William Hackett Chain Hoists

About William Hackett Chain Hoists

Holloway Houston stocks William Hackett chain hoists and lever hoists for North American buyers in offshore, petrochemical, and heavy industrial service. Stainless steel subsea variants are available for environments where carbon steel corrodes out of service.

William Hackett Chains Ltd traces its origins to 1862 in County Durham, England, one of the oldest chain and lifting equipment manufacturers still in production. The company established its reputation supplying chain and lifting gear to British industry during the era when chain manufacturing was a skilled trade, not a commodity process.

Today, William Hackett's hoist product line spans manual chain hoists (chain blocks) and lever hoists intended for offshore, subsea, and heavy-duty industrial service. The offshore focus is where the brand earns its differentiation: their subsea lever hoist line uses stainless steel components rated for immersion and pressure exposure that standard hoists are not designed to handle.

William Hackett chain hoists and lever hoists are manufactured in accordance with EN 13157:2004+A1:2010 (Cranes, Safety, Hand-powered lifting equipment) and meet LOLER 1998 (UK Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations, SI 1998/2307) documentation requirements. For offshore container operations, applicable units are designed to DNV 2.7-1 standards for offshore lifting equipment.

Holloway Houston is the North American distributor for William Hackett products, stocking chain hoists and lever hoists in Houston for same-day shipment on in-stock models.

Types of William Hackett Chain Hoists

Manual Chain Hoists (Chain Blocks)

William Hackett manual chain hoists use a hand-chain-driven gear mechanism to raise and lower loads through a load chain. Also called chain blocks in the field, these are the go-to hoist for fixed overhead lifting points, maintenance bays, structural steel work, and anywhere a powered hoist is impractical or unavailable. The load chain is Grade 80 or Grade 100 alloy for rated capacity, and the hook assemblies include safety latches per EN 13157 requirements.

Lever Hoists

Lever hoists, called come-alongs by some crews, use a ratchet-and-pawl mechanism driven by a hand lever. They pull as well as lift, making them the hoist of choice for load tensioning, horizontal pulls, and rigging setups where a chain block's vertical-only operation doesn't fit. William Hackett lever hoists are available in standard carbon steel for general industrial use and in stainless steel variants for offshore and subsea applications.

Subsea Lever Hoists

William Hackett's subsea lever hoist lineup is engineered specifically for immersion service, stainless steel body, corrosion-resistant load chain, and sealed mechanisms that maintain function after submersion. These see use in offshore platform maintenance, subsea installation work, and marine operations where standard hoists would corrode out of service after the first deployment.

William Hackett Chain Hoist Capacities

William Hackett chain hoists and lever hoists span a working load limit range suited for maintenance, plant, and offshore service:

Chain Hoists (Chain Blocks), WLL Range:

• Light duty : 0.5 ton to 1 ton.
• Medium duty : 1.5 tons to 5 tons.
• Heavy duty : 6 tons to 20 tons .

Lever Hoists - WLL Range:

• Standard : 0.75 ton to 9 tons.
• Extended : up to 20 tons on select models.

Lift Heights:

• Standard lift heights from 1.5 m to 6 m; extended lifts available on request

Materials:

• Carbon steel : Standard service, industrial and general rigging.
• Stainless steel : Subsea and offshore models with corrosion-resistant load chain.

Note: Specific model availability and WLL configurations are verified by Holloway Houston at 1-888-496-4700 for current stock.

Why William Hackett for Chain Hoists

William Hackett's chain and hoist manufacturing history goes back farther than most brands that exist in this market today. That longevity reflects a specific focus: heavy-duty and specialty lifting equipment for industries where standard hoists fail prematurely.

The offshore and subsea hoist segment illustrates the point. Standard chain hoists corrode in salt spray within months; their seals and load chains are not rated for immersion. William Hackett's subsea variants are designed from the component level for that environment, stainless steel load chain, corrosion-resistant body, and mechanisms that perform after repeated immersion cycles. For offshore platform riggers and marine contractors in North America, sourcing this equipment through a domestic distributor with stock in Houston shortens lead times significantly.

William Hackett hoists are manufactured to EN 13157:2004+A1:2010 and meet LOLER 1998 documentation requirements, which matters for operators whose equipment records need to satisfy UK and European regulatory frameworks alongside OSHA and ASME standards for North American jobsites.

Holloway Houston also offers rigging inspection services. Our qualified inspectors examine hoists, chain, and associated lifting hardware to keep your equipment in service and your crews working.

Shop by Product Type

• William Hackett Manual Chain Hoists (Chain Blocks).
• William Hackett Lever Hoists - Standard.
• William Hackett Subsea Lever Hoists - Stainless Steel.

William Hackett Chain Hoist Applications by Industry

• Offshore Oil & Gas : Platform maintenance lifts, module installation, and rigging operations where LOLER 1998 documentation and offshore-rated equipment are required.
• Subsea Operations : Immersion-rated lever hoists for below-water installation, salvage, and marine maintenance work.
• Petrochemical and Refinery : Maintenance hoists in confined process areas where manual operation is preferred over electric or pneumatic.
• Structural Steel and Industrial Maintenance : Chain blocks for overhead lifts at fixed maintenance points and erection setups.
• Marine and Shipyard : Lever hoists and chain blocks for vessel maintenance, cargo handling, and dock rigging where corrosion exposure is a factor.

Why Holloway Houston for William Hackett Chain Hoists

Holloway Houston is the authorized North American distributor for William Hackett chain hoists and lever hoists, operating out of Houston, Texas with over 65 years in the rigging and lifting business. Stocking a UK-manufactured offshore and subsea hoist line in Houston puts this equipment within same-day ship distance for Gulf of Mexico operators, offshore contractors, and petrochemical facilities throughout the region.

Our rigging specialists stock and support the William Hackett hoist line alongside chain, master links, shackles, and the balance of our rigging hardware inventory. Proof of conformity documentation and manufacturer records ship with every William Hackett hoist order.

Complete Your Hoist and Rigging Setup

• William Hackett Master Links : Forged alloy master links that match the grade and capacity of the chain below your hoist.
• Chain Slings : Alloy and Grade 100 chain slings for attaching loads below William Hackett hoists.
• Shackles : Anchor and chain shackles for below-the-hook connections in hoist rigging setups.

Chain Hoist Safety and Awareness

Chain hoists and lever hoists in load-handling service fall under ASME B30.16-2017 (Overhead Underhung Hoists) and ASME B30.21-2019 (Lever Hoists) in North American industrial use. EN 13157:2004+A1:2010 governs hand-powered lifting equipment under the European Machinery Directive. OSHA 1910.179 addresses overhead and gantry cranes; OSHA 1926.554 covers hoisting and rigging in the construction industry.

Key awareness points for hoists in service:

• ASME B30.21-2019 specifies that lever hoists carry a rated load marking and manufacturer identification on the body. A hoist without legible capacity markings is not suitable for lifting service.
• Pre-use inspection of chain hoists covers the load chain for wear, stretch, twist, and link damage; the hook and latch condition; and the brake function per manufacturer documentation.
• LOLER 1998 (UK SI 1998/2307) requires that lifting equipment used at work be inspected at intervals defined in a written scheme of examination. Operators working to UK regulatory frameworks need proof of examination documentation, William Hackett hoists are manufactured with this requirement in mind.
• Lever hoists are not rated for overhead lifting unless the manufacturer documentation specifically addresses overhead use. Overhead suitability is verified against the manufacturer's documentation for the specific model.
• Overloading a chain hoist or lever hoist beyond its rated WLL risks brake failure, chain failure, and load drop. Load cells or in-line dynamometers are the field method for confirming load weight where it is uncertain.