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Old 09-07-2010, 01:58 PM   #1
torquepower85
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Looking for a car lift

I thought this was pretty off-topic, but I apologize in advance if this is a thread more for the Mechanical Maintenance or General Automotive board.

Anyways, me and my dad are doing some research. We're plundering the great wonders of search engines and forums for some helpful tips and feedback for our next great endeavor: a car lift.

We've basically broken it down to two choices, one is a two post and one is a 4 post. Before I link them I was wondering if anyone can help me with a few questions-

1. Does anyone have any feedback on the pros and cons of a 2 poster vs. a 4 poster?

2. Does anyone have any feedback of the brands of lift that are posted below?

3. Does anyone have any feedback from a lift they've owned? (If so, please link! I'm very interested!)

So here are the lifts I've come down to:

BendPak HD7P with possible Bridge Jack Attachment

or the MaxJax lift (mainly because if we're getting a two-post, this one seems like it would be the most space-friendly)

The heaviest thing we have to lift has a 3050lb curb weight so all suggestions within that range would be greatly appreciated. Also, our garage ceiling goes to 108" so within the height range would be awesome too! And as far as the flooring, we're willing to put the appropriate PSI of concrete as per which lift we end up getting.

Thank you in advance for all your feedback! I'm just trying to get a well-rounded view of the purchase before I dive into it. All beneficial comments are greatly appreciated. Also, if I should post this elsewhere please let me know!

Last edited by torquepower85; 09-07-2010 at 02:04 PM. Reason: minor grammatical errors
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Old 09-07-2010, 02:26 PM   #2
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http://www.directlift.com/Four-Post-Lifts-C9.aspx

THis site also has some nice lifts for a decent price. Hope to have one soon.
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Old 09-07-2010, 03:24 PM   #3
torquepower85
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Originally Posted by tlc9193 View Post
http://www.directlift.com/Four-Post-Lifts-C9.aspx

THis site also has some nice lifts for a decent price. Hope to have one soon.
Awesome man! Thanks for the feedback. As stated previously, I'm looking for a well-rounded view of the purchase- this definitely fits the bill of "beneficial feedback".
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Old 09-07-2010, 03:39 PM   #4
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...Or Costco (?!)

http://www.costco.com/Common/Search....rch&lang=en-US
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Old 09-07-2010, 03:51 PM   #5
torquepower85
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Oh awesome. Looks like Costco "carries" the lift I posted above.

Either way, thank you for the feedback! I've looked at the entire Dannmar line and I decided on the MaxJax, which is made by them apparently.

Anyone else with any feedback from actual usage of any of these lifts? Or any lifts in general?
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Old 09-07-2010, 11:48 PM   #6
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Given the choice, I would go with the 2-post, if you can find one in an assymetrical so much the better. I don't have a lift at home, but my ex-boss lets me use the shop any time I want and I always prefer to use the Rotary 2 post. He has a four post that he uses just for oil changes, a single post for brake work, and the three 2-posts. The two assymetricals allow you to get into the car while it is on the hoist without banging the door on the posts. Handy when bleeding brakes.
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Old 09-08-2010, 10:47 AM   #7
torquepower85
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Given the choice, I would go with the 2-post, if you can find one in an assymetrical so much the better. I don't have a lift at home, but my ex-boss lets me use the shop any time I want and I always prefer to use the Rotary 2 post. He has a four post that he uses just for oil changes, a single post for brake work, and the three 2-posts. The two assymetricals allow you to get into the car while it is on the hoist without banging the door on the posts. Handy when bleeding brakes.

That sounds really useful actually. So you've tried all the lift types I've been looking at? Do you think you can throw me some more pros and cons of the 2 poster vs. the 4 poster?

On that note, does anyone have any real life experience with interacting with the Rotary? Such as some details on brand-related things related to lifespan or maybe some technical bugs? I'm just curious because the study in lift design show some pretty unflattering details about the lift itself, which is why I omitted the brand from the choices in the first place, but it seems the others may have their own opinions about the lift.

Thank you!
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Old 09-08-2010, 11:24 PM   #8
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Four posts are good for routine maintenance, and are great for quick on and offs. The draw back is that they can be awkward when doing brakes or suspension work as you have a jack on a center bar that jacks up the individual wheel. You find yourself constantly banging into the platform. Two posts take longer to set up and involve getting on your hands and knees to set the hoist. The boss's 4 post and two post are both Rotarys and are around 25 years old with no issues in the 16 years I worked with them. The two new Rotarys have had some issues, mainly sticky relief valves that make the lift shudder when you stop lowering it, but overall have been reliable. This is in a shop where they are used every day, with hydraulics, constant use makes for longer life than occasional use. Rotarys will run more than the lifts you are looking at, and for a home garage may be overkill. With the number of dealerships that are closing, getting a used lift may be very inexpensive. My boss picked up a brake lathe and a ton of GM special service tools for a pittance at a recent auction.
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Old 09-09-2010, 10:36 AM   #9
torquepower85
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Quote:
Originally Posted by derklug View Post
Four posts are good for routine maintenance, and are great for quick on and offs. The draw back is that they can be awkward when doing brakes or suspension work as you have a jack on a center bar that jacks up the individual wheel. You find yourself constantly banging into the platform. Two posts take longer to set up and involve getting on your hands and knees to set the hoist. The boss's 4 post and two post are both Rotarys and are around 25 years old with no issues in the 16 years I worked with them. The two new Rotarys have had some issues, mainly sticky relief valves that make the lift shudder when you stop lowering it, but overall have been reliable. This is in a shop where they are used every day, with hydraulics, constant use makes for longer life than occasional use. Rotarys will run more than the lifts you are looking at, and for a home garage may be overkill. With the number of dealerships that are closing, getting a used lift may be very inexpensive. My boss picked up a brake lathe and a ton of GM special service tools for a pittance at a recent auction.
Awesome. Thanks for the feedback man! I've heard the four post and the two post have a lot of pros and cons to both. But surprisingly a lot of the response from people who actually work in shops prefer the 2 poster. I can easily see why a 2 poster would be preferred for maintenance in a shop, but I would just have it at home. Still, there's good arguments for both for a home DIY'er.

I've heard from a few people that Rotary's are pretty good. I posted that PDF above and it contains a lot of comparative information on a bunch of lifts in contrast with the BendPak, including the Rotary and the Directlift. (I deleted the post because I'm relinking it) Though it would seem that all three of the lifts are up to par as far as shop-quality goes. I believe they're all ALI certified, but I could be mistaken.

Either way, does anyone else have any experience using lifts that would like to throw their 2 cents at me? I would greatly appreciate it as I am trying to gather as many opinions as possible before I purchase anything.
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Old 09-09-2010, 12:20 PM   #10
torquepower85
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I'm going to keep this going for today, but I'm going to post this elsewhere for now. I'll delete whichever one doesn't take off. Apologies in advance!
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Old 09-09-2010, 02:31 PM   #11
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i recommend a baby lift:
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Old 09-09-2010, 02:45 PM   #12
torquepower85
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i recommend a baby lift:
Geezzzz. Where can I pick up a cheap one?
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Old 09-09-2010, 05:23 PM   #13
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Geezzzz. Where can I pick up a cheap one?
Eastern Europe
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Old 09-09-2010, 05:37 PM   #14
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Trust me those baby lifts aint cheap!!! The maintenance on em is a bitch!

Cheers
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