Every Sky Hook base configuration is available in both the Economy and Premium product lines. The primary difference is the Economy Sky Hooks utilize our basic friction brake while the Premium Sky Hooks come with the LoadLock clutch brake. For some models, like the mobile base Sky Hooks with 6” casters, the Premium Sky Hook models also come with hard rubber casters in place of the hard polyolefin casters used in the Economy line. While the Economy Sky Hooks are popular for their lower cost investment and quick operation, the Premium Sky Hooks are greatly preferred due to ease of use and fool proof operation.
Both chain and cable each have their own unique benefits. Chain has been the preferred tether option for the Sky Hook since the first Sky Hook was built in 1969. This is largely due to the consistent rate of travel through the entire length of lift as well as the fact that the chain is stored nicely inside the body of the Sky Hook. Cable on the other hand is still preferred by many corporations as it offers simple inspection of the wire rope and a longer length of lift for applications lifting below floor level.
No. When it comes counter weight our customers then have two options. They can either come up with their own solution or purchase counter weight from Sky Hook. The benefit to purchasing counter weight from Sky Hook is that you’ll be getting an engineered solution with mounting hardware designed to securely mount directly to the Sky Hook base.
Receiving a quote for a custom Sky Hook lifting device, designed specifically to suit your needs, is as easy as filling out our Custom Sky Hook Application Sheet and sending it in to our knowledgeable sales team. Once received a team member will begin working up a drawing and quote for a Sky Hook to best fit your application. We strongly encourage our customers to send in their application sheet even if it’s possible that a standard model will meet their needs. That way we can work to verify they are getting the very best solution possible.
No, the 500 lb. load capacity is where we draw the line. The Sky Hook is designed to be a small, portable, lightweight lifting device and setting our maximum load capacity at 500 lbs. makes that possible.
Yes, every standard Sky Hook model is designed to have a rotation of some degree. Floor and bench mounted models will have a full 360° rotation while the Cherry Picker and Reverse Cherry Picker base Sky Hooks have a limited rotation of 15° each way. For a mobile base option that allows for the full 360° rotation, check out our Mobile Cart Sky Hooks as they have support legs and utilize counter weight to maintain stability during rotation.
For a mobile counter weighted Sky Hook which has a full 630 lbs. of counter weight installed, you could expect a push/pull force of about 15-20 lbs. to get the cart moving from a dead stop. This is assuming the casters are not directly fighting each other or going the wrong direction entirely and that the floor is hard and relatively smooth. For the same situation but with the addition of 500 lbs. hanging on the hook the force would increase by about 5 lbs.
Yes, you can absolutely purchase your standard or custom Sky Hook lifting device directly from us. Alternatively, you can also purchase through one of our many stocking or solutions based resellers. If you have preferred reseller, feel free to give them our information and the part number you’re interested in acquiring and we’ll be happy to send the quote through them. If you are considering a custom Sky Hook to fit your application, you can either send the application sheet to your reseller who can then forward it to us, or you contact us directly to work out the details of your design then let us know who you’d prefer we quote through. For a list of Sky Hook resellers near you, feel free to contact us via phone or email.
No we don’t offer a demo program for our Sky Hook lifting devices. We had tried implementing such a program in the past but found that our customers would receive the demo model but find that it didn’t quite fit the dimensions of their application so they didn’t use it. Given that over half of our business comes from customizing the Sky Hook lifting devices to best fit your customers’ applications, it was tough to translate all of the options through a generic demo model. The cost of freight and increased risk of damage during shipment were other factors that brought the program to a halt. In place of a demo program we’ve found that, through a comprehensive discussion with our customers combined with basic drawings and photos, our sales team can determine and develop the very best solution to solve our customers’ lifting problems.
Yes. All Sky Hook models are design and built to the applicable ASME and OSHA standards. We do offer additional certification and documentation such as CE, CSA, and more upon request.
On-site visits are an option but are rarely chosen as a solution. We pride ourselves on having a knowledgeable sales and design team that work closely with our customers to solve their lifting needs. We’ve found that through phone and email conversations transferring dimensional information and photos, we can provide more comprehensive solutions than expensive, and typically short, on-site visits.
