BendPak 4 post lift question

[Brno8x57]

I’m looking at getting a 4 post lift, most likely a BendPak. The columns are listed as 100 inches for the hd-7 and 9 series with a higher lift limit. Does anyone know if that includes the bolts on the top?

I have exactly 100 inches of clearance.
Looking to buy in the next week.
Also is there a benefit of buying directly from BendPak. Vs a distributor? All of what I see on this site is comments from people that bought it from a distributor but when I called BendPak they said they did direct sales as well.
Thanks.

 

[Eslader]

People think I'm crazy for considering one of those in my garage with 10 foot ceilings. Unless I'm misreading your 100 inches of clearance part, you have 8.3 foot ceilings?

I'm wondering what the point of this lift would be. Unless you're storing something like an F1 car up there, even a low-slung sports car is going to be too tall to park anything under it. Remember you have to factor in ramp height as well, so you'll have even less clearance under the top car. And you have to factor being able to lift the car higher than its resting point so that you can disengage the locks - on that lift the locks are every 4 inches.

If you only have 100 inches of ceiling height, why are you looking at the tall version of the HD-9? There's a standard version that's 88" tall instead of 100 -- but you still have to consider that the top of the lifted car is going to be higher than the top of the lift at full extension, and in your garage that means you'll be into the ceiling.

 

[Angelfire]

Let's see, 100" columns.....100" of clearance......good luck standing the columns up!

 

[LX-Markham]

Does anyone know if that includes the bolts on the top?

It does not include the bolts on top. They project another 3-4" above.

 

[BruceMc]

I was shopping yesterday, too. I have no clearance issues, but I'm also curious about people's experience of buying through a distributor vs directly from BendPak. assuming the lifts are being drop shipped by distributors.

 

[Brno8x57]

I guess I should’ve been clear. I have 11 foot ceiling in most of the garage. In its ideal location One of the posts near the garage door would have 100 inches of clearance. PVC drain pipe for upstairs bathroom is enclosed in a drywall over that post. I could go for the 88 inch posts if neeed or place the lift off center.

 

[Brno8x57]

Are the bolts centers on the 5x5 columns?

 

[metlmunchr]

Any manufacturer who sells thru distributors is going to protect the distributors by selling at the suggested retail price. The distributor may or may not be willing to negotiate on price, but the mfgr generally will not budge.

Regardless of the product, if the manufacturer starts undercutting the dealers then they'll need to ramp up their sales force as they'll soon have no dealers, or at least no dealers of the type they'd want to have.

 

[Brno8x57]

Assuming no price difference, is one better than the other? Same price for both. No delivery charge.

 

[stingry]

Assuming no price difference, is one better than the other? Same price for both. No delivery charge.

If you order from the mfg direct, there would be less handling of the lift "package" by forklifts. Most delivery damage comes from forklift operators not handling the lift correctly.

 

[James E]

Call Dave Shedlock at Workshop Depot. Fantastic service before and after the sale. Good prices, too. I am not affiliated but bought my HD9 from him and have recommended him wholeheartedly ever since.

 

[Brno8x57]

Thanks. I’ll look him up

 

[Nighttrain]

I was about to pull the trigger on my 4 post and my down stairs AC went out. $9k was voted by my wife to replace the AC and not buy my lift. Now to save up another year��

 

[Global Express]

I bought from a local distributor. No issues and quick delivery. He even suggested a few reputable installers (well worth IMO)

Remember with height, there are bolts on top of the posts, and when you raise the ramp you will often lose a few inches as you have to raise the car to get it off safety locks.

Mine are 10.5ft approx and I can store corvettes and park small sedans underneath (Mini Cooper/BMW) but thats about it.

 

[Brno8x57]

Good reminder about runway height when getting it off the safety locks. How did you find a local BendPak distributor?
Thanks

 

[James E]

Even a local distributor will probably drop ship from the factory. That means truck shipping. Workshop Depot gave me free shipping and would have delivered to my house directly but my street couldn't handle the truck. I picked mine up with a large trailer at the depot and set it up myself.

If you are reasonably mechanically inclined, you can set the thing up yourself, although an engine hoist will be helpful (or lots of friends) just to move the big pieces around.

 

[Brno8x57]

I got a couple of recommendations from BendPak for local service companies that are also distributors a couple of hours ago and called them. You are correct the get drop shipped from BendPak no matter who you buy them from. Price is the same and shipping is included. I was quoted about $1000 from both guys I called for the install and that included delivery.
$1000 is a lot of tools I could buy; revised plan: rent U-Haul 15 foot box truck. Pick up from shipping depot in Baltimore. Drive
Home. Take it apart and move into garage in pieces with some help and an engine hoist.

 

[Brno8x57]

Even cheaper. Rent U-Haul trailer and pickup lift from shipping depot. My local U-Haul only has 6x12 enclosed trailers. The lift ramps are 14 feet.
Do U-Haul rent open trailers? Their car tow trailer is long enough but the space between the ramps is open. I would have to lay some support in there. Any advice?
I haven’t priced the truck or trailer rentals but I would assume about $100.

Flatbed quoted $380 to pick up in Baltimore and drop it on my driveway.

 

[Eslader]

I still don't know why you're looking at the 100 inch model. A Honda Accord is 4.75 feet tall. You'd ram it into the ceiling if you lifted it all the way to the top. Unless you're planning something you haven't told us, you'd be better off with the regular version, which would allow for a 5 foot or so car counting for the rise over the top lock.

 

[kbuhagiar]

I still don't know why you're looking at the 100 inch model. A Honda Accord is 4.75 feet tall. You'd ram it into the ceiling if you lifted it all the way to the top. Unless you're planning something you haven't told us, you'd be better off with the regular version, which would allow for a 5 foot or so car counting for the rise over the top lock.

Just a thought...I can't speak for the OP, but one reason to consider an extra-tall 4-post lift is clear head space/walk-through zone beneath the fully-raised lift when not in use.

 

[Eslader]

Yeah, I can see that. I guess I look at 4-posters as "always in use," because if I didn't need a parking lift and just wanted a lift for working on cars, I'd get a 2 post.

 

[Brno8x57]

1- with 11 foot clearance I can lock lift at 70 inches and have 57 inches left for top of ramp clearance.
2- the 88 inch column BendPak’s give 70 inch clearance but lock at about 68 inches, if I got correct info. To get 70 inch clearance I need the higher 100 inch columns.
3- I’m 70 inches tall so this would let me walk under the ramps.
4- i have access to a very large 750 square foot barn on my parents property. I can move the lift there if it doesn’t workout in my garage.

 

[James E]

1- with 11 foot clearance I can lock lift at 70 inches and have 57 inches left for top of ramp clearance.
2- the 88 inch column BendPak’s give 70 inch clearance but lock at about 68 inches, if I got correct info. To get 70 inch clearance I need the higher 100 inch columns.
3- I’m 70 inches tall so this would let me walk under the ramps.
4- i have access to a very large 750 square foot barn on my parents property. I can move the lift there if it doesn’t workout in my garage.

Don't forget to factor in the height of the rails, which are several inches tall. The lift heights the you normally see are the height at the top of the rail, whereas the clearance underneath is that minus the height of the rail.

 

[tomshep]

I have an HD9 bought in September 2017.

I ordered through the distributor in the hot deals section. As all distributors do, it was drop shipped from Bendpak in CA. The freight depot used short forks and messed up one of the ramps instead of following the sticker on the end stating LONG forks. No fault of BP.

There are two bolts that stick about 3" up in the middle and outside edge of the post.

In my area, they wanted $800 to assemble. For that I decided to learn the unit and assemble myself. A friend and I did it. We assembled the legs and cross beam on the end of my utility trailer and stood them up. Engine house for the ramps.

Tom

 

[VetteNut]

; revised plan: rent U-Haul 15 foot box truck. Pick up from shipping depot in Baltimore..

You'll need at least a 20' box truck from them. The trucks are measured from the roof length, not the floor length.

 

[Brno8x57]

I may stop by U-Haul to make sure they have what I need. The package will be 14x2x2 feet. I hate driving those big U-Haul trucks, much prefer trailers.

 

[James E]

The package is long and skinny. If it's a matter of inches dictating what truck you rent, keep in mind you can arrange the lift in the truck diagonally and pick up a foot or two.

 

[Brno8x57]

All went well. I got a 17 foot truck and drove to the freight terminal to get the lift. Unloaded it by myself with an engine hoist. I’ve unboxed it and will assemble it this week. Thanks for the tips.