Question 1

What does this lifting equipment hub cover?

Accepted Answer

The cards are separate comparisons for kit that moves a load a short distance: sack trucks, platform trucks and pallet trucks, furniture lifters and carrying straps, winches and pulleys, panel lifters, mini dumpers, and engine stands or support bars. Open a card for the amazon.co.uk listings in that product type, the stated loads, and the checks that still apply when a listing changes. Review counts and shelf prices sit on those pages.

Question 2

Does a printed kilogram mean one person can move that load?

Accepted Answer

No. A figure such as 200 kg is the seller's ceiling for the truck, not a promise that one person can move that weight on a slope or on stairs. HSE's pushing-and-pulling guidance treats a small one- or two-wheel truck as high risk once the total load, truck plus goods, is 100–200 kg. At work, the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 still apply. There is no single UK legal kilogram limit for a domestic sack truck.

Question 3

Does a sack truck or a simple pallet truck need a LOLER examination?

Accepted Answer

An ordinary sack truck is not on the Health and Safety Executive list of LOLER lifting equipment. A simple pallet truck that only raises the load just clear of the ground is listed as outside LOLER. High-lift trucks that can raise the forks above 300 mm are a different case. At work, PUWER 1998 can still require a suitable, maintained truck, and an inspection where wear could become dangerous. A householder does not book a LOLER thorough examination for a domestic sack truck.

Question 4

When is a pallet truck the better tool, and when is a sack truck?

Accepted Answer

A pallet truck is a pair of forks and a pump. It lifts a pallet just clear of a flat floor, so the width across the forks has to enter the pallet you use. A sack truck is a two-wheel frame with a toe plate, for boxes, an appliance, a kerb or a van. If the load is not on a pallet, or the route leaves smooth concrete, start with a sack truck. If you already have pallets and a hard floor, start with a pallet truck.

Question 5

Are solid wheels better than pneumatic tyres on a sack truck?

Accepted Answer

On a smooth hard floor, solid rubber is the usual choice because there is no air to lose. Pneumatic tyres ride gravel, grass and kerbs, and they can go flat, so both sides need equal pressure. The word rubber on a listing is not the same as solid, flat-free or puncture-proof. Match the wording on the page to the ground you will actually use. A stair mention on a listing is not a stair rating.

Question 6

Does an engine stand lift the engine out of the car?

Accepted Answer

No. An engine stand holds the engine after it is out, so you can bolt to the block, turn it and roll it. An engine crane lifts it from the bay. An engine support bar is the other tool: it holds the engine or gearbox in the vehicle while you release a mount. A private garage is not the employer duty that puts a workplace hoist on a LOLER examination interval. If the engine is still in the car and you have no rated crane, use a workshop.

Question 7

Is a winch rating a weight you can hang from the hook?

Accepted Answer

No. A recovery figure in pounds is a horizontal line pull, usually on the first layer of the drum, not a safe suspended load. Ground-level winching, where the load never leaves the ground, is not lifting equipment in the Health and Safety Executive's terms. If the load hangs at work, LOLER can apply. A belt winch in these comparisons is for a supported pull, such as a boat on a trailer, not a suspended lift. None of these pages is a certificate, and none is for lifting people.

Question 8

Will a panel carrier hold plasterboard on the ceiling?

Accepted Answer

No. A hook carrier or a cam gripper walks a sheet. It does not raise it. A foot lifter, where a height is stated, only raises the bottom edge a short distance. Overhead work needs a cradle that supports the sheet flat. A household hook carrier is a handling aid, not a LOLER inspection item. At work, employers still have duties under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992. None of the listings is described as LOLER certified.

Question 9

Did you test these products in a lab?

Accepted Answer

No. The comparisons read amazon.co.uk listings and public UK sources, including Health and Safety Executive guidance where a workplace rule is in view. The notes use the stated loads, wheel wording and review counts on those listings. Nothing here was weighed, pushed or load-tested. A small star sample is not treated as a strong verdict. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Lifting equipment

Lifting equipment

Aluminium sack truck

Belt winch

Carrying strap

Electric pallet truck

Engine stand

Engine support bar

Furniture lifter

Hand winch

Heavy duty castors

Mini dumper

Pallet truck

Panel lifter

Pick up crane

Platform truck

Pulley

Sack truck

Sack truck 200kg

Sack truck 250kg

Sack truck solid wheels

Winch

Winch 12V

Winch rope

Lifting equipment guides

Folding sack truck for a van: weight and fold size

Sack truck inspection frequency: a rhythm you can keep

Sack truck manual handling regulations: what applies

Common questions about lifting equipment