This unit uses two manual 13cc hydraulic pumps mounted on the base of the chassis. To lift a drum, operators pump the rear handle back and forth which raises the height of the carriage. The pumps have been designed so that the amount of force required to lift a drum is low and meets all manual handling guidelines. To lower the drum back down, operators turn a controllable lowering lever. When handling more than 5-10 drums per day we highly recommend you explore our electric model or pneumatic model which will save time and therefore be more efficient when compared to the manual model. These options are easier to use and are less physically demanding for operators.