The round pad grips the flat area of the drum top and leaves the bung and the chime untouched, so there is nothing to clamp, no sling to thread and no need to tip the drum to get a grip. Why it matters: a drum lifted by its top stays upright, and the operator keeps both hands on the handle rather than on the drum.
Vacuum Drum Lifter
Vacuum drum lifter: lift steel and plastic drums from the top
A vacuum drum lifter picks a drum by its flat top and lets one operator move it from pallet to floor, roller track or scale without clamps, slings or a second person. On our range the drum pads fit the two-handle ESL-MD140/22 to 180/30, rated 45 to 80 kg; small drums, pails and small containers go on the single-handle ESL-SG with HB bellows pads, and containers with a handle on the compact ESM with a hook. This page says which drums that covers, which model to choose, and where a full 200-litre drum falls outside it. For sacks, cartons and panels, start from the other load types overview.
- Round drum pads on the ESL-MD140/22, 160/30 and 180/30
- Top lift on the flat face of an upright drum
- Pails on the ESL-SG with HB pads, or on the ESM with the SHP hook
- Drums over 80 kg: ask us
Choose a rating above the full weight of drum and contents; a full 200-litre drum lies outside the drum-pad range and needs a different method.
- Drum-pad ratings:
- 45, 60 and 80 kg
- Models with round drum pads:
- 3
- Pad:
- round drum pad
- Full 200-litre drum:
- about 200–250 kg
Drum types
Which drums a vacuum lifter can handle
| Container | Typical weight | Vacuum lifting on our range |
|---|---|---|
| Pails, cans and small containers with a handle or flat lid | Within the model's rating; one manufacturer's published example is a 42 lb (about 19 kg) pail | Yes: ESL-SG with HB bellows pads, or ESM with the SHP hook |
| Drums up to 80 kg: small drums and part-filled 200-litre drums | Up to 80 kg | Yes: ESL-MD140/22 to 180/30 with round drum pads |
| Full 200-litre drums | About 200–250 kg | Above the specified drum-pad range; ask us, and expect a different handling method |
| Drums with domed, dented, wet or oily tops | Any | Test first: the seal breaks on uneven or dirty surfaces |
Recommended setup
Recommended setup by drum weight
Of the three ESL-MD models with round drum pads, start from the first one rated above your full drum weight, then check the reserve before you settle.
| Lifter model | Rated capacity | Pad | Blower |
|---|---|---|---|
| ESL-MD140/22 | 45 kg | Round drum pad | 3.0 kW |
| ESL-MD160/30 | 60 kg | Round drum pad | 3.0 kW |
| ESL-MD180/30 | 80 kg | Round drum pad | 4.0 kW |
| Drums over 80 kg: ask us | No drum pad is listed for the ESL-MD200/40 and above; tell us the drum and full weight and we say whether a tube lifter fits | — | — |
A clean, flat steel or plastic drum top is an airtight load, so the ratings above apply to it. Leave a reserve: at or near a rating take the next model up, near 80 kg ask us, and above about 1,000 m allow for less capacity as the air thins. Each of the three is catalogued with a lifting height of 1,700 or 2,500 mm; the pick and place heights you send us decide which.
Top lift
Lifting from the top without touching the bung
Condition: the pad must sit fully inside the flat part of the top and over the centre of the drum; a drum with a domed or ribbed top, or with liquid or dust on the lid, leaks air and is tested before it is quoted. Drums lying on their side are a different job and are not covered on this page.
Zones
Chemical drums and hazardous zones
Many drums are filled and stored in chemical, coating and lubricant plants, and two conditions come with that. Solvent stores and powder-handling areas are often classified hazardous zones; our lifters are the standard version and are not for explosive atmospheres, so tell us the zone classification before we quote. Corrosive products attack seals and metalwork, so say what is in the drums and whether spills reach the lid.
Next step: both questions are fields in the selection form.
Pails
Pails and small containers
Small drums, pails, cans and small containers are handled on the single-handle ESL-SG with HB bellows pads, which follow a slightly uneven lid, or on the compact ESM with the stainless-steel hook SHP for containers with a handle. Lifting several pails at once on a beam is an industry practice for high volumes.
Condition: a hook or any mechanical tool on a tube lifter needs a protection valve, so that the tube cannot snap upward if the load slips; whether the SHP comes with it is confirmed in the quotation. Next step: the ESL-MD two-handle lifters page covers drums; for pails start from the single-handle and compact pages in the product overview.
FAQ
Up to what drum weight do the drum pads go?
Below 80 kg full weight, with a reserve: the round pads are listed only for the ESL-MD140/22 to 180/30, whose ratings end at 80 kg, and a drum near that figure is a question for us. Across the industry tube lifters reach about 300 kg, and heavier drums are handled by other means.
What about a full 200-litre drum?
At roughly 200–250 kg it is above the drum-pad range on our lifters and at or past the 200 kg top of our range. Send the drum type and its full weight, and before any quotation we tell you whether a tube lifter suits it or another method does.
Can it lift a drum lying on its side?
Not with the round pad, which needs the flat top of an upright drum. Elsewhere in the industry a drum on its side is taken with a curved pad made to the drum's radius, and that pad is not in our catalogue.
Scope
What this page does not cover
Full 200-litre drums, loads above 200 kg, drums on their side and classified explosive atmospheres are outside this page.
Cowest Machinery designs and manufactures vacuum tube lifters at its factory in Qingyuan, Guangdong, China; the lifters are CE marked, with Attestation of Conformity No. CE-1629-01-011123 (CGS Test, valid to 2028) available on request.
Get a selection proposal
send the drum type, size, contents, full weight, heights, lifts per hour, power supply, altitude and the zone classification, and we propose the setup.