so it happened today on my shop 2 post lift

sweetk30 · Mar 14, 2020

the button stuck and it was a good thing i was NOT alone in the shop . friend held the cable for the over head safety wire to kill the flow of juice and i turned the breaker off .

i recall not to long ago on here a member said he had this happen and wired in a 2nd switch so both had to be pushed to make the power flow .

this will be my modification ! and also it might just get a disconnect cord / socket combo to get away from the hard wired setup on it now . this would have helped a lot .

larry_g · Mar 14, 2020

Give us a clue to the brand and the brand of the switch and motor HP . Can we assume the switch contacts welded closed? If this is a brand specific problem then maybe we can get the MFG to step up or at least other members with this same setup can be prepared.

matt_i · Mar 14, 2020

Estop pushbutton?

Use an actual contactor instead of a momentary switch with underrated contacts?

3rdgendslmech · Mar 15, 2020

When I wired up my lift I put a 30 amp disconnect right above the motor for this very reason.

crook038 · Mar 15, 2020

I installed an emergency stop button on both my 2 post and 4 post lift. It is a nice safety in case things go wrong.
Sean
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KPEEPAW/?tag=atomicindus08-20

finn · Mar 15, 2020

I put a Wall mounted disconnect within arms reach of the hydraulic reservoir / controls.

matt_i · Mar 15, 2020

Some important follow-up questions to me would be: suppose you didn't have the friend, etc..would the overtravel cable & switch have stopped the upward travel by contacting the roof of the vehicle? Is it in the proper location to work correctly? Does it need a cover or a coated cable so it doesn't scratch the roof?

Samh · Mar 15, 2020

matt_i said:
Some important follow-up questions to me would be: suppose you didn't have the friend, etc..would the overtravel cable & switch have stopped the upward travel by contacting the roof of the vehicle? Is it in the proper location to work correctly? Does it need a cover or a coated cable so it doesn't scratch the roof?

I don’t have a lift, but does these not have limit switches to prevent them going past a certain height?

sweetk30 · Mar 15, 2020

cheep china quality EAGLE 9k 2 post lift already in the shop when i moved in . has a baldor motor and monarch pump unit .

the switch was the factory tiny push button with a 25amp 220volt rating . UNIMAX switch model ADPDJO switch like the one in he pic i found on line .

the overhead safety cable works and this vehicle was to short to hit the cable if it went up that far . so in this problem it would have let the pump do the internal bypass until i got to the breaker .

going to plan out the repair today . thinking maybe the disconnect and new switch only just to keep it simple stupid . and there is min extra space inside the box now at this point so i need to pick the new switch to fit .

Super Mech · Mar 15, 2020

I’ve got twist locks on the cords coming down from my ceiling on all three lifts. If they ever stick I just unplug them.

rjacobs · Mar 15, 2020

Get a 30a, 220v switch and wire it in with your existing power wire. Mount it in a surface mount box near the existing switch(that failed) then if that same thing happens again, you just flip the 30a/220v switch off.

zmotorsports · Mar 15, 2020

I've never heard of this happening but thought "what if" when I installed my 2-post lift.

For that "just in case" scenario, I just installed a double pole/single throw 30-amp switch just above the push button on the column of the lift. I now get in the habit of turning off the switch anytime I am not using the lift or leaving the shop for the night. Much quicker to get to than the breaker panel in the event of an issue.

Jking24 · Mar 15, 2020

I have the same brand lift at work and the switch sticks sometimes. Mine isn't a contactor problem the switch sticks mechanically(doesn't spring back up) mine has always released with a little peck on the switch. The fact that it has always released has made me a little lazy to repair it. I like all the ideas mentioned here any one of them would work fine

chipjumper · Mar 15, 2020

Could you test the overhead safety with a broom stick? I’d make sure that is functioning too.

kbuhagiar · Mar 15, 2020

crook038 said:
I installed an emergency stop button on both my 2 post and 4 post lift. It is a nice safety in case things go wrong.
Sean
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KPEEPAW/?tag=atomicindus08-20

This.

Also allows for lockout.

Modern Garage · Mar 15, 2020

I have to ask: How is this a problem?
I can't picture any damage from the pump motor running against the pressure relief for the twenty seconds it would take me to walk to the breaker box and flip off the power. Seems like an answer in search of a question, or am I missing something?
Joe

brownbagg · Mar 15, 2020

3rdgendslmech said:
When I wired up my lift I put a 30 amp disconnect right above the motor for this very reason.

yes , me too, I got one of those quick throw amp boxes, the one with the lever mounted couple inches from switch

it has happen to me too, the micro switch got stuck

also it help because i can padlock off, keep my buddies away when im not home

woodzy · Mar 16, 2020

Not car lift related, but at the tool shop I work for, the crane has an up limit switch and when you press the up button, the hook will rise until it hits the switch - at that point, if you don't release your finger (or if the button is stuck) it will kill the power to the up circuit of the hoist. Well, that works as expected except the time the operator lowered something to the floor and left the pendant go. The down button was stuck and the hook it the floor and continue to unwind until it started to wind the wrong way. Up went the hook until it hit the up switch - it killed the power to the upper button but that didn't stop the power to the down button. A few seconds later a large crack and the hook came dropping to the floor. Good thing no one was around.

firebirdparts · Mar 16, 2020

Samh said:
I don’t have a lift, but does these not have limit switches to prevent them going past a certain height?

They do not. If the lift is fully extended, it will mechanically stop and the relief on the pump opens. That doesn't hurt anything, but it does run the hydraulics at 2500 psi, and just generally it's a bad idea to get in a situation where a relief valve really really has to work, because it might not. If part of the hyrdaulics blew out, then the lift wouldn't fall, so it's not "unsafe" but it would sure be messy.

My lift has a couple of rubber lines here and there, so if I let them age old enough, in theory they would eventually break. So that's a concern.

Lifts which have a limit switch are usually trying to touch a car with the limit switch. It turns the lift off when a car touches it. It doesn't have any idea whether the lift is all the way up, it just knows where a car is.

Falcon67 · Mar 16, 2020

Lift power, convenience outlet and motor rated switch at the pump

>I don’t have a lift, but does these not have limit switches to prevent them going past a certain height?
No. Mine would start to lift the roof until the rubber bumper sheared off, then continue up until the car lifted the roof LOL/Not LOL.

Chevy-SS · Mar 16, 2020

Modern Garage said:
I have to ask: How is this a problem?
I can't picture any damage from the pump motor running against the pressure relief for the twenty seconds it would take me to walk to the breaker box and flip off the power. Seems like an answer in search of a question, or am I missing something?
Joe

Same question. My breaker box is 6 steps away, so I could be there in about 2 seconds. However, I can see if the breaker box is located somewhat far away, then a shutoff switch would absolutely be great idea.

sweetk30 · Mar 16, 2020

Modern Garage said:
I have to ask: How is this a problem?

Joe

i was lifting the car body off the front K-member with the engine and trans on stands and i was bumping the lift 2 sec's and stopping and checking for wires or hoses i missed .

so in this case you could have something still attached and rip it off or worse drop a engine / trans off the stands and have $$$ damages .

also some vehicles do not let you hit the safety cable / bar and could go up in to the ceiling and do damage t the shop and vehicle .

sweetk30 · Mar 16, 2020

so stopped at lowes today and got a box/cover plate / switch .

i looked and didnt see super specific for electric motor use so i got this sucker .

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Legrand-Ivory-Compatible-with-LED-Toggle-Light-Switch/3454690

solid brass terminals and rated for 30 amps . my motor is 13-13.6 amps so i figure this is way over kill .

kbeefy · Mar 16, 2020

My lifts have a 30A plug wired in right above the switch. If the switch sticks I can pretty quickly unplug the cord.

The uplimit bar on my lifts only disconnect the button from the switch. If the switch is stuck the limit does nothing, could definitely crush a pickup cab.

I have seen the switches stick a couple times, usually from people 'bumping' them to move slow or a small amount.

Kaizen · Mar 16, 2020

Threads like these are why I did this.

Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

sweetk30 · Mar 16, 2020

upgrade completed and tested :thumbup:

under 20 bucks at the store . and sharpie colored to let ya know what you got .

JSK · Mar 16, 2020

Another poor-man fix would be to immediately press in the lowering handle. Oil would just bypass through the return line and pressure would not be able to build up. The lift would not raise. Might give you time to call for help.

428PI · Mar 16, 2020

JSK, good idea with just hitting the release lever. I just thought of it also. I had a lift at work once that would tend to "stick" but a quick second push of the button would make it release the contacts. I have a Harbor Freight hoist on my shed door that is starting to stick. It's kinda scary and could pull my door apart if not careful.

S4cruiser · Mar 16, 2020

Happened to me with my Bendpak. Scared the **** out of me. Pushing it again and releasing made it stop. I think about it every time I push the button now.

Will be adding some sort of kill switch soon.

flyt100 · Mar 16, 2020

That was me. Yep, I put another hole in the box and put another switch in series. I found that the return spring on the switch is kind of weak, and if the switch was pushed to the side, it could bind.

sweetk30 said:
the button stuck and it was a good thing i was NOT alone in the shop . friend held the cable for the over head safety wire to kill the flow of juice and i turned the breaker off .

i recall not to long ago on here a member said he had this happen and wired in a 2nd switch so both had to be pushed to make the power flow .

this will be my modification ! and also it might just get a disconnect cord / socket combo to get away from the hard wired setup on it now . this would have helped a lot .

kaymccampbell · Mar 16, 2020

crook038 said:
I installed an emergency stop button on both my 2 post and 4 post lift. It is a nice safety in case things go wrong.
Sean
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KPEEPAW/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I've got this on my lift, and a lot of other machinery in the shop. Never needed it for the lift, yet. Some of the other machines, it has been a blessing.

CJseven · Mar 16, 2020

I installed a pendant remote switch on my lift several years ago, when I did I removed the original momentary and replaced it with a on/off toggle as a safety.

yellojello · Jan 4, 2022

Just got my Bendpak, and breaker is on other side of garage. I did buy a separate switch enclosure that has available lockout, but thought this would be cleaner. Drill and dremel.

ItsNemo · Jan 4, 2022

zmotorsports said:
I've never heard of this happening but thought "what if" when I installed my 2-post lift.

For that "just in case" scenario, I just installed a double pole/single throw 30-amp switch just above the push button on the column of the lift. I now get in the habit of turning off the switch anytime I am not using the lift or leaving the shop for the night. Much quicker to get to than the breaker panel in the event of an issue.

My electrical panel is literally right beside my lift console (have an in floor mid-rise scissor lift). Unless I'm actively using the lift, the breaker is always off. The last thing I want is for something to accidently fall on the button and my lift to start rising while my vehicles are half parked on top (lift is centered but I usually park the vehicles left/right). If something ever stuck like this, it's a quick flip of the breaker for me.

Kaizen · Jan 4, 2022

Worth every penny

PoorUB · Jan 4, 2022

Personally, when **** hits the fan I like a big red slap switch. Less thought involved.

tarmy · Jan 4, 2022

I have those on my power tools…drill press (can hit with head if I am afraid to let go!) and table saw (can hit with my knee if afraid to let go!)

TurnipTruck · Jan 5, 2022

I had just received this Forward lift when this thread originally was posted, and used the link to purchase the STOP switch. Once the drywall and paint were done, I erected the hoist but didn’t lift much beside a steel table for a year while finishing construction.
This truck is the first expensive thing I lifted with my new hoist and the original push button welded itself ON. I panicked for hundreds of nanoseconds then slapped the paddle.
I dug around in my box-o-switches and found an industrial AllenBradley momentary that ohmed good and immediately installed it.

I took this picture the same day.

I tested the upstop later, and it worked properly, but the hood would have hit this side door track first.

crazylunker · Jan 5, 2022

Super Mech said:
I’ve got twist locks on the cords coming down from my ceiling on all three lifts. If they ever stick I just unplug them.

same here, not to mention in a pinch you have a 220 plug right at the lift

CraigStu · Jan 5, 2022

I don't have a lift but did work on one for 25 years so I always read through threads like this. One thing that sticks out is that the uplimit bars don't seem like a very good idea. Don't they know we work on vehicles w/ a huge variance in height? I never thought about it before but maybe a limit switch on one or both main posts that contacts the lift head would be better?

so it happened today on my shop 2 post lift

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