The Manhole Buddy manhole cover lifting system permits a lone worker, male or female, to lift heavy manhole, drain and access covers, quickly and safely. Using Manhole Buddy cover lifting equipment, an average build person will comfortably lift a manhole cover equal to their own weight on a regular basis.

Manhole Buddy manhole cover lifters are inherently safer than most manhole lifting systems. Firstly, when using the cover lifting trolley, the operator stands over one metre from the raised manhole cover and the open chamber. Secondly, lifting of the manhole cover is achieved by pushing downwards on the lifting trolley handle; this action incurs minimal risk of lifting or twisting injuries. Since the wheeled trolley is akin to a lever system, only a modest physical input by the operator is required to lift a typical 50 to 60 kg manhole or drain cover.

With the Manhole Buddy MagTec magnetic manhole lifter configuration, there is no need to remove dirt and debris from the manhole cover key slots, which represents a significant time saving on every cover lifted. Similarly, there is no need to fit and secure lifting keys. For this reason, the Manhole Buddy MagTec is the fastest cover lifting method available for lifting metallic manhole and drain covers.

Manhole Buddy KeyTec uses a load spreader bar and threaded lock-down keys to make the connection between the Manhole Lifting Trolley and the drain cover surface. This traditional connection method means the Manhole Buddy KeyTec can lift any cover type with a standard key slot configuration. This will encompass solid covers, split covers, metallic and non-metallic covers and indoor covers which typically have threaded lifting points. Notably, the Manhole Buddy KeyTec load spreader bar has a rotating lifting hanger, which permits the lifting trolley to be positioned as best suits the operator, typically where it avoids obstructions such as vehicles, trees or street furniture. In this respect, Manhole Buddy KeyTec is significantly different from virtually all other key-based manhole lifters.