Buying task · Loading pins
Loading pins
How to choose a loading pin for a cable machine: 1-inch or 2-inch plate bore, the maker's shaft diameter and length, the connector, and each variant's rating.
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Short answer
Choose a loading pin made for the bore of the plates you own, 1 inch or 2 inch, then compare the maker's shaft diameter, length and rating for that exact variant. Makers rate pins per variant: Golden Grip states 150 kg for its 25 mm pin and 180 kg for its 50 mm pin.[1] Plan for a carabiner too, because many pins ship without one.
Picks that fitAll picks and how to choose
- Titan Fitness Loading PinCheck price on Amazon
What a loading pin does
A loading pin is a short post that holds weight plates and hangs from a cable by a loop or ring at the top. It turns a pulley into a plate-loaded cable setup. The fit that matters is between the pin's shaft and the hole in your plates, the plate bore. Standard plates have a 1-inch hole; Olympic plates have a 2-inch hole.
We do not test pins. Every size and rating here is the maker's statement for one product or variant.
The decisions, in order
1. Your plate bore. Pick the plate family first. Arm Kombat sells its pin for 1-inch weight plates.[2] Golden Grip sells separate 25 mm (1-inch) and 50 mm (2-inch) variants.[1] Lattice lists a 1 inch / 25 mm pin diameter and says it is compatible with 1-inch and 2-inch plates.[3]
2. The maker's shaft diameter. The plate family name is not the shaft size. Rogue lists its Loading Pin with a 1.91-inch diameter,[4] a little under the 2-inch nominal hole. Read the shaft diameter the maker gives, and see 1-inch vs 2-inch loading pin shaft diameter.
3. Length: total vs usable. Makers usually give one length. Rogue lists 12 inches,[4] Arm Kombat a 12-inch height[2] and Golden Grip about 32 cm (12.5 in) tall.[1] None of these splits total length from usable loading length, so the plate count you can fit is not published.
4. Connection, and whether a carabiner is included. Rogue ships one pin; the strap and carabiner are not included.[4] Arm Kombat says its pin comes with a carabiner,[2] and Golden Grip lists a steel loop at the top and an included carabiner.[1] A strap loading pin hangs from a strap instead: Spud offers its Olympic strap pin in 12-inch and 18-inch strap options, for use with Spud's Econo Pulley Systems through an attached ring.[5]
5. The rating, per variant. Lattice states a maximum load of 130 kg (287 lb) for its pin.[3] Arm Kombat states 400 lb for its 1-inch pin.[2] Spud states up to 550 lb of Olympic plate weight for its Olympic strap pin,[5] a figure that belongs to that pin only. Rogue publishes no rating for its pin,[4] so this site does not give one. The pin's figure never raises the rating of the pulley or cable it hangs from; see what a cable attachment load rating covers.
How to choose
- Check the hole in your plates: 1 inch or 2 inch.
- Keep only pins whose maker names that bore or variant.
- Compare the maker's length and any stated rating for that variant.
- Check how it connects and whether you need to buy a carabiner, then confirm the carabiner fits the pin's loop with will my carabiner fit the attachment.
One approved pin states its bore, length and rating. Titan's maker page, as recorded in our catalog, lists a 300 lb rating, a 50 mm sleeve for Olympic plates and no included carabiner.
Picks that fit1 product
Choose the Olympic loading pin; it is for 2-inch Olympic plates, not 1-inch standard plates.
More on choosing
A carabiner is not included, so add one that fits the pin's top connector. On Amazon, check that 'Ships from / Sold by' shows Amazon.com or Titan Fitness.
Titan Fitness Loading Pin
If your rack pulley or tower includes its own plate holder, use that first. Valor lists a 14-inch plate holder for 2-inch Olympic plates with the RG-26,[6] and the cable setup finder shows what each setup includes.
Every page on loading pins
Guides
- Choose a loading pin for the plates you own
- 1-inch vs 2-inch loading pins: why the shaft is not the plate hole
- Strap loading pin vs rigid loading pin
- Will my carabiner fit the attachment? Eyelet, gate and body size
Tools
Setups with a maker-listed loading option
Key terms
Loading pin, plate bore, shaft diameter, usable loading length, strap loading pin, eyelet and stated load rating.
Everything in this topic
Guides
- 1-inch vs 2-inch loading pins: why the shaft is not the plate holeHelps you read loading-pin sizes correctly so you buy a pin made for the plate family you own.
- Choose a loading pin for the plates you ownHelps you pick a loading pin whose maker lists your plate family, states a rating and says what connector comes with it.
- Strap loading pin vs rigid loading pinHelps you compare strap and rigid loading pins on the fields makers document, and spot the limits each maker states.
Common questions
Will standard plates fit an Olympic loading pin?
Standard plates have a 1 in hole, which is smaller than an Olympic pin made for 2 in plates, so they will not go on. Buy a pin whose maker lists 1 in plates, such as Golden Grip's 25 mm variant. More in 1-inch vs 2-inch loading pins: why the shaft is not the plate hole
Why is my Olympic pin smaller than 2 inches?
The 2 in figure names the plate hole, which is 50.8 mm. GymPin, for example, makes the plate end of its Original GymPin 49.5 mm in diameter for 2 in Olympic plates. More in 1-inch vs 2-inch loading pins: why the shaft is not the plate hole
Can 2 inch plates go on a 1 inch pin?
Only where the maker says so. Lattice says its 1 in pin is compatible with 1 in and 2 in plates, and reviews on its page note Olympic plates may move around on it. More in 1-inch vs 2-inch loading pins: why the shaft is not the plate hole
Is Rogue's Loading Pin an Olympic pin?
Rogue lists a 1.91 in diameter and does not name a plate family on its page, so check with Rogue for your plates. More in 1-inch vs 2-inch loading pins: why the shaft is not the plate hole
Which loading pin fits Olympic plates?
One whose maker lists 2 in plates. Golden Grip sells a 50 mm (2 in) variant and Lattice says its 1 in pin is compatible with 1 in and 2 in plates, though 2 in plates may move around on it. More in Choose a loading pin for the plates you own
How many plates fit on a loading pin?
Most makers we read do not publish a usable loading length, so we cannot say. Lattice lists dimensions of 10 x 10 x 28 cm, but it does not say whether 28 cm is the loadable part. More in Choose a loading pin for the plates you own
Do loading pins come with a carabiner?
Some do. Arm Kombat and Golden Grip include one; Rogue and Lattice say theirs is not included. More in Choose a loading pin for the plates you own
What is the weight limit of a loading pin?
Only what its maker states, for that model or variant. Lattice states 130 kg (287 lb), Arm Kombat 400 lb, and Golden Grip 150 kg for its 25 mm pin and 180 kg for its 50 mm pin; Rogue publishes no rating. More in Choose a loading pin for the plates you own
Questions
Which loading pin fits Olympic plates?
One whose maker names the 2-inch bore or an Olympic variant, such as Golden Grip's 50 mm (2-inch) version. Lattice lists a 1-inch pin it says works with both 1-inch and 2-inch plates. See 1-inch vs 2-inch loading pins.[1][3]
How much weight can a loading pin hold?
Only what its maker states for that variant. Lattice states 130 kg (287 lb), Arm Kombat 400 lb for its 1-inch pin, and Golden Grip 150 kg (25 mm) or 180 kg (50 mm). Rogue publishes no rating for its pin.[3][2][1][4]
Do I need a strap or a rigid pin?
Either works when its maker lists it for your setup. Spud's strap pins come in set strap lengths and are made for Spud's Econo Pulley Systems. Compare them in strap vs rigid loading pins.[5]