Two of our most popular products are manual chain hoists and electric wire rope hoist. Both, while still performing the same basic functions, are two completely different pieces of equipment with their own unique array of benefits. Looking for the differences between the two? This article is for you.

The difference between the two lifting mediums

The most obvious, and yet one of the most fundamental, differences between the two is the lifting medium that is used. One is constructed from steel chains, while the other is made from wire rope.

The chains are simply metal rings that are linked with each other, while the rope consists of several metal wires, that have been interwoven into several strands, resulting in the final rope product.

There are plenty of articles available on the internet that debate which is the best one for lifting applications, but in truth, it simply depends on what type of operation you will be running.

A chain hoist will use a lifting medium that looks like the above image

The wire rope equipment is better for operations that are more heavy duty, therefore requiring equipment that has a longer duty cycle, while a manual piece of equipment is the obvious solution for hazardous environments where sparking from electricity can be a fire hazard.

As a general rule of thumb, equipment that uses metal-based rope as its medium is used for heavy industrial settings, while those that use chains are more suitable for lighter lifting operations. This can, of course, differ from operation to operation, but given the stronger nature of wire rope, it is often used for higher intensity operations.

The difference in how they are operated

Given their nature, one being electric and the other manual, the way in which the two pieces of equipment are operated is completely different too. The former, as we’re sure you may have guessed, is operated using an electricity supply, while the latter will be manually controlled by a worker.

Although you may not always have an electricity supply nearby, if you do, you may find this option more suitable given the fact that it won’t put too much strain on your workers!

Are there differences in the weights that can be lifted?

There are slight differences in this category, but you may be surprised to find that it’s not that huge. In fact, one of our chain hoists, called the GT Viper Chain Block, can lift up to 30,000Kg, while our electric equivalent, the ZX Wire Rope Hoist System, falls just behind at a lifting capacity of 25,000Kg.

Want to know more about chain hoists and wire rope hoist?

We hope that the above article has helped clear up some of the differences between the two, but if you are still unsure about which may be best for your application, then please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us here.

Image credit: PIRO4D