Single Post Drive on Car Lift

[77Tony]

Planning to add a single bay display garage off of the kitchen/dining room area. I've narrowed it down to a single post drive on type lift. I've found 2-3 lifts on the internet from US distributors and presume manufactured in China. Most are these lifts^^are in the $3,500 range, capacity is 6,000lbs, under car clearance is approx 6'4". Similar lifts can be purchased (same dimensions) from Alibaba.com (I understand the Chinese equivalent of Amazon) and these units are in the $ 2,000 range. Any one deal with Alibaba and have had good success ? TIA T

Note: approx prices below are without shipping.

US distributor, Chinese manufacturer: (approx $ 3500 USD)
https://www.bestbuyautoequipment.co...-single-column-storage-lift-p/al-sp-6k-ss.htm

Chinese distributor, Chinese manufacturer: (approx $ 2,000 USD)
https://www.alibaba.com/product-det...pm=a2700.7724857.normalList.45.e0bc417cR7Qlyv

 

[tvtaurus]

I fully understand that you may have a budget for this product, however, a lifting device is not something to cheap out on. Gravity doesn't care what is under the lift when it fails. You may save money on the single post lift but you will need some thick concrete to support it. I have seen countless of these Chinese lifts fail as most of them are way overrated on the capacities.

 

[77Tony]

replies in red

tvtaurus;I fully understand that you may have a budget for this product, however, a lifting device is not something to cheap out on. Thank you for the quick reply. Had both 2-post and 4-post lifts in my old shop for years...both chinese mfr'd and have had no issues. Gravity doesn't care what is under the lift when it fails. You may save money on the single post lift but you will need some thick concrete to support it. Have not built the garage yet but do plan on a 5-6" reinforced concrete base rated at 4,000psi I have seen countless of these Chinese lifts fail as most of them are way overrated on the capacities. the lifts I'm looking at are 6,000lb rated and the heaviest auto that will going on it weighs 3,500lbs Note the the black single post drive on style unit in pic below weighs in at 2,600lbs....pretty beefy. On the other hand the blue/grey single post, movable unit below..also rated at 6,000lbs just does not look safe and I am not considering that style. Has anyone here ordered, installed, and used lifts from Alibaba distributors ? TIA T

 

[rburke65]

Well then if you were happy with their lifts and feel comfortable, then that sounds like you have found your lift. No, I have no experience with a similar lift.

 

[bobj49f2]

I'd be concerned by not seeing an Auto Lift Institute certification for these. I wouldn't put anything on top and wouldn't go under one without one. Maybe I missed it somewhere on the website.

https://www.autolift.org/

 

[firebirdparts]

There have been some threads on here about one post lifts, and some threads about direct buying from China. maybe not both together, though. There are some guys on GJ who directly imported Chinese lifts.

 

[jdsac]

Do some more research, the cost of ocean freight + dock fees + truck freight from the Long Beach port might narrow down the gap between Alibaba & one thats at a supplier in the states. Take your time

 

[77Tony]

Well then if you were happy with their lifts and feel comfortable, then that sounds like you have found your lift. No, I have no experience with a similar lift.

Not sure if I'll be happy with there lifts...still holding out for feedback from someone who has purchased lift(s) through Alibaba.

I'd be concerned by not seeing an Auto Lift Institute certification for these. I wouldn't put anything on top and wouldn't go under one without one. Maybe I missed it somewhere on the website.

https://www.autolift.org/

Thank you for the link^^

There have been some threads on here about one post lifts, and some threads about direct buying from China. maybe not both together, though. There are some guys on GJ who directly imported Chinese lifts.

Still hoping they will chime in Thank you.

Do some more research, the cost of ocean freight + dock fees + truck freight from the Long Beach port might narrow down the gap between Alibaba & one thats at a supplier in the states. Take your time

Agreed...I've been going back and forth (e-mails) with one mfr and ocean freight shipping from China to Long Beach is $90. I would then need to pay dock fees (?) ground shipping (approx. 500 miles) to Tucson, AZ and who knows what other fees. Now in the planning stages of the new garage build and in no hurry. Will hunt some more lifts with an American distributor, look for one with ALI certification and skip the hassle of trying to import on my own. TIA T

 

[Aahz]

Those types of lifts will not meet ALI Certification, so don't waste time on that. The lifts are available here in the USA from an importer that goes by the name of Tuxedo Lifts. Tuxedo sells to Best Buy and numerous other distributors and import a decent product line, but for the most part, the lifts are not ALI Certified. (None of the single post lifts are).

The benefit of paying a bit more for the lifts imported by that company is that they carry parts for the lifts in stock in TX. We have sold some of their lifts and overall, I would say we have been pretty happy with them.

Importing directly from China off of Alibaba is a challenge. I haven't tried to do it since the Tariffs have been in place, but I would imagine that adds a layer of complexity (and cost) that I really wouldn't want to deal with. Alibaba is very similar to E-Bay in China, chances are, you are not going to be dealing with a manufacturer (sometimes yes, sometimes no) but you may end up dealing with someone out trying to resell a manufacturer's product for a few bucks over cost. What you order may not be exactly what you get, although it will most likely serve the same purpose. To give an example, we ordered 20 lifts from a Chinese manufacturer for a specific parking situation one of customers was looking for. I even went over to make sure the product was going to be exactly as advertised...What we received was NOT exactly as advertised, even though what I saw when I was there was exactly what I wanted. They ended up making modifications to reduce cost as soon as I left..Since that time, the company has undergone 2 or 3 name changes and parts are no longer available.

Moral of the story is that paying a bit extra to a company that has reliable suppliers that they do business with all the time is good money spent.

 

[LXCam]

The guy here who did this with a different style lift got nailed with unforeseen costs once it hit the states. I'm pretty sure I remember when all was said and done he saved only a few hundred bucks under what could could have bought it for not including getting jerked around for a few months.

 

[bobj49f2]

I wouldn't deal with anything from China. If I did buy something I'd want to go through a US distributor who I could get a hold of and make things right if there is a problem. Let them deal with the Chinese. Dealing with the Chinese is always dicey.

 

[77Tony]

Thank you for all the feedback people^^ Will purchase from a US distributor T

 

[zollster]

"I have seen countless of these Chinese lifts fail as most of them are way overrated on the capacities". ..........tvtaurus please explain or pictures.

 

[JackAndy]

I've been looking at getting this lift for over a year but haven't pulled the trigger yet. There's quite a few posts about it on this forum. There's even a video of someone lifting an F250 on it and wheeling it around the garage. The consensus seems to be that if you actually want to work on a car under this lift, you would want to get the tall jackstands they sell to support the front and the back of the car so it doesn't sway or rock.

I don't think there is any US company that makes a single post lift.

 

[bobj49f2]

I don't think there is any US company that makes a single post lift.

https://aclifts.com/lifts/m-1-single-post-car-lift/

They have this link on their website:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=91671

 

[Aahz]

I've been looking at getting this lift for over a year but haven't pulled the trigger yet. There's quite a few posts about it on this forum. There's even a video of someone lifting an F250 on it and wheeling it around the garage. The consensus seems to be that if you actually want to work on a car under this lift, you would want to get the tall jackstands they sell to support the front and the back of the car so it doesn't sway or rock.

I don't think there is any US company that makes a single post lift.

You are correct...there are no US companies that are making this product. They are ALL coming from China. That being said, not all Chinese products are bad, but most are not built to take professional use here in the USA.

The capacity on these lifts is usually 6,000 lbs. I'm not sure I would trust putting an F250 on one unless it was stripped down to the bone. Curb weight on that truck is 5648 lbs with a regular cab and an 8' bed.

Usually, the lift's front wheels are spring loaded so that once pressure to raise the lift is applied, the steel base sets on the floor. I'm not sure how you could use that to move a vehicle around loaded, without modifying the lift to get rid of those springs. I don't think I'd want to be around one if that was done!

 

[bobj49f2]

The company in the above, American Custom Lifts, says they are the only US company to make a one post lift.

 

[Aahz]

Bobj....I may be mistaken on that comment, but it would surprise me greatly if it's true.

 

[bobj49f2]

Bobj....I may be mistaken on that comment, but it would surprise me greatly if it's true.

Just curious, why would it surprise you? I know absolutely nothing about the company other than what is on their website. Do you think this place acts like a chrome shop, has all their work done across the border and has it finished back on this side? Their site mentions numerous times they are American made. I suppose they could be lying but I think they'd be worried about being exposed if they were.

 

[mikegt4]

The guy here who did this with a different style lift got nailed with unforeseen costs once it hit the states. I'm pretty sure I remember when all was said and done he saved only a few hundred bucks under what could could have bought it for not including getting jerked around for a few months.

LXCam beat me to it, I was about to say the same thing. IIRC, it was about 6-7 years ago and in the end the unexpected fees/expenses made it only a couple hundred $ cheaper and with a lot more hassle.

 

[77Tony]

https://aclifts.com/lifts/m-1-single-post-car-lift/

They have this link on their website:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=91671

Anyone have experience with the AC Lifts^^Has anyone actually experienced failures on the Chinese made single post drive on lifts ? TIA. T

 

[Radix2]

Usually, the lift's front wheels are spring loaded so that once pressure to raise the lift is applied, the steel base sets on the floor. I'm not sure how you could use that to move a vehicle around loaded, without modifying the lift to get rid of those springs. I don't think I'd want to be around one if that was done!

Look closer, they are built exactly like a pallet jack. The front wheels are hydraulically controlled to lift just the same, allowing movement just the same.

Engineering wise, these sort of lifts are easier to design safely when installed vs a two post lift (as is a four post) for the simple fact that all forces are controlled by factory assembled joints - the critical joint and common failure point of two post lifts is the floor bolt assembly. No design, ALI, or quality control can assure that joint when installed.

I'm not vouching for the design or build of any lift, but the comments here about it being inherently less safe are silly. Here is a design that can be full analyzed for performance as it leaves the factory - you can't say that about any two post.

There is always the limit of the vehicle rotating off the lift arms if not centered properly - that is what sets the max force on the bolts or the ground legs on this one. Hopefully it is made such that the ground legs are not the limiter.

 

[Lou's Garage]

I worked under one of these many years ago. As you exerted any force on the vehicle, it tried to rotate around the single post and would sway back and forth. The heavier the vehicle, the worse it was. I found it disconcerting and used the twin post whenever possible. At the time, both these lifts were brand new and U.S. manufacture.

Lou Manglass

 

[JackAndy]

https://aclifts.com/lifts/m-1-single-post-car-lift/

They have this link on their website:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=91671

I'm looking for a lift that allows me to work on cars. It looks like this is a drive on parking lift. Thats why this one didn't get considered.

 

[JackAndy]

Engineering wise, these sort of lifts are easier to design safely when installed vs a two post lift (as is a four post) for the simple fact that all forces are controlled by factory assembled joints - the critical joint and common failure point of two post lifts is the floor bolt assembly. No design, ALI, or quality control can assure that joint when installed.

I'm not vouching for the design or build of any lift, but the comments here about it being inherently less safe are silly. Here is a design that can be full analyzed for performance as it leaves the factory - you can't say that about any two post.

There is always the limit of the vehicle rotating off the lift arms if not centered properly - that is what sets the max force on the bolts or the ground legs on this one. Hopefully it is made such that the ground legs are not the limiter.

I probably wouldn't trust my life to this thing but I'd treat it like any other jack or jackstand. Once the vehicle is on, bounce my body weight on the hood and trunk to see if it moves or if its stable. Just as an added measure, I'd get the tall jackstands to support the front and rear of the vehicle if I were to actually wrench on it instead of just parking. I'd also anchor the top of the center beam to the wall behind it just to minimize any flex or movement should something happen.

One other thing to note is that this lift weighs 1,800 lbs. The 2 post lifts I've seen, which are a lot less expensive, are only 1,200-1,400 lbs but rated for more weight. So it seems to be built heavier.

 

[Gauss66]

Let me follow up on " Datsun 510 Driver's" experiences.

I have bought 2 lifts from ACL and have worked directly with Jason Tharp. The second lift will be the M1 and is set to be installed on 4/8 ( it shipped this week ).

ACL was recommended by a friend that owns a lift company here in Florida. Jason & ACL has easily exceeded all expectations with me to date. The first lift was a 4 post lift from Challenger - where we had some slight issues with install and parts. Even though Jason was the go between with Challenger and myself, he managed everything in an exceedingly fast fashion and complete fashion. The M1 is ACL's lift - manufactured in Texas. ACL can customize this lift to your needs, if needed. Height, lifting weight, color, ramps etc ...

I'll post photos later in April, once installed and fully wired !