy loads across industries by operating its ratchet lever with one hand. That's why it's also called ratchet lever hoist.
How Does A Lever Chain Hoist Work?
A lever hoist has a ratchet and pawl system fitted with a load chain. A manual action of cranking the lever forwards and backwards allows the system to turn, making the chain pass over it to either bring in the chain or advance the chain out, i.e. to move the load.
How Do You Use A Lever Hoist?
After securing the top hook and the load, you can: #1. Raise the load: by turning pawl rod lever to the lifting position (⬆) and then operating the lever with a pumping action. #2. Lower the load: by turning pawl rod lever to the lowering position (⬇) and then operating the lever with a pumping action. #3. Adjust the chain length: by turning pawl rod lever to the neutral position (central). The chain can now be pulled in both directions and the bottom hook will be quickly brought to the required position.
How Does A Chain Hoist Work?
Once a small pulling force is applied to the hand chain, it is transformed over a long distance to make a hand-chain wheel turn a series of cogs, axles, gears, and sprockets. They increase the mechanical work applied when pulling the chain many times, and in turn rotates the second load chain to lift or lower your heavy load.
How Many Types Of Chain Blocks Are There?
There are mainly 3 types of chain block/chain hoist - fitted with a top hook, push trolley and geared trolley - for different suspension methods.
How Do You Attach A Chain Hoist?
Common ways to mount a chain hoist is by attaching it to a beam with a beam clamp or to a secure anchor with a shackle. If the load has to be moved from one place to the other, a trolley will be the right suspension choice that can traverse the length of the beam flange it is attached to, carrying the load to the desired place with minimal effort.
Can I Use A Chain Hoist To Pull Horizontally?
(Hand) chain hoists, typically, can only be used vertically. If they are used to move the load horizontally, the chain will get jammed and gears inside can be damaged to shorten the lifespan. However, some chain hoists with a 360° rotating hand chain guide that allows hoists to operate horizontally.