Lifting Machines: Chain Blocks, Lever Hoists, Engine Cranes and Hoists
Chain block or lever hoist, which one do I need?
A chain block hangs from an anchor above the load and pulls it straight up towards that anchor. A lever hoist works at any angle, including sideways and upside down, and holds the load where you stop. Same capacity, similar money, different machine. If the pull is not vertical, a chain block is the wrong tool.
Closed. Send an enquiry and we pick it up when we open.
Five machines, and the first question is not capacity
It is how the load has to move, and whether you have three phase power at the point of work.
1-10 t
Chain block
Hand chain. Vertical lift from an anchor above. The simplest machine here.
Ask on WhatsApp
0.75-6 t
Lever hoist
Ratchet handle. Pulls at any angle and holds. Tensioning, straightening, recovery.
Ask on WhatsApp
1-2 t
Engine crane
Folds flat against a wall. Brings its own anchor, so no roof beam is needed.
Ask on WhatsApp
0.5-2 t
Electric chain hoist
Pendant control, chain bag, mounts on a trolley. Tell us your voltage first.
Ask on WhatsApp
0.5-5 t
Wire rope hoist
CD1 single speed, MD1 dual speed. Beam mounted. Voltage decides the model.
Ask on WhatsApp
Chain blocks for sale in Kenya, 1 to 10 ton
What sizes of chain block do you sell in Kenya?
1 ton, 2 ton, 3 ton, 5 ton and 10 ton manual chain blocks, with a standard 3 m lift and longer lifts made to order. Nairobi delivery is by rider or van, and the rest of Kenya by courier or bus parcel.
| Chain block | Lift | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 ton chain block | 3 m, longer to order | Ask for a 1 ton price |
| 2 ton chain block | 3 m, longer to order | Ask for a 2 ton price |
| 3 ton chain block | 3 m, longer to order | Ask for a 3 ton price |
| 5 ton chain block | 3 m, longer to order | Ask for a 5 ton price |
| 10 ton chain block | 3 m, longer to order | Ask for a 10 ton price |
What is the price of a chain block in Kenya?
It depends on three things: the capacity, the lift height and the make. Send those three on WhatsApp and we reply with a price for your size.
Machines and spares
Can I buy load chain and spares for a chain block on their own?
Yes. Load chain, hooks, brake discs, hand chain, chain bags and pendant cables are sold on their own. Send a photograph of the plate and the old part in the first message and it moves faster.
| Item | Capacity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Manual chain block | 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 t | Hand chain. State the lift height you need |
| Lever hoist, come along | 750 kg, 1.5, 3, 6 t | Ratchet handle. Works at any angle |
| Folding engine crane | 1, 2 t | Folds for storage. Garages and workshops |
| Electric chain hoist | 500 kg, 1, 2 t | State voltage and phase before anything else |
| Electric wire rope hoist | 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 5 t | CD1 and MD1. State voltage, phase and lift height |
| Plain trolley | Matched to the hoist | Pushed by hand along the beam |
| Geared trolley | Matched to the hoist | Hand chain moves it. Control on a loaded beam |
| Motorised trolley | Matched to the hoist | Powered travel. Voltage and phase again |
| Beam clamp | State beam width | Fixed anchor point. No travel |
| Wire rope puller, tirfor | State the pull | Pulls off any anchor. Sold as a puller, not a lifting machine |
| Hand winch | State line pull | Drum and handle. Trailers, gates, boats |
| Electric winch | State line pull | Recovery and pulling. Voltage matters |
| Hydraulic winch | State line pull | Sourced to order. Give us the machine it feeds |
| Load chain, replacement | Sized to the block | Bring the old chain or the block's plate details |
| Top and bottom hooks | Sized to the block | Sold as a set with the safety latch |
| Brake parts, friction discs | Sized to the block | State the make and model off the plate |
| Pendant cable and control | State core count and length | The part that fails first on a site hoist |
| Chain bag | Sized to the hoist | Keeps the fallen chain off the floor and out of grit |
| Hand chain, replacement | Sized to the block | Cheap, and the reason a good block gets scrapped |
We quote per enquiry and we do not publish a working load limit against these rows.
Full specification, by machine
The make, the plate wording and the finish change by supplier, so we confirm those on your enquiry.
What is a chain block called in Kenya?
Chain block, or chain pulley block. A lever hoist is also called a lever block, a come along or a pull lift.
Manual chain block
- Operation
- Hand chain, geared
- Also called
- Chain pulley block
- Direction of pull
- Vertical only, from an anchor above
- Capacities
- 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10 tonne
- Lift height
- State it. Standard is 3 m, longer is made to order
- Load chain
- Alloy, matched to the block's pitch
- Wearing parts
- Load chain, hooks, brake discs, hand chain
Lever hoist
- Operation
- Ratchet lever, with a free-chain selector
- Direction of pull
- Any angle, including horizontal and inverted
- Capacities
- 750 kg, 1.5, 3 and 6 tonne
- Chain reach
- State it. 1.5 m is standard, longer is made to order
- Also called
- Lever block, come along, pull lift
- Wearing parts
- Load chain, hooks, pawl and brake set
Do I need a beam to use an engine crane?
No. The crane carries its own mast and legs, so no roof beam is needed. It does need flat, hard ground.
What is the price of an engine hoist in Kenya?
It depends on the capacity, 1 or 2 ton, and the make. Send both on WhatsApp and we reply with a price for your size.
Folding engine crane
- Also called
- Engine hoist
- Operation
- Hydraulic ram, hand pumped
- Capacities
- 1 and 2 tonne
- Boom
- Extends. Rated capacity falls as it extends
- Storage
- Legs and mast fold flat against a wall
- Anchor
- None needed. The crane is its own anchor
- Floor
- Needs flat, hard ground. Castors sink in murram
Electric chain hoist
- Capacities
- 500 kg, 1 and 2 tonne
- Supply
- Single phase or three phase. Confirm before ordering
- Control
- Pendant on a cable. State the drop you need
- Mounting
- Fixed hook, or on a plain, geared or motorised trolley
- Chain bag
- Catches the fallen chain. Sized to the lift height
- Wearing parts
- Pendant cable, contactors, brake, load chain
What is the difference between a CD1 and an MD1 hoist?
CD1 runs at a single lifting speed. MD1 adds a second, slower speed for placing a load accurately. Both need the voltage and phase confirmed before ordering.
Electric wire rope hoist
- Model codes
- CD1 single speed, MD1 dual speed
- Capacities
- 0.5, 1, 2, 3 and 5 tonne
- Supply
- Three phase as standard. Confirm before ordering
- Control
- Pendant on a cable. State the drop you need
- Mounting
- Beam mounted, on a matched trolley
- Wearing parts
- Wire rope, pendant cable, contactors, brake
Which machine do you need?
If the load goes straight up and there is steel above it, a chain block. If the pull is sideways, at an angle, or has to hold while you work, a lever hoist.
If there is nothing overhead to hang from, an engine crane. If the same lift happens all day, an electric hoist on a beam, with a trolley to move it.
We do not calculate a working load limit for anyone. Tell us the machine, the capacity you have been specified, the lift height and your power supply, and we will match it.
What this is not
A wire rope puller is not a lifting machine on this page. If you intend to lift a load over a person with one, say so on the enquiry and we will quote a rated lifting machine instead.
An engine crane is not a site crane. It is rated on flat, hard ground, and the rating falls as the boom comes out.
A chain block used at an angle drags the load chain over the guide and wears the block out fast.
What you will also need
What is the difference between a beam clamp and a trolley?
A beam clamp is a fixed point. A trolley runs on the flange and carries the hoist along the beam under load: plain is pushed by hand, geared has its own hand chain, and motorised runs off the hoist's supply.
Bring the beam width and the flange thickness. Both are sized to the steel, not to the load.
The wire rope puller, or tirfor
What is a tirfor?
A wire rope puller, often called a tirfor after the brand, pulls along a wire rope off any anchor you can reach: a tree, a column, a truck chassis or a ground stake.
We quote it against the pull you need and the rope length you need. The rope is the part that wears.
Tell us what you are pulling and what you are pulling against. The anchor matters as much as the load.
Voltage, and why we ask first
Single phase or three phase is the first question on any electric hoist or motorised trolley. A three phase machine delivered to a single phase workshop cannot be switched on, and it is not a returnable mistake.
Check the supply at the point of work, not at the meter. If you are not sure, send a photograph of the distribution board.
Delivery
Nairobi goes by rider for small loads and van for heavy or long ones. Anywhere else in Kenya goes by courier or bus parcel to the town you name. Uganda and Tanzania are quoted per consignment.
Payment details arrive on your quote, in the same WhatsApp thread. Full detail on delivery and how we work.
Send us the machine and the capacity
Machine, capacity, lift height, and your voltage if it is electric. That is enough for us to quote.
Closed. Send an enquiry and we pick it up when we open.