The invention discloses a heavy duty stacker for containers. The heavy duty stacker comprises a stacker frame, a safety protection device, a loading platform, a container hooking and taking device, a lifting device, an operation driving device and an electrical control device, wherein the stacker frame comprises four upright posts, an upper cross beam and a lower cross beam; the safety protection device comprises a cargo state detection device, a broken rope protection device, a power outage protection device, a travel speed-limiting device, a detection and positioning device and a progression speed reduction, walking emergency stop and retreat speed reduction switch; the container hooking and taking device comprises a lower fork, a middle fork, an upper fork and a hooking and taking driving mechanism composed of a normally closed electromagnetic braking motor, a chain wheel and a chain; the lifting device comprises a speed reduction motor, a pulley group, a steel wire rope reel, an encoder and a steel wire rope; and the operation driving device comprises a motor, a driving wheel, a driven wheel and an encoder. The heavy duty stacker is reasonable in structural design, strong in operability, good in safety performance and good in stable performance, and can meet the loading demand of large containers at ports and docks, and be convenient for popularization.