Got a Two-Post Lift...? Tell Me About It, Lets Create a Buyers Guide!!

[AutoXRacer]

Hi, I am looking to purchase a 2 post lift and I am overwhelmed by all the brands out there and different designs/construction.

(I did search the forum, but didn't find the information I was looking for.)

Brands I've looked into:
-Mohawk
-BendPak
-Challenger Lifts
-Dannmar Equipment
-Rotary Lift
-Lifts sold by Complete Hydraulics (don't know what brand it is?)

And I'm sure there are others.

If money was no object, I would definitely go with a Mohawk... I really like their robust design. From what I've read, one can expect to spend roughly $6K on a Mohawk.

One the other hand, I really like the prices of the BendPaks; $2,500 or so.

What I would like to read is your experience with your lift; brand, price, pictures!!!!, years of use, installation issues, and what you use it for. Oh and include whether you have enough room to work, in terms of wishing your garage space was bigger, ceilings taller, etc... Just any thing you can pass along to someone looking to buy a lift.

I still haven't built my garage/shop yet, but I will be building it around the lift...
I am pondering a 32' x 30' garage; hoping it equates to a slightly over-sized 3 car garage. I'm not sure how tall the ceilings will be since I want a loft to cover half of the garage.

Thanks for all your help. I really enjoy this forum!!!!

 

[Shadowdog500]

I got a used Mohawk that came out of a saturn dealership. The price was $4,000 professionally installed. Ive had it for a little over a year and love the thing. I have 16' ceilings and have plenty of room. I would definitely buy another one. I like clear span above and below that don't limit you. I also get comfort having a lift that is built like a battleship when standing under a heavy truck.

I would use the Mohawk slab requirements doc as a guide no matter what lift I installed. http://www.mohawklifts.com/consumer/library/Slab_Req-Reco_2-2010.pdf

Chris

Wife's Toyota

Friends 8000 lb. truck

 

[DaWoodster]

I have an older Forward DP-97 and I'm totally satisfied. I tend to get most of my equipment used, this was no exception. I dismantled it and re-installed it. For me, experiencing first hand how something goes together gives me a better feel and understanding of the quality and function of something like this.

I've not had any issues, it has stayed in calibration/sync (cables) and just generally feels capable. If I can fit it on the lift, I've put it in the air... That being said, if I could have found one, a Mohawk was my first choice, though.

 

[AutoXRacer]

I see both your lifts are symmetrical... Any regrets not going with an asymmetrical version?

On both your lifts, you seem to have plenty of door opening space!!

Seems like I'll be requesting a 6" slab on the lift side of the garage... lol

 

[Shadowdog500]

I see both your lifts are symmetrical... Any regrets not going with an asymmetrical version?

On both your lifts, you seem to have plenty of door opening space!!

Seems like I'll be requesting a 6" slab on the lift side of the garage... lol

I have no regrets. There is enough room to open the door and get in and out of the vehicle as long as you don't plan on flinging the door open. I worked in a shop back when above ground two post lifts were something new. We lifted everything on the weaver lifts and never had anyone get stuck in the car or ding the door.

hello members,am Akple,from atlanta,ga

Hello Akple! Welcome to the forum.

Chris

 

[DaWoodster]

I see both your lifts are symmetrical... Any regrets not going with an asymmetrical version?

On both your lifts, you seem to have plenty of door opening space!!

Seems like I'll be requesting a 6" slab on the lift side of the garage... lol

I'm assuming by both, you're referring to ShadowDog and me. I don't want to get into the whole "true asymmetrical" lift bs, but mine is per my definition and the mfr's asymmetrical; the actual model # is DP-97a.

The only decision I had to make on placement was whether to put it close to the door or more inward closer to the back wall. My next door neighbor has a pro shop and put his lifts further in, so if he has a car in the air and another customer comes in he can still pull him in and do basic diagnostics or non-lift repairs.

Being more of a personal shop for me, I opted to keep it closer to the door, so the space in front of the lift can be used for equipment, work area and/or long term project space. That way I never have anything blocking access to the lift.

Hopefully, my statement of "totally satisfied" should answer your question of regrets...

Good luck and keep gathering info

 

[abstamaria]

Danmar MaxJax

Those with small garages with limited ceiling height might consider the MaxJax. This lift is not tall enough to allow one to stand below it, but sitting on a rolling stool beneath it will work. It is of course good for suspension and brake work, as all 2-post lifts, and its small dimensions allow it fit inside a home garage without crowding out work space. I am not connected with them in any way; also, a MaxJax will come in black with yellow arms, not in red as shown below (I decided to recolor mine).

Since the OP will design a new garage for his new lift, height and space constraints are not relevant, so there are several good, full-size alternatives. Looking at the posts here, the Mohawk looks like an excellent choice.

 

[AutoXRacer]

So the picture above is showing a MaxJax...? It looks like it could lift a vehicle pretty high...???

Wow thats a clean shop/garage!!!! WOW!!! I love the clean, minimal look...

 

[mmurphy]

So the picture above is showing a MaxJax...? It looks like it could lift a vehicle pretty high...???

Wow thats a clean shop/garage!!!! WOW!!! I love the clean, minimal look...

I hope that clean garage is a sign of a sick mind!!!!

I have a Bend Pak and so far in close to 3 years have no isssues. I do wish they would have made a heater fo the hydraulic tank for mine is in a pole shed. If it is very cold out I try to get by with out using it.

 

[AutoXRacer]

Cold weather = no lift!!!??

Tell me more!!! What temperatures are we talking about?
How big is this hydraulic tank...?

 

[RTcat]

I just got my Rotary Revoultion installed this past Friday in my under-construction hobby shop.

Had it installed by the company I bought it from. I'd have to look at the invoice but installed I think it was around low $3k.

shop is 32 x 50. 10' ceiling excpt where the hoist is, I went with "cofferd" trusses. There, the ceiling is 13' high.

I've got room infront of the hoist for a work bench and room to walk when my crewcab is on the hoist. My main use will be for swapping out winter/summer tires, oil changes, brake jobs and general auto repair. I plan to make something to drive the mower on so I can raise it to remove/sharpen the blades. (20hp 60" deck).

Prior to installing my hoist, I went to two different business (porche race shop and a Ford dealer) that had my hoist and had them put my crewcab 1500 chevy on their hoist and then took measurements from the columns to various points on the vehicle. I then used these measurements to help decide where to locate it in my shop and make sure I had room around the vehicle for benchs, remove axles, etc.

 

[KyleQ]

I've been doing some poking around and have my sights set on a Atlas PV-10P from Greg Smith Equipment. It sure looks beefy and the price is right-
http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/Atlas-PV-10P-p/atpk-pv10p.htm

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

I currently have a 32'x52' under construction with 15'-7" ceilings and was planning on a Challenger CL10V3 lift with a 2' or 4' column extension for the two post as the first lift. One of these years, I would like to add a 4 post in another bay.

 

[abstamaria]

MaxJax

So the picture above is showing a MaxJax...? It looks like it could lift a vehicle pretty high...???

Yes, that’s a MaxJax. There’s a good thread here on “MaxJax Installs” that has several photos of these lifts installed. Here’s how high one can go.

The MaxJax would be good for the standard garage, with limited space and height. Since the columns are shorter than usual, they also don’t dominate the space, as shown in the next picture. The lift will go past the 2nd safety stop hole shown on the post.

I work on small, old cars, so capacity isn’t an issue. The MaxJax an lift up to 6,000 lbs. It is also made to be easily movable, so you can remove it when not in use. I keep mine permanently installed.

If one has the room, the standard-size lifts would probably be the way to go. They are awesome, judging from the pictures posted here. For my size garage and needs, the MaxJax I feel is ideal.

Andy

 

[abstamaria]

Bend Pak; Cold Weather

I'm probably a clinical case, MMurphy (actually, I find it relaxing working in a bare, uncluttered shop.)

One advantage of the MaxJax is that the pump and hydraulic tank are on a handcart, as the lift is intended to be portable. If one's workshed isn't too far away, I suppose one can keep the pump in the house and wheel it to the shed when needed.

As I said, the MaxJax is a compromise (limited lift height), but it has some advantages in a small (and unheated) shop. I wish I had the room you fellows have.

Andy

 

[AutoXRacer]

Abstamaria, I just absolutely love your pictures/garage!!!!

I hope someday when I complete my garage/shop it looks just like yours!!!
I love that clean minimalist look!!!!

Thanks for all the info on the MaxJax!!!

 

[mmurphy]

Cold weather = no lift!!!??

Tell me more!!! What temperatures are we talking about?
How big is this hydraulic tank...?

I forgot to look at this thread for a while but, they recomend temp of 40 deg. F. I have contacted them on this before and was told it should be O.K. to still use below that. I have a pole shed so it does not get heated in winter.

 

[mmurphy]

Re: Bend Pak; Cold Weather

I'm probably a clinical case, MMurphy (actually, I find it relaxing working in a bare, uncluttered shop.)

One advantage of the MaxJax is that the pump and hydraulic tank are on a handcart, as the lift is intended to be portable. If one's workshed isn't too far away, I suppose one can keep the pump in the house and wheel it to the shed when needed.

As I said, the MaxJax is a compromise (limited lift height), but it has some advantages in a small (and unheated) shop. I wish I had the room you fellows have.

Andy

I wish I could keep mine clean like that, I walk by dirt and it jumps on me!!!

 

[Brad54]

What might be helpful for a lot of guys is if everyone measured the outside dimension of the foot pads, and the distance between the upright posts.

I know in my shop, I've got two bays, and had my friend measure his 2 and 4-post lifts to figure out what would fit where in my shop. I found that a 2-post didn't fit comfortably on once side because of proximity to a wall.

-Brad

 

[mlitt12345]

Hello, I'm happy with my Atlas 9KOH I got from Greg Smith Equipment, $1700.00 shipped to my house. I installed it myself and took about 8hrs. It lifts my Ford F250 Super Duty Diesel no problem. Here are a few pics

Mike

 

[camarotoolman]

Mine is used and cheap, but Ican't hardy open the car door, so get one that you can. If you have over head doors, put it were you get the door up with the car up. I can't and that ***** too.

 

[rburke65]

Found a used 2 post Mohawk on craiglist for $1500. True, 24 years old but ungodly heavy, built like a tank, was in use at the time and no leaks. I got new decals and OEM paint for it.....I am a happy guy with this find! Don't have a shop built for it yet, but I'll get there.

 

[rburke65]

And, as an afterthought, Shadowdog500....Or any one else for that matter....On the Mohawk installation instruction, would you have any idea why the large difference in the concrete requirements for "an existing floor" which is at 4.5" and the "slab" spec at 12" deep, 48"x144"!!! Man that's a big difference! That comes out to 4 yards of concrete. That's alright by me, it's just a large difference. I know I can call Mr. Mohawk, but just thought I'd ask here. Thanks.

 

[Shadowdog500]

And, as an afterthought, Shadowdog500....Or any one else for that matter....On the Mohawk installation instruction, would you have any idea why the large difference in the concrete requirements for "an existing floor" which is at 4.5" and the "slab" spec at 12" deep, 48"x144"!!! Man that's a big difference! That comes out to 4 yards of concrete. That's alright by me, it's just a large difference. I know I can call Mr. Mohawk, but just thought I'd ask here. Thanks.

This is just a guess but I would assume all of that concrete is needed for some sort of ballast since the slab is only 4'X12'. I imagine if you poured a 4'X12' slab that was only 4.5" thick, and mounted a lift to the slab, then lifted a 10,000lb truck 6' up into the air, everything could topple, lift, concrete and all.

You could call Mohawk to get a definitive answer.

Chris

 

[rlme36]

i went with the challenger cv10, very happy with the build quality. compared it against the rotary at the local porsche dealership and have no regrets. like the symetric/asymetric functionality. Just did my first oil change with it this weekend, couldn't wipe the grin off my face for the whole day.

 

[StumpXJ]

Hello, I'm happy with my Atlas 9KOH I got from Greg Smith Equipment, $1700.00 shipped to my house. I installed it myself and took about 8hrs. It lifts my Ford F250 Super Duty Diesel no problem. Here are a few pics

Mike

I got the exact same lift from Greg Smith. $1650.00 delivered and unloaded to my shop (I only live 10 minutes from the store)...with a 5 gallon bucket of hydro fluid. My father and I put it up in aout 6 hours over fathers day weekend. I have had it up since June, and have used the **** out of it without ANY issue at all. I mostly lift Jeeps up, so not a lot of real weight, but I did lift my father 4 door ram with a Hemi when we first installed it with zero problems. Thats about as heavy of a vehicle I have put on mine so far.

 

[1BADLS1tuner]

subscribing.... interested to see more on the Greg Smith equipment Atlas lifts , they are priced in my budget to!

 

[mrobins297aaa]

get at least a 12'-6" ceiling, most clear floor lifts require at least 12' clearance. 11'-0" is about the absolute min. you can live with and still work under the car anything else and you'll be hunched over and end up letting the lift down and working off a chair or creeper.

make your garage door at least 8' tall and get a high lift door that goes straight up first before it goes back into the garage. That allows you to put the lift closer to the door, which is best. if you put the lift in the rear of your garage you'll always have to keep that area in front of the lift clear so you can use it and in turn wasting all that space.
below is a pic of my bend pak XPR 10cx (thats the wide width) what ever lift you get make sure you get a wide width so you can open the doors. Notice the all the clearance between the lift and the car door.
Its hard to see in the pic but behind the lift is my 8' high door with a 4' high lift kit, so the door goes straight up 4' before it moves into the garage.
my ceilings are 14'

 

[Air_Cooled_Nut]

I got the exact same lift from Greg Smith. $1650.00 delivered and unloaded to my shop (I only live 10 minutes from the store)...with a 5 gallon bucket of hydro fluid. My father and I put it up in aout 6 hours over fathers day weekend. I have had it up since June, and have used the **** out of it without ANY issue at all...

What is the height of your ceiling where the lift is mounted?

 

[boosteddsm92]

I have a Danmar 10ACX. Fantastic lift. The extra width allows me to park my daily driver in the lift spot and get a snowblower out between the arms and the car, if you can fit a wide version of anything it's def worth it. This lift is ALI certified as well. Below are some pics, some people like to see detailed pics of arms, etc, so here you go!

 

[Bruce Amacker]

<a href="http://s524.photobucket.com/albums/cc326/bruceamacker/?action=view&current=P1010009a.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i524.photobucket.com/albums/cc326/bruceamacker/P1010009a.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s524.photobucket.com/albums/cc326/bruceamacker/?action=view&current=P1010017.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i524.photobucket.com/albums/cc326/bruceamacker/P1010017.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Challenger E-10, bought about a month ago. Cost- $2800, available at Napa and other national parts stores. I did a LOT of research before buying this lift, and the others I was considering were Rotary Revolution and Bendpak. I think this is like the Ford vs Chevy debate, either one will do the job well for you.

Likes- screw pad adjusters! Pump assy made in USA. Easy installation. Mfr fairly close in KY, has been in business several decades and not likely going anywhere. Certified. Good tech support if you have a problem.

Dislikes- nothing of note. No weight gauge like Mohawk has. Truck adapters $140 extra. Like all low end lifts, it's made mostly in China but the quality is very good, better than I expected. I'd have liked the base footprint to be larger but I doubt it will pull out of the concrete.

I had two Mohawks (A-7 and System 1) for 20 years and loved them in my repair shop, but they're overkill for my current hobby shop. Mohawks are the cat's ***, but double the price of the cheaper lifts. (A-7 was quoted at $5500 delivered, System 1 was $6300)

My local Toyota dealer has SEVENTEEN Challenger lifts, mostly E-10's in their shop. I'd buy another.

 

[AutoXRacer]

Wow, this is great info guys!! So are all these lifts cable type; Challenger, Danmar, and Atlas?

I also want the Mowhawk Lift, but think its too much over kill for my occasional oil changes, transmission drops, brake maintenance, etc...

 

[Air_Cooled_Nut]

I have a Danmar 10ACX. Fantastic lift. The extra width allows me to park my daily driver in the lift spot and get a snowblower out between the arms and the car, if you can fit a wide version of anything it's def worth it. This lift is ALI certified as well...

Challenger E-10, bought about a month ago. Cost- $2800, available at Napa and other national parts stores. I did a LOT of research before buying this lift, and the others I was considering were Rotary Revolution and Bendpak. I think this is like the Ford vs Chevy debate, either one will do the job well for you...

Ceiling height where lift is located?

 

[boosteddsm92]

i have a danmar 10acx. Fantastic lift. The extra width allows me to park my daily driver in the lift spot and get a snowblower out between the arms and the car, if you can fit a wide version of anything it's def worth it. This lift is ali certified as well.

ceiling is 150", lift height is 145"

 

[Air_Cooled_Nut]

150"

=12.5'
Nice! My ceiling is that high as well.

 

[mlitt12345]

Wow, this is great info guys!! So are all these lifts cable type; Challenger, Danmar, and Atlas?

I also want the Mowhawk Lift, but think its too much over kill for my occasional oil changes, transmission drops, brake maintenance, etc...

My atlas is a chain-over-roller cylinder type lift, and this model can be installed either 11' 6" high or 11' 10" high. Mike

 

[KyleQ]

mlitt12345 - what are your initial thoughts about the Atlas lift you bought? Everything I've read has been good, but buying, unpacking and installing are much different then reading a review.

 

[mlitt12345]

mlitt12345 - what are your initial thoughts about the Atlas lift you bought? Everything I've read has been good, but buying, unpacking and installing are much different then reading a review.

I'm very satisfied with my atlas lift. When I first started looking to buy a lift I googled about every brand out there. It didn't take long to figure out I would have to settle with a China made lift because of the cost of the usa ones. The lift Was packaged very well, you can see in my first pic how it looked when it showed up to my house. The installation instructions were lacking so I made a call to Greg Smith equipment and they were very friendly and answered all my questions. It took about 8 hrs to install it myself with help from my tractor front end loader. Those beams are heavy, could probably install it quicker with a extra set of hands. I have used the lift a lot doing oil changes and mostly preventive maintenance stuff on my three vehicles of which the heaviest is my 07 f250 crew cab super duty diesel which the atlas lifts with ease. Overall very satisfied and saved some money going with the atlas lift. Mike

 

[Wayne64SS]

I have 2 Mohawks. Both were purchased used at fantastic prices. I had a local place come and install the first one, and after watching that I swore I'd never pay for it again. (not because they did a bad job, they were fantastic, but because it's rediculously easy). The first one is 7klb Asymmetrical Mohawk A7 from 1996. Sees regular heavy use and have yet to have a problem.

The second one is a Mohawk System 1 Symmetrical 9klb. Much larger footprint, but both fit with ease in my low 10' ceiling height. This has become my primary lift because my other bay is filled with **** right now, and I love it much more than the A7. So much more room around the car, much easier to get in and out of. Lifts anything from my truck to a honda civic with ease. This lift is from 1986 and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another used Mohawk over any other kind of lift. The only downside to the older System 1 is that it doesn't have the leveler valve that my newer A7 has. Slightly annoying but not a deal breaker by any means. Any questions don't hesitate to ask.

 

[StumpXJ]

What is the height of your ceiling where the lift is mounted?

Its 13 feet in the vaulted area.

~ Stump