Shop Cranes

The three kinds of equipment here

Folding engine cranes

Only three listings here describe a folding design: the Ranger RSC-2TF 2-Ton Folding Shop Crane ("Folds for easy storage"), the Norco 78106A 2500 Lb. Capacity Folding Engine Crane ("Quick foldable legs and boom save shop space") and the Zinko ZFC-075T 3/4 Ton Foldable Crane, by model name. These suit a bay that has to give the floor back at the end of the job. The Ranger listing describes heavy steel construction with a reinforced boom to eliminate flex and front casters with a safety brake. The Norco 78106A folds legs and boom in seconds to 22-1/2 in. x 51-3/4 in. The Zinko listing carries no published spec table, so its boom dimensions and pump type have to come from the model spec sheet, and it is flagged as not available to order online: call for availability before you plan around it.

Full-size cranes for the heaviest lifts

The Norco 78600B and 78605A and the four Mahle CSC listings publish no folding claim, so if reclaiming the floor at night is a requirement, verify it on that model's spec sheet before you order. What they offer instead is height and reach, and the pump depends on the model: the 78600B includes a foot-activated air/hydraulic foot pump, the 78605A an electro/hydraulic pump on 115 VAC, and the Mahle CSC models can be purchased with a manual or air/hydraulic pump. The Norco pair is aimed at diesel work: the listings state they are for lifting heavy items including removal and installation of diesel engines and often their transmissions. Both offer multiple boom positions and leg extensions ranging from 49 in. to 93.5 in., a boom that swivels 10 degrees right or left when the base cannot be centered under the load, and a floor lock.

Component-handling lifts

The seven Lift King items do a different job. Instead of a boom and hook over an engine bay, the LK4000 Main Component is a floor lift that takes attachments for pickup boxes, semi hoods, camper toppers, automotive hoods, doors and fifth wheel plates. It is rated for 600 lbs and, per the listing, passed testing at 1,000 lbs. It also carries a 1,500 lb brake winch, but 600 lbs is the lift's rating, not the winch's: do not size a job off the winch number. If you also want the removed box or hood to travel around the shop, the Box Dolly and Semi Hood Dolly are what the listings describe for that, and they come in the Plus packages (LKLDP, LKHDP, LKCBP), not with the Main Component.

Capacity: read the boom position, not the model name

The Ranger and Mahle listings publish capacity by boom position. The three Norco listings publish no capacity row at all: their 2,500 lb and 3 ton figures come from the model names, not from a spec table, and the Zinko listing publishes no spec table either. Telescoping cranes lose capacity as the boom extends, so ask for the load chart on any of them before you size a lift.

The Ranger RSC-2TF spec table lists four boom capacities (4,400 / 3,300 / 2,200 / 1,100 lbs) and four maximum boom heights (80 / 84 / 89 / 93 in.) for the boom's four telescoping positions, without printing which capacity goes with which height. Boom length runs 40 in. to 63 in. The name says 2-Ton; the table says up to 4,400 lbs (1,996 kg), which is 2 metric tons, and that is the top of a four-step ladder, not the figure you get at every boom position. Take the pairing from the manual linked on the product page before you rig the lift, and take the table over the name.

Mahle publishes the same idea as three numbers. The CSC-2200 and CSC-2200A are rated 2,200 lb retracted, 1,900 lb at center and 1,650 lb extended; the CSC-4400 and CSC-4400A, 4,400 lb, 3,800 lb and 3,300 lb. If your heaviest routine lift is a 2,000 lb assembly you have to reach out over a fender to grab, the CSC-2200 is not the machine for it, whatever its name says.

The Norco 78106A deserves a second look. Its capacity is 2,500 lbs. Its listing also mentions a 3 ton capacity hydraulic power unit that provides faster raising action and a large-diameter ram to withstand angle loads. That 3 ton figure belongs to the power unit. The crane lifts 2,500 lbs.

Height, reach and throat

Maximum boom height tells you whether the crane can lift a long engine clear of the core support, and whether your ceiling can take the machine at all. The two Norco 3 ton cranes reach up to 149.5 in., over 12 ft 5 in. before you add chain and load; under a 12 ft ceiling you will never use the top of that boom. The Norco 78106A tops out at 88 in. and the Ranger RSC-2TF at up to 93 in. Mahle splits the figure by boom state: up to 114 in. retracted and 125 in. extended on the CSC-2200 and CSC-2200A, 119 in. and 130 in. on the CSC-4400 and CSC-4400A. With the boom horizontal, overall boom height is 83 in. on the CSC-2200 and CSC-2200A and 84 in. on the CSC-4400 and CSC-4400A -- taller than a standard 80 in. door opening, so measure your bay entrance before you plan to roll one between rooms.

Reach decides whether the crane can straddle the vehicle and still put the hook where the load is. Mahle lists boom reach of 33 in. retracted and 48 in. extended on the CSC-2200 family and 35.8 in. and 50.8 in. on the CSC-4400 family, with a minimum throat width of 22 in., overall length of 82 in., inside leg length of 55 in. and three inside leg widths at 22 in., 36 in. and 50 in. Ranger base length is 69 in. The Norco 78106A measures 74.5 x 51.75 x 70.75 in.; the 78600B and 78605A both 75 x 51 x 90.5 in.

Ground clearance matters on cars more than trucks. The Norco 78106A calls out a low-profile design of 4-3/4 in. from the top of the legs to the ground, and its minimum boom height is listed as 0 in. The 78600B and 78605A start at 13 in.

What the shop has to supply

Three power arrangements appear here, and only two ask anything of your building.

• Hydraulic, with no stated utility requirement. The Ranger RSC-2TF is described as a heavy-duty hydraulic folding engine hoist with a rugged hydraulic cylinder, and no air or electrical connection appears on its listing. The Norco 78106A listing states no air or electrical requirement either; it calls the unit a "3 ton capacity hydraulic power unit" without naming the pump type. Neither listing states how the pump is actuated, so confirm that on the operations manual linked from that product page if it matters to you.
• Shop air. The Norco 78600B includes a foot-activated air/hydraulic foot pump requiring 100 P.S.I. air pressure. If your compressor and drop cannot hold 100 PSI at the crane, this is the wrong model. The Mahle CSC-2200A and CSC-4400A carry Air Assist in their names.
• 115 VAC. The Norco 78605A includes an electro/hydraulic pump requiring 115 VAC, so it needs an outlet within reach of where you park it.

One caution on the Mahle listings: all four repeat the same line, that the crane can be purchased with a manual or an air/hydraulic pump. Only the CSC-2200A and CSC-4400A names specify Air Assist; the CSC-2200 and CSC-4400 names specify no pump at all. Confirm the pump on the order before you buy.

No listing here specifies a concrete thickness, an anchor pattern or a floor slope limit, because these roll rather than bolt down. What most of them specify is how the crane holds position: safety-brake front casters on the Ranger, 4 in. front wheels with locking rear casters on the Norco 78106A, a floor lock on the 78600B and 78605A. The Mahle listings publish a 6 in. wheel diameter and a large caster design for maneuvering, but state no caster lock or floor lock, and the Zinko listing states nothing at all; ask for the manual if a positive lock matters to you.

Storage, weight and delivery

Folding only pays if you reclaim the floor: the Norco 78106A folds to 22-1/2 in. x 51-3/4 in., and the Lift King LK4000 Main Component needs only a 3 ft x 3 ft floor print stored. The Ranger RSC-2TF ships at 248 lbs in a 62 x 42 x 16 in. carton. The big Norcos are a different logistics problem at 1,150 lbs (78600B) and 1,182 lbs (78605A), so plan the receiving end. All fifteen orderable listings here are flagged for free shipping; the Zinko ZFC-075T, which is not available to order online, is not. Several also carry state tax notes: Ranger for California, and the Norco listings for California, Texas, Indiana, Florida and Missouri.

Certifications and documentation

None of these 16 listings declares ALI, ETL, ASME or OSHA certification, so we do not claim one. What they carry is a California Prop 65 warning on the Ranger RSC-2TF and all three Norco cranes, plus downloads: an operations manual, exploded drawing, specifications and sales sheet on the Norco pages, a manual on the Ranger page, a flyer on each Mahle page with a manual on the CSC-2200 and CSC-4400. If your insurer or your customer requires a certification, request that model's documentation first.

Every listing here publishes warranty terms. Norco covers the 78106A, 78600B and 78605A with a limited lifetime warranty on materials and workmanship, which expressly excludes chains, batteries and electric motors -- relevant to the 78605A's 115 VAC pump and the 78106A's 3/8 in. proof chain. Ranger publishes 12 months on equipment structure and on operating components, Mahle 1 year parts and labor on workshop units, Lift King 12 months or 2,000 operating hours, whichever comes first, and Zinko 1 year limited. Read the warranty tab on the model you pick.

Model comparison

Lift King packages: what is in each one

The LKLD Light Duty Lift Package includes the Main Component, Box Attachment and Bushing Kit, so one technician can handle OEM pickup boxes of all sizes, including 8 ft dually boxes. Per the listing, once the box is disconnected and ready for removal, the lift converts from stored to working position without tools and the box comes off in less than five minutes including that setup. The LKLDP adds a Bushing Kit Holder and a Box Dolly, freeing the lift for the next job. The LKHD Heavy Duty Lift Package includes the Main Component and Semi Hood Attachment for hoods of all sizes, including fiberglass and aluminum, with two rear mounting options: a Tilt Scoop Mount, which requires the grille to come off but lets the technician tilt the hood to a working angle, and a Non-Tilt Mount, which leaves the grille in place and suits mechanical repairs. The LKHDP adds a Semi Hood Dolly. The LKCB combo covers both jobs; the LKCBP Combo Plus adds the Bushing Kit Holder, Box Dolly and Semi Hood Dolly.

Accessories and what is not in the crate

Two Norco listings note an engine load leveler as an optional accessory sold separately. Lifting hardware is included where the listing says so: a heavy steel hook with a safety latch on the Ranger RSC-2TF, and 3/8 in. proof chain and hook on the Norco 78106A.

Frequently asked questions

How much capacity do I actually need?

Weigh the heaviest assembly you pull regularly, then check capacity at the boom position you will really be in, not the retracted figure. Diesel engine and transmission work is why the 3 ton Norco 78600B and 78605A exist. If you need reach as well as weight, the Mahle CSC-4400 family still holds 3,300 lb fully extended.

Do I need shop air or an outlet?

Only for certain models. The Norco 78600B requires 100 P.S.I. air pressure for its foot pump and the 78605A requires 115 VAC. The Mahle A models are the air-assist versions. The Ranger RSC-2TF and Norco 78106A list no air or electrical requirement.

What separates the Mahle CSC-2200 from the CSC-2200A?

Capacity and dimensions are identical: 2,200 / 1,900 / 1,650 lb, up to 114 in. retracted and 125 in. extended, 33 in. to 48 in. of reach. The A is the air-assist version. The same relationship holds between the CSC-4400 and CSC-4400A.

Can a shop crane pull a pickup box or a semi hood?

That is what the Lift King line is for. A boom crane takes a load on a hook and chain; the Lift King connects to the box or hood itself through a dedicated attachment, so one technician handles a job that otherwise takes several. Engine work and body component handling are two separate machines.

Who unloads it on delivery day?

Check the listing. The Ranger RSC-2TF listing states that it is the buyer's responsibility to unload the freight at their location. No other listing here publishes an unloading term, so confirm freight terms with our team before a 1,150 lb 78600B or a 1,182 lb 78605A leaves the dock, and have a forklift or a dock ready either way. If you are not sure which model fits your ceiling, your air supply or your heaviest lift, call our team and we will go through the published specs and the manual for the model with you.