More Lift Questions. 4 vs 2. Cheap vs $$

[Jayhawk_Aviator]

Ready to pull the trigger. Struggling with a few questions I hope the experts here can help with:

* Size - It looks like even a 3/4 ton pickup can fit on an 8000 lb lift. Not sure what would drive the need to go bigger (I see many do 9K or 10K)? Same questions on length...I think even crew cab shortbeds will fit on standard lenght. Not sure why the extra long are so popular?
* Height - I have 13' ceilings in my shop so no issue with ceiling. Do people find the extended height lifts significantly easier to work underr? Worth the extra cost?
* Chinese vs Name Brand - I;ve seen the videos and people claiming to buy American or certified. To my knowledge, even the "amercian" lifts (like Bendpak, wildfire, etc.) are made in china. If so, what is really the difference in the american lifts? I think they are all made in china. I'm considered brands like Atlas, DirectLift, Champion, Nationwide, or Auto Lift. I'm not sure if people really consider them "american" quality or chinese quality. If chinese, I'm not sure I understand what's really differnt about Bendpak.
* 4 post vs 2 post - I likke the portability of the 4 post and ease of use and leanign that way. That said, I'm worried the runners are going to be a pain when doing wheel work and will generally get in the way. I think I have 4-6" of concrete so could support 2 post. 2 post also seems nice for lifting auto bodys and other. Have people found the 4 post very usable for maintenance?
* Is it possible that a car is too narrow for a regular 4 post? Jeep CJ or factory five cobra for example.

Thanks,
Scott

 

[bigdav160]

I have an 8000lb Rotary two post. I would never think of trying to lift my 3/4 ton (8600lb) truck with it. The 9000lb Rotarys at work lift my trucks but not without a little strain.

13 ft ceilings are almost the minimum. I suspect tall people prefer extended height. I am 5'8" and would never use it. Standard is more than enough.

There are American manufactures of lifts. Certified lifts offer a level of comfort. Something that seems common in cheaper imported lifts is undersized hydraulics. That way they can never lift the advertised weight and fail.

4 post are parking lifts. I HATE trying to work on a car/truck with them. They take up a lot of space and only some of them are 'portable'.

Can a vehicle be too narrow? In theory. The 2 post asymmetric lifts, at work, will lift my 3 ft wide Tennant floor scrubber

 

[pbon]

A bendpak hd-9xw has an adjustable runway for a narrower car. Check drive through width if you have a full size truck with big mirrors.

I have the Hd-9xw and with bridge jacks — expensive option — you can do most jobs. I can drop an engine or trans, do exhaust work, etc. But I prefer a 2 post for working on cars. Used to have one but my current house would have required a lot of work to fit one since I have a basement under the garage.

 

[Kaizen]

I have an atlas ten k 2 post with ceiling bridge. My ceiling is 12 feet and my lift has a taller setting that I could not use. At 5-11 I fit but need to watch my head. Remember for two post it’s the height of the frame not the tires like in a four post. For the extra money it was a no brained to get the larger size of 10k. Better safe then sorry. I do not subscribe to the buy American only so I did not even look at brand names. Mine is well made. Welds look professional or robot made.
Price difference between four post vs 2 post was also a concern as imo you really need a rolling jack and they ain’t giving them away.
I would seriously recommend going out and drilling where you think you would put a two post. The results might tell you which way to go


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Garett]

If you're working on the car you will want a 2 post. 10k lbs is the basic standard for most new lifts. You get what you pay for, some of the really popular off shore lifts have problems from day one. You can read all about it here on GJ, yet people still buy them. If used is a consideration there are shops shutting down everywhere, you might be able to find something in your area.

 

[rnixon]

FYI Guys , An extended hight lift Does Not lift the vehicle higher , it lifts the cross bar and cable traverse at the top of the lift Higher , so a taller vehicle can be raised to a working hight. What you are paying for are, column extensions, longer cables and hydraulic lines, nothing more.

 

[ekimneirbo]

The problem with cheap 4 post lifts is the width between the posts. Its not a problem with a car being too narrow, its the vehicle being wide and not having a lot of room to clear the posts. Think of trying to back into some of the old garages that had narrow doors. Often you have to move or remove mirrors to clear the posts. Industrial 4 post lifts are wider.
Get the 10,000 lb and quit being a cheapskate.

 

[dagofast]

I have an Advantage Lift SS900XLT 4 post lift. The extra tall was helpful in my case because I have 15 foot ceilings and when not working on a vehicle, I store my old Chevy pick up on it. The 83" of clearance is nice because it allows me to work on various projects underneath the lift with plenty of headroom for taller items. For example, if working on a motorcycle, I will roll the MC lift under and still have room above when the bike is lifted.

The longest vehicle we currently own are the aforementioned Chevy pickup which is a regular cab short bed so the extra length wasn't an important factor from a vehicle standpoint, but it was from a floor space layout point of view in that it allowed the posts to be located away from a lathe at the front and an entry door at the rear of the lift.

The distance between the ramps varies from manufacture to models, but the placement on mine are versatile enough to do the full size truck down to my wife's little Kia Soul. A neighbor has the same lift and he stores his UTV up on it.

With a rolling jack, I've found it very easy to do brakes, shocks and other work. Oil changes are easy peasy. I like the extra security of the 4 post for storing a vehicle on and the convenience of just driving on, getting out and pushing the button to raise it. No fussing with positioning the arms and pads, finding lift and balance points. Raising it a little and test shaking it. Plus my knees are shot, so no more crawling on the ground was one of the big reasons for getting a lift in the first place.

 

[59 wagon man]

2 posts are easier most off the time when working on a car but if you have a low car and mostly use it for storage the 4 post is easier. as you get older this becomes more important. my ceiling height is 11' and I have changed the oil on our expedition but that only made it 3/4's of the way up. my 59 chevy wagon and fox body mustang sleep on it like a bunk bed for cars

 

[CraigStu]

I worked as a tech for 22+ years always on 2 posts. Once in a while we needed an extra lift to do a quick wait job and had to use the alignment rack. It is essentially a 4 post and had 2 of the big $ sliding jacks. Every time any one had to do more than an oil change you could count on hearing the cursing. Pull a tire off and your elbow hits the edge of the ramp and you are lucky not to drop the tire cause it HURTS. I wouldn't even think of a 4 post.

 

[BruceMc]

Pull a tire off and your elbow hits the edge of the ramp and you are lucky not to drop the tire cause it HURTS. I wouldn't even think of a 4 post.

Honestly, if you can't pull a tire off on a 4-post without hurting yourself, you're probably in the wrong line of work. How is it easier and safer on a 2-post?

 

[59 wagon man]

Honestly, if you can't pull a tire off on a 4-post without hurting yourself, you're probably in the wrong line of work. How is it easier and safer on a 2-post?

think of it this way it is basically like jacking up the car 3 or 4 feet to work on.i have changed engines, transmissions and rear end on my 4 post. would a two post be easier for that sometimes yes sometimes no. if it mainly for storage the 4 post is way easier. if I was going to do a body off restoration the 2 post is way easier. my mustang sits low(1990 saleen mustang) and putting it up on the lift was a pain. the car was so low you could barely see or move the arms. now with the 4 post drive right up with no problem jump out and lift the car

 

[pbon]

For a low car you would want 4’ ramps. I have still scraped going onto my HD-9XW.

 

[poppinjohnnies]

My Bendpak 10,000lb lift has been great. I’ve lifted everything from a golf cart to a F-350.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Jayhawk_Aviator]

Thanks guys. I'm really torn now. I was set on 4 post, but I really think a 2 post would be easier to work with. I see Derek Weaver and Greg Smith both have 9000 lb two posts that are around 1700. Seems like a big price hike. My 0.5 ton crew cab doesn't weigh over 6000 lbs, so I'm not sure why I need anything bigger than 9000.

Wondering if there is anyone in the southern Kansas City area that has a 2 and/or 4 post that I could see their car on the lift and see accessibility, stability, etc?

 

[poppinjohnnies]

Thanks guys. I'm really torn now. I was set on 4 post, but I really think a 2 post would be easier to work with. I see Derek Weaver and Greg Smith both have 9000 lb two posts that are around 1700. Seems like a big price hike. My 0.5 ton crew cab doesn't weigh over 6000 lbs, so I'm not sure why I need anything bigger than 9000.

Wondering if there is anyone in the southern Kansas City area that has a 2 and/or 4 post that I could see their car on the lift and see accessibility, stability, etc?

Sorry for the delay in my reply. I’m down in SE KS, near Pittsburg. You’re welcome to stop by if you want to check out my lift.


Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[djhnsn]

I have a no name chineese 4 post that I bought cheap to use as a scaffolding when I was doing the electrical in my new shop. It has 2 sliding jack trays that makes it easy to pull wheels off. I have done just about everything on it from swapping motors to changing gears.

My main complaint is that its too low to park my Jeep under it so I always have to park on it. If you don't have lifted vehicles to park under it this wouldn't be a problem.

The XLT would be nice but in my case with 13' ceiling the standard height puts the Jeep 1" from the ceiling. I never had a problem with the length or width just the height.

 

[GRivera]

Regarding the lift capacity say 9K vs 10k 2 post lift- keep in mind the capacity is evenly split between the 4 arms. So on a 3/4 ton truck say a diesel at 7500 lbs, the bulk of the weight is up front which is why a lighter capacity 2 post lift isn’t recommended.

 

[KJINTF]

Everyone has different needs
For me a 4 post 12K Lbs w/ 2 each rolling bridge jacks and 16ft ceilings
Does the job
Never had problems doing tire / brake work the bridge jacks are wonderful
To each their own

 

[rburke65]

OP.....if you were to look at a Mohawk lift and anyone of lifts you made reference to in your post, you would see the difference.

 

[u2slow]

I had a chinese 14k# 4-post that I picked up cheap. Once I started laying out the pieces, it became clear I could no longer fit a second vehicle in my shop. It also only yielded 5' clearance when raised. I own no vehicle than could fit underneath.

I've since picked up a 9k# 2-post (similar to a Mohawk) that looks promising. I've worked with 2-posts in the past. Besides doing basic automotive work, they work really well for removing cabs and boxes off trucks, even lift your camper or canopy off.

 

[pbon]

I would have a Mohawk A7 if I had a concrete floor. But I have wood so I needed a 4 post. I bought a Bendpak HD-9xw. 7’ underneath with it raised up. And it’s not overly wide at 108” outside of post to outside of post.

 

[firebirdparts]

Another consideration is that a two post has the load cantilevered and thus has to be solidly connected to the universe. The 4 poster is the opposite. It is just a platform with four sliding moment connections shooting a leg out of the corners. cross bracing is impossible. The two post is immoveable. A four post cannot practically be stopped from moving.

you will find lots of examples of car falls on both lifts, but the events leading to the fall are unrelated. The failure mechanisms are totally different.

 

[lowe.joshua51]

Sorry for the delay in my reply. I’m down in SE KS, near Pittsburg. You’re welcome to stop by if you want to check out my lift.


Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app

I’m in Pittsburg and I have the Derek weaver 2 post baseplate lift if you want to check it out.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[pelletman]

My dad has a Hunter alignment lift with 10' of headroom and I thought I would hate it. Scissor type with rolling jacks. I thought I would hate it. Also has a 10K Challenger that was under $1000 in nice used condition. I like them both, but I like the convenience of the Hunter, no kneeling down to position pads. We use rolling creeper seats and it is very comfortable to work under. I am 6'4 and I wish the Challenger went up a bit higher. Both are nice and way better than not having a lift. Whatever you pick, if money was an option I would be patient and look for a nice used one. I would probably avoid Bendpak based on all I have read here

 

[JSK]

What have you read here? Most BendPak reviews I read are positive.

Big difference between cheap and ALI approved.
https://www.bendpak.com/a-study-in-lift-design/cheap-lift-vs-bendpak/

 

[SJW]

OP, good idea to see lifts in action. Hopefully that will help you decide.

pelletman, not sure why you want to avoid Bendpak. I've heard lots of good things about their lifts. Most of the negative stuff I've read seems to be shipping issues, which is usually caused by bad forklift operators and is not unique to Bendpak. In fact, Bendpak is mentioned in this thread by poppinjohnnies who seems pretty pleased with his Bendpak lift.

 

[pelletman]

What have you read here? Most BendPak reviews I read are positive.

Big difference between cheap and ALI approved.
https://www.bendpak.com/a-study-in-lift-design/cheap-lift-vs-bendpak/

There are lots of people here with issues with BendPak. I have stumbled across a bunch of threads. Try a search

 

[pelletman]

Mohawk, Rotary, and Challenger which my dad has seem to be well respected and the users seem to be happy. This is the type of Hunter alignment lift I am talking about. Of course if you want to park a car under it, it ain't happening. With rolling jacks I have been able to do anything I have ever needed to, including transmissions, exhausts, brakes & lines, wheel bearings, drop tanks for fuel pumps, etc. I don't think I would like the four posters, but have never used one

 

[Mister Clean]

I have a BendPak XPR 10S. Had it about a month, very happy with it. The real estate and use of a two post is superior to a four post in my opinion. I spoke with the tech who installed mine and his position is most of the lifts that are ALI certified and of similar price range <$3500+> are essentially the same quality. This guys job is to install lifts every day of the week.

 

[finn]

OP.....if you were to look at a Mohawk lift and anyone of lifts you made reference to in your post, you would see the difference.

So would your checkbook.

My Bendpack is a couple years old now. No issues.

Most of the complaints are scratches incurred during shipping. I heard that they now ship with plywood protectors, but can’t verify that.

 

[pbon]

There are lots of people here with issues with BendPak. I have stumbled across a bunch of threads. Try a search

If Bendpak sells the most lifts, it may have more complaints. I have a bendpak. No complaints other than some scratches during shipping.

 

[c39er]

I have had my BP 4 HD14 post with two R7
Jack's for nearly 10 years and use it a lot.
Never an issue with it.

 

[DaDuck]

my recommendation is to find a local dealer that is willing to come to your garage and help you decide what type (2 post or 4 post), load capacity, brand, etc.
Most equipment dealers sell several brands with a wide range of prices.
WHO you buy from is just as important as WHAT you buy.
I would Never buy a big ticket item from a dealer that does not have a service dept.

I had the dealer rep come to my garage (12 ft 5 inch ceiling) and help me determine exactly how/where to install. He also drilled a hole in my concrete floor to make sure it was thick enough to support a 2 post lift.

I ended up buying a Challenger 10 K Asymetrical installed for $3,600 in September 2018 and it included the lift extenders (truck).

No money down and I wrote a check the day they installed it AFTER I loaded my 2002 Silverado 4x4 extended cab on the lift.

no regrets....all my vehicles have been on the lift and my back thanks me every time I use it.

 

[pbon]

I installed my Atlas 2 post myself and never needed any service in the 5 years I had it. I assembled my bendpak 4 post myself 2 years ago and have needed no service. In both cases, I bought from a company that has been around for a while and stocks parts for what they sell in case I did need something.

 

[Jayhawk_Aviator]

Thanks guys. I found someone in my neighborhood with a 2 post. Just hoping I can find someone in south KC area that may have a 4 post I could check out in operation.

 

[jpaw]

Ask any real auto tech and the answer will always be a 2 post unless you are doing alignments or mainly storing a vehicle on it.
There are other more expensive options like in ground however that is not an option for most.
You have to decide what fits your needs best because everyone has an opinion.

Personally I would never consider a 4 post lift without also having a 2 post. So now you have my opinion too.

 

[ScaldedDog]

It doesn't fit well with the word "budget", but it's hard to beat an in-ground for service work. I've had the Rotary SL210 in the photo for a dozen years, and plan to install one just like it in our new place when we move in 2020. They are simply great service lifts.

Mark

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[slackjaw]

Anyone know of a good local place in the Bay Area that carries Bendpak? I went to get another one for my shop, but would prefer to find a local shop rather than deal with shipping.

As several others have run into, I had to ship and swap the last time I bought one.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[slackjaw]

San Francisco Bay Area btw...


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app