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1Know the working window of the material
Ferrite is not where you look for maximum force. The majority of our ferrite range holds under 1 kg, a smaller group covers 1 to 5 kg and only a few large blocks reach the 15 to 50 kg band.
That is a feature rather than a limitation: most everyday magnet jobs, from notes and papers to light covers and board work, sit comfortably in the first two bands and cost a few cents per piece.
2Read the figure for what it is
Pull force is measured with the magnet in direct contact with a thick, flat, clean steel plate, pulled straight off. An air gap from 1 mm, a coat of paint, dust, rust or thin sheet metal all reduce it, and a painted noticeboard is exactly the kind of surface that costs you a good part of the rating.
Work with 2 to 3 times the weight you actually need to hold.
3Use the bands as a shortlist
- Up to 0.3 kg: notes, papers, photos, classroom and office use.
- 0.3 to 1 kg: whiteboards, light signage, plans and drawings.
- 1 to 5 kg: covers, small doors, workshop holding.
- 5 to 15 kg: larger panels and fixtures.
- 15 to 50 kg: the large ferrite blocks, for industrial holding where size is not a problem.
4Check the direction of the load
A magnet resists a perpendicular pull far better than a sideways slide, and with ferrite the effect is felt sooner simply because the absolute numbers are lower. A magnet rated at 2 kg may start to slip under a few hundred grams of shear.
If the load hangs down along the surface, add a lip, a stop or a mechanical fixing instead of moving up several bands.
5Know when to change material instead of band
If you need more than the ferrite range offers, or the same force from a much smaller body, the answer is neodymium rather than a bigger ferrite magnet. If the application is warm, damp or needs hundreds of pieces, stay with ferrite and size up.
Tip: Before moving up a band, try pairing two magnets with opposite poles facing, or adding a steel counterplate behind a thin panel. Both often solve the problem for less money than a stronger magnet, especially with ferrite where an extra piece costs almost nothing.
Related categories to the Ferrite magnets by pull force category
- Pull force up to 0.3 kg
- Pull force 0.3 to 1 kg
- Pull force 1 to 2 kg
- Pull force 2 to 5 kg
- Pull force 5 to 15 kg
- Pull force 15 to 50 kg
- Ferrite cylinders by pull force
- Ferrite blocks by pull force
- Selection by temperature resistance
- Ferrite cylinders
- Ferrite blocks
- Ferrite rings
- Neodymium magnets by pull force
- All ferrite magnets
Frequently asked questions about ferrite pull force
The largest ferrite blocks, which fall in the 15 to 50 kg band. They are the only ferrite magnets in the range with genuinely industrial holding force. Most of the range sits far lower: the majority of pieces hold under 1 kg, which is exactly where board, office and household applications live.
With the magnet in direct contact with a thick, flat, clean steel plate, pulled straight off at a right angle. It is a comparison figure obtained under ideal conditions. On a painted noticeboard, thin sheet metal or through any air gap, the real hold is noticeably lower, which is why a reserve of 2 to 3 times is the practical rule.
For the same size of magnet, considerably. The useful comparison is the other way round: to match a small neodymium disc you need a visibly larger ferrite piece. Whether that is a problem depends on your application, because ferrite costs a fraction as much, tolerates far higher temperatures and does not corrode.
Because the load is acting sideways rather than pulling straight out. Magnets resist a perpendicular pull far better than shear, and with ferrite the absolute numbers are lower, so a magnet rated at 2 kg can begin to slip under a few hundred grams of side load. Add a lip or a stop that takes the shear.
Often yes. Two magnets facing each other with opposite poles hold far more than one magnet against sheet metal, and a steel counterplate behind a thin panel also helps considerably. With ferrite, where a second piece costs almost nothing, this is usually cheaper than moving up a band.
We state the pull force for every ferrite magnet and let you filter the whole range by it, in six bands from under 0.3 kg to 50 kg. We also say plainly where the material's strength lies: most ferrite magnets hold under 1 kg, which covers board, office and household use at a
