Every electric hoist gets a score from 0 to 100% built from five factors, which maps onto the 5-point rating shown on the site (a 0% score would be 1.5 stars; a perfect score, 5). Each factor is scored against fixed reference points, not against the other products in the list, so adding a new model never moves another model’s rating. Hoists are grouped by type, chain or wire rope; safety and warranty use the same scales in both groups, and value, speed and lift height use a scale for each group.
| Factor | Measures | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Value | price per 1,000 lb of rated load | 30% |
| Speed | lift speed at the rated load | 15% |
| Lift | lift height at the rated load | 10% |
| Safety | limit switches, overload protection, dual brakes and a duty class or listing | 30% |
| Warranty | warranty length | 15% |
Where the numbers come from
Rated load, lift height, lift speed, motor power, duty class and safety features come from the maker’s product page, manual or listing copy at a retailer. Prices are checked at Amazon and other retailers, and the lowest price at a store the page links to is used. Weights are left out because retailer listings often give shipping weight rather than the weight of the hoist.
The factors
Value is the current price divided by the rated load in thousands of pounds, on a log scale, so halving the price per ton always counts the same. For chain hoists, $1,500 per 1,000 lb scores zero and $150 full marks; for wire-rope hoists, $400 scores zero and $50 full marks.
Speed is the lift speed at the rated load. For chain hoists, 4 ft/min scores zero and 20 ft/min full marks; for wire-rope hoists, 8 ft/min scores zero and 30 ft/min full marks. On a two-speed hoist the fast speed counts. When a maker quotes meters per minute, the figure is converted to feet.
Lift is the lift height at the rated load. For chain hoists, 8 ft scores zero and 30 ft full marks; for wire-rope hoists, 15 ft scores zero and 40 ft full marks. A wire-rope hoist’s height is the double-line height, which goes with the full load.
Safety is 30% for stated upper and lower limit switches, 20% for stated overload protection, 20% for two brakes, and 30% for a published ASME HST-1 duty class or a UL or ETL listing. Safety is neutral only when none of the four is stated; if any one is stated, the others count as missing from the score.
Warranty is the maker’s warranty: 1 year scores zero and 3 years full marks.
What isn’t scored
Motor power, chain grade, remote type, supply voltage, a trolley and the weight are listed but not scored. A hoist’s motor can’t be compared across chain and cable designs, and the power supply is a matter of what your shop has, not of quality.
Missing data
If a figure isn’t published, that factor gets the neutral middle score (50) and the product page marks it as estimated. The exception is warranty: a maker that doesn’t publish one gets no warranty counted, so that factor scores zero, the same as the shortest warranty on the scale, and is marked estimated.
Ties and discontinued models
Products are ranked by score within each group. Discontinued models stay listed but rank below every current model and can be hidden with the “Hide discontinued” filter.