No good dungeon is complete without a hoist. It was the first item we purchased for ours, and has become one of the most useful tools we have. With the right accessories a hoist can replace many larger pieces of bondage furniture. The best part is, if you hang it in a garage or work room, you can pass it off to vanilla friends!

Before running out and buying a hoist, there are a couple of things you need to know. The first is that you need access to an attic or some way to get to a ceiling beam. Most electric hoists mount with two brackets that go over the beam and bolt directly into the hoist housing. Since the hoist itself can weigh from 30 to 50 pounds plus the weight you suspend from it you need to be sure to follow the directions carefully. Even worse than falling down because it won’t hold your weight is a 50 pound metal object falling on top of you. So please be careful!

The next important thing to do is decide how much weight you need the hoist to support. Many hoists will give you two numbers (i.e. 440lb/880lb). These numbers are the weight it will hold with the cable singled or doubled. I recommend getting a weight rating that is a decent amount higher than you think you need. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. Electric hoists are definitely easier to use and, in my opinion, better than a manual chain hoist (If you are the type that just loves the sound of chains rattling as you slowly hoist up your sub, then disregard that last statement). We decided on the Chicago Electric 440lb/880lb Electric Hoist from Harbor Freight Tools. It was relatively inexpensive, especially with the 20% off coupons you can usually find for Harbor Freight, and met all of our needs.

The installation is definitely a two person job. One has to hold the hoist up, while the other bolts it in. Once attached to the ceiling beam, plug it in, remove the tape around the cable, and you are ready to go.

The hoist is easy to operate. It has a wired remote with a two way switch, one for up and one for down. We have had my 210lb self suspended in a hanging cage that weighed around 25lbs with absolutely no issues.

There are many items that, with a few accessories, the hoist can replace. We purchased a steel spreader bar with chain and it pretty much replaces a St Andrew’s cross and allows access to both front and back. As I mentioned earlier, we also have a hanging cage that is very fun. The things you can do with it are really only limited by your kinky imagination!

After having our hoist for about 3 years the remote burnt out, so we replaced it with the same model. That being said, even if you have to replace it every 3 years its cost winds up being about $40 a year. That is pretty cost effective for a “go to” play item.

The last thing I want to mention is to always be safe when using the hoist. It is very easy to hurt someone if suspending them with the wrong cuffs, poorly placed rope, etc. Make sure you do your research before performing any suspension scenes. That being said, have fun!