DeWalt Grabo Vs. Grabo Pro: What’s The Difference Between These Suction Lifters?

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The suction lifter is a major help on a job site, allowing workers to move large and unwieldy items like tiles, wood planks, and metal plates using vacuum pressure. Naturally, most major tool companies make these tools, including DeWalt, which teamed up with Grabo for the 20V Max Grabo Lifter. Grabo also sells its own lifters, including the Grabo Pro Lifter 20named after its 20-liters-per-minute of suction. Thus, one has to wonder, where exactly do these two very similar products differ, aside from their appearance and branding?

Grabo and DeWalt’s suction lifters deviate in a few key areas. For one, their respective weight capacities are different, with DeWalt’s claiming a 265-pound maximum and the Grabo Pro rated for 375 pounds maximum. The DeWalt uses a 20-volt battery, while the Grabo uses 14.8 volts; their button and screen layouts are also different. Warranties also differ: The DeWalt Grabo comes with DeWalt’s three-year limited warranty, while the Grabo Pro has a 12-month warranty. The latter can be extended to 18 months should the tool be registered before the warranty claim is filed. Finally, price is also a differentiating factor, as the DeWalt 20-volt Max Grabo Lifter costs $259.00 compared to $299 for the Grabo Pro.

Though they overlap in key areas, including their general design and the presence of useful extras like attachment ports, the Grabo Pro and DeWalt Grabo aren’t exact duplicates. Therefore, one might be a better buy than the other depending on your needs.

The DeWalt Grabo Lifter is ideal for lighter work given its lower lifting capacity. It’s also a cheaper option, assuming you already have DeWalt batteries and chargers. Its $260 MSRP is a tool-only price, so the downside is you’ll have to pay extra for the supporting hardware if you’re not already invested in the DeWalt ecosystem. You could opt for the DeWalt Grabo Lifter Kitwhich comes with a battery, charger, and carrying bag, but the set will cost you a steep $369 at Home Depot.

Conversely, the Grabo Pro comes with just about everything you need at $299, including the battery and charger. It is also rated for lifting heavier items. Unfortunately, the Grabo Pro isn’t as readily available as the DeWalt Grabo. It’s primarily sold through online retailers and less common brick-and-mortar stores like Floor & Decor. Grabo also advises against using its lifter with glass thinner than 6 millimeters, as the suction could damage the glass. In that case, the DeWalt Grabo’s reduced suction could be a selling point. Thus, despite their similar appearance, function, and naming, the DeWalt Grabo and Grabo Pro are two separate tools with potentially different use cases.