Tractel Tralift Manual Chain Hoist, 0.25 to 20 t

The Tractel Tralift is a manual chain hoist for lifting, lowering and holding a load suspended on a load chain, operated by pulling a second chain, the hand chain. It is a compact, light-weight and portable hoist made from high-quality materials, and it is fixed to an anchor point or to a moving trolley. The range covers capacities from 0.25 t to 20 t on the technical sheet, with a standard lifting height of 3 m. Typical uses are plant maintenance, workshop and construction lifting, pump and valve removal and positioning loads where there is no electrical supply.

Design features that matter for site use

The load chain is either Corolim coated or black phosphated, and the hand chain is galvanised. The hooks rotate 360 degrees, are marked with the working load limit of the hoist and have safety latches. The hoist is designed and built to withstand dynamic testing at 1.1 times the WLL and static testing at 1.5 times the WLL, with a minimum mechanical strength of four times the WLL. An optional dynamic load limiter, factory-set between 1.1 and 1.9 times the WLL, can be fitted to all 0.5 t to 20 t models, and a chain storage bag is available for the load chain. Combined with the Corolim grade 80 load chain, the hoist complies with EN 13157, except for the 0.25 t model.

Technical specifications

Coded models from the product page

The coded models listed by the manufacturer for the current design are shown below. Heights above 3 m are listed as available on request for the larger models, so confirm the chain length when ordering.

Choosing a hoist and what to confirm

Select the hoist whose WLL is at least the heaviest load including rigging, and choose the number of falls that goes with that capacity. Lifting height changes the length of both chains and the hand-chain drop, so confirm the height, the headroom between the hooks and the position of the hand chain relative to the operator. For use with a trolley on a beam, check the trolley rating separately. A load limiter is worthwhile when the hoist is used for pulling or when there is a risk of snagging, and the limiter must be set at the factory. Before ordering, confirm: WLL, lifting height, load limiter yes or no, chain finish, marking and the standard required by your lifting plan. Periodic inspection by a competent person is a legal requirement in many jurisdictions, and Tractel publishes a manual and a declaration of conformity.

Typical applications

A Tralift is chosen where lifting is occasional, the load must be positioned precisely and mains or compressed air supply cannot be relied on. Tractel names industrial maintenance, construction, rigging and utilities as the intended fields. In practice this covers pulling a pump or motor for service, lowering a valve into a pipe rack, setting steel sections, handling machine tool parts in a workshop and suspending equipment while a support is changed. Because the hoist is light and portable, it is often kept with a maintenance crew and rigged at the point of need, either from a fixed anchor or from a trolley on a beam.

Chain locking device and other accessories

Besides the dynamic load limiter and the chain storage bag, Tractel lists a chain locking device in four sizes, designated CLD 4/5, CLD 6, CLD 7/8 and CLD 10. The numbers relate to the load chain dimensions in the table above, so the correct size depends on the chain of the hoist being ordered. Documents offered by the manufacturer include the manual, the technical data sheet, the declaration of conformity and 3D CAD files.

Rigging and use notes

• Hang the hoist from an anchor or beam rated for the full load plus the weight of the hoist and rigging, and make sure the hook latch is closed before the chain takes weight.
• Keep the pull on the hand chain in the plane of the hoist. Side loading of the body or the hooks reduces capacity and should be avoided.
• Do not extend the hand chain with a lever or pull it with a vehicle. The hoist is designed for manual effort only.
• Never leave a suspended load unattended, and never lift people.
• Keep the load chain clean and lightly lubricated, and avoid letting it twist or kink between the falls on multi-fall models.

Inspection before and during service

Before each shift the user should look at the hooks for opening, cracks or a damaged latch, at the load chain for stretched, bent or corroded links, and at the hand chain for wear. The body should be free of impact damage and the lifting and lowering action should be smooth under light load. Any hoist that fails a check is withdrawn from use until a competent person has examined it. Thorough examinations at intervals set by the local lifting regulations, and records kept for each serial number, are normal practice for lifting equipment in Oman and the wider Gulf region.

Information needed for a quotation

• Working load limit and number of falls or product code
• Required lifting height and any headroom limit
• Whether a load limiter, chain bag or chain locking device is required
• Whether the hoist will hang from a hook or run on a beam trolley
• Inspection documents or certificates required with delivery

Documents and quotation

The Tralift technical sheet is attached; its capacity table is an image, so the coded table above comes from the product page. Seven Star LLC is an independent supplier that quotes on request. For related equipment, see Material Handling and Lifting Equipment.