This invention relates to a lifting cylinder of the sealed type, characterised in that it includes means designed to collect and drain the oil that leaks from the pressurised chamber and collects in chamber (40) between the cylinder and the rod, and convey it to collection systems (11, 28) located inside the cylinder. Moreover, the cylinder according to the invention has a braking system which acts on the last sector of the rod stroke; two different embodiments of the invention are presented in this respect: one with a retracted-rod braking system, and one with an extended-rod braking system.