Getting a skate under a machine means lifting the machine, and a roller crowbar does that job in one movement. The wheeled fulcrum rolls forward as the bar is levered down, so the load is raised and nudged along at the same time. It is the tool that gets a machine off the floor far enough to place a skate, and it does it without the setup time of jacks. Two sizes, 3 and 5 tonnes, with lever lengths of 1,400 mm and 1,530 mm.
Key Features
- Lifts and moves together: The rolling fulcrum means the load advances as it lifts, which is what gets a machine over the lip of a skate.
- Long lever: 1,400 mm on the 3 tonne and 1,530 mm on the 5 tonne, giving genuine mechanical advantage for one operator.
- Smooth running steel wheels: Steel rather than polyurethane, since this is a tool for the initial lift rather than for travelling across a finished floor.
- Two capacities: 3 tonne at 9 kg and 5 tonne at 11 kg, so both remain a one-person tool.
- Strong steel construction: Solid bar and roller throughout.
- Fully marked: CE, capacity, manufacturer's identification, product ID mark, year of manufacture and traceability code.
Technical Specifications
| Product Code |
Capacity (t) |
A, Lever Length (mm) |
B (mm) |
C (mm) |
d (mm) |
D1 (mm) |
I (mm) |
L (mm) |
Weight (kg) |
| VRC3 |
3 |
1,400 |
136 |
50 |
34 |
62 |
11 |
46 |
9 |
| VRC5 |
5 |
1,530 |
155 |
65 |
38 |
72 |
13 |
55 |
11 |
All dimensions in millimetres. Dimension L, the toe height, is the clearance the bar needs to get under the load: 46 mm on the 3 tonne, 55 mm on the 5 tonne.
CE Marked | Capacity and Traceability Marked | PUWER
Marked with CE, capacity, manufacturer's identification, product ID mark, year of manufacture and traceability code. Work equipment under PUWER 1998, requiring pre-use inspection and maintenance in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
Suitable Applications
The roller crowbar is the companion tool to machinery skates. Its main job is raising a machine just enough to get a skate underneath, then lifting it again to remove them at the far end. It also handles short repositioning moves where fetching skates would be disproportionate, freeing a machine that has settled onto its base, and nudging heavy items into alignment. In a workshop that moves plant with any regularity it earns its place quickly, since the alternative is setting up jacks for every lift.
More About This Product
Material handling equipment solves the problem that most manual handling injuries come from: moving something heavy a short distance. Cranes handle the long lifts; the damage is done shifting a machine six metres across a workshop because it seemed too short a distance to be worth rigging.
The equipment is straightforward. The considerations that catch people out are the floor, the route and the momentum of something heavy once it is rolling.
The Route Is the Risk
A load on wheels behaves entirely differently from a load being lifted, and the risks move with it.
Point loading comes first. Wheel loads under a laden truck or skate concentrate onto small hard wheels, and the pressure at each contact patch is far higher than the load's own footprint would suggest. Slabs that carry the static load comfortably can crack, and floor coverings can be marked or cut.
Level changes are where control is lost. A multi-tonne load rolling at walking pace and stopping abruptly against a threshold, an expansion joint or a change in floor covering keeps trying to move. Anyone with a hand on it at that moment finds out how much energy is in it. The answer is to slow down before the change, not at it.
Gradients compound the same problem. Even a slight slope in a workshop floor will accelerate a heavy load on good wheels, and a load that gets away has no brakes.
Nobody walks alongside. The instinct is to have people at the sides steadying the load, and that is exactly where they should not be if it shifts or a wheel collapses. Push or pull from a position of control, keep feet clear of the wheels, and treat the route as part of the plan rather than as the bit between the lifting points.
How to Use the Roller Crowbar
- Check the toe will fit: Dimension L is the toe height. If the machine base sits flatter than that, you need packing or a different approach.
- Find a solid bearing point: The toe must go under structural base metal, not sheet cladding or a trim panel.
- Lever down steadily: Steady pressure on the bar. The roller advances as the load rises.
- Never work under a raised load: The bar holds only while pressure is applied. Place packing or skates from the side, keeping hands and feet clear.
- Watch your footing: The bar can slip if the toe is not properly engaged. Stand so that a slip does not put you under the load.
- Do not extend the bar: Never fit a tube over the lever to increase leverage. It is sized to the tool's capacity.
Warning: Never place any part of your body under a load raised on a roller crowbar. The load is held only while pressure is applied to the bar. Never extend the lever to increase leverage. Never exceed the marked capacity.
Safety Information
- Never exceed the marked capacity.
- Never work under a load supported only by a roller crowbar.
- The toe must engage solid structural metal, not cladding or panelling.
- Never extend the lever bar with a tube or other means.
- Stand clear of the load path in case the bar slips.
- Do not use on uneven or slippery floors without assessment.
- Inspect the toe, roller and bar before every use.
- Withdraw from service if the bar is bent or the roller is seized.
Inspection and Maintenance
The toe and the roller take the punishment. Inspect the toe for wear, chipping and deformation, since a rounded toe slips more readily and a slip under load is how people get hurt with this tool. Check the roller turns freely and shows no flat spots, and confirm the axle has no play. Look along the lever bar for any bend, which indicates it has been overloaded or extended, and reject it if found. Keep the roller axle lightly oiled. This is a simple tool with few failure modes, but the ones it has are the sort that put an operator under a load.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is a roller crowbar actually for?
Getting a machine off the floor far enough to slide a skate underneath, then lifting it again to remove them. The wheeled fulcrum means the load moves forward slightly as it rises, which is what clears the lip of the skate. It is faster than setting up jacks for a lift of a few centimetres.
Q: Can I use it instead of jacks?
For a brief lift to place packing or a skate, yes. For anything where the load must stay raised, absolutely not. The crowbar holds only while you hold it, and nothing should ever go under a load supported that way.
Q: 3 tonne or 5 tonne?
Match it to the load being levered, remembering the crowbar takes a share of the machine weight rather than all of it. The 5 tonne also has a longer lever at 1,530 mm and a taller toe at 55 mm, so check the toe height against the clearance under your machine base.
Q: Why steel wheels rather than polyurethane?
Because the roller carries very high point loading over a short distance and is not used for travelling across a floor. Polyurethane would deform under that load. If floor marking is a concern in the immediate area, put a board down.
