A lever hoist is a very versatile piece of equipment with many names including a puller and ratchet hoist. A lever hoist operates with a ratchet and pawl type system. When the lever is pulled up and down, the chain moves around the ratchet and pawl which lifts, lowers, moves, or tightens the load. The advantage to these hoists is that they are light weight and very portable. They can be attached to many different surfaces and used in many different applications. Lever hoists are commonly found in construction, utilities, farming, manufacturing, tree service, and many other industries. They are also becoming more popular in at home and personal applications due to the lightweight and versatile nature of the hoist.
Lever hoists are commonly mistaken for “come-a-longs” and manual chain hoists. A “come-a-long” is a similar style piece of equipment to the lever hoist but has two main differences. A lever hoist uses a chain where the “come-a-long” uses a wire rope or a nylon strap. The second main difference between the two is that the lever hoist is rated to lift and lower a load along with horizontal operation. A “come-a-long” is only designed to operate in a horizontal fashion. If you are lifting a load with a “come-a-long”, you are using the wrong piece of equipment. Manual chain hoists are similar to the lever hoist but are larger in size and operate on a different lifting system. The lever hoist uses a lever or handle that is pulled up and down to operate the lifting wheel. A manual chain hoist has a chain loop attached to a wheel on the hoist. The operator pulls on the chain in either direction which operates the lift wheel to lift or lower the load. The manual chain hoist can only operate ina lifting and lowering fashion. Although the lever hoist is more versatile then the manual chain hoist, the manual chain hoist comes in larger capacities.
The lever hoist is a great option that can fit into many applications. Although they can be used in a permanent fashion, lever hoists really separate themselves when they are used on a portable basis. Whether in the professional field such as construction and utilities or on a more personal basis for at-home use, the lever hoist is a very useful piece of equipment. The lever hoist is a great, low-cost option that can fit into many different applications and hold up to the workload.
Prepared By: Devon Cordell
D.R. Cordell & Associates
devon@cordellmfg.com