A Tirfor is a portable manual wire rope hoist used for lifting, pulling, lowering, tensioning, and positioning loads. Also commonly known as a Griphoist, it uses a specialized wire rope that passes through the body of the hoist instead of wrapping around a drum. This allows the tool to provide long pulling distances or lifting heights while still offering precise load control.
The Tractel Tirfor from LGH.
Because a Tirfor is compact, portable, and manually operated, it is a useful solution for jobsites where access is limited, power is unavailable, or a load needs to be moved, aligned, or tensioned with accuracy. At LGH, Tirfor winches are commonly rented for construction, infrastructure, maintenance, bridge work, machinery moving, and other heavy-duty applications.
Read also: Tools You May Not Know We Rent: Griphoist
French inventor Mr. Simon Faure originally conceived the design and filed a patent for what eventually would become the Tirfor in 1929. This design laid the groundwork for The Tractel Group, who would eventually acquire a trademark license for the grip hoist. After extensive testing, the hoist was officially made public during the early 1940s. Since then, the Tirfor hand winch has revolutionized the industry for its easy-to-use functionality in maneuvering various loads.
Over the years, Tractel has continuously improved the original hoist and filed numerous patents to protect its perfected design. Improvements have included making the hoists fully portable and offering new features such as easier manageability, a lighter-weight design, quick installation, and more precise load placement.
A Tirfor works by using internal jaw mechanisms that grip the wire rope and move it through the hoist body. As the operator moves the handle, the jaws alternately grip and release the rope, pulling it through the unit in controlled increments.
The operator can use the forward lever to pull or lift the load, or the reverse lever to lower, release, or reposition the load. Because the wire rope moves through the hoist rather than winding onto a drum, the available pulling length or lifting height depends largely on the length of wire rope being used.
This makes the Tirfor useful for applications where the load needs to be moved gradually, positioned accurately, or tensioned across a longer distance. You can check out our Tirfor YouTube tutorial here.
Workers using a Tirfor, aka Griphoist, from LGH.
A Tirfor is used when a load needs to be lifted, pulled, lowered, tensioned, or positioned manually. Its portability and control make it especially useful in areas where larger hoists, powered winches, or cranes may not be practical.
Common applications include:
Because it can be anchored in different orientations, it can be used in horizontal, vertical, or angled pulling applications when the setup is properly planned and all components are rated for the load. For more on Tirfor/Griphoist applications, check out our blog post here: Traditional Applications for the Griphoist.
A Tirfor, aka a griphoist, being used to move a chiller on an industrial jobsite in Chicago.
The Tirfor remains a popular jobsite tool because it combines portability with precise load movement. It does not require electric or air power, which makes it useful in remote areas, tight access locations, and temporary setups.
Key benefits include:
A Tirfor is a versatile manual wire rope hoist that gives crews a portable and precise way to lift, pull, lower, tension, and position loads. Unlike a traditional winch, it does not rely on a drum to store cable. Instead, the Tirfor moves wire rope through the hoist body, allowing for long travel distances and controlled load movement.
Whether it is used for machinery moving, bridge work, cable tensioning, load shifting, or general rigging applications, the Tirfor remains a valuable tool for jobsites that require strength, portability, and accuracy. LGH offers Tractel Tirfor winches for rent in a variety of capacities. For help choosing the right Tirfor for your next project, contact an LGH lifting expert at 800-878-7305 or visit RentLGH.com/contact.
A Tirfor is a manual wire rope hoist used for lifting, pulling, lowering, tensioning, and positioning loads. It uses a specialized wire rope that passes through the hoist body instead of winding onto a drum.
Tirfor and Griphoist are often used interchangeably in the field. Both terms refer to Tractel’s manual wire rope hoist technology used for controlled lifting and pulling applications.
A traditional winch winds cable onto a drum. A Tirfor grips a separate wire rope and moves it through the hoist body. This allows for longer pulling lengths and makes the unit highly portable.
Yes, it can be used for certain lifting applications when the equipment, wire rope, anchor point, and rigging hardware are properly rated and used according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
A Tirfor uses specialized wire rope designed for use with the hoist’s internal jaw mechanism. The correct rope type, diameter, and condition are essential for safe operation.
Tirfor winches are commonly used in construction, bridge work, roadwork, machinery moving, infrastructure maintenance, utilities, cable tensioning, load shifting, and other industrial applications.
https://www.specialisedforce.com.au, Specialised Force Pty Ltd, 2017,
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