Question 1

What capacity do I need for a normal car engine?

Accepted Answer

Tooled Up’s band is a rule of thumb, not a weight for your car. A 1 tonne title can still be 250 kg at the long hole, which is what Sealey’s SC10 chart shows at 1,190 mm. Use a figure for that engine, then read the hole you will actually pin.

Question 2

Why does a 2 tonne crane become 500 kg at full stretch?

Accepted Answer

The short pin is the big number. As the jib lengthens, the ram works further from the legs, so the rated load falls. Sealey’s PH20, which is not in this set, shows the pattern: 2,000 kg at 860 mm and 500 kg at 1,340 mm. A 2 tonne title that never prints those millimetres has not promised you 2 tonnes over the wing. Treat the long hole as unknown until the chart names it.

Question 3

What if the listing has no millimetre chart?

Accepted Answer

Treat the capacity at your reach as unknown. Garvee’s two folding cranes name four tonne steps and print no millimetres. JHflor names 2 tons and prints no steps. Do not copy Sealey’s 830 mm or 1,190 mm onto those files. Ask for the chart that belongs to that model, or buy a crane whose maker publishes one you can read before you pay.

Question 4

Does the price include a chain block?

Accepted Answer

On the folding cranes here, the ram and hook are the hoist. The SG500 says tackle is not included. On the SG1000KITG, the package line includes a 1,000 kg trolley and a CB1000 block with a 2.5 m drop, and a safety line says tackle is not included. Budget for a block rated to the same safe working load unless you have confirmed it is in that carton.

Question 5

Will a gantry fit under a garage ceiling?

Accepted Answer

Only if the ceiling clears 2,400 mm, which is the minimum these Sealey listings state, set unladen. A beam that adjusts up to 3,600 mm does not help if it cannot stand at the low end. You do not shorten a loaded gantry to fit under the joists. If the ceiling is under 2.4 m, you are back to a folding crane. Measure to the lowest joist, not to the roof apex.

Question 6

Does LOLER apply if I only lift my own car?

Accepted Answer

LOLER binds lifting equipment used at work. A private hobby lift, where the work risks nobody else, is outside that audience on the Health and Safety Executive’s equipment FAQ. A garage with staff, or a customer’s vehicle, is work. The chart, locked legs, and nobody under the load still apply at home. This page is not a competent person’s examination.

Badge	Product	Chart at the reach	Tackle	Height or size	Note	Price	Offer
Best overall	Sealey Sealey SC10 1 tonne folding crane	1,000 kg at 830 mm to 250 kg at 1,190 mm on the maker page	Ram and hook	Folded height 1,440 mm on the instruction	4.6	about £275.68	View offer
Alternative	Sealey Sealey SG1000KITG 1 tonne gantry kit	1 tonne stated on the beam	Package line and safety line conflict	2,400–3,600 mm, set unladen	4.5	about £1,023.35	View offer
Best value	Garvee Garvee 2 tonne folding engine crane	0.5 t to 2 t named, no millimetres	Not stated	156 × 92 × 180 cm, folded size not stated	3.8	about £199.99	View offer

Engine crane buying guide

Our top picks

What the tonne on the title actually rates

A chart you can read, and listings that do not print one

Tackle, ceiling, and who LOLER binds

What you still have not chosen

Common questions

Related pages

Engine crane for a home garage

Workshop crane

Best engine crane: top pick, best value, who skips

Engine crane vs gantry crane: wing reach or a beam

How to use an engine crane: pins, lift, then lower

Sources