Electric Hoist Guide: Types, Capacities & How to Specify
How to choose an electric hoist: wire rope versus chain, capacities from 0.5 to 20 t, the five parameters that set your quotation, and what to check before you buy.
H1: Electric Hoist Guide: Types, Capacities and How to Specify One
Quick answer
An electric hoist is the lifting unit — the part that actually raises the load. It is sold in two families: wire rope hoists for higher capacities and longer lifts, and chain hoists for lighter loads, slower speeds and tighter spaces. Five parameters decide which one you need: capacity, lifting height, lifting speed, duty class, and how it will be mounted (on a crane, a monorail, a jib or a fixed point).
If you are buying an overhead crane, the hoist is usually the single largest quality decision inside the quotation. This guide explains how to specify it.
Wire rope hoist or chain hoist?
| Wire rope hoist | Chain hoist | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical capacity | 1–20 t (higher on request) | 0.25–5 t |
| Typical lifting height | 6–30 m | 3–12 m |
| Lifting speed | Faster | Slower |
| Headroom | Needs more space above the hook | Compact, good where headroom is tight |
| Load positioning | Smoother, better for precision work | Simple and durable |
| Best for | Workshop cranes, frequent lifting, longer lifts | Light assembly, maintenance, tight layouts |
| Maintenance | Rope inspection, more parts | Chain and sprocket wear, fewer parts |
Neither is "better". A 5 t hoist on a two-shift workshop crane is usually wire rope; a 1 t hoist over an assembly bench is usually chain.
Capacities and typical specifications
| Capacity | Common lifting height | Typical speed | Typical duty | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5–1 t | 3–12 m | 4–8 m/min | M3–M4 | Benches, maintenance bays, small jibs |
| 2–3 t | 6–15 m | 4–8 m/min | M4–M5 | Light cranes, workshops, warehouses |
| 5 t | 6–18 m | 4–7 m/min | M4–M5 | Standard workshop cranes |
| 10 t | 6–18 m | 3.5–7 m/min | M5–M6 | Medium cranes, steel and precast work |
| 16–20 t | 9–24 m | 3.5–6 m/min | M5–M6 | Heavy cranes, frequent lifting |
These are reference ranges, not a catalogue. Capacities, heights and speeds are built to your specification, and the "M" duty classes above correspond to the FEM/ISO classification your crane will be designed to.
How to specify an electric hoist: five parameters
- Capacity (t). The rated load, including the lifting attachment. Add the weight of any spreader beam, magnet or grab.
- Lifting height (m). Floor to hook in the highest position, plus the hook travel you actually need.
- Lifting speed (m/min). Faster is not automatically better: precise positioning work usually wants a slower main speed, often with a two-speed or variable-frequency option.
- Duty class. How many lifts per hour, and how many shifts per day. This is where cheap hoists hide their savings — a light-duty unit on a two-shift crane wears out quickly.
- Mounting and power supply. On a single girder crane trolley, a monorail, a jib arm or a fixed point; and your site voltage and frequency.
Including the answers to those five in your enquiry is what turns a vague price into a comparable quotation. The same logic applies to the crane around it — see what determines the price of an overhead crane.
Where an electric hoist fits, and where it does not
- On a single girder overhead crane — the most common arrangement: the hoist travels along the bottom flange of the girder. See single girder cranes by capacity.
- On a monorail or I-beam — for straight-line movement over a production line or warehouse aisle.
- On a jib crane — for a defined work circle at a machine or workstation.
- As a fixed lifting point — for repeated lifting in one spot, such as a loading bay.
What a hoist cannot do is cover an area: if the load has to move in two directions across a workshop, you need a crane, not a hoist with a longer rope.
What to check before you buy
Six things decide whether a hoist gives you ten years or two:
- Duty class, in writing. Ask for the classification and the lifts-per-hour it assumes.
- Brake type. The brake is the component most often skimped on, and the one that matters most for safety.
- Limit switches. Upper and lower limits, and whether the lower limit is adjustable.
- Hook and attachments. Forged hook with a safety latch, and a certificate for the load chain or rope.
- Electricals and environment. Voltage and frequency, plus protection level if the site is dusty or damp; explosion-proof versions for hazardous areas.
- Spare parts. Ask which wear parts are consumable and how quickly they can be shipped — a 10-year hoist with no available brake disc is a two-year hoist.
For the documents that should accompany the machine, see how to check a crane supplier's certificates.
What a hoist quotation should include
Ask for each item to be marked included or excluded: hoist and trolley, push-button pendant or radio remote, festoon or conductor rail for the travel length, lifting chain or rope certificate, upper and lower limit switches, overload protection, operating manual, and spare parts list. If the quotation is silent on any of them, assume it is excluded.
How to get a quotation
Send these five items and you will get a specification-level answer rather than a range:
- Capacity in tonnes
- Lifting height in metres
- Lifting speed, or the precision your work needs
- Lifts per hour and shifts per day
- Mounting method, voltage and site country
We answer within 24 working hours (Monday to Saturday, GMT+8), and we tell you which partner factory in Changyuan will build the unit before you order. Xinyida is a supplier, not a factory: we specify, compare partner factories on the same technical scope, and inspect before shipment.
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