Permanent Magnetic Lifter, 600 kg Pulling Capacity, Heavy Duty N42 Neodymium Lifting Magnet with Release Handle and Steel Hook, Used in Shop Crane and Hoist, for Lifting Plate Steel, Board

Getting a steel plate off a stack with slings means threading webbing under an edge that is flat on the deck. A permanent magnetic lifter picks it straight up off the face instead — flick the lever, the magnet grabs, flick it back and the plate lets go.

What the 600 kg figure actually describes

The supplier's wording is worth reading exactly as written: up to 1320 lbs / 600 kg of magnetic force, with a 2.0 security factor. That is a pulling force with a safety factor declared against it — it is not stated as a safe working load, and no separate working load limit appears anywhere in the supplied information. The two are different things on any magnetic lifter, so treat 600 kg as the supplier's stated pulling force and nothing more. Nor does the supplier state the plate thickness, surface finish, flatness or air gap that figure was measured at, all of which change how hard a magnet holds.

Two catches between you and an accidental release

Accidental release is the failure mode that matters with a magnet, and this one puts two things in the way. The chrome-plated handle will not rotate at all until a security button on it is pressed, so a knock against a rack or a sleeve catching the lever does not drop the load. Behind that, a lock pin holds the handle at its set position. The throw itself is simple — turn left to engage, right to release — and the grip is rubber-wrapped, which is what lets you shift a stiff lever with gloves on.

The U-shaped base widens the job list

A flat pole face only ever suits sheet. The base on this one is cut in a U, so it seats on round stock as well as flat plate — bar, rod, pipe and billet all sit into the channel instead of touching along a single tangent line. That is the difference between a magnet that lives on the plate rack and one that gets used across a fabrication shop. The supplier lists power, mining, transport and general engineering work, lifting plates, rods, blocks and pipes, with a shop crane or hoist doing the actual lifting.

Key features

• Stated pulling force: up to 1320 lbs / 600 kg with a 2.0 security factor, quoted exactly as the supplier gives it.
• N42 neodymium magnet: a permanent magnet, so it holds without power and does not release if a battery or lead fails.
• Security button on the handle: the lever will not turn until the button is pressed, which rules out a knock releasing the load.
• Lock pin: holds the handle where you set it, engaged or released.
• U-shaped pole base: takes round bar, rod and pipe as well as flat plate.
• Chrome-plated hook and handle: plating resists rust and wipes clean after a dusty shift.

Specifications

• Magnetic / pulling force: up to 1320 lbs / 600 kg (supplier's figure)
• Security factor: 2.0 as stated by the supplier
• Safe working load: not stated by the supplier
• Magnet material: N42 neodymium
• Type: permanent magnetic lifter, manual lever switching
• Switching: turn left to engage, turn right to release
• Handle: chrome-plated with security button and rubber wrap
• Handle lock: built-in lock pin
• Hook: chrome-plated heavy-duty steel
• Base profile: U-shaped, suits flat sheet and round steel
• Intended use: attaches to a shop crane or hoist for lifting steel plate, rod, block and pipe
• Test surface conditions for the rated force: not stated by the supplier

What's in the box

• Permanent magnetic lifter with release handle and hook
• One pair of protective gloves

Cautions worth reading first

• The 600 kg / 1320 lb figure is a pulling force, not a safe working load, and the supplier does not publish a working load limit. Get a written working load limit from the supplier before you use it to plan a lift.
• Never lift over people and never let anyone stand under or reach beneath a suspended load.
• Magnet grip falls away on thin, rough, curved, painted, scaled or hot material, and the supplier does not state the surface conditions its rating was measured on. Test the specific material before committing to a lift.
• No standard, certification or test rating is named by the supplier for this lifter.
• Strong neodymium magnets can interfere with pacemakers and other implanted medical devices, and with nearby electronics. Keep clear if that applies to you or anyone in the area.

A quick way to shift plate and bar without rigging slings every time. Nail down the working load limit with the supplier first, then let the crane do the lifting.