Manual gripsters with pump or lever

Manual vacuum grippers create the vacuum with a pump plunger or a lever and need no battery at all. The database contains 37 models with prices per unit from €12 to €195; at €42, the typical value is well below that of battery vacuum lifters (€70). Typical load capacity is 220 kg, with a peak of 300 kg. Per €100 you typically get 759 kg of load capacity, more than twice as much as with electric units. 92% of the manual models are round, and 97% have a rubber seal. 27% are sold as twin packs, and 24% carry a brand name. None of the units has a digital display; the vacuum level is shown by a marking on the pump plunger or by a pressure gauge.

What to look for

• Watch the warning mark: On pump models, a colored ring on the plunger usually shows that vacuum is being lost. Pump again as soon as the mark becomes visible.
• Always ready to go: A manual gripster has no charging times. In return, you have to re-pump by hand during longer jobs.
• Twin pack for large slabs: Two identical gripsters make two-person carrying easier, see Single vs. twin pack.
• Weighing it against a battery unit: What a hand pump means compared with an electric pump is shown in Electric vs. manual.