4 post lift suggestions

[mikester]

Hi guys. Today my buddy told me he wants to buy a 4 post lift for his garage. He asked me to put up a post requesting info. Which lift do most of you guys out there prefer ? We live on Long Island NY. And good brands out here on the east coast ? This is a "hobby car" lift. He's into VWs and maybe down the road a mid size muscle car. He has a Jeep Cherokee for a daily driver so that might go on too. I dont think he would have any heavy trucks or SUVs to use it on. Any ideas or suggestions ? Thanks

 

[GarageStyle]

Hi Mikester, My advice off the cuff would be for your buddy to check out autolift.org, it's an organization that actually certifies and inspects lifts of every nature for safety, strength, usefulness, and even has advice for which lift would be best for individual purposes. Here your friend can find out all kinds of interesting things about lifts, from in-ground scissor lifts to four-post lifts designed to get city busses off the ground.

I hope this helps!

 

[Junkman]

Bend Pak HD-9 for all his lifting needs. There are less expensive ones out there, but none will compare to the quality of the Bend Pak. Do a search for 4 post lifts, and you will have a full days worth of reading on the website.

 

[ovilla]

I second the BendPak HD-9 series (www.bendpak.com). It's still very competetively priced for a certified 4 post lift with back up safety locks on each column (which you'll rarely find on any other 4 post lift). Plus, Bend Pak is a worldwide distributor with a very good reputation that will be around down the road if/when you need parts, years from now. I've got 914's, which basically use the same air cooled engines as the 1970's VW micro buses, and am able to drop engines quite easily within the width of the ramps. If needed, you can also slide one of the ramps on the HD-9-B (up to another 7+ inches) in case you were to need more room for your engine drops. Anyway, lot's of choices out there. Research them all and do take your time comparing their features. Best of luck!

 

[DynoDave]

Two friends of mine have Auto Lifters 4 post lifts. They have had excellent service from them, with no problems at all. The company was purchased by some of it's employees in 2005, and now operates under the name All American Lifts. I would consider them worth checking out.

http://www.allamericanlifts.com/

 

[e-tek]

I did my due-dilegence, as I'm sure you and your freind will do, and I ordered a Bend-Pak HD9 XTW (Xtra Tall and Wide). As in the first post, make sure you know what ASL certification means and that you only look at lifts that are certified. Bend-Pak are commercial lifts down-sized for hobbyists, not some fly-by-night outfit that orders them on spec from China. Also, the type of pump is critical and Bend-Pak is one of the companies that use the best pump. Don't be too confused by Locking mechanisms (ladders, screw-type, etc.) as a certified lift must have a good locking system. As far as add-ons go, I was told by the owner of a Bend-Pak outfit that casters rarely are needed and that if you do use them and move your lift, always re-check all legs for plumb and re-shim them. As for 110V or 220V, the difference is the speed of lift, which is about 30-40 seconds for the 220V and 1 min 30 sec for the 110V. Of course Bend-Pak only offers the 220V.
In the end you have to like what the lift offers you and each one is slightly different. Again, the keys for me where certification, commercial experience and the best pump.
Good luck!

 

[Junkman]

Bend Pak will supply a 110 volt pump, if you specify it at order time. It might delay the delivery of the unit, but it is available. As for re leveling the lift after moving, I have never had this as an issue. I moved mine a few times.

 

[stevej37]

Greg Smith Equipment has some of the best prices on 4 post lifts and they are 110 volt.

 

[e-tek]

Bend Pak will supply a 110 volt pump, if you specify it at order time. It might delay the delivery of the unit, but it is available. As for re leveling the lift after moving, I have never had this as an issue. I moved mine a few times.

So.....are you suggesting leveling after moving is not good practice and that people shouldn't check it even if the distributor says it's important? Come-on, the guy asked for advice and your comments are akin to saying: "don't change your oil - I never do"

 

[SteveU]

Stay away from "Americas Pride", there is a thread on Hotrodders forum about them charging for lifts that were not delivered, were lessor capacity than ordered, etc, just a lot of mess that no one needs. There is also a thread in the 'product and vendor reviews' of this forum. Get a lift from a reputable vendor and save yourself the aggravation these other guys had to put up with.

 

[jay50]

I did my due-dilegence, as I'm sure you and your freind will do, and I ordered a Bend-Pak HD9 XTW (Xtra Tall and Wide). As in the first post, make sure you know what ASL certification means and that you only look at lifts that are certified. Bend-Pak are commercial lifts down-sized for hobbyists,

not some fly-by-night outfit that orders them on spec from China.

Also, the type of pump is critical and Bend-Pak is one of the companies that use the best pump. Don't be too confused by Locking mechanisms (ladders, screw-type, etc.) as a certified lift must have a good locking system. As far as add-ons go, I was told by the owner of a Bend-Pak outfit that casters rarely are needed and that if you do use them and move your lift, always re-check all legs for plumb and re-shim them. As for 110V or 220V, the difference is the speed of lift, which is about 30-40 seconds for the 220V and 1 min 30 sec for the 110V. Of course Bend-Pak only offers the 220V.
In the end you have to like what the lift offers you and each one is slightly different. Again, the keys for me where certification, commercial experience and the best pump.
Good luck!

I believe someone posted a few months ago about about Bendpak using Joe Chens lift company in China to make some of their lifts and Bendpak was not fully disclosing this fact . I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong...

 

[Junkman]

So.....are you suggesting leveling after moving is not good practice and that people shouldn't check it even if the distributor says it's important? Come-on, the guy asked for advice and your comments are akin to saying: "don't change your oil - I never do"

No, I am not suggesting that leveling after moving is not a good practice, I was stating my experiance with my Bend Pak lift. What I did say is that I have never had this as an issue.

I believe someone posted a few months ago about about Bendpak using Joe Chens lift company in China to make some of their lifts and Bendpak was not fully disclosing this fact . I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong...

I haven't seen this comment on this website, and if it exists please post a link to it. I would like to know exactly what lift models and proof of the statement before assuming that it is correct.

 

[e-tek]

1. BendPak get's their steel components from China - it's the way of the business. What I meant was that there are companies that just re-brand cheap chinese lifts that are not certified, have crappy welders, poor steel and no customer support or experience in North America. BendPak also carries DanMar lifts, which is for those all about the money and may have been what was mentioned in that thread.
2. If you have BendPak questions, email Jeff, the VP - he's a straight-ahead guy, passionate about his lifts (of course!) and will give you some details. Jeff Kritzer / BendPak [[email protected]]
3. Here's a thread on Corvette Forum that shows that several people happy with several kinds of lifts...... http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?p=1565311216 Lesson? There's more than a couple decent lifts out there.
4. I'm sure everyone would want the same things in purchasing a lift that were important to me: reputable company, experience in commercal applications, CERTIFIED, a history and good reviews on these forums .

There's no shortage of lift threads on forums of every subect!! In the end though, the only person that needs to be satisfied is YOU!

 

[bobs4092]

Still happy with my HD-9 Bendpak. I've never used any others but I can recommend this one.

I only wish I got it about 20 years ago! (if they were even available then)


Bob

 

[MacTexas]

I like my Eagle Lift. American made in Joshua Texas. I have been to the factory.

 

[Old Moparz]

I have 2 HD-9 lifts by Bend Pak & very happy with them over the past several years they've been in use. The price included delivery.

I posted this topic 3 years ago...... http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=636&highlight=Bend+Pak

 

[jimval]

I believe someone posted a few months ago about about Bendpak using Joe Chens lift company in China to make some of their lifts and Bendpak was not fully disclosing this fact . I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong...

I am still wondering why this all has to be a big mystery. When you go to Greg Smith's website, they spell everything out and tell you everything about their lifts. How come when I go to Bendpak's site I find nothing of the sort. Why are they hiding where their lifts are made. It is interesting that they show a photo of a manufacturing facility in California. Is that where the lifts are made? Does the steel come from the US? The answers are no and I can only surmise that since they choose to hide where the lifts are made, then there must be some type of issue that they don't want the public to know about. When someone hides something it can only mean trouble.

In my opinion there is nothing worse than a company that uses deceptive advertising. It doesn't matter if a company publishes false data, uses inference that leads to false conclusions, or just simply does not disclose information that a customer would like to use to make decisions, it's all the same to me.

 

[jezlberry]

I like my Eagle Lift. American made in Joshua Texas. I have been to the factory.

Not True! The lift in the picture is Chinese Made. The factory in Joshua has been occupied by Whip Industries for the last couple of years. Eagle doesn't have a factory, they have a Port..........

Brian

 

[e-tek]

I am still wondering why this all has to be a big mystery. When you go to Greg Smith's website, they spell everything out and tell you everything about their lifts. How come when I go to Bendpak's site I find nothing of the sort. Why are they hiding where their lifts are made. It is interesting that they show a photo of a manufacturing facility in California. Is that where the lifts are made? Does the steel come from the US? The answers are no and I can only surmise that since they choose to hide where the lifts are made, then there must be some type of issue that they don't want the public to know about. When someone hides something it can only mean trouble.

In my opinion there is nothing worse than a company that uses deceptive advertising. It doesn't matter if a company publishes false data, uses inference that leads to false conclusions, or just simply does not disclose information that a customer would like to use to make decisions, it's all the same to me.

OMG - get real. Just because they don`t advertise where they get their steel doesn`t mean it would be a problem. Fact is, I just took delivery of a BendPak HD-9 and one of the freinds who helped unload it has installed lifts for a while. He said the steel on the BendPak is MUCH heavier than that on others he`s seen. Also, after years of use, you can see on other lifts the metal bowing between the braces, whereas on a BendPak it`s much thicker and will never bend!

Do you ask (or care) where they get the `lead` for your teeth fillings... What about the metal used in those pins used to fix a broken bone...and the metal used in the steel girders holding up your office tower...FACT IS: BendPak has the experience (commercial), the certification (ANSI-ASI) and the customer support (see all those above!).

I`ll be putting mine up next weekend - as soon as I round up enough guys again to help me lift those ramps!!! I`ll post the entire experience after that.

 

[jimval]

OMG - get real. Just because they don`t advertise where they get their steel doesn`t mean it would be a problem. Fact is, I just took delivery of a BendPak HD-9 and one of the freinds who helped unload it has installed lifts for a while. He said the steel on the BendPak is MUCH heavier than that on others he`s seen. Also, after years of use, you can see on other lifts the metal bowing between the braces, whereas on a BendPak it`s much thicker and will never bend!

Do you ask (or care) where they get the `lead` for your teeth fillings... What about the metal used in those pins used to fix a broken bone...and the metal used in the steel girders holding up your office tower...FACT IS: BendPak has the experience (commercial), the certification (ANSI-ASI) and the customer support (see all those above!).

I`ll be putting mine up next weekend - as soon as I round up enough guys again to help me lift those ramps!!! I`ll post the entire experience after that.

In your haste to bang out a reply in support of bendpak, you clearly missed the whole point of my post. As you can see I have two lifts made in China.

The point of my post was that some companies are not stating where their lifts are made simply to HIDE the fact that their lifts are made in China. To ME, that is deceptive advertising by omission. As you are aware, this is a very hot topic regarding lifts.

Regarding steel, are you aware that there are hundreds of different types of steel? They all have different compositions, different tensile strengths, different yield strengths, etc etc etc. The thickness of the steel is not indicative of anything other than it weighs more and is stronger than a thinner piece of the SAME composition, from the same manufacturing process. It may or may not be a "stronger" piece of steel than another manufacturers component. This comparison is done with engineering analysis, not visual analysis.

As far as your medical references......I absolutely do care where the stuff comes from. I think a lot of other people do too. That's why we have the FDA which is a completely different topic.

 

[Bevis]

whereas on a BendPak it`s much thicker and will never bend!

I don't think I would say that it would never bend...

 

[en2burrell]

I'm surprised that no one mentioned the "Rotary" brand.

 

[e-tek]

In your haste to bang out a reply in support of bendpak, you clearly missed the whole point of my post. As you can see I have two lifts made in China.

The point of my post was that some companies are not stating where their lifts are made simply to HIDE the fact that their lifts are made in China. To ME, that is deceptive advertising by omission. As you are aware, this is a very hot topic regarding lifts.

Regarding steel, are you aware that there are hundreds of different types of steel? They all have different compositions, different tensile strengths, different yield strengths, etc etc etc. The thickness of the steel is not indicative of anything other than it weighs more and is stronger than a thinner piece of the SAME composition, from the same manufacturing process. It may or may not be a "stronger" piece of steel than another manufacturers component. This comparison is done with engineering analysis, not visual analysis.

As far as your medical references......I absolutely do care where the stuff comes from. I think a lot of other people do too. That's why we have the FDA which is a completely different topic.

Well, I'd still stay - regardless of compostion, thicker is better when it comes to steel!! As for composition - where, when and how would anyone EVER know what the makeup is of anything steel ever purchased (lifts or fillings)? Just because you know there's different make-ups of steel, doesn't mean you'd ever know the make up of any lifts steel.

You are right, the FDA is a different topic, but the reference is valid in this conversation: Do you think the FDA does any of their own testing? They just look over the studies provided by whatever company is looking for approval. Did you happen to hear of drugs ranging from Thalidamide to Vioxx that were "approved" by the FDA? The FDA doesn't "certify" anything, they just OK it based on the company's research.

The point I was making, is that one has to judge and buy based on several factors: the make-up that you can see (because I'm not aware of anyone checking the compostion of steel in a lift before purchase); the certification that it passes, based on minimum standards; the experience and longevity of the company; and the experience of others who have like products.

What do you base your buying decisions on?

 

[jimval]

Well, I'd still stay - regardless of compostion, thicker is better when it comes to steel!!

Ok got it. Everyone in this world is fortunate that you aren't doing any structural design work.

 

[jjsjedidiah]

Well, I'd still stay - regardless of compostion, thicker is better when it comes to steel!! As for composition - where, when and how would anyone EVER know what the makeup is of anything steel ever purchased (lifts or fillings)? Just because you know there's different make-ups of steel, doesn't mean you'd ever know the make up of any lifts steel.

You are right, the FDA is a different topic, but the reference is valid in this conversation: Do you think the FDA does any of their own testing? They just look over the studies provided by whatever company is looking for approval. Did you happen to hear of drugs ranging from Thalidamide to Vioxx that were "approved" by the FDA? The FDA doesn't "certify" anything, they just OK it based on the company's research.

The point I was making, is that one has to judge and buy based on several factors: the make-up that you can see (because I'm not aware of anyone checking the compostion of steel in a lift before purchase); the certification that it passes, based on minimum standards; the experience and longevity of the company; and the experience of others who have like products.

What do you base your buying decisions on?

thank you for showing your ignorance. thicker is not always better when it comes to steel. obviously you didnt read the whole post to which you were replying. the other user clearly stated that testing would need to be done to determine the strength. not simply what your eye thinks it sees.

the certifications that these lifts get are no more than a paid for sticker that isnt worth the paper it is printed on. the ALI is a group of lift distributors and wholesalers. they all got together and made their own test so that their own lifts they sell could pass. it would be like the teacher letting you write your own final exam and then taking it. obviously you would ace it. if you look at the names of the people that make up ALI and you know the history of the lift business, you would know that all these people once sold or still sell lifts. funny thing is, all their lifts are certified.

 

[buzzdog]

I've owned a Back Yard Buddy lift for approx. 15 years with only praise for how it is built and it's safety. Very well made and competively priced. I've been transferred 3 times and have had no problem taking it apart and setting it back up in a new garage.

 

[Junkman]

thank you for showing your ignorance. thicker is not always better when it comes to steel. obviously you didnt read the whole post to which you were replying. the other user clearly stated that testing would need to be done to determine the strength. not simply what your eye thinks it sees.

the certifications that these lifts get are no more than a paid for sticker that isnt worth the paper it is printed on. the ALI is a group of lift distributors and wholesalers. they all got together and made their own test so that their own lifts they sell could pass. it would be like the teacher letting you write your own final exam and then taking it. obviously you would ace it. if you look at the names of the people that make up ALI and you know the history of the lift business, you would know that all these people once sold or still sell lifts. funny thing is, all their lifts are certified.

thank you for showing your ignorance.

 

[Defender Chassis]

thank you for showing your ignorance.

Are you going to correct something he said or just leave us all hanging?

 

[revlover]

Haven't we been through all this before? I'm experiencing a little Deja-Vu.

Jimval and etek at each other's throats, people making false assumptions when they really have no idea or real proof of what the case may be...

OOoohh right...

Here it is...

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19992

 

[revlover]

I've owned a Back Yard Buddy lift for approx. 15 years with only praise for how it is built and it's safety. Very well made and competively priced. I've been transferred 3 times and have had no problem taking it apart and setting it back up in a new garage.

Can you even get a hold of a salesman over at Backyard Buddy?

 

[e-tek]

Uh....ya...this is the old thread (June)..."jj-junior" just dredged it up to show us his knowledge of all things steel and certified

As for me and jimval, we've made up by now

and - I pro-actively forgive "jj-junior" his ignorance (which is what Junkman was reffering to I believe).

 

[rwhite692]

Can you even get a hold of a salesman over at Backyard Buddy?

I had no issues contacting them when I ordered mine. Had a couple questions when I was bolting it together on a Saturday and I had no trouble getting ahold of them to get my questions answered. Have had it a few years now and I'm very happy with it.

gahd-damned ******* contest, every time the subject of lifts comes up.

There are several good ones on the market, Including BYB, BendPak, Eagle, and several others. Any prospective buyer should look at the various lifts in person before making a selection, as well.

 

[e-tek]

My Bendpak can piss further than your Back Yard Buddy!

 

[Junkman]

If it is a contest, beat this!!!!!!!!!

 

[nyjets53]

I got a backyard biddy, called'em more than once (and the talked to me each time), they took my money, and I got a great lift...Had a question once and they answered it in a very timely manner....