So, I'm looking to make the big purchase of a lift. Or hoist, whatever you want to call it. While an inground would be nice, the budget just isn't going that far. Scissor lifts get in the way when working under the car and 4 posts take up too much space. I do have 220v in the garage.

So we're down to a 2 post lift. I've got a 9 1/2' ceiling with open rafters so the towers can be taller. 7,000 lbs is plenty. A standard cab pick up is the biggest I'd have to lift.

The qustion is quality. I can get a new cheap lift for around $1500, or a very used name brand. $3500 scores a new Bend Pak. Since this isn't getting used every day like in a commercial shop, the cheaper lift dosen't worry me so much as far as wearing out. However, I would like to leave a car or boat on it over the winter to maximize storage space. That makes me want a better quality unit. Plus, I am standing under this thing after all....

Thoughts?

I got a USA made VBM (now known as challenger) from 1988 last year for 700 in cash off craigslist. I made a new floor plate and bought some por15 and it looks new. That's the route I'd try to go.

I actually ended up buying this behemoth of a compressor from the shop, too. It's a Quincy two engined, two stage 3ph compressor. I ended up having to buy a rotary phase converter for the one, but I'm all in for 1100 bucks and got a compressor I can pass down to the kids and a lift that'll easily lift more than its rated 8000 lbs.

We use two-post bendpaks at the shop. I'd spend the money myself, even if it's used. Nothing's worse than having to work on your tools, and like you said - you'll be standing under it.

For long term storage, drop it on the locks. Any lift should handle that for an extended period.

How are you going to put a boat up on a 2-post lift? Can you really get the arms around the center of mass of the boat+trailer? I would have thought the trailer wheels would be in the way.

I plan to buy a Bend-Pak 4-post lift for the new house shortly. The problem with 2-posts is that they are much wider than 4-posts, enough so that I can't fit two cars in a 22-foot-wide garage if there's a 2-post lift in there.

I'd feel safer under a used commercial grade unit than a new one that somehow costs the same. You usually do better with large power tools buying a used commercial/industrial unit for the cost of a new cheap one, assuming you don't mind putting a little work into it.

When a car comes off a lift, or the lift fails, it's almost invariably a non-survival event. True, I do have one friend who lived. He's a parapalegic. He got lucky, I guess.

So, I wouldn't buy one mail order without being able to see it and inspect it. I'd want to see quality welds, stout interlock, teeth able to catch and hold, etc. Things like a blown hydraulic hose are an annoyance, but if the lift can't catch itself as it falls from that blown hose, that's deadly.

Similarly how you anchor it in the ground. There is cheap and there is secure, the two don't overlap.

Check with the folk that install large sheds and such. Some of them do lift installations, and may be able to surprise you on the price.

I bought a used Rotary 7k lift from a tire store that was closing for $1k. They seem to be around for less than 2k fairly often. I have not used other brands, but the rotary is very nice.

Like this one Rotary lift

lift

or this one.

That Bosch lift looks stout as ****, but three phase power requirement may be an issue for a home installation.

Hm...

http://newhaven.craigslist.org/pts/5227509452.html

I had to install a rotary phase converter to use my compressor, it's not a big deal, but I think it would be a PITA to have to fire it up with all the little adjustments I make while using my lift..

I mean, once you have one you get so lazy.. "I need to reach this fitting on the bottom of the engine that would mean I have to bend over slightly and reach my arm under?! Nahhhh..." pushes up button

Before going and getting the two post lift- is your floor ok for that installation?

Then the other point- I got a 4 post lift with two mid jacks- used. And love it. Runs on 110- so it's slow. But it's made well, and does a good job at storage. And besides putting it together, there's no installation issues. I could even get a mechanism to move it on my own.

With a 9 1/2 foot ceiling, I'm not sure that you'll be standing under it, or stacking cars for the winter.

The more I think about my situation the more I'm liking the scissor lift/ hydraulic table idea for the inside of a residential garage. I know it blocks access to the underside of a car, and you can't park under it, but as mentioned you may not be able to park much under it anyway with only 10 ft. You can always lift the car then put it on tall stands and lower the lift for exhaust/transmission work.

fwiw- I contacted a local lift rep/installers and asked him what kind of deals he had. I'd just missed a load of 7k lifts from a closed Saturn dealerships he was delivering/installing for $1500! Big10 Tires was in bankruptcy court at the time and had bunch small lifts in limbo, but I got impatient and went with a 10k Rotary two post lift he came across. It was repossessed, but looked like new. He located it, inventoried the unit at the distributor and collected all missing parts, delivered it to my place, installed it and warranted it for a year. Final price was $2500. So you might check a local rep/installer and see if they'll do the same.

Dang, that's a good secret handshake. Thanks.

You really need to figure out how the lift will be used the majority of the time and how far you want to go to install it.

Most two post lifts require 6" of concrete to lag down into. Most residential garge slabs are 3-4". That means breaking it up, digging down and repouring the footers, adding 240V for the electrical, etc, etc.

I went with a 4 post lift. Yes, it's definitely compromised when working on a car. Sometimes the deck does get in the way and I wish I had a 2 post.

However...

1 I didn't have to lag it down to the floor, dig and repour footers

2 I can easily move the lift around in my garage on the castors

3 I didn't have to do any electrical work, it runs off household 110V.

5 I went and picked it up and installed it in a few hours with a couple of friends

This is the most important point...

5 When evaluating its use, it would be used mostly for storage and it's far easier to store a car securely on a 4 post lift.

I use a semi trailer jack stand to support the car up off the ramp, then lower it down on jackstands that are on the ramps when I want to do wheels off work. This works out really nicely, I was able to get the semi jack stand for $65 and it supports 50k lbs. Takes only a few minutes to get the car (or my 5k lb SUV) off the deck and securely onto jackstands for brake/suspension work.

Both are a compromise, you just have to figure out which one has the least amount of compromises based on how you plan on using it.

docwyte can you post which one you have?

Can you raise the rafter to get a bit more height?

I like what this guy did: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=141116

Dang it... I'm now kicking myself for not thinking outside the 8' ceiling. And there's a Challenger 3 two-post a not-unreasonable drive away for $900...

It's basically a Tuxedo lift. So a Rotary knock off. All of them are really the same, the same factories make them and put different stickers on them...

Robbie wrote: The more I think about my situation the more I'm liking the scissor lift/ hydraulic table idea for the inside of a residential garage. I know it blocks access to the underside of a car, and you can't park under it, but as mentioned you may not be able to park much under it anyway with only 10 ft. You can always lift the car then put it on tall stands and lower the lift for exhaust/transmission work.

+1. I went through the same thought process. 4 posts are great for storage, but a bit of a PITA for a lot of other work. 2 posts are great for service and tolerable for storage, but the SOB's are wide and living with the posts can suck if the garage is primarily used for parking. And a 2-post isn't a realistic option if you have a single-bay garage like I do. So I have a scissor lift. Actually, I have two of them. When not in use (which is most of the time), they are under a car and not in the way.

Under-car access isn't as bad as I thought it would be. No - you're not dropping a RWD trans with one, but exhaust work isn't bad although crawling into the lift once in awhile while the car is up there takes some getting used to. It's still better than jack-stands, IMHO. I've replaced a number of exhaust systems with my scissor lift.

Yes, I know to get my concrete tested. I plan to get with an installer in the next week or two. My garage is "medium" sized, 24x36. I can alter the trusses for extra ceiling height if needed to optimize lifting room.

That old rotary on CL is high on the list.

Trusses should not be altered.