Bendpak HD-9ST Lift Results

[SMKN LS1]

Hi everyone,

New guy here!
So, I wanted to start a post about my recent experience with adding a BendPak lift to my garage. Hope it will help add to the great depth of coverage here for those interested in buying a lift. Searching through this forum definitely helped me in deciding what unit to go with. Made me happy to see a group of guys doing this!

Our garage is not that big compared to many others on this forum. We have a suburban three car garage and it was already full with two cars and a SUV, bikes, garden tractor, and kid's toys. Still, I have this crazy idea of not working on the concrete floor anymore, and maybe, adding a fourth car to the mix much later on.
My family's needs had to be considered when adding the lift. Clearance to the man-doors must be maintained, car doors must fully open and close, and my wife's suv must be kept in the same spot with no interferences. Our ceiling is low at 108", but has a beam to support the upstairs bedrooms, causing clearance to drop to 96". Pretty low!

Anyways, just like everyone else, I researched options online and reviewed manufacturer vs. manufacturer. I really liked the low price on some units, but have always felt that you get what you pay for. Bendpak was the obvious choice for me, but it took some time to get there. The HD-9ST was a good fit dimensionally, and had the robustness I was looking for.

Jeff at Bendpak was wonderful to deal with, and helped me get in touch with Dave at Work Shop Depot. They obviously focus on the customer and made this project easy and straightforward. I highly recommend this team for anyone else!
One of my limitations was that I could not unload the delivery truck (no fork trucks or other methods to get the shipment to my house). Dave suggested I work with a local contractor and have them manage the shipments and install. I was actually looking forward to assembling the unit myself, but couldn't turn down the package deal from the contractors (Bob Hill Sales). Installed and running in 4-5 hours and I didn't break anything.

HD-9ST
Aluminum ramps
Air Bottle (not installed yet)
110/60/1 motor
Looking to add the RG-45 next spring!

So, I'm happy! On to the pictures:

 

[ovilla]

Looking good! I have the HD-9B along with an RJ-45 and a jacking tray. I highly recommend this set up as it allows you to lift one end of the car so you can install the jacking tray along with some jack stands. You then move the RJ-45 to the other end to get the whole car in the air for stuff like tire rotations. For now I'd recommend you get some 6 ton jack stands (they're really tall) so you can position them between the ramps and lower the car on to them, as needed. Also consider moving you ceiling light so you can get more ceiling height for your lift.

 

[JKJavelin]

SMKN- Can I ask what the guy charged for delivery & set-up?
JK

 

[SMKN LS1]

ovilla - thanks for the recommendations! I think a jacking setup will be needed to take full advantage of having the lift. How do you swap the jacking tray with the RJ-45? Just pick it up off the lift?
Fully agree on the light fixture. I have to rework all the ceiling outlets and am saving that for the next step. The garage track also needs to be raised at the same time!

JKJavelin - pm sent!

 

[bob_the_builder]

What is the height of your ceiling?

 

[SMKN LS1]

9 feet

 

[Hagasan7]

SMKN- are you still enjoying the lift and any photos of it with a car uderneath?

 

[SMKN LS1]

I’ll see if I can dig up any photos with the car beneath it. The ceiling is too low to stack two ordinary cars, but I may have put something else up on the lift for storage.

Since installing, I’ve added the RJ-45, dedicated air and power lines, and modified the entry ramps to clear my lowered car’s undercarriage. Just had the lift serviced yesterday for a regular “tune up.” It’s still working great!

Edit - forgot to note that the service guys found my main cylinder to be leaking a little bit of hydraulic fluid on the ram end. They said that BendPak might replace it with a new one, but I haven’t asked yet.

 

[cajunfirehawk]

I’ll see if I can dig up any photos with the car beneath it. The ceiling is too low to stack two ordinary cars, but I may have put something else up on the lift for storage.

Since installing, I’ve added the RJ-45, dedicated air and power lines, and modified the entry ramps to clear my lowered car’s undercarriage. Just had the lift serviced yesterday for a regular “tune up.” It’s still working great!

Edit - forgot to note that the service guys found my main cylinder to be leaking a little bit of hydraulic fluid on the ram end. They said that BendPak might replace it with a new one, but I haven’t asked yet.

You haven't been too busy on this forum, no new posts since 2012

 

[Hagasan7]

I’ll see if I can dig up any photos with the car beneath it. The ceiling is too low to stack two ordinary cars, but I may have put something else up on the lift for storage.

Since installing, I’ve added the RJ-45, dedicated air and power lines, and modified the entry ramps to clear my lowered car’s undercarriage. Just had the lift serviced yesterday for a regular “tune up.” It’s still working great!

Edit - forgot to note that the service guys found my main cylinder to be leaking a little bit of hydraulic fluid on the ram end. They said that BendPak might replace it with a new one, but I haven’t asked yet.

Thanks for responding! I’ve got 9 ft 8in to work with and wondering if it’s worth the investment. It’ll be tight based on Bendpak’s formula but I may still pull the trigger.