How Do I Choose the Best Drum Lifter?

When you are attempting to choose the best drum lifter for your company or business, you will initially want to determine what type of apparatus will serve your needs best. You will be able to choose a drum lifter that attaches to a forklift, or you can choose a hand-operated-type lift. You must also decide if you require a simple drum lifter or a lifter that also tilts and pours. There are also lifters that place the drum onto a racking system, and this style is likely a good choice if this feature is needed in your facility.

Many chemicals, solvents and other liquid supplies required for a manufacturing business come packaged in large, plastic and steel drums. While this is both economical and more useful than purchasing in smaller containers for many users, it creates a problem when the heavy drums need to be moved. Before choosing any type of drum lifter, you will need to ascertain which type of lifter will best fit your particular requirements. Forklift drum and barrel lifting attachments provide the user with the ability to utilize the lifting power of a forklift's hydraulic power to handle the heavy drums. Mobile, hand-operated lifters use hydraulic cylinders to lift a drum and are mounted to a roller-equipped steel frame that can be moved by hand.

Once you have chosen the type of drum lifter that will best fit your needs, you will need to choose between the plain lifter or the lift and pour type of lifter. The plain drum lifter allows you to raise a drum to place it on a shelf or other location within the shop, while a tilting type of lift allows the drum to be tilted and poured. This feature may be useful to you if your business mixes many materials or uses the drum-packed material in a rapid fashion.

There are other decisions that must be made to make certain you have chosen the best lift for your needs, including the drum lifter's material. Any model of drum lifter can be purchased in a mild steel version as well as in stainless steel. You might want to choose the mild steel model if you are not working with caustic or corrosive chemicals in your shop. This type of lift is commonly painted using a powder coating and offers a durable finish for most applications. If, however, you use harsh chemicals that can damage a painted finish, you may want to opt for a stainless steel drum lifter that will resist corrosion and rust far longer than the mild steel model.