The best workshop cranes, compared.
Top pick: Garvee 2 ton folding shop crane Best value: Garvee 2 tonne folding engine crane – Lowest price that still prints a size and a weight, at about £199.99, with no millimetre chart and no review line. Updated October 2026.
A workshop crane on amazon.co.uk is either a folding hydraulic engine crane or a portable gantry. The folding crane reaches over a wing with a ram and a jib, and you then set the load on a stand. The gantry is a freestanding, and the load travels on a trolley along the beam. The headline tonne is not the weight at full reach. A gantry whose stated height starts at 2,400 mm will not stand in a low garage. The shows 3.5 from five United Kingdom reviews, and one of those says the ram will not hold. The dearer stored review texts are marked United States. Separate the rows by the job, the chart, the tackle in the box, and whether the frame may move while loaded. How capacity falls as the jib extends is set out in the [workshop crane buying guide](/hub/workshop/workshop-crane/sub/workshop-crane-buying-guide). A workshop crane is one of two machines. A chain block is tackle, not the crane itself. Capacity is the figure at the reach you will actually use.
A workshop crane on amazon.co.uk is either a folding hydraulic engine crane or a portable gantry. The folding crane reaches over a wing with a ram and a jib, and you then set the load on a stand.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Where does the load need to go?
The dearer Garvee folding crane is listed at £1,296.51 and names the same four positions, from 0.5 t to 2 t, as the Garvee at £199.99. Amazon.co.uk shows 3.8 from 12 reviews, and the seven texts stored in the file are marked United States, so that star line is not British experience. One reviewer said the caster bolt threads stripped and the hardware was replaced. Others mention a poor diagram and paint scarred in transit. The dimension line is 130 × 27 × 16.99 cm at 64 kg, which reads like a carton rather than a standing crane, and the 8-ton pump line is a seller claim. A leveller is claimed and the contents list is not stated. Paying more than six times the cheaper Garvee does not buy a millimetre chart or a UK review sample.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Only a buyer who can inspect this exact crane and does not need United Kingdom reviews.
Less suitable: Anyone comparing it with the £199.99 Garvee on specification, or a UK buyer who wants UK reviews.
Specifications
Common questions
Are the reviews from the United Kingdom?
The seven texts in the file are marked United States. The star line is 3.8 from 12. That is not a UK sample.
What failed in those reviews?
One reviewer said the caster bolt threads stripped and the hardware was replaced. Others mention a poor diagram and paint scarred in transit.
Does the listing give reach in millimetres?
No. It names four positions from 1/2 ton to 2 ton. The 8-ton pump line is a seller claim.
The Sealey SC10 is a folding 1 tonne crane at £275.68, and amazon.co.uk shows 3.5 from five United Kingdom reviews. Sealey’s own page charts 1,000 kg at 830 mm down to 250 kg at 1,190 mm, which the amazon file does not print, so the title tonne is the short position. One UK review on 28 May 2019 says the jacking ram will not hold pressure and the beam drops under its own weight. That is a reason to stop, not a quirk to live with. The file also lists 75 kg beside 30 × 10 × 30 cm and power source AC, and those lines cannot describe a folding crane of this class. Sealey’s instruction gives a folded height of 1,440 mm and a nett weight of 67 kg, and those figures are not averaged with the amazon lines. It is the top pick in this set only if you can read that maker chart and you will reject a ram that sinks on arrival.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A folding 1 tonne crane for a private garage, if you will use Sealey’s chart and return a ram that will not hold.
Less suitable: A 2 tonne short-position job, a gantry along a beam, or a buyer who treats a sinking ram as acceptable.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the listing print a load chart?
No. It says size 1 ton. It does not list capacity at each jib hole.
What do the UK reviews say about the ram?
One review on 28 May 2019 says the jacking ram will not hold pressure and the beam drops under its own weight.
Are the listed dimensions the crane?
The file says 30 x 10 x 30 cm and power source AC, beside a 75 kg folding crane. Those lines conflict. They are not averaged.
The Sealey SG1000KITG is a 1 tonne portable gantry kit at £1,023.35, and the package line includes the SG1000 frame, a PT1000G trolley rated 1,000 kg, and a CB1000 chain block with a 2.5 m drop. A safety line on the same file says lifting tackle is not included, so both sentences stay visible until you confirm the carton. Height is 2,400–3,600 mm, adjusted unladen, and the listing says the gantry is not to be moved while loaded. Item weight is 174 kg, which is a two-person delivery at least. The dimension line of 50 × 227 × 25 cm does not describe a beam that stands at 2.4 m. There is no review line. In this set it is the gantry to look at when you need the block named in the package, and it is not a folding crane for a low garage.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A tall bay that needs a 1 tonne gantry and a package line that names the trolley and the 2.5 m chain block.
Less suitable: A domestic garage under 2.4 m, a buyer who needs UK reviews, or anyone who cannot resolve the tackle contradiction before paying.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the price include a chain block?
The package line includes the SG1000, a PT1000G trolley, and a CB1000 chain block with a 2.5 m drop. A safety line says lifting tackle is not included. Both lines are in the file.
Can the frame be rolled while loaded?
The listing says the gantry crane is not to be moved while loaded.
Is 50 x 227 x 25 cm the standing crane?
That is the dimension line, beside 174 kg. It does not describe a beam that adjusts from 2,400 mm. The conflict is kept.
The Sealey SG500 is a portable gantry at £652.15 with a stated capacity of 0.5 tonne and a height of 2,400–3,600 mm, set while the beam is unladen. The listing says lifting tackle is not included, and it says the gantry is not to be moved while loaded. The load, once you have bought a block and trolley rated to the same 500 kg, may travel along the beam and then be lowered. There is no customer-review line. The dimension attribute is 1 × 1 × 1 cm beside a 100 kg steel I-beam, and that size is not credible. A ceiling under 2.4 m is below the stated minimum, so a low domestic garage is the wrong room. Take it only if 500 kg covers the job and you will buy tackle to that rating.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A tall bay where 500 kg is enough and you will buy a chain block and trolley to that rating.
Less suitable: A ceiling under 2.4 m, a job that needs the block in the price, or a folding lift over a wing.
Specifications
Common questions
Does it include a chain block?
No. The listing says lifting tackle is not included.
Can you roll it with a load on the hook?
The listing says the gantry crane is not to be moved while loaded.
Will it fit a low garage?
Height is 2,400–3,600 mm, set unladen. A ceiling under 2.4 m is below that minimum. The 1 x 1 x 1 cm line is not a credible size.
The Garvee folding crane at £199.99 names four boom positions, 0.5 t, 1 t, 1.5 t, and 2 t, and lists the frame at 156 × 92 × 180 cm and 59.9 kg. Those lines are more than the cheaper JHflor file gives you, and they are still not a millimetre load chart, so the 2 tonne name is the short-position claim only. The listing says it folds for storage in a corner and claims six swivel castors. It does not say whether you may roll the frame with a load on the hook, and it does not say a chain block is in the box. There is no customer-review line on the amazon.co.uk capture. An 8-ton ram appears as a seller claim, not as a tested lift. In this set it is the best value only because it is the cheapest folding crane that at least prints a size and a weight.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A home folding crane at £199.99 where a printed size and weight are enough to start, and you will still get a millimetre chart before you lift.
Less suitable: A workplace lift, a low-ceiling gantry job, or anyone who will not lift without reviews.
Specifications
Common questions
Are the four boom positions given in millimetres?
No. The listing names 0.5 t, 1 t, 1.5 t, and 2 t. It does not print the reach of each hole.
Does it fold?
The listing says it folds and can be stored in a corner. Folded dimensions are not stated.
Is there a review line?
No customer-review line is on the amazon.co.uk listing.
The JHflor 2TON-ECH is a folding hydraulic crane listed at £179.99, and the title says 2 tons. The amazon.co.uk file has no item weight, no dimensions, no boom reach in millimetres, and no customer-review line, so you cannot check the long-jib figure before the parcel arrives. The listing says the frame folds, and it does not say how large that fold is. The manufacturer field reads JHfloor while the brand line reads JHflor, and the warranty line is two months. Tackle is described as an engine crane hoist, which on this type of machine means the ram and hook rather than a separate chain block. In this set it is the lowest sticker and also the thinnest file. Leave it if you need a chart, a weight, or a UK review before you pay.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A buyer who already holds a chart from elsewhere and only wants the lowest sticker in this set.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs a weight, a folded size, or a UK review before paying.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the listing state a capacity?
Yes. It says 2 tons. It does not give a millimetre reach for each boom hole.
Does it fold?
The listing says the frame folds for storage. Folded size is not stated.
What ceiling height does it need?
The page asks that question and does not answer it. Ceiling height is not stated.
We scored six workshop cranes from amazon.co.uk listings captured for this comparison. Prices, stars, and review counts are those UK lines. There was no load test. A higher score is a rank inside this set, not a certificate that the title tonne is available at full reach. The six weights below sum to 100.
Amazon stars
25%Star points are the amazon.co.uk rating divided by 5, times 25, rounded half up. A listing with no customer-review line scores 0.
Review volume
15%Five or more United Kingdom reviews score 8. A star line whose stored texts are United States only scores 3. No review line scores 0. The maximum in this part is 15.
Checkable listing facts
25%Points favour named boom steps or a height band, plus a weight, plus a dimension that could be the crane. A missing millimetre chart, a carton-like size, or a 1 cm cube lowers this band. The maximum is 25.
Loaded-travel rule
10%A listing that says the frame is not moved while loaded scores 10. Where that rule is not stated, this part scores 0.
Tackle stated
10%A clear “not included”, or a folding crane whose hoist is the ram, scores 8. A package line and a safety line that disagree score 4. A leveller claimed with no contents list scores 3. Not stated scores 0.
Price fit
15%Under £220 with a size and a weight scores 14. Under £220 with almost no facts scores 6. £220–£350 with a named maker and UK reviews scores 12. A gantry at £500–£1,100 with a height band scores 8. Above £1,200 for the same class of claim as a £199.99 file scores 2.
You are choosing between a folding engine crane and a portable gantry, not between six identical hoists. The folding crane reaches over a wing. The gantry lets a load travel along a beam in a bay that clears 2.4 m. The title tonne shrinks as the jib extends, and several of these amazon.co.uk files never print that chart. Four of the six listings have no review line. The scores rank those files. They are not a load test.
A workshop crane in this comparison is one of two machines. A folding hydraulic engine crane reaches over a wing. A ram and a jib do the lift, and you then set the load on an engine stand. A portable gantry is a freestanding steel I-beam on legs. The load hangs from a trolley and can travel along the beam, then be lowered. An engine stand holds the engine afterwards. A chain block is tackle, not the crane itself. Capacity is the figure at the reach you will actually use.
The headline figure is the short position, or only the title. Sealey’s SC10 chart falls from 1,000 kg at 830 mm to 250 kg at 1,190 mm, and that chart is not on the amazon file. Garvee and JHflor name tonne steps and print no millimetres.
The SG500 and SG1000 list 2,400–3,600 mm, set unladen. A ceiling under 2.4 m is below that minimum. Folded storage of a crane is a different measurement, and the SC10’s amazon size line of 30 × 10 × 30 cm is not the crane.
The SG500 says lifting tackle is not included. The SG1000KITG package line names a trolley and a CB1000 block, and a safety line says tackle is not included. Folding cranes here use a ram and a hook. Do not treat United States reviews on the dearer Garvee as British experience.
The headline tonne is the figure at the shortest jib position, or simply the title, not the weight at full reach. Sealey’s SC10 page charts 1,000 kg at 830 mm down to 250 kg at 1,190 mm. The amazon.co.uk file for B000RA0GDO does not print that chart, so the listing’s 1 ton line is the short position only. Sealey’s PH20 is not an ASIN on this page. Its published chart falls from 2,000 kg at 860 mm to 500 kg at 1,340 mm, which shows the same pattern on a 2 tonne folding crane.
The Sealey SG500 and SG1000KITG list a height of 2,400–3,600 mm, adjusted while the beam is unladen. A domestic ceiling under 2.4 m is below the stated minimum, so those gantries are the wrong room before you compare stickers. Sealey’s SC10 page lists a folded height of 1,440 mm and a nett weight of 67 kg. Amazon lists 75 kg beside 30 × 10 × 30 cm and power source AC. Those amazon lines cannot describe a folding crane of this class. Keep both records.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want a folding crane you can store, and you will use Sealey’s chart: 1,000 kg at 830 mm down to 250 kg at 1,190 mm. The amazon.co.uk file does not print it. One United Kingdom review says the ram will not hold. Skip this if you need a 2 tonne short position or you will accept a sinking ram.
Your ceiling clears 2.4 m and 1 tonne covers the job. You want the package line that names a 1,000 kg trolley and a CB1000 chain block with a 2.5 m drop, and you will resolve the safety line that says tackle is not included. The frame is not moved while loaded. Item weight is 174 kg.
You want a folding crane under £220 that at least prints a size and a weight: 156 × 92 × 180 cm and 59.9 kg, with four boom names from 0.5 t to 2 t. There is no millimetre reach and no review line. Get a chart before you lift. This is not a workplace specification.
In this set of six amazon.co.uk listings, the top pick is the Sealey SC10 at about £275.68. It is the highest score, with 3.5 from five United Kingdom reviews, and only if you will use Sealey’s published chart and reject a ram that sinks on arrival. The amazon file does not print that chart. One UK review says the ram will not hold and the beam drops. The best value is the Garvee folding crane at about £199.99, because it is the lowest price that still prints a size and a weight. The JHflor at about £179.99 is cheaper and prints neither. The Garvee at about £1,296.51 does not take the value badge: it is the same class of 2 tonne claim. The Sealey SG1000 kit is the gantry to look at when the ceiling clears 2.4 m and you need the trolley and chain block named in the package line.
Garvee 2 tonne folding engine crane
Lowest price that still prints a size and a weight, at about £199.99, with no millimetre chart and no review line.
Editorial
Products Compared publishes British-English buying guides based on amazon.co.uk listings and public UK sources. We do not run a lab and we do not invent test scores.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources and maker pages used for this comparison, last checked on 16 October 2026. Listing prices, stars, and review counts are the amazon.co.uk lines in this set.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars, and review counts come from those listings. We did not run a lab test.
