I'm almost scared to ask a lift question

[BigTicket]

Hey everybody. First time poster. I will be starting construction on a 26 x 36 shop soon, and I am getting the cart before the horse a little by obsessing about a lift. I was dead set on a 2 post and was simply trying to decide whether to go for a Chinese version or the big bucks. I have now decided to go with a 4-post with bridge jacks simply because being 55 and rolling on the floor will become a little more challenging down the road.

So, I know this is like asking which flavor of ice cream you like, but I am trying to decide if, for a hobbyist, the expensive American lifts are worth the extra money vs the Chinese models, which 90% are.

Worth has a 12k 4 post for $8690 delivered. Advantage (Backyard Buddy Manufacturer) has an 11K for 6995 plus shipping. The Backyard Buddy is an 8K for 7495 plus shipping.

Adding an air bridge will add almost $1850. The 4 posters are so much more $$, and I understand why, and then there is the safety factor. I had no idea how many lifts were on the market and some 2 posts are pretty darn cheap. Advantage has a 12K 2 Post for less than $3K. I'm looking at 11K for the 4-post lift with 2 air bridge jacks! Yowza! That's a ton of money for an enthusiast.

What's my ask? Other than knowing your lift is rock solid and maybe some bragging rights, is the way extra money worth it over a Chinese lift?

 

[Imatk]

You're going to get a truckload of responses.

My question to you would be... what are you lifting, and when speaking of "Chinese" lifts I'm wondering which ones.

I have a BendPak 2-post and I preferred it because it gives WAY more access for doing work under the car. (I'm 52 with bad hips and knees so I understand but positioning the arms isn't an issue for me).

Bendpak is ALI certified, but it is made in China.

So really I think the better question would be... is the lift ALI certified... and if it isn't... why not?

I personally wouldn't feel comfortable walking underneath a lift that isn't ALI certified... that is ME... many people will likely disagree with that opinion, but that's something you need to determine for yourself.

My requirements... if it were me... would be...

1. ALI Certified
2. Lift Capacity would have to exceed what I'm lifting and not really get near it.

 

[BigTicket]

You're going to get a truckload of responses.

My question to you would be... what are you lifting, and when speaking of "Chinese" lifts I'm wondering which ones.

I have a BendPak 2-post and I preferred it because it gives WAY more access for doing work under the car. (I'm 52 with bad hips and knees so I understand but positioning the arms isn't an issue for me).

Bendpak is ALI certified, but it is made in China.

So really I think the better question would be... is the lift ALI certified... and if it isn't... why not?

I personally wouldn't feel comfortable walking underneath a lift that isn't ALI certified... that is ME... many people will likely disagree with that opinion, but that's something you need to determine for yourself.

My requirements... if it were me... would be...

1. ALI Certified
2. Lift Capacity would have to exceed what I'm lifting and not really get near it.

A suburban, a Ram 1500, a 72 C10, and a Caddy. All the lifts I am considering are certified and I verified through ALI. My Suburban is the heaviest at around 6K.

 

[Rusty Wrench]

... is the way extra money worth it over a Chinese lift?

In my mind and experience; no.
I say this as a hobby mechanic who has a vehicle on the lift less than once a week. More like 3x a month. I fix cars for family and friends for whom an unexpected repair bill is a hardship. I don't charge.

My 10yr old bendpak 4 post has been trouble free although never could get the locking thingies to simultaneous 'clang' when lifting loaded. They're in perfect synchro unloaded.
I do just fine without the rolling jacks, albeit sometimes inconvenient. I did buy 2 of the jack- support trays but have to pad them out to be at the same height as the ramps.
I also bought the casters and have been glad I did.

I chose 4 post over 2 for being in the rust belt. Some of the cars I see make me nervous lifting them by their frame. Other reasons too.

My 2 cents.

 

[Wrench97]

Mohawk
Rotary
Bendpak
in that order.

 

[MFortie]

I have an Atlas XH-Pro9000. Not certified as far as I can tell.

But I have had a vehicle on the lift almost constantly since I bought it (6 years) -- either stored or being worked on. No issues at all and I don't feel at all uncomfortable being under a vehicle. Heaviest being a 3/4 ton truck (both RAM & GMC).

I consider myself a hobbyist...

YMMV...

 

[P0234]

Anything ALI certified is going to be fine. I went with Direct Lift because their parent company is Dover, as in the elevator giant. They also have a reputation for excellent customer service. No silly air locks and a reasonable price.

 

[ColoradoMech]

As stated above, an ALI certification is plenty in terms of structural integrity. ALI certified means the structure can withstand 3x its lift capacity (among other things). If you not a professional who relies on a lift for a living, almost any other lift will do. If my lift goes down, it costs me $700+ / day in potential lost income so the $13k was worth it for a Rotary 12k 2 post because I know I wont have to touch it for the next 10 years.

4 post lifts are great for doing maintenance and most repairs. Where they fall short is suspension type repairs at times and if you have to drop an axle, subframe, and pull an engine (vehicle is higher and front bar interferes with engine crane). I worked at a shop where I had one of each to myself as a diesel tech and I used the 4 post 80% of the time just so I didnt have to set the hoist arms. Now that im down to 1 lift I bought a 2 post because I can lift cabs with it.

 

[ColoradoMech]

Mohawk
Rotary
Bendpak
in that order.

Mohawk
Rotary




Bendpak
others
in that order.

Fixed it for you

 

[tfalk]

Advantage (Backyard Buddy Manufacturer) has an 11K for 6995 plus shipping.

If it helps, I have the Advantage 11K. I've had my F350 crew cab long bed on it a couple of times and it didn't blink. I have 2 of the air bridge jacks and they really come in handy. Keep an eye out, they occasionally have sales. I got the 'fathers day special' which took 1K off. I ordered it with 2 bridge jacks, rubber pads, led light kit and it came with the drip trays, wheels, aluminum ramps and a rolling bridge jack. By the time I got done, that was just over 10K. For $1500, they delivered it an installed it, a 3 hour drive each way for them.

 

[AC-WC]

As a home/hobbyist I could not justify american made/cost. As much as I detest China products some of them are actually quite good. Like Imatk said BendPak is a good example of that, made in China, assembled in US. If you're a business or plan to use as such I might be able to justify the cost i.e less repairs, easier parts access.

With the vehicles you're planning on you will need at least a 9k, 11 or 12 would be better. Please tell us you're planning on at least a 12 ft ceiling???
What kind of work are you planning?
This next section will start an argument between 2 post and 4 post...If you're planning on brakes, suspension, rotating tires or anything else with no weight on the tires a 2 post is better for maintenance. Storage, trans replacement or oil changes are great uses of a 4 post.

My preference is the open floor style 2 post to do work on my vehicles. You'd be surprised at how much you DON'T trip on things with an open floor 2 post. I bought my lift to ease the bending/laying on my back situation, I'm not getting any younger either. I use foam pads to kneel on to set my arms and I'm in pretty good health.
Coming up on 2 yrs with my Triumph C7000 and for my situation it has been fantastic. It's not ALI certified. The lift has paid for itself in labor costs, now to cover the building mods I had to do might take 10 yrs.

 

[BigTicket]

As a home/hobbyist I could not justify american made/cost. As much as I detest China products some of them are actually quite good. Like Imatk said BendPak is a good example of that, made in China, assembled in US. If you're a business or plan to use as such I might be able to justify the cost i.e less repairs, easier parts access.

With the vehicles you're planning on you will need at least a 9k, 11 or 12 would be better. Please tell us you're planning on at least a 12 ft ceiling???
What kind of work are you planning?
This next section will start an argument between 2 post and 4 post...If you're planning on brakes, suspension, rotating tires or anything else with no weight on the tires a 2 post is better for maintenance. Storage, trans replacement or oil changes are great uses of a 4 post.

My preference is the open floor style 2 post to do work on my vehicles. You'd be surprised at how much you DON'T trip on things with an open floor 2 post. I bought my lift to ease the bending/laying on my back situation, I'm not getting any younger either. I use foam pads to kneel on to set my arms and I'm in pretty good health.
Coming up on 2 yrs with my Triumph C7000 and for my situation it has been fantastic. It's not ALI certified. The lift has paid for itself in labor costs, now to cover the building mods I had to do might take 10 yrs.

Yes on the 12' ceiling for sure. Appreciate the input.

 

[BigTicket]

If it helps, I have the Advantage 11K. I've had my F350 crew cab long bed on it a couple of times and it didn't blink. I have 2 of the air bridge jacks and they really come in handy. Keep an eye out, they occasionally have sales. I got the 'fathers day special' which took 1K off. I ordered it with 2 bridge jacks, rubber pads, led light kit and it came with the drip trays, wheels, aluminum ramps and a rolling bridge jack. By the time I got done, that was just over 10K. For $1500, they delivered it an installed it, a 3 hour drive each way for them.

Thanks for the input.

 

[xjfish]

I use both a 4-post and 2-post lifts daily. If I was only going to install one type, for doing actual work, I would recommend a 2 post. I have used mostly Rotary professionally but I'm going with new Chinese personally for home shop. There are many different lifts out there. Personally I would look past the actual name, and look at build quality and features. For most maintenance, a 4-post will be great. Air jacks are expensive.

 

[Mikes61]

I have a 4 post lift in my home garage. I bought it new off a dealer on EBay. It’s one of the Chinese ones but it’s built well and I haven’t had any problems with it for the 2 years I’ve had it. It was $3500 and was shipped to the nearest trucking company and I had to pick it up from them and put it together. Two buddies and I had it put together and a car on it in 4 hours. It’s got steel ramps which are way heavy and I plan to replace with some lightweight ones. It also came with a sliding jack tray,drip trays and removable casters that raise the lift off the ground about 1” so you can move it around if needed.

 

[racecougar]

With the vehicles you're planning to lift, I'd question the need for a 12K unit. Why not a 9K?

Similar question regarding the pneumatic bridge jacks. Assuming this is a homeowner/hobbyist application and not a production/repair shop, why not save yourself a decent amount of money and go with the manual jacks?

As others said above, I'd pursue an ALI-certified lift. When I made this choice for myself back in early '20, I compiled a spreadsheet to assist the decision-making process. The Forward EFP9 / DirectLift ProPark 9 Plus (they are the the same lift) won out. Coupled with a pair of manual bridge jacks, I've been exceedingly happy with the setup for the past 4 years.

 

[CraigStu]

4 post is fine for a lot of people. But look at the $. Dang, for a cheap chinese 4 post w/ minimum one bridge jack, you can get an upscale 2 post. If I were given a free 4 post I'd never use it. I'd sell it and grab a 2 post.

 

[P0234]

4 post is fine for a lot of people. But look at the $. Dang, for a cheap chinese 4 post w/ minimum one bridge jack, you can get an upscale 2 post. If I were given a free 4 post I'd never use it. I'd sell it and grab a 2 post.

The 4 vs 2 has been beat to DEATH. Glad you are happy with a 2 post, but for every single reason for a 2 post, there is a reason to go with a 4. Similar reasons for MaxJax or QuickJack.

 

[finn]

I have a Bendpac two post and a couple of Advantage four post lifts. The 2 post was installed first, followed a couple of years later by the Advantage 9k and an 11k to resolve some storage issues that evolved when I sold another building and thus lost storage space.

All are imports, and I see no reason to pay the additional premium for a domestic lift. All function well.

Two of the three are ALI certified, although Advantage later did certify the 11k lift after I bought mine. There were no design changes when they decided to certify the 11k. It was a marketing decision, as best I can tell. I personally see no reason to pay extra for a certified lift. It’s a “feel good” in my opinion, although if buying a non certified lift I would probably do some extra homework.

No question about my preference for a four post over a two post. Setting the arms is literally a pain as you get older. It’s about as bad as rolling around on a piece of cardboard with no lift at all. Plus, even with an extra wide lift and asymmetrical posts, working around the posts or exiting a large vehicle is problematic. The four post is simply drive on, drive off. Your knees and body will hate the two post and love the four post lift.

 

[AffableCurmudgeon]

I have a Tuxedo 4 post. It is Chinese and not ALI certified. It is rated for 8,000 lbs. I also have two 3,500 lbs. sliding jacks. My heaviest car is less than 4,000 lbs. I use mine for storage and routine maintenance on regular everyday cars and a couple of old classic cars. It came with casters and a jack tray. I am very happy with it.

 

[Chilliwack Murray]

My 2 cents after having a 2 post installed for about 6 years now. I am a mechanic by trade but at home it's just my own stuff and repairs for friends and family that can't afford to keep their vehicle safe otherwise so the use probably averages out to once a week and I lift anything from a Model A Ford to an 06 Ram 3500.

I wouldn't consider anything without an ALI certification (and I'd get that from ALI, not rely on the seller or manufacturer). I'm not overly comfortable getting under anything from china but it's also swallow a US made pricetag for a large hobby purchase like this - heck, I have a chinese engine hoist but I have no illusions that it would survive any kind of overload and I'd be hesitant even loading it up to it's rated capacity. My compromise was to find a very good condition used commercial model lift that was being upgraded for about 1/2 the price of a new brand name hobby lift. In my case it was a 9k 2 post however the build quality, column and arm size are 2-3 times that of an equivalent hobby lift. Details and installation pictures are in my build thread.

I've never used any of the hobby type lifts but I've read a lot of forum posts where people ask how much flex and movement is normal with a vehicle in the air. On my commercial unit, there is zero movement or flex with anything but the 3500 which is near the capacity of the lift however even that is minimal judging by the comments of others. FYI I've never used lifts at work as I've always worked on very large and/or stationary equipment so I have no experience with any other commercial lifts.

 

[jonesg]

is the way extra money worth it over a Chinese lift?

thats subjective, "is it worth it" ... to who ?
not to me unless you're paying.

for a business, lack of certification will give an insurance adjuster wriggle room to deny a claim.

Find an example of a 2 post that failed due to design or metallurgy fault, I've not seen it.
i've seen video where one side gets hung up when coming down but a 4 post can do the same.

looking at failure videos, they're operator error.

 

[finn]

thats subjective, "is it worth it" ... to who ?
not to me unless you're paying.

for a business, lack of certification will give an insurance adjuster wriggle room to deny a claim.

Find an example of a 2 post that failed due to design or metallurgy fault, I've not seen it.
i've seen video where one side gets hung up when coming down but a 4 post can do the same.

looking at failure videos, they're operator error.

Then search for the threads where someone’s bought a used commercial lift and now can’t get parts.

I’ve not seen a case where an imported or non certified lift failed without operator error, like not fully releasing the locks. There are plenty of YouTube videos showing cars falling off lifts in commercial settings, though. Being in commercial settings, those would be US made certified lifts.

 

[XJSuperman]

Its been covered on the 2post front, but Mohawk or Rotary, or if you have to, Bendpack. I've been under a lot of different lifts in public and private shops, overseas and American made origins, and the only ones that don't squeak/creak/groan/shimmy are Mohawks.

 

[haveissues]

You could look for used also. My 10k rotary was 2500. Like new, used residentially and came with both unibody and truck spin up adapters. I had to take it down but it only took a couple of hours with 2 friends and a ladder but it made it easier to reinstall.

 

[WildBill]

I bought a 10k AplusLift.com two post ALI certified lift a couple years ago and am very happy with it. They have warehouses all over the US and were very helpful and responsive whenever I needed to contact them during and after ordering it. They stock different models in different warehouses, so you would have to see where the closest one that had the lift you wanted was. Also I think free shipping to a commercial address on everything and it was only $50 extra to bring it to my house, but I had to have a way to unload it. I don't know anything about their four post models though. This is the one I have. https://www.apluslift.com/collections/car-lifts/products/falcon-tr-10c

 

[seagravedriver]

I hate buying Chinese items, but as a hobbyist, I can't just cannot justify the expense, so I went with Bendpack. I did have to have the electric motor fail when a car was partway up. That kind of sucked. (I had it rebuilt by a local shop, much better quality). Minor problems, the two plastic drip trays I ordered both arrived broken, the free replacements were marginally better, and most all of the stickers are on crooked.

Fit and finish on my father-in-laws Rotary was noticeably better, but he got in on a deal with a friend that was opening a new Pontiac/Buick/GMC dealership at the time, so he got a great price, as they just added one more to the good size quantity they bought.

 

[pelletman]

Check out Hunter scissor lifts.

Alignment Scissor Lifts | Hunter Engineering Company®

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My dad put in a used one he got for around $1000 or so. I thought I was going to hate it. It has one rolling jack, the other is in parts as there was something wrong with it and there it sits. We don't have the swing jacks, we have a much lower profile rolling jack. You can see it in the picture behind me. Ceiling in that garage is only 10' so I have to sit on a mechanics stool or office chair and roll around under it, which I like. I have done transmissions, front end work, brakes, fuel pumps where you have to drop the tank etc. There is nothing I can't do on it that I can do on a two post, which we also have. The two post is a Challenger 9K that we found used for under $1000. It is in very nice condition, I had to remove it and install it but that was WAY easier than I thought it was going to be. I prefer the Hunter as I can do anything on it, get to sit down, I don't have to get down on my knees to position the arms and I feel safer under it. The downside would be you can't park a car under it. If you go two post do 14' ceilings, we have 13 and I would like it to go a bit higher as I am 6'4"

 

[e015475]

I have the Atlas Garage Pro listed in Racecougar's spreadsheet. It has been about three years and served me well.

Getting me off the garage floor in my old age was the primary objective. My ceiling is about 11' so I still have to sit in a chair under the truck, but it is an acceptable compromise.


I had the lift installed by a tech to make sure all the locks were engaging correctly and everything was working before he left. I rolled a car up on it and had him lift it for me as validation. I don't believe it has an ALI certification, but the tech who installed it checked it all out and showed me how to use it. Like a previous poster said, most problems are operator errors, not the lift.

A bridge jack would be nice and probably a necessity if there was a different car on it every week. I only have a couple cars that see the lift, so I simply went to Tractor Supply and bought four bottle jacks to use in the tray. I'm pretty goosy about bottle jacks supporting the vehicles, so on for the truck in the picture I built custom cribbing to support the truck securely on the lift with the wheels off. I keep the cribbing out of the way by storing it in the basement when not in use.

Two post or four, you'll need to budget for a high-lift garage door too. Mine's not on an opener since vehicles are not going through the door regularly, but YMMV. It'd be a lot cheaper to spec it out now instead of having it changed out later.

One of the things I don't like about my four post is the steel ramps. Twenty years ago it might have been manageable, but damn those things are heavy. I solved the problem by moving the lift forward enough so I could close the garage door without removing them, but I sacrificed about two feet of space in front where I need it to work on the cars. Ideally I'd like some lightweight aluminum or plastic ramps

On of the other annoyances of my four post lift is that the electrical receptacle that will handle the amps is on the other side of the garage. I have to walk around an electrical cord while using the lift. If my shop wasn't built yet, I'd have a receptacle on the ceiling for it or hard wire it in.

Congratulations on the new garage!


.

 

[05snopro440]

I have the Atlas Garage Pro listed in Racecougar's spreadsheet. It has been about three years and served me well.

Getting me off the garage floor in my old age was the primary objective. My ceiling is about 11' so I still have to sit in a chair under the truck, but it is an acceptable compromise.


I had the lift installed by a tech to make sure all the locks were engaging correctly and everything was working before he left. I rolled a car up on it and had him lift it for me as validation. I don't believe it has an ALI certification, but the tech who installed it checked it all out and showed me how to use it. Like a previous poster said, most problems are operator errors, not the lift.

A bridge jack would be nice and probably a necessity if there was a different car on it every week. I only have a couple cars that see the lift, so I simply went to Tractor Supply and bought four bottle jacks to use in the tray. I'm pretty goosy about bottle jacks supporting the vehicles, so on for the truck in the picture I built custom cribbing to support the truck securely on the lift with the wheels off. I keep the cribbing out of the way by storing it in the basement when not in use.

Two post or four, you'll need to budget for a high-lift garage door too. Mine's not on an opener since vehicles are not going through the door regularly, but YMMV. It'd be a lot cheaper to spec it out now instead of having it changed out later.

One of the things I don't like about my four post is the steel ramps. Twenty years ago it might have been manageable, but damn those things are heavy. I solved the problem by moving the lift forward enough so I could close the garage door without removing them, but I sacrificed about two feet of space in front where I need it to work on the cars. Ideally I'd like some lightweight aluminum or plastic ramps

On of the other annoyances of my four post lift is that the electrical receptacle that will handle the amps is on the other side of the garage. I have to walk around an electrical cord while using the lift. If my shop wasn't built yet, I'd have a receptacle on the ceiling for it or hard wire it in.

Congratulations on the new garage!


.

A friend hard wired his in. He was going up one day. Let go of the button and it kept going. Couldn't get to the breaker box so he had to pull the wiring out of the box on the ceiling to get it to stop. Always have a secondary way of turning off the power if they're hardwired.

 

[05snopro440]

Hey everybody. First time poster. I will be starting construction on a 26 x 36 shop soon, and I am getting the cart before the horse a little by obsessing about a lift. I was dead set on a 2 post and was simply trying to decide whether to go for a Chinese version or the big bucks. I have now decided to go with a 4-post with bridge jacks simply because being 55 and rolling on the floor will become a little more challenging down the road.

So, I know this is like asking which flavor of ice cream you like, but I am trying to decide if, for a hobbyist, the expensive American lifts are worth the extra money vs the Chinese models, which 90% are.

Worth has a 12k 4 post for $8690 delivered. Advantage (Backyard Buddy Manufacturer) has an 11K for 6995 plus shipping. The Backyard Buddy is an 8K for 7495 plus shipping.

Adding an air bridge will add almost $1850. The 4 posters are so much more $$, and I understand why, and then there is the safety factor. I had no idea how many lifts were on the market and some 2 posts are pretty darn cheap. Advantage has a 12K 2 Post for less than $3K. I'm looking at 11K for the 4-post lift with 2 air bridge jacks! Yowza! That's a ton of money for an enthusiast.

What's my ask? Other than knowing your lift is rock solid and maybe some bragging rights, is the way extra money worth it over a Chinese lift?

I have a Direct Pro Park 8 in my garage. It was included in the purchase of the house. It's the lift I would have bought anyways for a few reasons.

1. It's manufactured by Rotary and ALI certified.
2. It's not overkill for what I need but not light duty either. It's the right balance
3. It has the lock ladder system, which is far superior to the cheapest lifts which have individually welded locks.

I have used four and two post lifts in automotive shops before this, and for my use a bridge jack and a four-post are the perfect balance. I don't use my 4-post for double-decker parking, but I do use it for working on and maintaining my collection of cars. It's super handy to do an oil change, grease job, and chassis check. It's unbelievable how much easier it makes jobs that would require you to be under the engine bay and under the car at various stages.

The money on a lift will be money well spent.

 

[PTB]

Hey everybody. First time poster. I will be starting construction on a 26 x 36 shop soon, and I am getting the cart before the horse a little by obsessing about a lift. I was dead set on a 2 post and was simply trying to decide whether to go for a Chinese version or the big bucks. I have now decided to go with a 4-post with bridge jacks simply because being 55 and rolling on the floor will become a little more challenging down the road.

So, I know this is like asking which flavor of ice cream you like, but I am trying to decide if, for a hobbyist, the expensive American lifts are worth the extra money vs the Chinese models, which 90% are.

Worth has a 12k 4 post for $8690 delivered. Advantage (Backyard Buddy Manufacturer) has an 11K for 6995 plus shipping. The Backyard Buddy is an 8K for 7495 plus shipping.

Adding an air bridge will add almost $1850. The 4 posters are so much more $$, and I understand why, and then there is the safety factor. I had no idea how many lifts were on the market and some 2 posts are pretty darn cheap. Advantage has a 12K 2 Post for less than $3K. I'm looking at 11K for the 4-post lift with 2 air bridge jacks! Yowza! That's a ton of money for an enthusiast.

What's my ask? Other than knowing your lift is rock solid and maybe some bragging rights, is the way extra money worth it over a Chinese lift?

First, don't ever be afraid to ask a question here, especially when it comes to your personal safety. No one here knows it all but all want to learn and help when possible so it's a great place to converse. I have always placed a priority when lifting anything over myself that can fall and crush me. If I'm going to over spend or over buy on equipment, lifting equipment #1 for me. If you don't mind inferior quality tools, spend it where it won't kill you like on hand tools and such. No one cares about cost until they get bit by poor quality and inferior materials. Personally, Mowhawk seems to have no peer when it comes to strength and safety. Overbuilt and for good reason. The strength provides greater protection when mistakes are made that other manufactured equipment may fail at. Of course, everything has it's limits. As far as 2 post vs. 4 post, I'll stay away as that is purely a personal preference based on needs, ability, space, etc. I am still contemplating this issue for my new shop which is making me crazy! Best wishes with your new workshop. Be safe!