What is Grade 80 Lifting Chain? A Complete Guide

If you work in lifting, rigging, or material handling, you've likely come across the term "Grade 80" or "G80" chain. It's one of the most common grades of lifting chain used worldwide, but what exactly makes it different from other chains, and how do you know when it's the right choice?

In this article, we explain everything you need to know about Grade 80 lifting chain — from its material properties to load ratings, inspection requirements, and how it compares to other grades.

What is Grade 80 Chain?

Grade 80 (G80) is a heat-treated alloy steel chain designed specifically for overhead lifting. The number is worth reading carefully, because it is the most widely misunderstood figure in rigging: the "80" is not a load rating, not a tonnage, and not a safety factor. It describes the steel. Grade 80 means the chain reaches a mean stress of 800 N/mm² at its minimum breaking load — which is the same as 80 kgf/mm², and that is where the number comes from. Grade 100 is the same idea at 1,000 N/mm²; Grade 70 at 700 N/mm².

Because the grade describes the material and not the chain, two Grade 80 chains of different diameters carry the same grade and completely different working load limits. A 8 mm Grade 80 chain and a 20 mm Grade 80 chain are the same grade; the 20 mm one lifts roughly six and a half times as much.

For sling chain, Grade 80 is specified in EN 818-2 (short link chain for lifting purposes, medium tolerance, grade 8), and chain slings assembled from it are covered by EN 818-4. Outside Europe the same chain is covered by ISO 3077 and, in Australia, by AS 2321.

Key characteristics of G80 chain:

• Material: Alloy steel (typically 20Mn2 or 23MnNiCrMo54)
• Heat treatment: Quenched and tempered for optimal strength and toughness
• Safety factor: 4:1 (breaking load is 4× the working load limit)
• Elongation: Yields visibly before it fails — this is what makes chain a safe lifting medium
• Surface finish: Often gold, yellow-zinc or painted. This is a corrosion coating, not a grade code — more on that below
• Markings: The grade number embossed into the links themselves, plus the manufacturer's identification

How to Read the Markings on a Grade 80 Chain

Grade is not a colour, and it is not something you can judge by eye. The only reliable grade indicator is embossed into the metal:

• The grade number — 8, 80 or 800, stamped at regular intervals along the chain. All three mean Grade 80; the different forms come from different standard editions. Grade 100 is marked 10 or 100.
• The manufacturer's mark — required, and it is how a chain is traced back to its test certificate.
• The identification tag on an assembled sling, carrying the WLL, the leg count, the angle range and the standard it was made to.

There is no European colour code for chain grade. Paint on a master link or hook is a manufacturer's finish, and on a used sling it may have been applied by anyone at any time. Never decide whether a sling is suitable for a lift by its colour.

Grade 80 vs Grade 100: What's the Difference?

Grade 100 (G100) is the next step up from G80, offering approximately 25% higher working load limit for the same chain diameter. Here's a comparison:

One thing the table cannot show: Grade 100 has no dedicated part in the EN 818 series. EN 818-2 covers Grade 80 chain and EN 818-4 covers Grade 80 slings, but a Grade 100 assembly is normally supplied to the manufacturer's own specification with a stated proof load and breaking load. That is not a reason to avoid it — Grade 100 is well established and genuinely useful when crane capacity or sling weight is the limiting factor. It does mean you should ask for the proof load and breaking load in writing, and check that the chain, the hooks and the master link are all marked to the same grade. A Grade 100 chain fitted with Grade 80 hooks is a Grade 80 sling sold at a Grade 100 price.

Working Load Limits (WLL) for Grade 80 Chain

The working load limit is the maximum safe load the chain can handle in straight (vertical) lift configuration. Here are standard values for common chain sizes:

These figures apply to a single leg used vertically. As soon as the chain is used in a multi-leg sling, or at an angle, the capacity changes — see the mode factor section below. Note also that the breaking load column is exactly four times the WLL column, which is where the 4:1 safety factor lives.

Grade 80 Chain Strength: Working Load, Proof Force and Breaking Load

Grade 80 chain has three different strength figures, and confusing them is one of the most common ways a sling gets overloaded. All three are quoted as a mean stress, so they scale with chain size:

The distance between the first row and the last is the 4:1 safety factor. It is there because lifting loads are dynamic: a load that is snatched, jarred, or dragged across a floor can momentarily weigh several times its static mass. The 4:1 factor absorbs that without the chain yielding.

Two consequences that matter on site. First, never use the breaking load as a working figure — a chain that has been loaded anywhere near its MBL has already been damaged and must be withdrawn even if it looks intact. Second, the proof force is not a capacity. "Proof tested to 2.5 times" describes something done to the chain in a factory; it is not permission to lift 2.5 times the WLL.

Grade 80 Chain Specifications

What actually defines a Grade 80 chain, and what to ask a supplier to put in writing:

The row that causes the most trouble is tolerance class. Sling chain and hoist chain look similar and are not interchangeable — see the section below.

Rating a Multi-Leg Sling: Mode Factors

The WLL table above gives the capacity of one leg used vertically. A sling assembly is rated by multiplying that figure by a mode factor that depends on how many legs are in use and the angle they make with the vertical. This is the calculation people most often get wrong, usually by multiplying by the number of legs.

Read the table carefully, because the numbers are smaller than most people expect. A two-leg sling at 45° gives 1.4 times a single leg — not 2 times. The legs share the load between them, and the further they splay apart the less of their strength acts upwards against gravity. Sixty degrees from the vertical is the limit: past that the legs must not be used at all, whatever the load.

The three- and four-leg figure of 2.1 already assumes that only two legs are carrying the load, which is why it is not 3 or 4. A rigid load may well be shared by more legs, but you cannot rely on it, so the standard does not.

We build these chains into finished slings rather than selling them loose — see our G80 chain sling assemblies for the single, two- and three-leg configurations, the master link and hook options, and the component specifications that go with each.

Two rules that follow from the table

• Using fewer legs than the sling was built for? A three- or four-leg sling picked up on two legs is rated at two-thirds of the marked WLL; on a single leg, one-third. The tag still shows the four-leg number, which is exactly why this overloads quietly.
• Is the lift symmetrical? The mode factors assume the legs are within about 15° of each other and the load's centre of gravity sits between them. If the load hangs off to one side, nearly all of it goes onto one leg. Derate to half the marked WLL, or have an engineer calculate the pick.

When Should You Choose Grade 80 Chain?

G80 is the standard choice for most lifting applications because it offers the best balance of strength, durability, and cost. Use G80 when:

• You need a reliable, certified lifting chain for general use
• You're building chain slings for overhead crane lifting
• Weight savings are not critical (if they are, consider G100)
• Your loads fall within the standard WLL for the chain size
• You want broad compatibility with standard G80 fittings and hooks

Inspection of Lifting Chains

All lifting chains must be inspected regularly. Remove chain from service if you find:

• Elongation exceeding 5% of original length over any 20-pitch section
• Cracks, nicks, or gouges on the surface
• Bent, twisted, or kinked links
• Wear exceeding 10% of the original diameter
• Corrosion pitting or heat damage (discoloration from overheating)

How often must a chain sling be inspected?

Two intervals apply, and you follow whichever is stricter. Under LOLER 1998 in the UK, a chain sling is a lifting accessory and needs a thorough examination by a competent person at least every 6 months. In the United States, OSHA 1910.184(e)(3)(i) sets a maximum of 12 months with written records. Chain used in galvanising, pickling, or on a foundry floor should be examined far more often than either minimum. On top of the formal examination, the operator should check the sling before every lift.

Sling Chain and Hoist Chain Are Not Interchangeable

This trips up buyers regularly, because both are called "chain" and both are often black or painted. They are different products to different standards:

• Sling chain is medium-tolerance chain to EN 818-2, grade 8 / Grade 80. It is the subject of this article and it is what goes into a chain sling.
• Hoist load chain is fine-tolerance chain to EN 818-7, grade T. It has to mesh link by link with a pocketed hand wheel or a hoist sprocket, so its pitch tolerance is far tighter.

Because the difference is tolerance rather than strength, the two look almost identical and it is tempting to substitute one for the other. Do not. Sling chain will not feed correctly through a hoist, and hoist chain is not rated or marked as a lifting sling. If you are buying chain for a manual chain hoist, ask for hoist load chain to EN 818-7 — see our manual chain hoist guide for the full specification.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the "80" in Grade 80 mean?

It is the mean stress, in hundreds of newtons per square millimetre, at which the chain must break at minimum. Grade 80 chain reaches approximately 800 N/mm² at its minimum breaking load — the same as 80 kgf/mm², which is where the number comes from. It describes the steel, not the chain. Two Grade 80 chains of different diameters share the grade but have very different working load limits.

Is Grade 80 the same as G80?

Yes. "Grade 80", "G80" and "grade 8" all refer to the same chain, and you will see any of the three written on the links or in a supplier's catalogue. The different forms come from different standard editions and from common usage rather than from any technical difference.

What is the working load limit of 10 mm Grade 80 chain?

2,500 kg as a single leg used vertically, with a minimum breaking load of 10,000 kg. That is the straight-lift figure. Put the same chain into a two-leg sling at 45° from the vertical and the assembly is rated at 3,500 kg (1.4 × 2,500), not 5,000 kg.

Can I use Grade 80 chain for overhead lifting?

Yes — this is exactly what it is made for. Grade 80 is a heat-treated alloy steel chain intended for overhead lifting and rigging, which is what separates it from the carbon steel grades (30, 43 and 70) used for transport, logging and general duty. Those grades are not suitable for lifting people or loads over people.

How do I know if a chain is Grade 80 if the paint has worn off?

The paint was never the indicator. Look for the grade number embossed into the links themselves — 8, 80 or 800 — along with the manufacturer's identification. If you cannot read a grade mark on the links, and the sling has no identification tag, the chain cannot be identified and must be treated as unknown rather than assumed to be Grade 80.

Does Grade 80 chain stretch before it breaks?

Yes, and that is a safety feature rather than a fault. Grade 80 chain yields visibly before failure, giving warning that it has been overloaded. Treat that warning as final: if a chain has grown longer — more than a 5% increase in the pitch of any single link — it has already been overloaded and must be withdrawn, even though it has not broken.