6 Best Clevis Hooks for Heavy Lifting and Rigging

There’s a moment on every farm when you stand before a heavy, immovable object—a fallen oak, a stubborn stump, or a tractor engine needing to be pulled—and size up your collection of chains and hooks. In that moment, choosing the right piece of hardware isn’t just about getting the job done, it’s about doing it without breaking equipment or, worse, causing an accident. Understanding the simple but critical differences in clevis hooks is one of the most important, and often overlooked, safety skills a farmer can have.

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Understanding Clevis Hook Grades and Limits

A clevis hook, with its U-shaped body and securing pin, is a cornerstone of farm rigging, but not all are created equal. The most important marking you’ll find stamped on a hook is its "Grade," which tells you about the strength of the alloy steel it’s made from. Common grades include Grade 70 (often gold chromate), Grade 80 (often black), and Grade 100 (often blue or gray), with higher numbers indicating a stronger, more rigorously heat-treated steel. This means a Grade 100 hook can lift more weight than a Grade 80 hook of the exact same size.

Alongside the grade, you’ll find the Working Load Limit (WLL), measured in pounds or tons. This is the maximum mass the hook is certified to handle safely for overhead lifting, and it is not a suggestion. The WLL is calculated with a significant safety factor, meaning the hook’s actual breaking strength is several times higher. However, you must never exceed the WLL, as shock loads, side loading, or unseen wear can dramatically reduce that safety margin.

Think of it this way: Grade 70 is the standard for transport and tie-down applications, like securing a tractor to a trailer. It’s designed for pulling and binding, not for lifting things overhead. For any kind of overhead lift—hoisting an implement, lifting a feed tote with the loader—you need to use a minimum of Grade 80 or higher. Using a G70 transport hook for an overhead lift is one of the most dangerous mistakes you can make in the farm shop.

Key Safety Checks Before Every Heavy Lift

Before you connect any hook to a load, a quick 30-second inspection is non-negotiable. This simple habit can prevent catastrophic failure. Start by looking at the hook’s overall shape. Does it look "sprung" or has the opening at the tip, known as the throat, widened? If the hook is bent or stretched even slightly, it has been overloaded and must be immediately removed from service and destroyed.

Next, check the hardware itself. The clevis pin should be straight and the correct size for the hook, and it must be secured with its proper cotter pin or clip. A bent nail or a piece of wire is not an acceptable substitute. If the hook has a safety latch, test its spring to ensure it snaps closed securely. A broken or missing latch on a sling hook renders it unsafe for many lifting applications, as it can allow a chain or strap to slip out if the load shifts.

Finally, consider the connection. The load should always be seated in the "saddle" or bottom bowl of the hook. Never load the tip of a hook, as this drastically reduces its capacity and can cause it to break or deform. Ensure the hook is free to swivel and align with the direction of the pull. Taking a moment for these checks turns a potential gamble into a calculated, safe operation.

Crosby L-320N Eye Hoist Hook for Versatility

Note: While the L-320N is an eye hook, its clevis counterpart, the S-320CN, offers the same legendary performance with a direct chain connection. For this review, we’ll focus on the family’s reputation for excellence.

If you want a single, high-quality hook for the front-end loader or a chain hoist that eliminates any doubt about safety and longevity, the Crosby S-320CN Clevis Eye Hoist Hook is the standard-bearer. Crosby’s reputation in the industrial rigging world is unmatched, and that quality is evident in the forging, the smooth operation of the latch, and the clear markings for WLL and grade. This is a hook designed for serious overhead lifting, day in and day out.

This hook is for the farmer who views tools as a long-term investment and prioritizes safety above all else. It’s perfect for tasks where a load might shift unexpectedly, like lifting a heavy water trough over a fence line or hoisting a mower deck for blade changes. The robust safety latch provides critical security, ensuring your sling or chain stays put. The clevis pin attachment makes it a simple, secure addition to the end of any appropriately rated lifting chain.

The primary tradeoff is cost; you will pay a premium for the Crosby name and the quality it represents. For someone who only does occasional light pulling, it’s overkill. But if you’re doing any kind of overhead lifting with valuable equipment or working in situations where failure is not an option, this hook is the professional-grade choice. Invest in a Crosby when you need absolute confidence in your connection.

Peerless Grade 80 Clevis Grab Hook for Chains

A grab hook isn’t designed to lift a load directly; its job is to shorten or anchor a chain with unshakeable security. The Peerless Grade 80 Clevis Grab Hook is a master of this specific task. Its defining feature is a very narrow, shallow throat designed to grab a single link of chain and hold it fast without allowing it to slip or slide. This makes it an essential tool for binding loads or creating a secure choker sling.

This is the hook for anyone who uses chains for more than just straight-line pulling. It’s perfect for cinching down a load of logs on a trailer, creating a fixed-length chain sling for repetitive lifting tasks, or shortening a tow chain to get the right amount of tension. Because it’s Grade 80, you can be confident it matches the strength of your G80 lifting chain, ensuring the hook isn’t the weak point in your rigging assembly.

Don’t mistake this for a general-purpose lifting hook. Attempting to use a grab hook like a sling hook by putting the load on its tip is incredibly dangerous and will damage both the hook and the chain link. But for its intended purpose, it is irreplaceable. If you need to adjust, shorten, or anchor chains securely, the Peerless Clevis Grab Hook is a fundamental piece of hardware.

Titan Grade 70 Clevis Slip Hook for Winching

When the task is dragging, not lifting, the rules change. For pulling a fallen tree out of a fenceline, skidding logs to the woodpile, or winching a truck out of a muddy patch, a Grade 70 slip hook is the right tool for the job. The Titan Grade 70 Clevis Slip Hook is a durable, no-nonsense workhorse built for the rigors of horizontal pulling.

A "slip" hook is characterized by its wider, more rounded throat compared to a grab hook. This design allows a chain or strap to slide and self-center in the bowl of the hook, which is exactly what you want for a dynamic pulling situation. The Grade 70 rating makes it a perfect match for the common transport chains found on most farms, and its clevis pin allows for quick attachment to a drawbar, winch cable, or chain.

The critical thing to remember is that Grade 70 hooks are never, under any circumstances, to be used for overhead lifting. They are not designed or tested for it. This hook is a specialist for horizontal tension. For the price, you can afford to have a few of these dedicated to your tow chains and winch, keeping your expensive Grade 80 lifting hooks safe from the abuse of being dragged through mud and dirt. For all your heavy-duty farm dragging and pulling needs, this is your hook.

Campbell Self-Locking Hook for Maximum Safety

For certain lifts, an extra layer of security provides invaluable peace of mind. The Campbell Self-Locking Clevis Hook is designed to provide just that. This hook features a mechanism that automatically locks the gate shut when a load is applied. The gate cannot be opened again until the load is fully set down and the weight is released, making it physically impossible for a sling to slip out mid-lift.

This hook is the ideal choice for the farmer who often works alone or for lifting loads that are unbalanced and prone to shifting. Think about lifting an engine block out of a tractor chassis or maneuvering a heavy, awkward implement like a post-hole digger into a tight corner for storage. In these scenarios, where a bump or a sudden shift could dislodge a standard sling hook, the self-locking design is a game-changer for safety.

The added complexity means these hooks are more expensive and require more care; the locking mechanism needs to be kept clean of dirt and debris to function properly. It’s not the hook you’d want for quick, repetitive tasks. However, for those critical, high-consequence lifts where there is no room for error, the investment is easily justified. When a load absolutely cannot come loose, a self-locking hook is the only choice.

Koch Industries Swivel Hook for Awkward Loads

Lifting a load that wants to spin can put a dangerous twist into your chain or cable, creating binding and stresses that can lead to failure. The Koch Industries Clevis Swivel Hook solves this problem with a simple, effective design. The hook is attached to the clevis body via a bearing that allows it to rotate a full 360 degrees under load, preventing the transfer of torque up the line.

This is the hook you need for handling long, unbalanced loads. Imagine trying to lift and position a 16-foot farm gate, or hoisting a long piece of steel to work on. As you lift and move, the load will naturally want to turn. A swivel hook lets it do so without fighting you, giving you far more control and preventing the chain from kinking and weakening.

Like any specialized tool, it has tradeoffs. The swivel mechanism is another moving part that can wear and requires occasional lubrication. It also typically has a slightly lower WLL than a solid, non-swivel hook of the same size. For simple up-and-down lifts of stable loads, it’s unnecessary. But if you frequently wrestle with long or unwieldy objects that want to spin, a swivel hook will make the job safer and less frustrating.

BA Products G100 Clevis Sling Hook Durability

When you’re operating at the upper limits of your equipment’s capacity, every component matters. The BA Products G100 Clevis Sling Hook represents the top tier of readily available lifting hardware. Made from Grade 100 alloy steel, it offers a roughly 25% increase in Working Load Limit over a Grade 80 hook of the same physical size.

This hook is for the farmer who is regularly tasked with extremely heavy lifts—moving concrete septic lids, lifting large round bales of silage, or hoisting the heaviest implements for service. That extra 25% capacity provides a crucial margin of safety. It can also allow you to use a lighter, more manageable chain and hook combination for a given lift, reducing the overall weight of your rigging.

This level of performance comes at a premium price, and for most everyday farm tasks, Grade 80 is more than sufficient. You don’t need a G100 hook to pull a fence post. But when you are pushing your tractor’s loader or your shop hoist to its maximum rated lift, you want every component in the system to be as strong as possible. If you need the ultimate in strength-to-weight performance for your most demanding lifts, Grade 100 is the professional choice.

Inspecting Your Hooks for Wear and Damage

Hooks are not lifetime components; they are consumable pieces of safety equipment that wear out with use. Regular, thorough inspection is essential to catch problems before they lead to failure. Set aside time a few times a year to go through your rigging hardware and look for more than just the obvious.

Beyond checking for bends and functional latches, look for specific signs of wear. Pay close attention to the saddle—the bottom of the hook’s bowl where the load sits. Over time, friction will wear away the metal. If the saddle is worn down by more than 10% of its original thickness, the hook must be retired. Also, carefully inspect the area around the clevis pin hole for any signs of elongation or cracking.

Use a set of calipers to measure the throat opening of your hooks and write the measurement down somewhere. If you ever suspect a hook has been overloaded, re-measure it. A throat opening that has stretched by more than 5% is a clear sign of overloading, and the hook is no longer safe. When a hook fails inspection, don’t just toss it in the scrap pile where someone might be tempted to use it. Take a grinder or a torch and cut it in half to ensure it is permanently removed from service.

Matching the Right Hook to Your Farm Task

The safest and most efficient approach to rigging is not to find one hook that does everything, but to have a small, dedicated selection of the right hooks for your common tasks. Trying to make a single hook serve every purpose leads to compromises in safety and performance. A simple decision framework can help you build your collection.

Start with the most common distinction: pulling versus lifting.

• For horizontal pulling and dragging: A Grade 70 Clevis Slip Hook is your go-to. It’s tough, affordable, and perfectly designed for skidding logs, recovering vehicles, and other high-tension, non-overhead work.
• For general overhead lifting: A Grade 80 Clevis Sling Hook with a working safety latch is your minimum standard. This is the hook for lifting implements, hay bales, and engine blocks with your loader or hoist.
• For specialized, high-risk lifts: Consider a Campbell Self-Locking Hook for maximum load security or a Koch Swivel Hook for long, awkward loads. These solve specific problems that a standard hook can’t.
• For maximum-capacity lifts: When you’re lifting near the limit of your machine, upgrading to Grade 100 hooks and chain provides a critical, measurable increase in your safety margin.

Building out your toolkit with a few of these specialized hooks is a small investment. It ensures that for any given job, you have the exact right piece of hardware, designed and rated for that specific task. This approach replaces guesswork with confidence and is the mark of a safe, well-managed farm.

Ultimately, a hook is more than just a bent piece of steel; it’s the critical link between your machine and your load. Taking the time to understand the grades, perform inspections, and match the right hook to the task transforms rigging from a source of anxiety into a safe and predictable part of your farm’s workflow. That confidence is worth far more than the cost of a few good hooks.