Buyer guides
Practical buying guides for lifting and material-handling equipment: capacities, dimensions, options and honest advice from people who configure this equipment every day.
Hand pallet truck buying guide: capacity, forks, wheels
How to choose a hand pallet truck (pallet jack): the right capacity from 500 to 5,000 kg, fork sizes, low-profile models, wheel materials and stainless or galvanized versions — with honest advice on when to go electric.
Scissor lift table buying guide: manual or electric
How to choose a hydraulic scissor lift table: manual foot pump, semi-electric or electric power pack, mobile carts 150-1,500 kg, stationary tables to 8 t, high-lift, low-profile and stainless versions.
Pallet stacker buying guide: manual, semi-electric or electric
How to choose a high-lift pallet stacker: manual, semi-electric or full electric, 500-2,000 kg, lift heights to 6.5 m, straddle and counterbalanced versions for closed pallets, initial lift and rider models.
Jib crane buying guide: pillar, wall-mounted or 360°
Which jib crane type fits your workstation: pillar (270° or full 360°), wall-mounted or mobile gantry — with sizing basics, hoist matching and links to the in-depth guides for each type.
Pillar jib crane buying guide: 270° vs full 360° rotation
How to choose a pillar (column) jib crane: partial 270° or full-rotation 360°, capacity from 50 kg to 10 t, boom construction, foundations and when motorized slewing pays off.
Wall-mounted jib crane buying guide: zero floor space
How to choose a wall-mounted jib crane: verifying the wall, capacity up to 4,000 kg, boom types, articulated and self-supporting versions — the cheapest way to put a crane over a workstation.
Electric chain hoist buying guide: capacity, speed, duty class
How to choose an electric chain hoist: capacity from 100 kg to 6.3 t, single/two-speed or frequency inverter, hook or trolley suspension, FEM duty class, and versions for food, ATEX and stage use.
Gantry crane buying guide: portable, steel or motorized
How to choose a portable gantry crane: folding aluminium vs steel, manual vs motorized travel, span and under-beam height sizing, the lifting tripod for fixed points, and matching the chain hoist.
Workshop lifting equipment: how to equip your shop
A practical plan for equipping a workshop with lifting equipment: jib crane for the workstation, mobile gantry for the hall, the right chain hoist for the duty — with a worked 1-tonne machine shop example.