Overview
Barron Equipment carries the Caldwell Model VL rare earth permanent lifting magnet — a compact, self-contained magnetic lifting device that grips ferrous metal loads without any electrical power, batteries, or compressed air. Built with rare earth magnet technology, the Model VL delivers a stronger magnetic holding force per pound of magnet weight than conventional ferrite permanent magnets, making it one of the most powerful permanent lift magnets available in its size class.
What sets the Model VL apart from standard permanent lifting magnets is its vertical lift capability. With the optional lift lug attachment, the VL can pick ferrous metal loads from the side in a vertical orientation — not just from the top in a horizontal position. This makes it a versatile tool for machine shops, fabrication facilities, and maintenance teams that need to reposition steel plates, bars, and round stock between horizontal and vertical orientations without rigging.
Features and Benefits
- Rare earth magnet construction delivers high holding force in a compact, lightweight body — VL0600 weighs just 18 lbs., VL1200 weighs just 34 lbs.
- Locking on/off handle with positive engagement prevents accidental release during lifting
- Built-in "Test" load feature allows the operator to verify magnetic engagement before committing to a full lift
- Vertical lift capable using the optional VLLUG1 lift lug attachment for side-grip applications
- Lifts both flat and round ferrous metal loads — steel plates, bars, rounds, and cylindrical stock
- Supports custom pole shoes for non-standard load profiles and specialty applications
- Completely self-contained — no electricity, no batteries, no air supply required
- Heat resistant up to 180°F (82°C) for handling warm workpieces from cutting, welding, or heat treatment processes
- Stationary lift lug design for stable, predictable load positioning
- Holding power is not affected by power outages or battery life
- Complies with ASME standards for below-the-hook lifting devices
Rare Earth vs. Standard Permanent Magnets
The Model VL uses rare earth magnet material — specifically neodymium-based magnets — that produce a significantly stronger magnetic field per unit volume than traditional ceramic or ferrite magnets. This means the VL achieves the same or greater holding force as a larger ferrite magnet while weighing substantially less and taking up less space. For operators who handle the magnet manually throughout the day, the reduced weight translates directly into less fatigue and faster positioning.
Rare earth magnets also maintain their magnetic strength over a longer service life than ferrite alternatives, provided they are not exposed to temperatures above their rated limit. The Model VL is heat resistant to 180°F, which accommodates most standard material handling applications including warm parts from sawing, plasma cutting, and light welding operations.
Vertical Lifting Capability
Most permanent lifting magnets are designed exclusively for horizontal lifts — picking a load from the top with the magnet face parallel to the ground. The Caldwell Model VL adds vertical lift capability through an optional lift lug attachment that repositions the lifting point for side-grip operation. This allows the operator to grip a steel plate or bar from its face and lift it vertically, which is essential for loading material into vertical storage racks, positioning plates against upright fixtures, or feeding stock into machines that accept material from the side.
Vertical lifting capacities are lower than horizontal capacities due to the physics of side-grip engagement. Barron Equipment's team can help determine whether vertical or horizontal lifting is the right configuration for your specific loads and material thicknesses.
Applications
The Caldwell Model VL rare earth lifting magnet serves machine shops, metal fabrication facilities, maintenance departments, and field service teams that handle ferrous metal daily. Common applications include picking steel plates and flat bar from inventory and positioning them on work tables, loading round bar stock and cylindrical workpieces into lathes and chucks, transferring cut pieces between saw stations and deburring tables, positioning steel plates vertically for welding fixtures and assembly jigs, handling warm workpieces from plasma tables, saws, or ovens up to 180°F, and field maintenance tasks where portable, no-power magnetic lifting is needed.
Selection Assistance
The Model VL is available in two capacity ratings — the VL0600 at 600 lbs. and the VL1200 at 1,200 lbs. Capacity ratings are based on lifting clean, smooth, flat low carbon steel with the full magnet face in contact with the load. Actual holding force decreases with thinner material, rougher surfaces, air gaps, alloy steels, and round stock geometries. Always select a magnet rated well above your typical load weight to maintain a safe working margin.
For heavier loads or applications requiring electrically controlled magnetic fields, Barron carries Caldwell Model RELM round electromagnetic lifting magnets with capacities up to 13,000 lbs. For loads where magnetic attachment is not practical — non-ferrous materials, coated surfaces, or mixed material types — Barron offers the full ANVER vacuum lifter line and Caldwell UNIVAC vacuum lifting systems as alternatives.
Contact Barron Equipment to request a quote or discuss a rare earth lifting magnet solution for your shop.