Monkey Crane (column hoist) — electric and petrol-engine vertical material lifter for building construction across NE India, including sites without grid power.
A monkey crane — also known as a column hoist or building mast crane — is a compact, site-assembled vertical lifting machine used in building construction to raise materials from ground level to working floors. It consists of a steel mast or column anchored to the building structure or scaffolding, a motorised winch head at the top, and a rope and hook system that lifts a bucket, skip, or load platform. Unlike a fixed-mast builder lift running on guide rails, a monkey crane can swing the load outward over the floor edge, placing concrete, mortar, bricks, and formwork directly at the working position rather than requiring a second horizontal carry once the load reaches floor level.
Multi Trade Combines supplies monkey cranes in both electric-motor and petrol-engine versions from our Light Construction Machinery range in Guwahati. The petrol-engine model is particularly popular in Northeast India for construction in locations without reliable grid power — the hill areas of Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and Manipur where grid voltage fluctuation or outright absence is common. We ship from Guwahati to project sites across the region.
Small and medium residential building contractors in Guwahati constructing three- to six-storey apartment blocks use monkey cranes for concrete and masonry material supply during the superstructure construction phase. The monkey crane's swing capability allows it to serve a wider floor area than a builder lift, reducing the number of manual carries needed from the hoist drop point to the pour or laying position. For a contractor working with a small crew on a narrow urban plot — typical of Guwahati's residential areas in Paltanbazar, Bharalumukh, and Christianbasti — a monkey crane is an efficient alternative to a larger tower crane that would be uneconomical for a single building project.
Rural house builders and community construction projects across Assam, Meghalaya, and Mizoram use petrol-engine monkey cranes to lift materials to upper floors on sites without electricity, operating the crane from a portable fuel supply. In hill-town construction — where site access is often limited to a single stair approach — the crane's ability to swing material over the building edge is essential for efficient concrete supply to upper floors where a conventional hoist cannot reach the pour position.
Renovation and repair contractors working on existing buildings use monkey cranes to supply materials through window and roof openings during structural repair, re-roofing, and floor slab addition work. The petrol engine makes the machine independent of the building's electrical system, which may be shut off during structural work. The monkey crane pairs with wheel barrows for ground-level material movement and with polyester sling belts from our Lifting & Handling range for securing irregularly shaped loads to the hook.
| Category | Light Construction Machinery |
|---|---|
| Key specs | Column hoist · Electric & Petrol versions |
| Type | Column hoist / mast winch |
| Drive | Electric (single/three-phase) and Petrol versions |
| Application | Vertical material lifting on building construction sites |
| Lifting | Concrete, mortar, bricks, formwork in bucket or skip |
| Mast | Steel column, anchored to building structure |
| Availability | In stock — price on request |
A monkey crane (also called a column hoist or mast hoist) is a vertical material lifting machine consisting of a motorised winch head mounted on a steel column or mast that can be anchored to a building structure or scaffolding. Unlike a builder lift or mini hoist that uses a guided platform running up a mast, a monkey crane lifts material in a skip or bucket suspended directly from the winch hook — allowing it to swing out over the edge of a floor slab to deliver material to a working area. It is particularly useful for delivering concrete, mortar, and building materials to floors where a conventional materials hoist cannot reach the working area through a single window or stairwell opening. Available in electric-motor and petrol-engine versions for site locations without power supply.
The petrol-engine version of a monkey crane is specifically designed for use without a mains electrical connection — useful on early-stage construction sites in remote locations across Northeast India before site power has been installed, or on sites in areas with unreliable grid supply. The petrol engine drives the winch drum through a reduction gearbox, providing the same lifting capacity as the electric version but with the flexibility of off-grid operation. For fuel economy on extended use, a diesel-engine monkey crane is also available on request. The electric versions (single-phase and three-phase) are more economical for continuous use once site power is available, and quieter for urban construction sites with noise restrictions.