This guide contains:

Background on hoists
Features to look for in hoists
How to find the best hoist for you

This independent guide was created to help you understand the basics of hoists and to help you choose the right hoist for you. We do not sell any hoist products or services ourselves, so you can be confident that all of the information in this guide is independent and unbiased.

Background on hoists
Hoists are created and built to efficiently and ergonomically move, lift, position or secure material, and the right hoist for the right job will improve the efficiency and safety of any operation. Hoists can be an integral part of a good material handling system, and it's important to select the hoist that works best in a given environment. Doing research online is a great way to compare multiple types, brands and models of hoists to make sure you find what that will work for your environment based on your desired price range, capacity and other features.

Features and functions of hoists
Lifting Capacity- To a large degree, your choice of which hoist to purchase will depend on the lifting capacity that you want or need. Small, portable hoists generally start at ¼ ton capacity, while larger, industrial plant-type hoists can lift 100 tons or more.

Power Type- One of the most important aspects of a hoist is the power source that provides the lifting. The most basic type of hoist is a manual hoist, in which the lifting is done by a hand chain or lever in conjunction with a gearing system. There are also hoists that are powered by electricity and can use either a wire or chain to lift the material. Finally, there are air or pneumatic hoists that use compressed air to provide the lifting force.

Movement/Portability- Most hoists are designed primarily to lift material vertically, but many hoists also provide for horizontal movement as well. Many hoists are portable or can be attached with hooks, and other hoists attach to trolleys, which travel horizontally along a bridge girder.

Clearance and Lift Length- The vertical distance of the lifting that you want or need in your environment will determine the length of the hoist chain or wire that is needed as well as the headroom that is required. Headroom is defined as the distance between the top and bottom hooks of the hoist.

Lift Speed- Measured in feet per minute, lift speed is a very important component of the efficiency of a material handling system or process. The greater the speed that can be handled by the hoist safely, the greater the time savings will be in the overall lifting process.