learn me vehicle lifts

Thinking of having a new garage put up, toying w/ ideas of adding a new or used two post lift. Non-commercial use but it could come in handy for sideline/ retirement jobs like detailing, repairs etc. Before I Google this for the next few hours... naturally I ask the braintrust at GRM who BTDT .

Best brands/ value, ceiling height required, floor anchoring, max capacity, experiences... and whatever else I've missed etc. ? Oh, and do I really want the two poster? Most I could possibly see lifting is a 1/2- 3/4 ton pickup.

TIA

I believe there is an advertiser for that....

Lift=good.

You are almost looking for a 10k capacity to lift any 3/4ton. Although I have lifted a few Dodge diesel dually's on an 8k asymetrical lift before.
/me whistles innocently about that one.....

I know they claim you can put in lifts on only 4" of concrete, I still recommend 6" minimum and twice the lift pad size.

4 post lifts are HUGE space wasters IMO.

In reply to Ranger50:

I love my 4 post lift.

Besides not being forced to attach to the ground, it does not require any concrete re-do.

Mine also came with 2 mid, lifts as well.

So far, all I've used it for is parking, so that I don't have to pay for storage of one of my cars. It's great.

Used a lift for the first time this weekend. Wowza it was nice,

alfadriver wrote: In reply to Ranger50: I love my 4 post lift. Besides not being forced to attach to the ground, it does not require any concrete re-do. Mine also came with 2 mid, lifts as well. So far, all I've used it for is parking, so that I don't have to pay for storage of one of my cars. It's great.

How badly does it block access or get in the way of moving around the garage?

I would love to have the capability but I find with welding cart, tool box, bandsaw + drill press on castors, engine hoist and stands in occasional use that any space I have to give up must be sooooo worth it that I can barely contain my emotion at the sheer joy of it all. Every time I go to wheel something around and can't because of something or other in the way it drives me nuts.

If I were to put a lift in my garage, I'd seriously consider doing this: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35433

I'm with GPS - I really don't want the fixed stuff in the way, and my garage layout is especially sensitive to it. (single door, 3 wide)

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

alfadriver wrote: In reply to Ranger50: I love my 4 post lift. Besides not being forced to attach to the ground, it does not require any concrete re-do. Mine also came with 2 mid, lifts as well. So far, all I've used it for is parking, so that I don't have to pay for storage of one of my cars. It's great.

How badly does it block access or get in the way of moving around the garage? I would love to have the capability but I find with welding cart, tool box, bandsaw + drill press on castors, engine hoist and stands in occasional use that any space I have to give up must be sooooo worth it that I can barely contain my emotion at the sheer joy of it all. Every time I go to wheel something around and can't because of something or other in the way it drives me nuts.

I seem to have gotten used to it.

Bear in mind- if you get ANY lift, there will be something new in the way. 4 narrow posts vs. 2 bigger posts. And many times, the two big post will knock the doors pretty well (do it all the time with test cars).

Why oh why are these mini lifts not available in the US?

http://www.cjautosheywood.co.uk/mini.html

I went through the "what lift" debate a number of years ago before buying my scissor lift. All of them have the pluses and minuses, so I don't think there is a right or wrong answer and it depends on your space and how you're going to use the lift. I bought my Bend-Pak lift from asedeals.com

A clear-floor 2-post lift is awesome for service and can work for storage in a pinch, but most require at least a 12' ceiling (Mohawk makes one that is lower and uses field installed hydro piping - but it's pricey). Floor-plate 2-posts are usually lower (10' or so), but still often taller than the average residential garage. The other downsides are the mentioned concrete requirements and the fact you will be living with a pair of large posts bolted to the floor, whether you're using the left or not.

A 4-post is designed more for storage than service. They are usually designed to fit in residential garages, although sometime the garage door tracks may need to be raised. Getting the wheels off the ramps can be tedious. Center access is good for RWD transmission work. The front cross beam on most lifts may make FWD car work difficult. These are usually portable w/ wheels and concrete is rarely an issue.

I have an above ground scissor lift (Bend Pak MD-6XP). My garages have low ceilings, so I wouldn't get full use out of a larger lift anyway. It works really well for the FWD cars (MINI's and my VW) that I usually work on. It still works pretty well for my GT6. Despite appearances, center access isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I've done exhaust work on MINI's with minimal obstruction. The lift is portable and I even moved it from my g/f's garage to mine, although I rented a box truck with a lift gate to do it (the lift weighs about 900 lbs). I park over it when it's not in use. The main downside is it's a bit taller than I'd like, so I have to use 2 2x12 ramps to get a car over it. I considered recessing it into a pit, but I will probably just raise the entire garage floor around it. It's obviously useless for storage.

When I (hopefully) build my shop, I plan to get a Max-Jacks mid-rise portable two post to use there. While I plan to have the height for a full two post, for the work I plan to do in the shop I don't want to live with the posts bolted to the floor all the time. For the amount I'll use the lift, I can live with rolling under the car while sitting on a work stool.

njansenv wrote: If I were to put a lift in my garage, I'd seriously consider doing this: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35433 I'm with GPS - I really don't want the fixed stuff in the way, and my garage layout is especially sensitive to it. (single door, 3 wide)

Any idea how much those cost?

nderwater wrote:

njansenv wrote: If I were to put a lift in my garage, I'd seriously consider doing this: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35433 I'm with GPS - I really don't want the fixed stuff in the way, and my garage layout is especially sensitive to it. (single door, 3 wide)

Any idea how much those cost?

In the thread, he said a bit under $2000 with shipping from China (combined with a buddy who bought one as well to reduce the cost), but that was back in 2009. Steel prices are higher now. My lift is about $600 more than what I paid for it.

I bought a used 7k lb 2 post floor plate lift for $750 (before installation). It was an old school ben-wil lift that they sold to dealers back in the 80s and early 90s. Being that it was used, it was made in the USA and over-engineered. It was worth every penny that I invested in it. I even sold it for $700 when I moved out of the warehouse. I still have the guys number who i bought it from in case i get into another scenario where i want to buy a used lift.

How about a one post? I still haven't got to use this bad boy yet.

In reply to 93EXCivic:

Or if you really want to drool, do a search for in-floor 2-post lifts, which is what most new car dealerships have (at least all of the MINI dealers I've been in). Considering you have to dig down some 10 feet, not really a DIY installation...

Ian F wrote: In reply to 93EXCivic: Or if you really want to drool, do a search for in-floor 2-post lifts, which is what most new car dealerships have (at least all of the MINI dealers I've been in). Considering you have to dig down some 10 feet, not really a DIY installation...

That one post is in the shop I rent. It is missing a foot though. We were thinking about making one but I would like to just find a replacement. No idea where to find one though.

Ian F wrote: In reply to 93EXCivic: Or if you really want to drool, do a search for in-floor 2-post lifts, which is what most new car dealerships have (at least all of the MINI dealers I've been in). Considering you have to dig down some 10 feet, not really a DIY installation...

They are soooo awesome

93EXCivic wrote: That one post is in the shop I rent. It is missing a foot though. We were thinking about making one but I would like to just find a replacement. No idea where to find one though.

Well, there's an abandoned shop at the end of my street with a similar lift. I'll try to keep an eye out in case I can salvage something from the lift for you. The whole building will likely get torn down at some point and the lift will probably get scraped (it's gotta be over 50 years old).

93EXCivic wrote: How about a one post? I still haven't got to use this bad boy yet.

I would be SO scared of using that lift.

dculberson wrote:

93EXCivic wrote: How about a one post? I still haven't got to use this bad boy yet.

I would be SO scared of using that lift.

Why? We are building a mother berkeleyer of an overbuilt stand to put under to help support it if something goes wrong.

93EXCivic wrote:

dculberson wrote:

93EXCivic wrote: How about a one post? I still haven't got to use this bad boy yet.

I would be SO scared of using that lift.

Why? We are building a mother berkeleyer of an overbuilt stand to put under to help support it if something goes wrong.

+1. The garage I worked in as a kid had 2 of those and they would service dump trucks, rollbacks etc. on them. The piston is about 18" in diameter. Massive.

Most single-post hydraulic lifts also have a mechanical safety catch on them so when you're working under the car it's not being supported by the hydraulics.

Ian F wrote: Most single-post hydraulic lifts also have a mechanical safety catch on them so when you're working under the car it's not being supported by the hydraulics.

Yeah we haven't had it up but I am hoping it does.

I have an above ground two post... I LOVE IT.. I have no idea how I ever got anything done without it. I put it in kinda a weird spot so my 'main' door' usage requires backing the car around a corner to get to the lift.. but it isn't a big deal.. the 'better door typically has some junk in front of it.. But at the end of the day the 'workspace is perfect with the lift parked close to two poles of the polebarn.

I bought it very used.. Spent maybe 100 bucks replacing some seals.. and I don't think I could ever be without one again.

A friend of mine has an inground 2 post in his shop... He poured the floor so the thing quite literally disappears when not in use... It is awesome.

93EXCivic wrote:

dculberson wrote: I would be SO scared of using that lift.

Why? We are building a mother berkeleyer of an overbuilt stand to put under to help support it if something goes wrong.

That takes care of my fears.

@Giant Purple: The size of the piston means nothing if it hasn't been serviced. A single hole in a hydraulic line and that thing can hit the ground fast. It isn't a question of whether that kind of lift is safe, it's the fact that it was just kind of there in a dusty old shop and hasn't been inspected, serviced, etc. I'm guessing that getting it inspected and serviced would cost more than buying a lift. Pulling that cylinder out of the ground wouldn't be cheap.