Drum Slings & Drum Lifters

Moving a 55 gallon drum by hand is a good way to hurt your back or dent the drum. Drum slings and lifters take that risk out of the job, attaching to a forklift or crane so the drum gets lifted, moved, and set down without manual handling. Two designs cover most applications: a harness that cinches around the barrel, and a hook style that curves into the drum's rim.

Harness Drum Slings

A harness-style lift uses a ratchet mechanism to tighten webbing directly around the barrel, so it only works with ribbed drums. Once the base webbing is snugged down, the vertical legs hook to your forklift or crane for the lift. The harness design has one extra advantage: once hoisted, the drum can be tilted to pour out its contents, which makes this the better choice if dumping or decanting is part of the job.

Hook-Style Drum Slings

Hook-style lifts skip the wraparound harness. Curved hooks catch the rim of the barrel directly, with webbing looping through the eyes of each hook. Because this style doesn't need to encircle the drum, it can be built with longer webbing and used in a horizontal lifting position, something the harness design can't do.

Construction and Customization

Every drum sling is made in the USA from 1" or 2" nylon webbing, chosen for its gradual stretch under load, which helps absorb shock while moving a full drum. Need a horizontal sling, a custom length, or a drum handler outside our standard lineup? Our sales team can help track down or build the configuration your job needs.

Looking for a different lifting sling? Check out our other options:

• Nylon Rigging Straps
• Polyester Round Slings
• Wire Cable Slings