How to Choose a Scissor Hoist Kit for a Dump Trailer
Use this guide with the SUNY TL product records to build a shortlist: start with the dump body and load, compare the six body-length starting ranges, then review each candidate's drawing, capacity conditions, and quoted components.
SUNY supplies hydraulic scissor hoist assemblies and kits that raise a dump body. The quotation defines the lifting equipment and components being supplied; it is not a quotation for a complete trailer.
You can start with a known model and quantity, a multi-model purchase list, or the application information you have. A finished engineering file is not required for the first conversation.
1. Identify the dump body and its load
Record the intended payload—the material or cargo carried in the body—and the empty dump-body weight separately, with their units. The hoist raises the body as well as its contents, so both belong in the application review. Describe the material too: a requested tonnage alone leaves the reviewer without the full load description.
Measure dump-body length separately from overall trailer length. The tongue and other trailer structure can contribute to overall length without describing the body being raised. A clearly labeled sketch helps the reviewer understand which measurement you supplied.
Body length describes the application; available mounting space describes where the hoist must fit. If known, add rear hinge location, rear overhang, available frame width, vertical clearance, and the intended dump angle. For a replacement, include the existing hoist designation and photos or a drawing. For a new build, send the available body and frame layout.
Keep unknown fields open. The point of this first step is to describe the actual project so the next comparison starts from the right body, load, and layout.
2. Use the six TL body-length ranges as starting points
The SUNY TL scissor hoist kits product page provides model information and supporting drawings. These published body-length ranges offer a first shortlist:
| Public model | Engineering name on the SUNY drawing | Dump-body length starting range |
|---|---|---|
| TL310 | TL-3A-3T | 8–10 ft |
| TL416 | TL-4A-6T | 10–14 ft |
| TL516 | TL-5A-8T | 10–14 ft |
| TL520 | TL-5B-10T | 12–16 ft |
| TL616 | TL-6A-8T | 12–16 ft |
| TL625 | TL-6D-12T | 16–20 ft |
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A starting range helps decide which records to compare. It is not automatic fit approval or a payload guarantee. TL416 and TL516, for example, share a 10–14 ft starting range; the range alone does not choose between them. Carry each candidate forward to its own drawing and applicable capacity information.
Use the public model and its engineering name together when matching a drawing to a quotation. If an older document uses a different designation, send it unchanged for an item-specific cross-reference. Similar-looking numbers do not establish interchangeability.
For several models, keep one model and quantity per purchase-list line. That allows the package and configuration of each line to be reviewed separately.
3. Compare the exact drawing: a TL416 example
Match the public model TL416 to the SUNY drawing titled TL-4A-6T — Hoist Dimensions and Capacity. The reading detail below shows the labeled Body Length, Overhang, and M reference lines. Look at both marked ends of the M line alongside the body-length and overhang lines; the assembly's overall length is a different dimension.
The source's two-row M table reads:
| Maximum Dump Angle ±2° (source label) | Dimension M (source inches) |
|---|---|
| 45° | 79.00 |
| 50° | 71.50 |
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TL416 / TL-4A-6T only. “Maximum Dump Angle ±2°” is the original table heading; the rows are drawing references, not guaranteed achieved angles.
Keep each angle and its M value together when comparing the drawing with your layout. Use the selected model's applicable installation requirements for the final design. This reading example does not specify an installation measurement procedure or a length tolerance for M.
4. Read the capacity conditions with the number
A capacity value is useful only with its model, body length, rear overhang, dump angle, and source conditions. Compare records for the same application rather than choosing the largest number in a table. A TL model class is not a guaranteed lifting capacity or a trailer payload rating.
The SUNY TL416 capacity source lists these conditions:
- A water-level, non-diminishing load.
- A rear-hinge-pivot-to-floor vertical height of at least 3 in.
- A hydraulic relief pressure of 3,200 psi.
These are conditions stated in the source record. For your inquiry, describe the material, intended payload, empty dump-body weight, and loading pattern so the application can be reviewed against that record. The listed pressure is not a direction to adjust a hydraulic system.
SUNY's approved TL capacity unit is metric tonnes; US short tons are a different unit. Keep the stated unit with each capacity value when comparing offers.
Provide cargo payload and empty body weight separately. Ask how the selected capacity record applies to those inputs and the proposed layout; do not turn a table value into a new payload rating by subtracting an estimated body weight.
5. Define the kit contents before comparing quotations
An assembly-focused inquiry centers on the hoist assembly. A complete-kit inquiry also needs an agreed power unit and associated components. The model-specific itemized quotation establishes the supply scope.
The representative TL416 shown configuration has the following approved list. It contains 11 list entries, rather than a count of 11 physical pieces. Quantities appear only where the approved list specifies them.
| Entry | Component and stated quantity |
|---|---|
| 01 | Hoist Assembly |
| 02 | Hydraulic Power Unit |
| 03 | Remote Controller |
| 04 | Hydraulic Hose ×2 |
| 05 | Battery Cable ×2 |
| 06 | Hinge ×2 |
| 07 | Pivot Bracket ×2 |
| 08 | Hydraulic Fitting ×4 |
| 09 | Safety Arm |
| 10 | Safety Arm Strong Arm Bracket |
| 11 | Safety Arm Cup |
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Trailer Jack ×2 is excluded from this TL416 shown package scope. This list does not automatically define every TL model or every quotation.
Compare quotations by lining up included components, separately quoted accessories, and buyer-supplied items. If you intend to reuse a power unit or another component, identify it as buyer-supplied and send its available information for review. A familiar package name or photograph alone does not settle what will arrive.
6. Keep options attached to the model and quantity
Where an electrical power unit is requested, state the required voltage if known. Where an existing hydraulic source will be used, send its identification or specifications. Also describe the intended raising and lowering arrangement so the offered configuration can be reviewed as a whole.
Record these options against the relevant model and quantity. This is useful for an importer or dealer comparing several purchase lines: two lines with the same model can still request different supply scopes. Finalize those differences in the quotation rather than relying on a representative kit image.
7. Send an inquiry with the information available
Use this checklist to organize the conversation. Complete the fields you know; the remaining details can be developed during review.
| Information | What to send |
|---|---|
| Model or existing reference | Model and quantity, or an original drawing/identification photo if available |
| Load | Intended payload and unit; material; empty dump-body weight separately, if known |
| Body and mounting layout | Dump-body length, hinge/overhang information, available space, and intended angle, as known |
| Configuration | Required voltage, existing power-unit/hydraulic-source information, or requested options |
| Purchase list | One model and quantity, or a multi-model list with one item per line |
| Destination | Delivery country and destination details available for quotation |
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Already know the model? Begin with that model and quantity. Buying several models? Send one model and quantity per line. Still choosing? Begin with the application, a layout, or photographs. Then contact SUNY about your dump trailer hoist requirement. The review should bring the model, drawing, capacity basis, configuration, and itemized supply scope together before ordering.
Frequently asked questions
How should I use the TL416 M table?
Keep each angle with its M value and compare the marked M reference line with the Body Length and Overhang lines in the TL416 reading detail. Use 79.00 in at 45° and 71.50 in at 50° only for TL416 / TL-4A-6T. The source heading “Maximum Dump Angle ±2°” does not make this guide an installation procedure or an achieved-angle guarantee.
What weight information should I send?
Send the intended cargo payload and empty dump-body weight separately, with units, plus the material and loading pattern. Review them with the selected model's geometry and capacity conditions. A table value alone is not a cargo payload rating.
What if the drawing and quotation use different model names?
Send both documents together and ask for the exact item and revision to be reconciled. Keep the original designations visible until the correspondence is confirmed.
Can I start with a sample order or a mixed TL-model request?
SUNY welcomes sample orders for TL products, with no minimum order quantity; a single unit can be shipped. Different TL models can be combined in one order or container. Send the desired models and quantities, then confirm each configuration and shipment details in the quotation.