If you have to lift heavy things and don't have four brawny buddies
available, a portable hoist is a wonderful tool to own. Sling a chain
over a beam, hook up the hoist and you are ready to lift. Move an old
motor onto the back of your truck, swing that box of tools into the
shop's loft or haul that hay up to the haymow.
You have three power options if you are looking for a portable hoist to
use around the farm: manual, electric and air-powered. Manual is
dependable and works for most chores, but some sort of non-muscle power
makes the job easier. Of the two remaining power sources, electric is
more convenient, so we recommend it for most situations.
You have your choice of wire rope or chain drives. Wire rope models are
lighter and more compact, and wire rope easily spools out of the way.
Heavy chains hang or must be stored in a bucket. The length of wire rope
varies according to the hoist model, but 10 to 20 feet will do most
jobs.
Remember that hoists and winches are NOT the same thing. A winch is
meant to pull objects that do not lose contact with the ground or with
some other surface. Their purpose is not to pull things into the air and
hold them there. Winches usually have an optional freewheeling clutch.
If you used a winch to lift a heavy object, free spooling could bring
that heavy object crashing down on you or someone else.
Hoists are meant for vertical lifts and have brakes to prevent loads
from falling and to absorb shocks. They also have emergency stop
buttons.
Another safety feature found in a good hoist is a travel limiter. It
jams the spool to prevent the load from being lifted too far.
Top-quality hoists also have load-limiting switches, which prevent an
operator from lifting more than the hoist's weight capacity.
When choosing a hoist, consider the payloads you will likely want it to
lift. Most electric portable hoists range in capacity from 1/8-ton to 5
tons. A popular 1,000-pound capacity Warn hoist lists for about $800.
Portable hoists come with hooks to hang them from a beam and mounting
brackets, if you have a more permanent spot in mind. Always use common
sense when choosing the beam from which to hang your hoist. If it is not
strong enough to bear the load, something ugly could happen.