Abstract: A lifting device for use in lifting round, square and rectangular objects such as manhole covers and castings and maintenance and road drains as well as irregularly shaped objects. The device includes pivotally connected arms operating in an opposed lever fashion. The upper end of each arm has a handle with hand grips for use by a pair of operators each standing on an opposite side of the object to be lifted. Gripping pads are articulated to the lower end of each arm such that lifting on the hand grips causes the gripping pads to be forced towards each other thereby clamping onto the object to be lifted. Increasing the lifting force increases the clamping force. The upper arms may alternatively or also include a hook or eye member for attachment to a cable or the like when an object is too heavy to be lifted by two operators. In this case a crane or boom truck is used to raise and move the object.