Bendpak decision: Good, Bad & Ugly

[Sarki]

After 6 long years I finally got my Racedeck flooring down and am ready for the next step....a sweet 4 post lift to complete the garage.
Did a bunch of research 2-3 years ago and was set on a Bendpak HD-9 or HD-9ST as all I was reading were how happy everyone was with their Bendpak purchase and how great their customer service was.
Apparently Bendpak VP Jeff was very active on this site and always available if any issues.
Fast forward to now and I'm reading many horror stories about Bendpak 4 post lift purchases.
My question.......what happened??
Why all the negative comments and experiences. Was there a change in manufacturing process or management?
Finally ready to make the purchase and now it seems like I need to look elsewhere.
Would love to hear from those who made recent Bendpak purchases within last couple of years, positive and negative experience.
Thanks all!

 

[lakeroadster]

My question.......what happened??

Offshore Manufacturing and the quality control issues associated with it.

Why did BendPak® start manufacturing offshore?

 

[myronw]

Hi Sarki,
I just finished installing a Bendpak HD9XW... It was shipped quickly, didn't have paint scratched off, had all the parts, and works just fine. I installed it by myself with a cherry picker, except for a little help guidibg the ramps and holding up the pump to install the boltds

I think people are just more prone to complain on forums than compliment, so you get a very scewed sampling of purchasers.

Just my opinion,
Myro

 

[ItsNemo]

I wouldn't buy one, months to deliver my lift, poor fitting parts that took modification to get them together, flawed design with revised parts taking months to get made and sent. I wasted a year on this lift and although it's working, it's not great. I would not buy BendPak again, would have spent a bit more to get something better.

 

[PoorOwner]

I have a quick jack By ranger. Basically you deal with BP staff for support. Ranger IS Bendpak.
I have less than Luke warm feeling about their support. Basically brushed my concern off as non issue. They never could tell me consistently how to bleed it. Take 3 email before they would answer one. It's got a 3500 lb nameplate even I ordered a 5000. They sent me another nameplate with some mistakes again.

For my 4 post lift I looked into BP again. This month actually. I emailed Jeff a couple times and no response. I just wanted to know if I can get a higher lift without going longer and wider.

Then I read about DerStig post here. He's got a bad lemon. Everything from $1100 air jack. Pump leak. Posts is crooked. Rust. All kinds of problems. Go to you tube and search for BP rust and you will see his wasn't just the one with rust. His though they should send an installer to take it and put in an complete new lift IMO

It's not a commercial shop and getting a good lift in good finish is kind of important to me. Not something that was mishandled. Scratched and have rust inside. My QJ basically arrive in a pallet broken in half.

That said the design is great and innovative like the cable is hidden and you can adjust the lift a little if you have the non narrow model. It's not a hobby grade and you can run it up and down all day if that's important to you. The manuals are much more readable than others. Funny ALI certification requires the manual to say like don't lower the lift when you are under it. And yet the instructions can be completely text only without pictures and vague. I am talking about the direct lift and rotary. Their manuals are the same one and horrible.

I finally ordered it from another lift company with 5 year warranty.

 

[PoorOwner]

Here is another member experience.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=290866

I wish it was 2008 and I would buy BP when they don't have big QC issues

 

[kwschumm]

I was planning on a BendPak HD-9 but after reading about DerStigs experience BendPak I'm looking elsewhere. Really, it seems totally inexcusable to have misalignment on welds. Are they eyeballing or using jigs? Where is the QC that would allow a misalignment on the posts? Paint scratches and a little rust are one thing, but misaligned welds means they are missing the basics of manufacturing.

 

[andgott]

I just ordered a BendPak HD9 XL, it's due for delivery next week.

I did a LOT of research, over the past several years, before I finally decided on this particular lift... It's a once in a lifetime purchase (hopefully!), and I wanted to do it right. Originally, I had been looking at one of the more inexpensive lifts... The ones that seem to all come from the same factories in China and have a different paint color sprayed on them, or different stickers. But, after doing a little more reading, decided that investing a little more might be a good idea in the long run.

So far, all of my dealings with BendPak have been great. They have always been quick to respond to my calls or emails, answered any questions that I have had promptly and with what at least sounded like a good answer.

I talked to several others who had BendPak lifts as well. There were a few that had minor issues here and there, but BendPak took care of them promptly. As previously mentioned, people are far more likely to post about negative experiences than they are positive, or neutral, ones- So the web tends to be a bit of a skewed sample.

The dealer that I purchased mine through also had nothing but good things to say about BendPak, both about the quality of their equipment as well as the company itself. So, in the end, I decided to spend a little more than I had originally intended to spend, and I decided to buy the BendPak.

We will see how it goes over the next few weeks as the lift is shipped, installed, and becomes operational. I honestly have no worries.

 

[kabinenroller]

I just ordered a BendPak HD9 XL, it's due for delivery next week.

I did a LOT of research, over the past several years, before I finally decided on this particular lift... It's a once in a lifetime purchase (hopefully!), and I wanted to do it right. Originally, I had been looking at one of the more inexpensive lifts... The ones that seem to all come from the same factories in China and have a different paint color sprayed on them, or different stickers. But, after doing a little more reading, decided that investing a little more might be a good idea in the long run.

So far, all of my dealings with BendPak have been great. They have always been quick to respond to my calls or emails, answered any questions that I have had promptly and with what at least sounded like a good answer.



I talked to several others who had BendPak lifts as well. There were a few that had minor issues here and there, but BendPak took care of them promptly. As previously mentioned, people are far more likely to post about negative experiences than they are positive, or neutral, ones- So the web tends to be a bit of a skewed sample.

The dealer that I purchased mine through also had nothing but good things to say about BendPak, both about the quality of their equipment as well as the company itself. So, in the end, I decided to spend a little more than I had originally intended to spend, and I decided to buy the BendPak.

We will see how it goes over the next few weeks as the lift is shipped, installed, and becomes operational. I honestly have no worries.

I among many others have posted our opinion on Bend Pak quality (or lack of) in the past. If you just ordered a lift from them the only thing I can say is YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

 

[Z2V]

I bought the HD9 and RJ45 back in November last year. It was delivered within seven days after ordering. It made it without a scratch, no bad or crooked welds, no rust, or any damage of any sort. The sent a can of touch up paint that I haven't removed the cap on.
I found all the info needed for assembly in the install manual. I was able to assemble it by myself with no problems. I put chalk lines on floor, squared it, plumbed the post and bolted it down. The runways leveled up and the locks synced as described in manual. The only small issue I had to deal with was excessive paint inside the hole on the cylinder retaining plate. A minute with the Die grinder and all was good.


Up to this point I had had zero problems with the lift. Very pleased with the purchase.

 

[bobabuee]

have bought 2 bendpak hd-9st not one problem installed 4 total other minor scratches and plastic covers which were replaced in a couple days at no charge

 

[67gto]

I have a Bendpak 2 post XPR-10S. I posted here once I got it installed. In the past when i was researching & looking for a lift, I would come across various posts that said the Bendpak quality had issues, & the lifts arrived damaged, scraped, missing paint/powdercoat, etc. My lift arrived in perfect condition, went together without a hitch, and operates flawlessly. The powdercoat finish looks better than my truck. Overall no issues with the Bendpak experience. As for where they art made. Rotary, Bendpak, Danmar, etc all made offshore.

 

[C2 Turbo]

Just had mine, a Challenger CL 10V3 installed few days ago. Had it professionally installed yet it got few rashes here and there. Since it's gonna get bruised in the garage any way, I didn't make much fuss about it. However I did ask him for touch up paint which he's going to get it on Tuesday when he comes back for a safety tutorial on the lyft.

I mainly chose this over others for one safety, as it's all made in USA so atleast it would have had some quality control and for the fact, I live 40 minutes from Louisville, the home of Challenger lyfts

 

[kwschumm]

Like everything outsourced from US to China, quality will only happen if companies commit to a full time company staff on site to enforce materials and production. If given the chance they WILL take shortcuts, buy lesser quality materials, etc, etc. Been down this road a couple of times and lack of on site staff to inspect every step of the way always causes a decline in quality.

 

[brownbagg]

my bendpak is about ten years old, just used for hobby work. I have replace the switch twice, the main hydraulic hose, the motor and now it sitting broken with a blown seal. Bendpak tell me there no parts for it and I have to replace the whole cylinder. They, the customer service has been no help.

Im beginning to think its a chinese machine made from parts of other dealers and one step above harbor freight

 

[lakeroadster]

Just had mine, a Challenger CL 10V3...

Nice shop... you dun guud C2.

 

[Sarki]

Thanks for responses guys. This is tough decision as I was all set to order Bendpak 4 post based on lots of research I did on this site a couple years back.
So far 8 negative responses and 4 positive.
Don't quite understand the change since 2 years ago as I believe they were manufactured overseas back then as well.
One big change is I no longer see any posts from Bendpak VP Jeff who used to jump in on most Bendpak threads and offer assistance if someone was having an issue with their products.
I had been impressed with their locking mechanism, solid construction, customer service and positive reviews......not really seeing that anymore.
I would like to order a lift within the next couple of weeks and now find myself back at square one which is disappointing.
If people are really seeing bad, crooks and sloppy words that is a concern. Maybe someone can post a picture of th bad welds. I have read through Derstigs thread and don't want to live through that nightmare he has had but I also read through Z2V & 67 GTO and they seem to have had no issues and very happy with purchase.
Maybe all this points to inconsistent quality control measures and it becomes a roll of the dice.

 

[excavator]

I will be positive number 5
zero complaints with my HD-9 I bought 2 years ago and installed myself

 

[Sarki]

If people are really seeing bad, crooks and sloppy words that is a concern. Maybe someone can post a picture of th bad welds.

Love the auto correct feature......should read "if people are really seeing bad, crooked and sloppy WELDS that is a concern.
Maybe someone can post a picture of the bad welds"
Thanks again guys.

 

[kwschumm]

Love the auto correct feature......should read "if people are really seeing bad, crooked and sloppy WELDS that is a concern.
Maybe someone can post a picture of the bad welds"
Thanks again guys.

A weld is bad if it is not welded as per design. Not saying the welds are weak, but if posts are not square then it's a bad weld. I believe Derstig had posts that were welded crooked at the base. Pictures in that thread.

 

[jomobco]

my bendpak is about ten years old, just used for hobby work. I have replace the switch twice, the main hydraulic hose, the motor and now it sitting broken with a blown seal. Bendpak tell me there no parts for it and I have to replace the whole cylinder. They, the customer service has been no help.

Im beginning to think its a chinese machine made from parts of other dealers and one step above harbor freight

Your lack of customer service response matches. mine.

PS - Look at my posts. I don't just create an account on here to complain about Bendpak but I certainly won't hold back on companies that lack value.

PSS - I have also said take it as an import lift. Don't pay extra for the name. You get nothing extra.

 

[jfitz]

Bought an HD9XW with an RJ45 in June 2015. Installed it myself, no problems at all. Lifts everything I throw at up to my 08 2500 MegaCab. I can't believe all the negative remarks lately. If the lifts were that bad, distributors would be looking to sell other brands. Up here, Babco is the distributor for Bendpak and other Ranger product. Maybe you should give them a call for a little info. You might even be able to get the lift up here cheaper with the 30% exchange rate!

 

[Sarki]

Spoke with 2 of the larger Bendpak distributors today in an effort to get some additional info and to get their take on the quality of Bendpak lifts today vs. 3-5 years ago. Both of these distributors also sell other lifts and not just Bendpak.
Initially I didn't let either know I was specifically intersted in the Bendpak lift as I didn't want their response to be sway d one way or another.
Neither acknowledged being aware of any issues or noticing an increase in customer dissatisfaction or complaints. Once I told them about hearing a good many complaints regarding Bendpak quality and poor customer service they genuinely seemed very surprised and said normally customer would complain to them if their complaint is ignored by the manufacturer.
Who knows, just some more info for those Looking to make an informed purchase and not get stuck with a lemon.
I'll either roll the dice on an HD-9 or go with equivalent Challenger.

 

[kwschumm]

A big part of BendPak's issue seems to be bad or disempowered customer service. If a post is crooked from the factory (like DerStig's problem) then they should just replace it and not argue about it. Nobody wants to spend a few thousand dollars and then feel like they can't trust the product. If a rolling jack is rusted up then just replace it and don't argue that it is "acceptable". If that happened to me I sure wouldn't think much of the manufacturer. Maybe BendPak doesn't care about most home shop folks because they are unlikely to be repeat buyers. I hope they aren't dumping their seconds to home shop buyers.

 

[minytrker]

I went with a 10k certified 2 post lift from Dannmar and couldn't be happier. I cant even type enough to say how great their customer service was from day one and still is today. I honestly believe that no other company could have treated me any better than Dannmar has done with my lift purchase. I had several issues that were not not Dannmars fault but they stepped up and took care of it asap just to help me out. I recommend giving them a call if you havent talking to them. I can give you the guys number I deal with if anyone wants it.

 

[PoorOwner]

BP ad now feature celebrity shops.
Do you think Jesse at west coast choppers have a problem how fast would that get taken care of? Think they would tell them that's normal ?
What about small guys like us.

It's not a piece you can just bring back and get another.
You are really rolling your dice. You live in the east coast, and it may be shipping out of CA
That's a long way to go to get the poorly packed lifts a chance to get beat up. Maybe they'll send you some touch up paint

 

[PoorOwner]

I would look at the challenger they have on the costco website now.
Price includes delivery and installation.

 

[maitman99]

Bought a Hd-9 one year ago. It arrived within two weeks, a local company installed it in 1/2 a day and other than a six inch scratch (with one phone call I had a spray can of blue paint delivered in 5 days) I have had zero issues.

Would buy another one without any concerns.

 

[seagravedriver]

Spec stickers on cockeyed, (heck ALL the stickers were on cockeyed!), and the packing/metal was bent. Was it in one piece and not damaged? Yes. Stickers and "little things" were a mess. I, however, would order another one. The people made it worth it. They backed it up. It is solid.

 

[ZipSnafu]

I bought my BendPak 4 years ago and have had no problem what so ever. It did have a small scratch on one of the post but the included spray paint took care of that.

I would defiantly buy another one without concern.

 

[58Yeoman]

Before I retired, my job was unloading trucks on the dock. The big brown truck company FREIGHT service trucks were the worst for having the freight falling over onto other items, or not loaded correctly. I don't know if that is the company delivering your lifts or not, but if it is, that could be part of the scratch, dent, broken etc. problems.

Are you buying these lifts with your credit card? Seems to me that if you're having problems with bent/broken parts, and the company is not taking care of you, you should maybe call the CC company and complain to them.

Earlier this year, I bought an item for one of my RC choppers, and it wasn't the right one. The owner of the company that I got it from more or less told me to pound sand. I contacted Paypal, and the problem was taken care of immediately. No vendor wants to be dropped from a major 'way of paying by customers,' whether it be a CC company or something like Paypal.

 

[kwschumm]

I would look at the challenger they have on the costco website now.
Price includes delivery and installation.

That seems to be a heck of a deal. Thanks for the info.

 

[ryan77]

get an atlas from Greg smith for Half the price, I did 6 yrs ago, so far its been great.

 

[DaveS53]

I have a 2013 model Direct Lift 2-post and a 2014 4-post. No problems with either one. I have no idea whether they have a bad reputation or not. I bought from the nearest dealer, (60 miles away in Denver) and had both installed, since I have no equipment to lift heavy pieces or help available to install one. People worry about a few paint scratches? It's a tool - most of mine look worn because I use them.

The 2-post was used extensively during the 3-year build of my '37 hot rod.

 

[bry@n]

I bought an HD9 two years ago. Came in about a month and was damaged. Had that written on the bill laden.

Called BP who said they'd send paint. I argued and told them I need a tread as the fork lift took all the slag/ grit off of one tread.

They sent paint, I fixed myself and they gave me 2 rj45's for the price of 1. In the end, I'm happy. Wouldn't been nice to not have to deal with the damage.

 

[Z2V]

You sure can't fault Bendpak for a reckless forklift driver. A 2 fer on the RJ-45 is darn good compensation, I'd say you came pretty good for and hour of painting.

 

[jcthorne]

I have owned my Bendpak for a bit over a year now. Had it professionally installed by the same dealer that handles many of the dealerships and NTB shops in the area.

I did have a problem with the pump. Bendpak was quick to ship a new made in usa upgraded pump and pay for installation. No problems since and I use it on multiple vehicles most every weekend.

 

[scottmoyer]

I did as much research as I could and was leaning towards BendPak until I started reading about power requirements. I called BendPak customer service, and asked about the power and the answers I got were a real turn off. I posted about it here on garagejournal. Because of all of the additional things needed, like the casters, the additional wiring, and a small compressor, I decided on the 8k pound Direct-Lift. The day I was planning on placing my order, I saw a post about Advantage Lifts. I started to investigate them, and even called them for additional details. I was sold. The price is comparable to the BendPak, but comes with all the accessories. I also think it seems to be better built. I bought the 9k pound Advantage Lift.

 

[OH_Varmntr]

After the issues my brother had with receiving his Bendpak hydraulic pipe bender missing dies, trying to get the missing dies shipped to him, getting the wrong dies shipped to him, and the associated bullcrap excuses I heard the people at Bendpak give my brother, I wouldn't spend a dime nor recommend them or any of their products to anyone.

 

[flyt100]

When i was looking, the local company I went with sold/installed Bendpak and Direct Lift. I liked that the Bendpak was built a little huskier, but they didn't have good things to say about their support and had some examples of ongoing issues for months at some cusomers. I've been happy with the Direct Lift, and the couple of small issues I had were dealt with very quickly.