Typical one used here is similar to https://www.hygradewater.co.nz/product/gatic-and-access-cover-lifting-tools/
I know the local council has a hydraulic one that pushes against the rim for stubborn lids
I will try and find out from one of our SUE folks. He made up some type of tripod thingy once with a pulley system he used on some huge electric man hole lids. He said it worked great. They have those magnetic things that they use daily just bulky looking for a surveyors truck but he sais he uses it and it is much better than the hooks on his back. I don’t know what brand it is but one of my crew chiefs used it with him and said it was very easy . Looks sorta like the above mentioned device but a big magnet thing. With leverage pole. The one thing i do not like is doing inverts. I would rather cut line for a mile than pull a few manhole lids.
We've used this in the past.
This works well if the terrain is solid, and the manhole isn't collared too high.
If there are only a couple manhole lids to pull the time it takes to load and unload this puller doesn't
seem like it's worth the effort.
Humorous story; Two of us spent over ten minutes with this puller, beating on the lid with a hammer
and leaning back on the handle 'til the magnet broke lock, and my co-wprker fell backwards on is butt.
Someone had tack-welded the lid and ran a really neat tight bead. You couldn't see the weld until
you looked real close.
Pick and hammer. Sometimes the shovel .. maybe a lath or two.