Advice Buying lifts

[bamendaboy]

Hey guys, hope everyone is doing well today.
I am looking forward to buying shop equipments for a 6 bay garage
with a a budget of about 30K.
So far, my best bet has been GregSmith Equipment.

I read a thread about getting it from China but it wasnt too convincing
because of the processes and all that stuff. I am want good quality stuff.
Then again, I don't want to be charged an arm and a leg.
I wanted to buy American because of qualiIfty, then again, I hear some of the
American stuff are also imported from China.

Here is what I need GregSmith gave me a quote for about 70 K. I figured I did not need the 14 K 4 post for almost $8K and the Wheel Alignment Machine for almost $14K. That right there was already about a third of my Budget in Savings.
I tried to call BenPak and their customer service is the worst of Mankind.

So I was wondering if there are other distributors out there.
Some of the stuff on that list, I can buy from Harbor Freight like the Hose Reels, Jack Stanks etc.

I'll really appreciate some feed back.

Here is what GregSmith sent me a quote for.

ATLAS APEX 10K 2 POS

Atlast 14 K 4 post lift

ROLLING JACK

Wheel Balancer Machine

Tire Change Machine

Tire assist arm

Adapter for wheel

80 Gallon Air Compressor

3 Ton Floor Jack

6 Ton Floor Jack STAND

Creeper

Hose Reel

Half Inch Impact Gun



6 K Scissor Lift

A.C Machine

Hydraulic Press

Battery Starter

Tranmission Jack

Oil Drain

Pressure Washer

Power Probe tester

Electronic Oil Meter gun

Antifreeze Machine

Strut Spring Compressor

Tire and Tube Test Tank

Battery Charger

Alternator Tester

Check Engine light

Master Check Eng l

Shop Tool Box

Shop Tools

 

[aschen]

There always seems to be alignment machines and tire mounting/balancing machines available on craigslist around here.

my buddy bought a snap on tire mounting machine for a few hundred. You might be able to get some professional quality machines on the cheap if you are a little patient and are willing to be a bit tough in negotiations.

 

[bamendaboy]

There always seems to be alignment machines and tire mounting/balancing machines available on craigslist around here.

my buddy bought a snap on tire mounting machine for a few hundred. You might be able to get some professional quality machines on the cheap if you are a little patient and are willing to be a bit tough in negotiations.

Thanks bud. When you say here, do you mean here as the forum or here as your location? And Which wheel alignment machines would you recommend?

 

[aschen]

sorry, I have zero experience with alignment devices. Most of my vehicles are EYE-lined . It seems like all of the big rigs I see are hunter. I just think that alot of pro shops sell used stuff when they close thier doors or upgrade to the latest and greatest. I am in the greater Houston area and I see a half dozen machines for sale currently on craigslist.

I do know alot of track day guys can get pretty good alignments done with relatively rudimentary equipment, it is time consuming though: http://www.longacreracing.com/products.aspx?itemid=2444

 

[iajonesy]

Are you buying this for a home shop or starting a business? Some of the small items are overkill for a home shop and the hoist size is too. An 8000 lb. lift is plenty for a home shop IMHO, but if you need it then go for it.
I have a place in Smitty's campground. Are you close to that? Maybe some weekend I can stop and visit you.

Mike

 

[LXCam]

That's a lot of equipment right off the bat. Is this your first time to establish and automotive business or for that matter your first time in business? Just wondering.


As for a bulk purchase like that I would put together a formal request for a quote and send it to every major player out there. Make sure you also include the applicable certification criteria and I would highly suggest you don't go buying lifts or any other major equipment where employee safety is top priority second hand unless you know for certain every aspect of it is in perfect working order.

Good luck.

 

[bamendaboy]

I am buying it for a business. I want higher capacity lifts or the ones that are around my specs so as to reduce strain on the lifts, hence a longer life span.

 

[1930]

Shop on Craigslist for older well made still serviceable equip. Youll save a ton of money and have nicer stuff

 

[1930]

If this is your first business than especially adhere to my post above. Good luck and I hope you dont mind working for less money than as an employee

Edit: That was an insensitive thing to say so Ill just leave it at good luck

 

[ItsNemo]

Don't waste your money on cheap lifts and equipment, it's just going to cost you in the long run. You should be looking at Rotary or similar in a professional environment. Also don't buy everything without the jobs/personnel already lined up. No point having an alignment rack or wheel balancer sitting there for months on end not getting used.

 

[jdsac]

Don't overlook Challenger- the 10k lift for about $4000 +- (the one with the pump mounted up high) The Costco tire centers in my area use them & have cars going up/ down all day. They must be good - Costco seems very safety oriented and doesn't need to pinch pennies.

 

[JoeBarns]

Sega has an abundance of shop equipment and the quality seems to be great. They even have consulting, they can help you find the right equipment for your shop size and layout. Hopefully they can help you.

https://sega-equipment.com/

 

[bamendaboy]

That's a lot of equipment right off the bat. Is this your first time to establish and automotive business or for that matter your first time in business? Just wondering.


As for a bulk purchase like that I would put together a formal request for a quote and send it to every major player out there. Make sure you also include the applicable certification criteria and I would highly suggest you don't go buying lifts or any other major equipment where employee safety is top priority second hand unless you know for certain every aspect of it is in perfect working order.

Good luck.

What I posted originally was the formal request that I put together. It looks more professional in Excel format. I just wanted to get information on good quality I could get that are similar to that of GregSmith.
From My experience as a mechanic before, most equipment failures were usually the result of the operator and not necessarily the equipment. For example lack of maintainance for the equipment, over loading etc.
But the customer service for a lot of these companies are very poor.
I am having a feeling that they do not want my money.

 

[cshades]

I have been in this business for most of my life so here is my 2 cents. do not buy cheap equipment. I personally like the Rotary lifts and they are not really much more costly than the cheapo stuff. I like the Rotary mainly because of the pad design, they are more like the old style pads that flip up and you have a standup adapter for the trucks. No stacking of things for clearance. As far as the rest of the equipment depending on what equipment it is I shop used first and get a sense of what the value is against buying new and make my decision from there. If you shop hard enough there are some super deals on slightly used equipment.

 

[T_R]

double

 

[T_R]

Those lifts are overkill unless you are working on medium duty trucks.

That is a serious list for a new business. I currently work at a new car dealer and that is basically how the shop is equipped but with a few more smaller lifts.

I'm in the process of leaving there in a few weeks and starting my own used car dealer. I won't have anywhere near that level of equipment. IMO you are taking a huge risk spending that kind of money up front. You can get by with a lot less and add as you go.

Good luck regardless.

 

[LXCam]

What I posted originally was the formal request that I put together. It looks more professional in Excel format. I just wanted to get information on good quality I could get that are similar to that of GregSmith.
From My experience as a mechanic before, most equipment failures were usually the result of the operator and not necessarily the equipment. For example lack of maintainance for the equipment, over loading etc.
But the customer service for a lot of these companies are very poor.
I am having a feeling that they do not want my money.

I agree, you did provide a very thorough list. What I didn't know is if you did the same to any of the equipment providers or if it was just here.


Tell ya what, you open the doors outfitted with all that equipment all shiny and new like in a nice clean facility and you'll make a major impression on folks that can't look past that. My concern for you is that's a ton of debt load to encumber on a start up business. I hope it all works out for you and your able to weather the financial blues of a new business until you attain an established regular clientele as well as good employees.

I've started four different business since the late 80's and I'm always concerned for anyone jumping in with both feet and a significant debt load right off the bat. But on the other hand I applaud anyone willing to take the chance and go for it, which it certainly looks like you are.

 

[493 scamp]

30k is a small budget for complete 6 bay shop from scratch. Is this a new start up or a complete make over? I would be looking at at least 3 bays with assymetric lifts in the 9000lb range if your main customer base is cars. I prefer Rotary flip up style 2 posts. They are rugged,quick to rack most cars and light trucks without adapters and you can open doors wider. All that adds up to speed which means money. One bay could have an Atlas 12000lb scissor alignment lift with scissor center section (12AWFSL ) mounted flush in the ground or above. Again speed. I don't see a need for the 6k scissor lift and think its light duty will wear out with repeated shop use.
The Apex 10k would be a fine choice for one bay also for larger trucks. between both Atlas lifts you would cover 99 % of all vehicles except maybe some 4 door long bed Duallies or service trucks.
If this is a new shop without customer base I would stsrt much smaller and buy as needed.

 

[bamendaboy]

Thanks for all your feed back, gents. Looks like I am gonna go with the GregSmith quote.
I am having issues with pook customer service from Bendpak.
Almost a week and still to get a quote from them.

 

[LX-Markham]

So I was wondering if there are other distributors out there.

Don't waste your money on cheap lifts and equipment, it's just going to cost you in the long run. You should be looking at Rotary or similar in a professional environment.

I have been in this business for most of my life so here is my 2 cents. do not buy cheap equipment. I personally like the Rotary lifts

I prefer Rotary flip up style 2 posts. They are rugged,quick to rack most cars and light trucks without adapters and you can open doors wider.

Thanks for all your feed back, gents. Looks like I am gonna go with the GregSmith quote.

Allrighty then. Glad we could help

 

[575cat]

G e s u s a

 

[bamendaboy]

I am kinda confused now. Finally spoke to the guy at Sega and he made me understand that Bend Pak and Atlas stuff are all Chinese made. Can someone deny or deny this?
This reminds me of something I read the other day on Facebook and there was an argument about Patriotism. One guy was advocating for American made cars and the other for Japanese. The guy for the Japanese said that some of the Japanese cars are assembled in America, Employ Americans, and Keep their money in American Banks.
Mean while the Ford People Manufactured their products in Mexico, employed Mexicans and so on and so fort. Now which one of them is really patriotic. lol
I know there is no correlation between the story and my equipment but for some reason, it came up when I was thinking about the U.S vs China stuff.

 

[c39er]

The world now days is so screwed up.
Isn't it confusing?

 

[chrismenke]

I am kinda confused now. Finally spoke to the guy at Sega and he made me understand that Bend Pak and Atlas stuff are all Chinese made. Can someone deny or deny this?
This reminds me of something I read the other day on Facebook and there was an argument about Patriotism. One guy was advocating for American made cars and the other for Japanese. The guy for the Japanese said that some of the Japanese cars are assembled in America, Employ Americans, and Keep their money in American Banks.
Mean while the Ford People Manufactured their products in Mexico, employed Mexicans and so on and so fort. Now which one of them is really patriotic. lol
I know there is no correlation between the story and my equipment but for some reason, it came up when I was thinking about the U.S vs China stuff.

I can confirm that my Atlas list is of Chinese manufacture. I can also confirm that some Bend Pal stuff is.

 

[bamendaboy]

I can confirm that my Atlas list is of Chinese manufacture. I can also confirm that some Bend Pal stuff is.

 

[575cat]

Don,t look to deep into anything that you buy car,s , tool,s , supposed OE auto part,s ect you might not like what you see , don,t overthink it .

 

[bamendaboy]

Now does anyone have any connections with any suppliers in China? I'd save a lot of money if I bought those same stuff directly from China.

 

[LX-Markham]

Can someone deny or deny this?

All I know is my Bendpak 4-post is made in China, and I have no complaints.

 

[bamendaboy]

Found this link here and it is very interesting.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=322432&highlight=order+lift+china

 

[RGKSR]

My Mohawk A-7 and the two Rotary lifts I have are made in the U.S.

I got my Mohawk through a local distributor who took it out of a shop that was closing. The two Rotary lifts were taken out of a body shop that was downsizing.

It pays to shop around.

 

[bamendaboy]

I need you guys to tell me more about these Rotary lifts. It has been popping up on almost every reply. Why is it better than the other lifts, if you guys don't mind me asking.

 

[c39er]

There is the Chinese "Revolution" lifts and the "Real" USA Rotary commercial lifts.

 

[Diesel Dan]

Check out worth equipment out of Texas.
I've bought two lifts from them over the years, a 9K floor plate and 10K clear floor-extra wide.
The lifts are made in Texas.

 

[T_R]

I need you guys to tell me more about these Rotary lifts. It has been popping up on almost every reply. Why is it better than the other lifts, if you guys don't mind me asking.

I use a rotary at work everyday and the think scares me constantly. The posts shake a few inches side to side and forward to back going up and when it tops out. It's bolted down solid all the flex is in the columns. The flip up pads are ok when flat but move around when raised. It's a miracle nothing has fallen off it yet. You can actually see the arms flex down when you have a truck on it. I'm not a fan of rotary.

There is an ancient benwil in the next bay that doesn't shake much at all.

In my shop at home I have an autolifters (now defunct) 9k, it doesn't shake at all.

 

[BoostedOne]

As mentioned, forget buying half this stuff new unless you are just wanting to impress everyone while you go into debt.
I bought my american made Ben Pearson lift used from a shop that was changing their shop configuration for $800.. After about 3 years the seals on one ram blew out, a few years later the other ram blew out. But the seal kit only cost like 75$ if I recall correctly. Other than the pump going out, theres not much else to fail because of usage. I have an old Van Norman blast cabinet, Ingersoll Rand T30 compressor, Blackhawk 10T jack, so much stuff that was bought used for less than half(more like 1/4) of what it cost new.
Other than the lifts, its a buyers market honestly for much of the stuff. How many people are buying AC recycling machines, balancers, etc. You can also get on proxibid.com and look for equipment auctions in your area.

 

[onthefence777]

I have read A LOT of good things on this forum about Mohawk lifts, and as far as I can remember, nothing bad.

Something I would keep in mind if I were in your position, is support for lowered cars. Lots of business right there with the hipsters. I'm sure you could work around it, using low slope drive on ramps to get them up higher for arms to get underneath or whatever. Just something to think about.

Mind you, I am just sharing thoughts, I haven't had any lift experience for many years. I am excited for you starting out a new business. Like others have mentioned, think very carefully about every dollar you spend. I would definitely buy one brand new, heavy duty, highly reviewed, dependable lift you can count on until the end of time. The others, I personally would look used and smaller unless your target base is heavy duty trucks. Every dollar you spend is another dollar you have to make to break even.

 

[bamendaboy]

Thanks to whoever provided the link about Sega. I am currently finalizing payment and shipments with them. I called some Alex guy about 100 times and bend pak and he keeps telling me he will get back to me. What and ***...

 

[dynahoe]

I'm using a 9k direct lift that is 12 years old,zero issues,infinite adjustment for pad height,round pegs and screw type rubber pads,rotary you have 4 pad heights thats it,steel pads with an inch and a half of contact on the frame,i've seen dozens of trucks slide on these pads, due to poor placement and undercoating...rotary are great for cars but try it with a an extra cab long bed with a cap or weight in the bed.25 years using all makes of lifts,never seen a lift fail,any brand.buying american is all well and good but mohawk is twice the price of most any other comparable lift..rubber pads contacting a frame has proven to be more stable in my experience...i like stacking pegs under rubber pads, whatever you choose learn how to use them safely