2- Type of Suspension

If you are planning to use a chain hoist, then you also need to choose the type of suspension that you want to use with your hoist. Chain hoists can either be suspended from a fixed location using a top hook, or can be mounted over a trolley. Becasue the hooks are fixed, they do not do any cross-travel movement. However, trolleys come in different types, such as:

Push trolleys are lug-mounted trolleys. They run by push movement  and do not allow a precise control over the movement.offer much control over precision.

Geared trolleys are also lug-mounted ones and are operated using a hand chain. While one of advantages of this type of hoist is the precise movement, it requires more effort when using it to move loads long distances.

Geared trolley

Motorized trolleys are the most convenient type of trolley and can be used frequently. Besides, they offer high precision in movement. This is by far the option for businesses that need to lift heavy loads on a regular basis. 

3 - Capacity

An important factor to be considered when selecting a hoist to suit the needs of your business is the rated capacity. Ideally, you want the hoist to be overrated, so you will not have any unexpected surprises when lifting a load. It is not only the hoist itself, the beam or crane in which the hoist will be mounted also needs to withstand the load’s weight. 

Electrical winch hoists set the capacity by the state of loading. This criteria is named hoist classification, in which the hoist life will be determined by the state of loading. If you choose a higher capacity compared to the actual load, the hoist life tends to be much longer. However, as you can expect,the purchase price is expected to be higher. You need to take into consideration the best capacity selection for your application.

4 - Lifting Requirements 

When selecting the hoist model, you need to take into consideration the height that the load needs to be lifted by using the following parameters:

• The length of the lift or the distance that a hook will cover between its raised and lowered position.
• The distance between the hook and the hoist suspension in its lowest position.
• The distance between the hook in its raised position and hoist suspension.

5 - Lifting speed

This feature is only applicable to electrical hoists, as the other options are manual. Lifting speed is an important factor when selecting the correct hoist. The faster lifting speed is desirable if you need to move loads in long distances, or lifting applications where multiple lifting and lowering cycles are necessary with a specific short duration. The lifting speed also needs to be controlled when, due to the size of the load, the lifting must be slow and methodical.

6 - Power Supply

This is our last factor to be pointed out. Obviously it is only applicable for electrical winch  hoists. Voltage supplies vary from region to region, but there are single-phase and three-phase electrical hoists in the Australian market. Single-phase hoists are usually used with lighter loads, about up to 500kg. In larger commercial warehouses, three-phase hoists are more common. They are used as a higher choice for lifting capacity.

Apart from these six factors, you can also choose hoists with other important features, such as mechanical brakes or overload limiter, among others. It all depends on the application and the typical load to be lifted.

About TecnoTools

TecnoTools is a supplier of, not only electrical hoist, but also hand winch, 12V electric winch for cars, boats and trailers. The company offers 12-month warranty and fast shipping Australia wide. Check us out and find out for yourself the value for money we offer to our customers.