Bend Pak HD-9 or Pro Park 9?

[ovilla]

Both have dual safeties and the Bend Pak can be ordered as an HD-9XW (to match the size of a Pro Park 9). The Bend Pak is also certified due to it's air locks (per Brian at ASEDEALS). Anyway, pricing is about the same when you factor paying less for a Pro Park 9 lift and then paying shipping or getting everything included from Bend Pak. So, does anyone know if the Pro Park 9 uses US steel? Non-US steel would definitely turn me away. Other than that (and the certification - which is HUGE) does anyone see any other differences? I was all set on ordering a Bend Pak HD-9 (maybe an HD-9XW) but now that I'm re-reviewing all of my lift links, I'm trying to figure out why I wouldn't consider the Pro Park 9 as well. Except for the locks (which don't bother me either way) and the adjustable ramp widths on the HD-9 and HD-9XW (which I do like), they seem to be almost identical.

BTW, I have a 3-car garage (big door on left and a single bay on the right where the lift will go) and only have 10' tall ceilings. Also, my fleet consists of a Honda van, a maxima, and two 914's (which will see the most use of the lift). I know it's overkill to get a 9K lift for a 2,100 lb car (the 914's) but I also want to make sure I can use this thing for anything. I'm also wondering if I really need the HD-9 or HD-9XW, in case I want to park my van or future SUV under my 914 (which I should be able to do within a 10' ceiling). My garage doors are only 7' tall but I'm also not planning on moving the lift in or out of my garage due to a sloped driveway.

Finally, any thoughts or observations would be greatly appreciated. I know we've kind of beat lifts to death a bit but it's not everyday that you get the green light from the wife. All the married guys know exactly what I'm going through here. Thanks

 

[Junkman]

I doubt that you could get any manufacturer of any brand of lift to certify to you that it is manufactured of all US produced steel. I have no problem with steel coming from other parts of the world, as long as it is a quality product. I have the Bend Pak lift, and have been totally satisfied with it as a lift. The service is first rate, and it works well. My cars push the limits of the lift, since they all weigh about 8000 pounds. I only wish that the ramps were longer.

 

[PhantomPark.com]

Hello Ovilla,

BendPak imports lifts from China. They aseemble at their faclity in Santa Paula and may market their products as American made. But if you want a
true American made lift, contact us at American Custom Lifts. We offer the highest quality parking lifts on the market. Our lifts also use the ball in bearing pulleys opposed to the brass sheave pulleys that are used on the imported lifts. We also round of the corners of our tracks and we weld 1/2" gauge baseplates. Many of the imported lifts have a lesser guage base plate, which tends to warp when they're welded to the columns, thus causing the lifts to not rest level on the garage floor. We also use a 3 1/2 diameter cylinder where most use a 3".

The rule of thumb to confirm you have enough ceiling height to store two vehicles, you need to measure the total height of the two vehicles you're wanting to store, and then add 10". This would be the bare minimum ceiling height requirement.

Another factor that needs to be considered is your garage door and the garage door motor. Most garage door companies charge approximately $600 to raise your garage door tracks. They also provide a side mount motor, which also cost approximately $600. This eleminates the worries of having a garage door motor hanging down in the center of your bay.

You may not necessarily need an XLT or SUV model four post, even though they're nice to have. But you don't have the ceiling height to take advantage of the additional travel that this model provides. Our standard track length is 160". You may want to measure the distance from your rear center hub to the front center hub. I think you'll find that your van will fit on a 160" track.

We also offer the imported lifts, we just don't advertise them nor do we like to sell them. They're just not the quality of our American made lifts. We also powder-coat all of our lifts. Available lift colors are black, blue, red and white. We can also custom paint your lift or custom build your lift to meet your specific needs.

If you visit our website, you'll find a link towards the top of our toolbar that reads "parking lifts". Simply click this link to view the variety of different parking lifts we offer. The most unique system is our PhantomPark, which is a subterranean parking lift. This is ideal for low ceiling applications. But I must warn you, they're expensive. But there's no other lift like it built in America. It's the only scissors style subtteranean parking lift that is American made and code compliant.

If I can be of any help, please feel free to call our office any time. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to proivde you with a link or phone number to our site, so I would suggest that you go to google and type in "American Custom Lifts" or simply type in "parking lifts". I think you'll find that we're ranked number one.

Best of luck with your purchase. Don't forget to tell your wife "Thank you".

Brad Davies

 

[ovilla]

Brad - Wow! Those are some cool lifts. I've never seen a double lift and the one that goes underground is so 007. Anyway, I really liked seeing almost every type of lift imaginable on one site (www.aclifts.com). I also liked all of the garage related cabinets on the site. Thanks




Junkman - What model do you have and why do you wish the ramps were longer? Is part of the car hanging out the front/back of the lift or is it that you can't lift certain vehicles. I guess that's what I'm trying to figure out too. Do I get a lift for the cars/house that I have now or do I get one for possible future use. Thanks

 

[Junkman]

Hello Ovilla,

BendPak imports lifts from China. They assemble at their faclity in Santa Paula and may market their products as American made. But if you want a
true American made lift, contact us at American Custom Lifts. We offer the highest quality parking lifts on the market. Our lifts also use the ball in bearing pulleys opposed to the brass sheave pulleys that are used on the imported lifts. We also round of the corners of our tracks and we weld 1/2" gauge baseplates. Many of the imported lifts have a lesser guage base plate, which tends to warp when they're welded to the columns, thus causing the lifts to not rest level on the garage floor. We also use a 3 1/2 diameter cylinder where most use a 3".
.........Brad Davies

You have made a general statement that Bend Pak imports lifts from China. This is the first time that I have seen anyone in the lift business make this claim. I don't know that it is true or not, however, since you have made the statement, can you tell us exactly what model lifts that they import from China, and if any of the lifts that they sell are made in the US and which models they are? Bend Pak certifies that there HD9 / HD9ST lifts are ATI/ETL approved. Are the lifts that you sell have the same certifications? Will you personally certify that the lifts that your company manufactures in the US are made with 100% US content, including, but not limited to the steel, bearings, cables, sheaves, nuts & bolts, etc.?

Junkman - What model do you have and why do you wish the ramps were longer? Is part of the car hanging out the front/back of the lift or is it that you can't lift certain vehicles. I guess that's what I'm trying to figure out too. Do I get a lift for the cars/house that I have now or do I get one for possible future use. Thanks

My cars are Cadillac Commercial Chassis vehicles and have very long wheelbases, and the vehicles themselves vary from 20' to 21' long. What hangs over the end isn't a problem, but getting the car on the ramps with the front wheels touching the stops, and the rear wheels having the stops up against the tires requires the car be perfectly square to the runways. If I had longer runways, this wouldn't be an issue. My Bend Pak lift is certified to 9000 pounds, where as most of the other lifts out there are only up to 7000 pounds. My cars weigh approximately 8000 pounds, so I couldn't safely trust a lesser lift.

 

[JSK]

Gentlemen (and ladies),

Our great products, 40-year reputation and unsurpassed service speak for themselves.

Regarding the world-class BendPak HD-9 Series Four-Post lifts....

True, some components may be imported but 100% of all assembly and testing is done here at our 300,000 square foot factory in Santa Paula, CA. We ship nearly 2000 lifts a month and employ a staff of over 450 strong. We are not simply a distributor of lifting products, but a full-blown manufacturer.

What is a true American made lift manufacturer Brad? I personally know that the majority of steel we purchase from Bormann Steel here in Los Angeles is imported, much from Asia and Canada. It is stamped right on the steel - you know that.

In regards to bearings vs. bushings - any qualified engineer will tell you that bushings (especially for this application) are a much better design. The Oilite bearings that we use have almost three times the load bearing capacity as a simple roller bearing. There is a reason that almost every lift company in the world uses "bushings" for this low-rpm application. They are simply the best way to go.

BendPak also "rounds" the corners of our tracks and use 1/2" gauge baseplates.

We use a 3" diameter cylinder because that is all that is necessary for this load application. In fact, the same 3" cylinder has been used on our ETL approved 12K lift for nearly a decade. Using a larger cylinder than necessary accomplishes one thing - slower lifting speed.

Regarding the "hobby lift" vs. commercial-grade designs - go here if you want an education.

http://www.asedeals.com/backyardbuddy_bendpak.pdf

I would encourage all to read it and study it. I would be real interested to here from anyone that after reading this does not understand clearly why BendPak is the better choice.

Oh yea - here's the good stuff. BendPak is ready any day, any place, any time to go head to head with ANY four-post lift in its class. That is ANY four-post lift 9K or under. Let's deliver them and install them side by side. Let's start throwing weight on them until they break. Let's load them to 150% under full operation and check for ANY visible or measurable signs of deformation. Let's let prospective buyers walk around and give a pinpoint inspection piece by piece and give a review. Let's then throw the PE structural cals on the table and let all review as well.

I'm ready when you are.

Respectfully yours,

Jeff Kritzer
SR VP
BendPak Inc.

 

[jimval]

Like I've said before. It doesn't matter where it's made, it matters HOW it's made. As in design and manufacture.

 

[Piper]

I think that Bendpak should purchase a BYB and do a "lift off". Every year competing companies spend lotsa $$ on marketing. I think a BYB's cost would be insignificant for a test like this.

I'm buying a Bendpak this summer. I'm sold on it and have done my own research and comparisons. It's taken me 2 years to come to this decision but hey, I only want to buy a lift once.

FWIW, my 2 cents.

Piper

 

[jezlberry]

I am going to jump in here with a view from the installation/service side of the business. I sell , service , and install many different brands of lifts for a living. I've been reading these discussions for a while now and am generally amazed at the amount of disinformation being distributed. Since I am not loyal to any one lift manufacturer, I feel I can be somewhat objective in my opinion.

Regardless of what you read on the internet, I know of only three manufacturers that actually "MANUFACTURE" their entire lift here in the US. I see "assembled in America", "made in America", etc. on lifts that were obviously made in China. I installed a Bend Pak lift just yesterday, and there is no way that it was manufactured in this country. I have been told that there is a Bend pak factory in China for component fabrication, and I do believe it!

I installed a lift recently that had a sticker on it that read "made in Korea" just below the "assembled in America"

As far as the price goes, you DO get what you pay for. There is no way around this rule. Anyone who buys a 1495 dollar lift and thinks that they are getting anywhere near the same quality as a 3000 dollar lift doesn't have exhaust hoses in their shop

My favorite part of reading the internet ads is the fact that all of them " have the best quality lifts" whether the lift costs 1100 dollars or 2900 dollars.

I personally like the Rotary parking lifts because they are a better quality of construction.

But that's just my opinion

Brian

 

[ovilla]

Brian, which Bend Pak model did you install that made you think it was not made in the US? I'm also curious as to what led you to these thoughts. Don't hold back on sharing. You and everyone on here is entitled to their opinions so feel free to express yourself. After all, that's what these forums are for. Also, I do agree that every MFG seems to state that their lifts are the best and without being able to inspect these, it really makes it very difficult to buy one. Living in the Chicago area I was really hoping to find at least one distributor that had one in stock on display somewhere but so far no luck. Thanks

 

[jezlberry]

I installed an XP-10-CX. There is no doubt where it was made.....all the bolts and nuts are metric.........the holes for assembly didn't line up.....the welds look like they were done by a twelve year old........the cylinders were Chinese.....the hydraulic lines were plastic covered instead of fabric coated.....and it reeked of Chinese rubber, you know the same smell you get when you walk past the mower section in your local Home Depot or Lowes!

When you have your hands on lifts every day of the week, it's pretty easy to tell if they were made here or not!

 

[JSK]

Jez,

I've been employed at BendPak since 1982 – I have many years of experience as well - and because of that I am very cautious about slinging mud.

You’re a "professional" but who butters your bread? You claim to be simply an installer of lifts. If that’s the case, I find it odd that you would alienate yourself away from BendPak and future installation opportunities – or, are you a lift dealer competing against BendPak and have to resort to these scare tactics.

Regarding the unwarranted quality claims against BendPak, rest assured there are thousands on this and other forums that will discredit your words.

I do agree with your explanation of foreign "budget" lifts, but as stated earlier, it is more in the design, not the country of origin. In today’s, global environment you would be foolish to claim otherwise. I too have seen foreign lifts with questionable designs, surely unsafe - but interestingly enough, I have seen a selected few that surprised me. Perhaps yesteryear they were running around on rickshaws but no longer. In the last ten years there has been an industrial revolution in Asia unsurpassed by anything this world has ever seen, and smug American’s who sit back resting on they’re laurels will surely regret they did not take the threat seriously.

When you’re a global supplier like BendPak you eventually and somewhat painfully have to make a decision - metric or standard. With the weak dollar our export sales have grown substantially. We are exporting our lifts to every corner of the globe, a place where standard threads take a back seat to metric.

“The welds look like they were done by a twelve year”…. come on Jez?

The hydraulic lines were not simply “plastic covered” but rather abrasion resistant black polyurethane cover with braided high tensile Aramid fiber and reinforced nylon core tube. A polyurethane cover, the same cover used on golf balls. Not sure if you’re a golfer Jez, but play a round with a ball that has a “fabric” cover over rubber - it would last two holes at best. I’m surprised that upon your two-cent evaluation you failed to notice the extremely high working pressure rating of the BendPak hose. It is clearly written 5750 PSI Working Pressure. You being the expert, I’m sure you also realize that a hose “burst pressure” is actually 4X the rated working pressure. So let’s do the math…we at BendPak, being as safety conscious as we are, use a hose with a burst pressure of 23,000 PSI. The ALI/ANSI requirement for certified lifts requires that we use a hose 5X the required working pressure. Our XP-Series lifts have a working pressure of just 1800 PSI. That would make the safety factor of our hose 12x the rated capacity. Clearly, the fabric covered hoses you describe do not have a fraction of that capacity.

“It reeked of Chinese rubber”……huh?

Integrated into every BendPak hydraulic cylinder is a one-piece, pilot fitted, machined steel piston wrapped with specially designed, pressure loaded U-cup piston seals, backups and wear bands that virtually eliminates any fluid bypass. The micro-smooth chrome-rod is machined from high yield, ground & polished C-1045/50 micro-alloy steel and plated to a minimum of .001˝ diametrically, to ensure superior cylinder operation and life. Specially designed, high durometer, mechanically loaded rod seals virtually eliminate rod seal leakage and a specially formulated abrasion resistant urethane rod wiper provides exclusion protection. The welded cylinder body is made from high yield-strength steel tubing produced to exceed ASTM specifications. This combination of superb base material and superior processing ensures straight, smooth and long duty life cylinders. Again, it’s the design that makes the difference.

Looking at a recent post by you, you had quoted….”If I were buying a four post storage lift, it would be a Backyard Buddy or Classic Car lift, only because I want ME and my classic car to be safe. My disclaimer here is that I sell neither one! But both are made in the US with American steel”

Jez, review the BYB vs. BendPak comparison located at the link earlier. I would love you to explain to me and all the other readers how in the world you could justify any of your claims.

Jeff Kritzer
SR. VP.
BendPak Inc.

 

[ovilla]

Just ordered a Bend Pak HD-9 and RJ45 rolling air jack from www.asedeals.com (Brian) for $3,600 total. Should be here in two weeks. Brian also mentioned that steel prices are going up so this lift would most liikely be going up a couple of hundred bucks on March 13. So if you're thinking of getting one, don't wait too long. Anyway, pictures to follow in a few weeks.

 

[sneezer41]

I read your post, and read the link you mentioned. I think this demonstrates a big problem with the marketing of lifts. If you go to any lift website, you see only distant pictures, or the same stock picture of lifts. The detailed discussion of your 4 post lift compared to the BB lift was instructive, and I would suggest you put this kind of detail on your products page of your website. One of the problems as a consumer is that when you see little info about a product, especially one that is more expensive, it is difficult to see the value.

One of the reasons I was conned, er sold on the Ampro lift is that they had many detail pictures that compared favorably to lifts that I access to personally.

If you had this level of detail on all of your products on the primary product page for each one, and encouraged your dealers to link to it, it would help differentiate your product.

 

[jezlberry]

Jeff,

I too have been in the lift business since 1986 in the mid Atlantic area.

I alone "butter my bread" as you so eloquently stated!

Here's my question to you:

If you drove a Mercedes, then drove a Hyundai, would you know the difference?

I'm not here to roll you or your company under the bus. But you have to admit that even after your technical explanation to my points, that the lifts of today are NOT the same quality as lifts of yesterday. I know that your job is to feed your company's bottom line, and I've been in sales where we were taught to sell the sizzle to the customer. We as a country are more concerned with "how much it costs" as opposed to how long will it last.I personally am seeing more component failures sooner on imported lifts. And if you look at the following thread on your mx-6, you 've got to wonder if they use jigs in China.

And I don't plan to hit the hydraulic line with a golf club!

So, sorry if I offended you. As long as I can offer lifts truly manufactured in the USA, I'll be in the lift business.

Sincerely,
Brian

 

[32roadster]

to Jeff of Bend pak

I do believe that the marketing techniques that you use are VERY misleading. You do get your lifts from china, they are not manufactured ONE BIT in the US, but yet you have Jay Leno preaching that very fact.

The welds look like trash, and it is obvious to those of us that are in the steel business what you are doing.

You are misleading the public. PERIOD.

That is what bothers me.

 

[jimval]

Jeff is conveniently ignoring the mx-6 thread. I willing to bet he is searching under his desk somewhere for an answer.

 

[Junkman]

to Jeff of Bend pak

I do believe that the marketing techniques that you use are VERY misleading. You do get your lifts from china, they are not manufactured ONE BIT in the US, but yet you have Jay Leno preaching that very fact.

The welds look like trash, and it is obvious to those of us that are in the steel business what you are doing.

You are misleading the public. PERIOD.

That is what bothers me.

Please tell me what is wrong with these welds on my production HD9??

 

[Junkman]

Jeff is conveniently ignoring the mx-6 thread. I willing to bet he is searching under his desk somewhere for an answer.

What is the issue Jeff has ignored? The service department is sending new arms to the purchaser, and is even giving him a gift of another item for the inconvenience that he has had.

Quote safetyfirst: about a foot in the middle but has between a 1/16" and 1/8" gap

Quote safetyfirst: There's less light in the down position, but it's still there. I'm pretty sure it's a combination of the floor and the lift.

Quote dawg: 1/16 to 1/8 off for structural steel is within tolerance.
as long as the car isnt wobbling I wouldnt worry about it.

Quote safetyfirst: Called Bend Pak today and they asked me to email the photos. I got the following response:

"I forwarded you pics to my manager who sent them to our QA team.

QA says this is a normal occurrence with this model as weight is concentrated on the cylinders and safety bar; if the lift bows any more, let us know"

I'm not sure that's a satisfactory answer of not.

I also mentioned an issue on the lifting arms, which I've seen raised before in another forum. At some point the design was changed so that the bolts are just long enough to sit flush with the end of the nut instead of extending on through the nut. I would have felt better with longer bolts,but he assured me that is normal.
Also, one of my arms would bind up unless the nut was loosened until the nylon portion of the threads of the nyloc nut were no longer engaged. I removed that arm and found that the problem is that the bolt was welded on at an angle rather than perpendicular to the lift arm. Pulled the other arms and found the same issue with them, but to a lesser degree.

Quote safetyfirst: I've got to give Bend Pak credit. They are shipping out new lift arms to me and also shipping me a Ranger oil drain for my trouble.

What would you like Jeff to do in addition to what the company has already done? Bend Pak, has already addressed all of the concerns of safetyfirst to his satisfaction. Personally, I see this as a witch hunt by jimval, a owner of 2 Pro Park 9 lifts. I know that it is normally human to believe that what we decided to purchase is the best, but that doesn't mean that you need to be damning the other companies, or the company representatives, without a legitimate reason to do so. You are happy with your purchase, and that is all that matters. If you want to do a comparison of the Bend Pak HD9 to the Pro Park 9, then do so with facts, not innuendo. Why is it that when people can't win a discussion with facts, they have to resort to mudslinging?

 

[safetyfast]

I've been following this thread with interest. BendPak customer service has been good to deal with. I purchased BendPak over Atlas, GS, etc. based on BendPak's reputation and the fact that there are alot of satisfied customers I found on the web of the MD-6xp. I figured that at least I would be dealing with a household name and wouldn't have any trouble finding it down the road, regardless of whether the dealer I purchased through was around or not. Many of the satisfied customers I saw were Ferrari and Porsche owners, i.e. not the type of guys you expect to skimp. Price was an issue for me, but I was willing to spend more than I would have with a couple of competitor's lifts because it was a Bendpak. While, as indicated in my thread, I was a bit disappointed, perhaps my expectations were a bit high, at least on the gap issue. Perhaps this is something expected by the engineers, since no concrete floor is ever perfectly level. I don't really have a yardstick to compare to at this point, and have seen conflicting views here. If I have any continuing safety concerns once I receive the new arms, as referenced by Junkman, I won't hesitate to contact Bendpak again.

 

[jimval]

What is the issue Jeff has ignored? What would you like Jeff to do in addition to what the company has already done? Bend Pak, has already addressed all of the concerns of safetyfirst to his satisfaction. Personally, I see this as a witch hunt by jimval, a owner of 2 Pro Park 9 lifts. If you want to do a comparison of the Bend Pak HD9 to the Pro Park 9, then do so with facts, not innuendo. Why is it that when people can't win a discussion with facts, they have to resort to mudslinging?

Jeff is in this thread touting the quality of his product and in another thread we have a customer showing photos of a not so quality product. I simply want to know why the lift is not designed such that the lift doesn't rock. If you call that a witch hunt then you need to get a life. When I buy stuff I expect it to be right. I don't want to go after the company for new parts and fixes. If you reread I never once said the pro park was better (or worse) than the bend pak.

 

[Junkman]

Jeff is in this thread touting the quality of his product and in another thread we have a customer showing photos of a not so quality product. I simply want to know why the lift is not designed such that the lift doesn't rock. If you call that a witch hunt then you need to get a life. When I buy stuff I expect it to be right. I don't want to go after the company for new parts and fixes. If you reread I never once said the pro park was better (or worse) than the bend pak.

"You simply want to know why the lift is not designed such that the lift doesn't rock." Safetyfirst never said in all his posts that the lift rocks. What he said is that there is a "bow" of 1/16" to 1/8" in the base of the lift. I would agree with the other poster that this is within manufacturing tolerances. Bend Pak has already acknowledged this in their response to safetyfirst, and he accepts that also. I also never said that you claimed that your Pro Park was better (or worse) than the Bend Pak. What I did say was "I know that it is normally human to believe that what we decided to purchase is the best," You purchased the Pro Park since you felt that it was the best one out there. That was your free will and choice. What leads me to believe that you purchased what you thought the best was your statement in another thread......

I chose to buy (2) Pro-Park 9 WTW lifts. There has to be three system failures for a crash. The primary safety locks would have to break, then the cables would have to snap, and then the secondary safety locks that engage if the cables break would also have to fail. Not saying it can't happen but I don't know of any lifts that require (4) system failures to crash....

As for your comment

If you call that a witch hunt then you need to get a life.

Please refer back to my original comment...

Why is it that when people can't win a discussion with facts, they have to resort to mudslinging?

 

[jimval]

I think you should go take a reading test. I never said the pro park was the best lift out there. You really can't read.

The reason I bought the pro park was because I thought it was safe and I thought it was the BEST VALUE.

BEST VALUE.

Let's see the guy who bought the bend pak didn't like the bent pipe. I wouldn't like the bent pipe bent the way it was and all you can come up with is "It is within spec." ?????

C'mon......

 

[Junkman]

I think you should go take a reading test. I never said the pro park was the best lift out there. You really can't read.

The reason I bought the pro park was because I thought it was safe and I thought it was the BEST VALUE.

BEST VALUE.

Let's see the guy who bought the bend pak didn't like the bent pipe. I wouldn't like the bent pipe bent the way it was and all you can come up with is "It is within spec." ?????

C'mon......

I don't need a reading test, and I won't lower myself to go down the road of making immature personal assaults as you have done to me twice. This is the end of this discussion with you. If it helps you to feel better, please feel free to believe that you are right in all aspects of your assertions.

 

[Junkman]

Jeff is conveniently ignoring the mx-6 thread. I willing to bet he is searching under his desk somewhere for an answer.

Looks like you have lost your bet. Read his response to the thread. Are you man enough to publicly apologize to Jeff????

 

[JSK]

To junkman......thanks for being a avid supporter!

To jezlberry.....sorry for sounding rude and obnoxious - I am passionate about our products and equally passionate about our customer service. I admire your steadfast intentions and safety consiousness.

To safetyfirst(the guy with the MD-6XP problem ) - I read your post over the weekend and began researching Monday AM. I was unaware that you had already initiated contact with our customer service dept.

See post below or return to the original posting to see my response. I will be happy to replace the unit. ( PS – How do you like using the lift? Bet it’s nice not having to crawl on your back anymore! )

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=186683&posted=1#post186683

To everyone on this board – thank all of the BP supporters out there. We would not be where we are if it were not for you. We would also not be where we are if we did not take care of you.

I frequent this board as frequently as time permits. I wish it was every hour of every day, but that it is difficult especially when spending two-weeks a month living out of a suitcase.

Sorry for all the grief this post has initiated.

Jeff Kritzer
BendPak Inc.

 

[safetyfast]

Thanks for the follow up Jeff.
I love the lift, though I've only used it once, to work on a mid-size fwd sedan. During that use is when I noticed the issues mentioned in the other thread and decided not to use it anymore until I got the new lift arms. The access under the car is even better than I expected.

 

[jimval]

Looks like you have lost your bet. Read his response to the thread. Are you man enough to publicly apologize to Jeff????

Apologize for what? All I wanted was answers regarding quality and you chose to attack every post I made, posted false statements about what I said, and accused me of a witch hunt. Go play with your junk....

 

[440sixpack]

I have been following all the posts, what a learning experience! I originally was going with the BYB also until I read the comparsion done by BP. BYB had good qualitly AMERICAN steel but lacked every other important feature for safety.
I then looked into propark 9 from direct lifts also known as rotary made by Dover corp. I really liked the fact they use a heavier 5 gauge steel vs BP uses 7 gauge. Their steel is also from china, they are honest about it on their web site. But when I called Greg smith equipment they insisted their lift was certified and only when I asked if it would defintly have the sticker of the ansi certification did they say..... Well, we dont have the stickers as of yet, we are waitng till we sell all our old stock, but they are EXACTLY the same no difference. The salesman went on and on telling me how there was NO difference between the current stock and the future stock with the certification. I ASKED what about the motor? Is that the same? .... Oh no, the motor is completly different, he replied. WHAT???
Exactly the same or completly different? I do not want old stock with a motor that obviously needed to be changed to get the ansi certification. I want the new product.
BP may use steel from china, but combined with their quality control , better overall design, and customer service it seems to be a quality product. Everyone on this site who owns one is happy with their lift, EVEN the members who have had a quality issue seem to be pleased after the BP customer service dept did right by them. I only wish their Hd9xw was certified, as it is not. BP assured me that it is exactly the same as their hd9 with just added lenth and height, with absolutly no differences to anything! I also really like the fact that their runway width is adjustable.
I think I missed the boat on all the better mfg's using American steel and manufacturing it here, it seems that in this day and age every one is going to China to stay competive with price. I can not find a qualitly safe product from a reputable mfg that uses american steel and makes a 9000lb lift, and is ANSI certified! Bend Pak is the best I can find out there. If anyone has any feedback on this post I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[shocksystems]

I have been following all the posts, what a learning experience! I originally was going with the BYB also until I read the comparsion done by BP. BYB had good qualitly AMERICAN steel but lacked every other important feature for safety.
I then looked into propark 9 from direct lifts also known as rotary made by Dover corp. I really liked the fact they use a heavier 5 gauge steel vs BP uses 7 gauge. Their steel is also from china, they are honest about it on their web site. But when I called Greg smith equipment they insisted their lift was certified and only when I asked if it would defintly have the sticker of the ansi certification did they say..... Well, we dont have the stickers as of yet, we are waitng till we sell all our old stock, but they are EXACTLY the same no difference. The salesman went on and on telling me how there was NO difference between the current stock and the future stock with the certification. I ASKED what about the motor? Is that the same? .... Oh no, the motor is completly different, he replied. WHAT???
Exactly the same or completly different? I do not want old stock with a motor that obviously needed to be changed to get the ansi certification. I want the new product.
BP may use steel from china, but combined with their quality control , better overall design, and customer service it seems to be a quality product. Everyone on this site who owns one is happy with their lift, EVEN the members who have had a quality issue seem to be pleased after the BP customer service dept did right by them. I only wish their Hd9xw was certified, as it is not. BP assured me that it is exactly the same as their hd9 with just added lenth and height, with absolutly no differences to anything! I also really like the fact that their runway width is adjustable.
I think I missed the boat on all the better mfg's using American steel and manufacturing it here, it seems that in this day and age every one is going to China to stay competive with price. I can not find a qualitly safe product from a reputable mfg that uses american steel and makes a 9000lb lift, and is ANSI certified! Bend Pak is the best I can find out there. If anyone has any feedback on this post I would greatly appreciate it.

I have an HD-9XW with the certification sticker on it. Just got it a few weeks ago (very happy so far).

Here is a photo. Shows the model and the certification.



Cheers!

Jim

 

[Junkman]

I had the Bend Pak HD9 and it did everything that I expected a lift to do, and it was a great lift. I just sold it this week, to purchase the HD9XW, since my cars were too long for the HD9. I was more than satisfied with the quality of the lift, and overall, it never gave me a moment of a problem. I also understand why lift manufacturers don't get a certification on every model. It is a matter of cost. I have no hesitation believing that the new longer model lift will be every bit as good as my old lift. As for it being manufactured in China, it doesn't bother me. I also know that Made in America doesn't automatically guarantee quality. I don't know where my original lift was manufactured, but I do know that Bend Pak is one of the most reputable companies in the lift business, and that they don't sell junk.

 

[CCRT]

I have been following all the posts, what a learning experience! I originally was going with the BYB also until I read the comparsion done by BP. BYB had good qualitly AMERICAN steel but lacked every other important feature for safety.

Getting ready to pull the trigger on a 4 post lift and was wondering what safety features are lacking on the BYB?

Thanks for the info

BTW: I had narrowed it down to a BYB or Rotary Revolution. I like the BP but it seemed many had some sort of quality issue upon initial assembly. That could be becuase they sell more lifts?

This is by no means a gig against BP but just one persons recent opinion while shopping for a new lift. (And you know what they say about opinions)

BTW: I think it very commendable that the BP rep response on these forums and works towards problem resolutions.

It's nice to here some BP positive
--Dave

 

[Junkman]

There have been some issues mentioned on these forums, however, you have to take into consideration the number of lifts that Bend Pak sell per month. I would venture a guess that it is more than all the other lift manufacturers combined. The total number of people that have issues have posted, and they have all been addressed by the company. I know of no company that doesn't have a problem with a product at some time. Even Rolls Royce cars have had problems associated with manufacturing. It isn't that a company has a problem that is important, it is how the company handles the problem. Bend Pak addresses the problems as soon as they know about them, and will work with the customer toward a resolution, until it is fixed.

 

[440sixpack]

ccrt- here is a link that compares the byb to bp. It was a real eye opener and shows that there is more to a lift than just steel.
http://www.metro-lifts.com/backyardb...ak_compare.pdf.

 

[sajohnson]

I'm leaning toward buying a XP-10ACX from Metro Lifts.

I spoke with Wes Saturday night and he seemed like a knowledgeable and decent guy.

Any opinions on either the XP-10ACX or Metro Lifts?

Thanks!

PS: I found the ALI site (http://www.autolift.org/) very useful.

 

[CCRT]

ccrt- here is a link that compares the byb to bp. It was a real eye opener and shows that there is more to a lift than just steel.
http://www.metro-lifts.com/backyardb...ak_compare.pdf.

"404: File Not Found" ???

"It isn't that a company has a problem that is important, it is how the company handles the problem."

Junkman, I agree with you but it very unfortunate that we've become a society that expects / accepts quality defects in a new product and must make our purchase decisions based on service reputations.


--Dave

 

[jimval]

It isn't that a company has a problem that is important, it is how the company handles the problem.

That's a very narrow minded opinion. I couldn't disagree more. It is absolutely important how a company handles a problem after it is discovered but it is equally important how many problems a company has.

I had a vehicle that had so many problems under warranty it was pathetic. Every time I took it back to the dealer they fixed it for free. Everytime it was a different problem. I don't like being a test driver for a vehicle manufacturer. Do you think it's fun to keep making trips to the dealer to get something fixed? NOT. That's why Honda and Toyota sell so many vehicles. It's called QUALITY.


I also don't like doing custom fabrication work for a lift manufacturer because they shipped me something that won't go together. Keep shipping **** that doesn't assemble properly and soon you won't be shipping anything. Someone else is going to eat your lunch..............

 

[Junkman]

"404: File Not Found" ???

"It isn't that a company has a problem that is important, it is how the company handles the problem."

Junkman, I agree with you but it very unfortunate that we've become a society that expects / accepts quality defects in a new product and must make our purchase decisions based on service reputations.


--Dave

I don't expect defects, and I don't believe that any company wants to have quality control defects, however, it does happen. When it happens, how it is dealt with becomes the important part. A company that ignores the problem, or does a half fast fix to make the problem go away, will fail in the business venture eventually. The company that uses that defect information to build a better product in the future, will succeed.

That's a very narrow minded opinion. I couldn't disagree more. It is absolutely important how a company handles a problem after it is discovered but it is equally important how many problems a company has.

You are correct, the amount of defects that a company has is an important factor. Bend Pak has very few defects overall in the product line, and I base this on the amount of satisfied people on these forums that have purchased the Bend Pak product, and also reported problems.

I had a vehicle that had so many problems under warranty it was pathetic. Every time I took it back to the dealer they fixed it for free. Everytime it was a different problem. I don't like being a test driver for a vehicle manufacturer. Do you think it's fun to keep making trips to the dealer to get something fixed? NOT. That's why Honda and Toyota sell so many vehicles. It's called QUALITY.

I am old enough to remember when Honda was using motorcycle engines in their cars, and Toyota's would rust so badly that they couldn't be driven 4 years after they were manufactured. They have learned by the mistakes of the past, and now manufacture a excellent product. Mercedes used to manufacture a excellent product, and now is selling cars that have a high degree of customer dissatisfaction, because of a multitude of service problems. Quality is something that a good company always strives for, and will always be improving. Even the multi million dollar Shuttle originally had quality control problems that kept it from flying. If it is built by a human, mistakes will happen.

I also don't like doing custom fabrication work for a lift manufacturer because they shipped me something that won't go together. Keep shipping **** that doesn't assemble properly and soon you won't be shipping anything. Someone else is going to eat your lunch..............

They had one incident of a lift not going together properly because some newer parts inadvertently were mixed in with a previously manufactured lift parts. In that case, the purchaser chose to modify the part to make it work, rather than wait for a replacement part. Bend Pak doesn't ship **** as you insinuate, and when a problem does arise, they deal with it immediately. Even Toyota and Honda have sold cars with defects, and have had to do recalls to repair them. Would you say that they ship ****?

 

[jimval]

They had one incident of a lift not going together properly because some newer parts inadvertently were mixed in with a previously manufactured lift parts.

False information. There have been several incidents described on this board......

 

[sajohnson]

I'm a new member here, but I've been on other forums long enough to know that people are much more likely to complain than compliment.

Combine that with the fact that BendPak sells a lot of lifts and the number of complaints here _may_ not be out of the ordinary.

Does this forum have the ability to do surveys? It might be interesting to ask members who own a BendPak what they think. Maybe have them rate the following 1 > 10:

1: Safety features
2: Operation
3: Ease of use
4: Customer service
5: Overall quality

Something like that...