Electric Hoists

Electrical hoists are mechanisms similar to a crane that are designed to lift, lower or pull loads deemed too heavy to move manually. These hoists relocate and transport many different objects and products in an industrial setting. While some lifting hoists are hydraulically powered for extremely heavy loads or manually cranked product for small, lighter objects, the most common type of hoist is an electrical motor driven version.

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Brehob Corporation
Indianapolis, IN
800-632-4451
Brehob is a leading provider of high-quality electric hoists in addition to many other related products and parts. Brehob's seasoned professionals provide outstanding fabricating services, 24-hour emergency service, inside repair, customized training and more. Not in Brehob's inventory? Brehob can get it for you. With ISO 9001-2000 certification, Brehob has been in business since 1953.
Otsego Crane & Hoist Company
Otsego, MI
269-672-7222
Otsego offers a wide range of products to provide the overhead material handling equipment that best fits your application. Otsego's team of professionals is ready to assist you with fabrication and installation in parts, upgrades and inspections. Product offering includes high-quality electric hoists that are available at competitive prices. Please call Otsego today!
ANKA Hoist
Las Vegas, NV
780-669-3688
Reach higher with Anka, your manufacturer of a comprehensive range of products, including customized electric hoists for customers who have special demands where traditional systems do not fit. Anka's products can lift up to 300ft/min and as high as 1,485ft. Contact Anka for information about its developed technology for vertical ascending. "We are with you all the way up and all the way down."
J. Herbert Corporation
Kissimmee, FL
800-773-7041
J. Herbert distributes electric hoists from many manufacturers, with a variety of capacities. Products include a wide range of kinds and accessories, including winches, trolleys, monorails and more, meeting the needs of all its valued customers. Please visit J. Herbert's website for more information or give a friendly staff member a call with any questions you may have.
Meyer Material Handling Products, Inc.
Indianapolis, IN
800-899-1648
For 30 years, Meyer Material Handling Products has been a full service material handling products distributor. Meyer can help you with almost any material-handling or storage solution problems. Meyer's products include high-quality electric hoists, in addition to other related equipment, available in both steel and aluminum. Visit Meyer's website to learn more about these and other products.

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An electric hoist can offer a load carrying capacity for companies and individuals, which no human alone could match. They are used mostly for industrial applications within the automotive, mechanics, aerospace, construction, marine, engineering, manufacturing, agricultural and medical industries to safely lift heavy objects and move them to another location nearby. Some are designed to lift certain objects, like engine lifts and engine hoists or car hoists. The actual lifting is done by either a metal chain or wire rope, which are usually attached to a hook and wound around a large spool by a winch. Cable hoists, also known as wire rope hoists, use a configuration of wire strands wound around a rubber core that can handle a great amount of weight. Chain hoists, on the other hand, use roller or link chains as the lifting medium. Both types are much more durable than standard rope. Electric hoists come in two main configurations-portable stand alone or overhead. Overhead hoists are mounted on a ceiling or beam, while portable hoists usually have wheels, a metal rail configuration, are lightweight and easily transported.

The most important specification when lifting objects with a hoist is its maximum weight capacity-the object being raised must not exceed the weight requirements. If it does, worker safety is compromised and the hoist could drop the load, separate from its mounting or tumble over on its side. The actual lifting is done with either a metal chain or wire rope, which is composed of several metal wires wound around a rubber core. These components are attached to a large hook. Often, the load being lifted must have a hoist sling attached around it in order to be lifted in a balanced manor. The hoist or lift also has limited lifting length, which is dependent on the amount of chain or cable is provided on the spool. The lifting medium is wound many times and housed inside a metal casing. While some hoists are manually cranked, most use a mechanical winch that automatically winds the lifting medium with the pull of a lever or push of a button. The basic hoist is composed of a gear box, which contains the controls, a braking system, the casing for the wound lifting medium, and a large hook that attaches itself to a harness or the actual object being moved.

Because of the wide variety of materials and products that can be transported using electric hoists, winches and cranes, many different industries are able to benefit from these machines. An electric hoist can be used to move and handle large rolls of paper to install in printing presses, so that newspapers can be printed daily. In the food industry, electric hoists are capable of moving large equipment that is used for the mixing of ingredients and containers for storage. Electric hoists of this type are generally made for the particular environment and can be very gentle, depending on need. In mining applications, electric hoists are especially useful for withdrawing shield support and mounting platforms from mines. These electric hoists tend to be highly durable hoists that are able to withstand the rough environment, plus they tend to be explosion proof.

A common type of electric hoist is a chain electric hoist, which uses a linked or roller chain to lift and lower loads. Chain electric hoists are sturdy and can be advantageous because they are fairly inexpensive, simple to operate, generally rust-resistant and low maintenance. Additionally, these electric hoists are flexible and have the ability to withstand high temperatures and other less desirable environments. An alternative to a chain hoist is a wire rope hoist, which uses wire rope instead of chains to transport materials. These types of electric hoists can be used in various positions, either stationary or as a mobile unit attached to a trolley system. Other types of electric hoists are available for very specific applications, such as those used to remove engines from airplanes and automobiles, and those that help operate the gates of dams.

Before buying an electric hoist for a facility or specific lifting job, it is important to consider the application for which it will be used, along with the many different specifications and options that exist among different hoists and lifts. Maximum weight capacity, maximum lift speed, line type and mounting type of the electric hoists need to be taken into account as well. These are important considerations because, for instance, buying a casual load lifting hoist to transport a boat would lead to many safety issues. Using a lighter load hoist would result in damage to the hoist and/or boat, not to mention the safety issues it would raise for the employees. Safety must be taken into account when using electric hoists to ensure that the weight of the objects being raised or lowered does not surpass the maximum load carrying capability. Injuries can happen when dealing with this kind of equipment, so one must understand how to safely operate these electric hoists machines before use in order to avoid harm.


  • Auxiliary hoists are supplemental hoists that are used to handle light loads at a higher speed than the main hoist.
  • Boat hoists are lifting units specially designed to raise and lower boats. Boat hoists are typically hydraulically or electrically powered and can lift up to 20,000 pounds.
  • Chain hoists use roller or link chains as a lifting medium. Chain hoists are typically electrically powered, but can be manually and pneumatically operated as well.
  • Engine hoists are lifting units designed to allow engine removal from automobiles, airplanes or boats. Engine hoists are typically hydraulically powered, but sometimes use an electrical motor.
  • Gate hoists are exclusively used to lift the water controlling gates at dams.
  • Hoists are devices used to lift heavy loads.
  • Modular hoists have an integral drum, motor and gearbox, with no visible shaft couplings between them.
  • Overhead hoists are attached to wall columns or ceilings.
  • Trolley hoists are hoists suspended from a trolley. These hoists can be built into the trolley or connected to the trolley using a clevis or hook.
  • Winch pulls heavy loads horizontally.
  • Wire rope hoists use wire rope as a raising/lowering medium. A complete wire rope hoist consists of a rope storage drum, one or more motors, a gear box and a braking system; they can be mounted in a stationary position or along a monorail attached to a trolley that allows them to slide to different locations.


Electric Hoist Terms

Attachments - Components that are used along with lifting devices, forged, stamped or cast.

Boom (Crane) - The projecting part of a hoist, sometimes connected to a rotating structure. This is responsible for supporting the hoisting tackle and load.

Breaking Strength - The measured load that is required to break a chain or wire rope.

Carbon Chain - A type of chain commonly used for various pulling and towing purposes.

Clevis - A U-shaped fitting that has a pin or a number of pins. A shackle clevis is a device used to safely lift a load.

Controller - A device used by the hoist operator to adjust the amount of power delivered to the unit's electrical motor.

Critical Load - The load point at which any uncontrolled movement will result in hazardous safety conditions.

Critical Service - Using hoisting equipment for the handling of critical items.

Cushioned Start - A way of reducing the rate of acceleration when moving loads.

Drum - A cylindrically-shaped barrel with a uniform diameter that can be found in grooved or smooth configurations. Wire rope or chain is wound around the drum for operation and storage.

Festooning - A way of supplying power to a hoist that is moving along a beam.

Hook - A lifting attachment that is connected to a hoist.

Hook Load - The total weight that is supported by the hook of a hoist. This includes the load, wire or rope tackle and any other masses suspended from the hook.

Idler - A roller that is used to support and guide a rope or chain.

Lifters - Grabs that are designed to attach, hold, control and direct a load, commonly used with hoists.

Line Speed - A measure of the quickness of a hoist to wind up or let out its lifting/lowering medium. Line speed is typically measured by the manufacturer without a load attached to the hoist.

Load Capacity - The maximum weight that a hoist is designed to safely carry. Under full loads a hoist's maximum line speed is typically reduced.

Pawl - The device that acts directly upon the ratchet. The pawl ensures the one way travel of the ratchet, which adds safety in case the raising/lowering force is suddenly withdrawn.

Plate Clamps - Devices that are used with hoists to lift large, heavy steel plates.

Qualified Inspector - A professional or manufacturing representative who is certified to inspect a hoist or other type of rigging system.

Ratchet - A circular-shaped mechanism with uniform ridges. The ratchet allows for line retrieval of intake.

Reeving - The path of the wire rope on a hoist when it pays off the hoist drum and wraps around the upper and lower sheaves.

Rigging - Any necessary equipment or hardware used to attach a load to a hoist.

Running Sheave - A sheave that will rotate when the hook is raised and lowered.

Side Pull - The portion of the hoist's pull that is acting horizontally when hoist lines are not acting vertically.

Sheave - The grooved wheel/pulley that uses a chain or a rope to change the direction and point of application of the pulling force.

Tag Line - A type of rope used to avoid load rotation.

Trolley - A wheeled mechanism supported by a frame from which the hoist is suspended. The trolley allows for movement of the hoist for transporting supported loads.

Winch - A lifting device, which consists of a horizontal cylinder on a wire rope or chain, wound by a crank.