anyone have experience with a single post lift? Garage dreams as well....

We just looked at a house that would allow me to build a barn or the ultimate garage.  I had a quick conversation with a builder who gave me a ballpark figure of $30 K.  As we started looking at the math and downsizing, we wondered what we could do with thirty grand.  We love our house and  neighborhood, so we would rather stay.  So my wife and I started to plan our next few years when we had two less cars due to the kids moving and how I could do more and do more with the house we have.  I could also insulate and heat my garage in the winter as well.

This house has a slightly oversized two car garage.  I have always wanted to put in a maxx jack but recently saw a single post lift for sale.  My car plans are to do a lemons race, compete more in auto and rally cross.  I would also love to build a car for the $2000 challenge, but at present do not have a tow vehicle.  I have the space to store a trailer, if this comes about.  But  at present do not have a tow vehicle.  I'm in Maine, so the haul to Florida would be more sketchy in a sub par vehicle.

I'm a bit creeped out with the single post life, but I could configure a few things in my garage to use one.   Sorry for the ramble, as you an tell I am all over the place with this.  For me, it's nice to think about putting money into the garage I have and car projects I don't yet have.

Any opinions or stories on the single post lift would be appreciated!

 What type of single post? In ground or side mount?  In ground is old school and expensive. Hard to do under car work like transmissions. Side mount is scary, could be in the way of under car stuff.  What is the construction of your floor and ceiling?

I have always driven my Challenge cars to and from the event. I'm in Michigan. My motto? "If it will make it 100 miles, it will make it 1000."

If it could drive 500 miles,

Then it could drive 500 more,

Just to be the car that drove a thousand miles

And won the challenge for.

There's a guy in my church that put a single post in his garage.  He sent me the link but I didn't see it on the website.  I believe he's happy with it.  
 

I worked in a shop that had in-ground single post racks for years and they worked great but were a pain for transmission work. When the shop up-graded they went with above ground two post. Plus I think the EPA is trying to outlaw in- ground because of potential leaks and envormental hazards. You may have to encase the whole under ground system in concrete. That is part of the reason the shop went with the twin post.

No experience with them, but installation seems rather difficult for less functionality.  Used two post lifts are fairly cheap and easy to find.

With the coming economic downturn, more will be for sale I would expect, so i'd hold out for one of those.

Back in the early '80s we were given one for free out of a demolished Pep Boys. 

We installed it by hand in my father's existing garage, and ran it from a big air compressor. Installation was not fun but we managed it with 3-4 strong guys and either a chain fall or an engine hoist, I forget. We set the base on about 8" of hand-mixed concrete, plumbed it up, and back filled the hole. We poured a collar about 8" thick at the top to tie it into the existing slab, set in about a coffin-sized depression so the arms would sit flush with the main floor when not in use. 

It worked fine and was safe. It restricted access to the bottom of the car significantly.  In the intervening 30+ years 2-post lifts have gotten far more common, far better, and far cheaper. 

I can't see why you would install a single-post lift if you had other options. I especially couldn't see paying any money for one in this day and age. They are more like an unwanted piano - theoretically valuable, but in reality more of a "please come get this out of my house" situation. 

Hi Guys,

Thanks for your replies and sorry for my lack of information.  The single post lift I saw was from Greg Smith equipment.  It isn't easy to find on their website.  The cost is $3500.  I did see a used one a craigslist a few months back, but cannot remember the  manufacturer.  These two lifts were mobile and rated for 6000 pounds.    I'm still pretty queasy about getting underneath one.  A maxx jack might be a better option.  I have a neighbor who sells mac tools, he always lets me know when he sees some lifts for sale, but I would have to really figure out where to squeeze a permanent lift that is full size.  At present the two cars that will always live in the garage are an 06 mustang and a fiesta st.  As you can imagine, I have room on the side of the fiesta.

Thanks for your input on driving to the challenge, I am going to post some questions on that part of the forum

I have (mentally) been down this road a few times. I have a buddy with one and it's stable-ish with a full sized jack stand (or many) when it's up. I think it'd be OK for quick work but anything heavy (engine/trans pull) I'd be a bit leery.

I'm going with a four post with bridge jacks. I just can't deal with the 2-post obstruction near my wife's driver door when she's parking in there as well.

Do you mean this kind of a single-post lift?

I've never seen one in person, they seem very specialty/niche to me.  I guess the selling point is that you can roll it around (without a car on it), but you need a large open shop for that to actually be useful.

The way I see it, 4-post lifts are best if all you have is a standard-sized garage, 2-post lifts are best if you have a large shop.  I don't really know what a 1-post like the above does better.

Basically if you want a two-post but can't live with the second post most of the time. You can park over it, maybe under it if you are feeling frisky, and can move if need be. Roughly the cost of two lifts though.