Cable / chain length
The working length of the cable, chain or strap supplied as standard with the machine. Usually, the length of the cable / chain corresponds to the height of the lift without a pulley, however, manufacturers can quote both parameters in the specifications. This can be done for various reasons — for example, in the expectation that the cable will not necessarily be pulled vertically, and the term "lift height" is not entirely correct. And in the characteristics of automobile and lever winches, in general, only the length of the cable / chain can be given — they were not originally designed to lift the load vertically.
Cable / chain link diameter
The diameter of the cable supplied as standard with the device; or, for chain traction mechanisms (see above), the diameter of the wire from which the individual links of the chain are riveted.
On the one hand, the strength of the traction element directly depends on this indicator; on the other hand, a thicker cable / chain will weigh more (ceteris paribus). It is worth noting that manufacturers usually select this parameter so that the cable / chain provides at least the claimed load capacity (see above), and often also has some margin. Therefore, paying attention to this indicator and specifically looking for a thicker chain or cable is primarily in cases where it is important to have a good margin in case of emergency situations — for example, if you have to work in strong winds and the lifted load can sway, creating additional loads.
