Rotary lift installed yesterday

[longez]

Although it took longer to install than expected, it went up in about 8 hours yesterday. It's a 10K#, asymmetric "trio arm", extended height version since I have 16' ceilings in the 40x60 new construction shop. I chose the asymmetric version since we have a Mazda3, an old Corvette, a new BMW and Ram 1500 crew cab to work on.

Hunting season began yesterday and my electrician is MIA for a week, so I jury rigged the power until he gets back to make it right. I have 230V & 115V power and air in ceiling, and will drop all to the passenger side post. The building was designed around the lift, but unfortunately the concrete guy saw cut exactly where I told him not to I had to position the lift about 1' to the left of where I had planned to ensure proper edge distance from the control joints to the anchors.

It was late when we finished up, and the Mrs had dinner plans for us so the lift is still a "virgin" - perhaps it was best as I was tired and never used a lift. I'll start today with one of the cars, and do the truck last. I have both the truck (frame) and round adaptors.

 

[oilslick]

I like your shop, especially the windows and fan. Any pictures of the arms on the lift that show three stage ?

 

[zkdiesel]

Looks like a good space saving spot for you to have a lift if it's low use. Frees up lots of other valuable space

 

[Richard Cranium]

nice looking shop and I also like the location of your lift.

 

[zkdiesel]

Kinda confused as your arm ends. Had that exact lift in a 2010 cell version and it has formed round eyelets for the pad engagement
My 2013 and 2015 sp012ta also have the formed pad engagement arms on them like my old spoa10ra

The three stage arms are awesome. My 12's have them front and back

 

[longez]

Thank you. It's a hobby lift, so low usage. Certainly didn't need it, but it's something I've wanted all my life. At almost 66 I'm too old to lay on my back, retrieve the tool I didn't bring under the car with me, get up, get down....

I'll take some pics today of the 3-stage arms.

The windows were sort of an afterthought; once the building was framed it seemed too boxy so I added five 3'x5' windows on the West wall. The fan is a 14' ø BigAss Essence.





The lift is mounted in the foreground right corner of this pic of the back of the shop >>

 

[rburke65]

I like your shop, especially the windows and fan. Any pictures of the arms on the lift that show three stage?...... Ok......ill make it 3 times......WTF!

 

[rburke65]

Ok...seriously....I do like the looks of your shop....and the back hoe. Now there is something on my bucket list at age 68! I have my windows high like you and they allow lots of natural light into the shop. Nice build.

 

[lkempf]

Just wanted to say I love your garage. Let us know how you like that lift. I am looking at Bendpak and Rotary for myself

 

[longez]

Trio arms

I think Rotary is puffing a bit calling these "Trio 3-way arms" since the collar slides maybe 8" in the second stage of the arm. Anyway, I tried the BMW first since I didn't have to think about the pick points. I know many of you have lifts or work with lifts every day, but I am so damn excited to have this new toy

 

[Farmall450]

Looks great. I'd do something similar w/ the lift if the off centered door wouldn't drive me nuts.

 

[longez]

Looks great. I'd do something similar w/ the lift if the off centered door wouldn't drive me nuts.

I'm still trying to get over it The front of the shop has the 12' x 14' high door centered, but the back is offset to allow ingress/egress with something on the lift.

But I hear you loud and clear - it's troubling.


I have a question for those of you with lift knowledge. Should I be dropping the lift back onto the mechanical safety stops and taking the pressure of the cylinders, or is it okay to keep it on the hydraulics as long as the first set of locks have clicked? I'm a newbie with a lift.

thanks

longez

 

[sanddan]

Technically you are supposed to lower onto the mechanical stops as a safety feature. I have the same lift and I only lower on the stops if the load will be up there for a while (like over night). The stops are designed to work either way as the engineer can't count on the operator to follow instructions.

My Rotary lift has different arms than yours (mines about 3 years old). The front arm has three pieces, 2 tubular and the last one a flat plate at the end with a 2" hole that the adjuster pads fit into. The rear arms are 2 piece. My only beef is I wish the main columns were spaced a little further apart as my corvette is so wide it barely fits.

Your shop is beautiful, I like the added details on the outside. Did you do a build thread? How did you finish out the inside, insulate, ceiling. More build pictures if you have them.

 

[Farmall450]

I'm still trying to get over it The front of the shop has the 12' x 14' high door centered, but the back is offset to allow ingress/egress with something on the lift.

But I hear you loud and clear - it's troubling.


I have a question for those of you with lift knowledge. Should I be dropping the lift back onto the mechanical safety stops and taking the pressure of the cylinders, or is it okay to keep it on the hydraulics as long as the first set of locks have clicked? I'm a newbie with a lift.

thanks

longez

You should absolutely drop them down to the mechanical safeties. Despite what the other gent replied very bad things can still happen if one side lets loose and the other does not with a foot to go.

 

[zkdiesel]

Technically you are supposed to lower onto the mechanical stops as a safety feature. I have the same lift and I only lower on the stops if the load will be up there for a while (like over night). The stops are designed to work either way as the engineer can't count on the operator to follow instructions.

My Rotary lift has different arms than yours (mines about 3 years old). The front arm has three pieces, 2 tubular and the last one a flat plate at the end with a 2" hole that the adjuster pads fit into. The rear arms are 2 piece. My only beef is I wish the main columns were spaced a little further apart as my corvette is so wide it barely fits.

Your shop is beautiful, I like the added details on the outside. Did you do a build thread? How did you finish out the inside, insulate, ceiling. More build pictures if you have them.

Did you set you're at the furthest width? That lift has three width settings if you read the install book

 

[MrBalll]

Those look like frame cradle pads for trucks and SUV's.
Does a BMW have a frame or should you be using pinch weld pads to lift it?

 

[longez]

Those look like frame cradle pads for trucks and SUV's.
Does a BMW have a frame or should you be using pinch weld pads to lift it?

I have the round pad adaptors under the BMW; the rectangular ones are for our trucks. All(?) BMW's have 4 hard points that BMW specifies for lifting.

Did you set you're at the furthest width? That lift has three width settings if you read the install book

I set it at the intermediate width, per Rotary tech supports advice, after telling them what I wanted to do with it.

You should absolutely drop them down to the mechanical safeties. Despite what the other gent replied very bad things can still happen if one side lets loose and the other does not with a foot to go.

Got it, thanks!

 

[bullnerd]

OMG Beautiful shop and location!

Congrats!

 

[rwilner]

Love the corrugated metal finish on your foundation walls.

How did you do that?

I hate looking at my poured concrete foundation walls.

 

[longez]

Love the corrugated metal finish on your foundation walls.

How did you do that?

I hate looking at my poured concrete foundation walls.

No stem walls, it was a monolithic pour of footings and 6" of 4000 psi concrete. The walls are sprayed out with foam to fill the cavities, the bottom 4' is OSB and the top 12' is 5/8 Type X rock. Corrugated Galvalume was cut to cover the OSB and simply screwed to the OSB. All the air and power outlets are just above the corrugated to avoid cutting holes in the tin. If/when I bang it up it's a simple matter to replace a 36" wide piece of Galvalume.

 

[dkroth]

Sweet.

 

[sanddan]

Did you set you're at the furthest width? That lift has three width settings if you read the install book

I had the local Rotary dealer do the install so I don't know which position was used. My bays are 12' and the lift columns fit inside the lower part of the trusses so they are what they are.

Again, great looking shop. Can you give a rough estimate of the all in building cost for your shop? PM would be fine, thanks.