Bendpak v. Revolution four post

[Kapt]

Both Bendpak and Asedeals (Brian) have been more direct, communicative, and helpful...on most issues. However, they won't go into any detail on the weight difference.

Now that I've eliminated Revolution, it's between the Direct-Lift and the Bendpak. It looks like the Pro Park 9 is a bit cheaper than the Bendpak, and I still can't get past the weight issue. Bendpak confirms their shipping weight at 1,700 lbs., and the Direct-Lift installation guide lists 2,350 lbs. (That's without accessories.) That's a whopping 750 lbs. in thicker steel or other heavier materials.

Kapt -- That looks like a good deal you worked out with two jacks and shipping. Where did you buy? [Please keep us posted on your installation and overall impressions.] I'll probably order next week.

I did buy the Pro Park 9 with 2 rolling jacks and the 220V motor. Total was 4500 shipped and unloaded to my house. I had to pay an extra 100 for shipping to have it unloaded (included in the 4500). I purchased it from Greg Smith equipment sales in DE and if I wanted, they could have it at my house the next day. I'll post my overall impressions after the assembly is completed.

Also, if you go to the Greg Smith site, there is some good info on the Bend Pak vs Pro Park comparison. If you believe the data, you'll see the reason for the weight difference - thicker gauge steel.

 

[480rider]

Kapt -- I'm looking forward to reading about your exprience once your lift is operational. I assume you expect to see it this week?

 

[Kapt]

Kapt -- I'm looking forward to reading about your exprience once your lift is operational. I assume you expect to see it this week?

I'm doing the final adjustments on it tomorrow, so I'll post something tomorrow night. Work gets in the way.

 

[480rider]

Thanks. I decided to hold off for a couple of days before ordering, to gather a bit more info. Your experience will help.

I'm still a bit hung up on the weight difference (even though I mistakenly called the difference 750 lbs. when it's "only" about 650), and overall the Direct-Lift is still looking like the best value.

I was wondering: did you decide to get the manual or air jacks? I'm curious to hear what you think of them -- how they work, whether two on the lift at once tend seem to be in the way, etc.

I notice you listed the overall cost at 4,500. On the website, Greg Smith has the lift priced at 2,995, whereas a couple of other places list it at 2,695. I hope Greg Smith was willing to match that price. Also wondering what price they gave you for the jacks. I've heard good things about them, so I was planning on buying there, but only if they'll match the best prices.

Thanks again for sharing your experiences.

 

[Oil Equipment Comapny]

Obviously Im finding this post WAY after the fact.

Ill preface this by saying we are a Rotary Distributor, and have been selling the Revolution product since its inception quite a few years ago.

Due to Bend-pak's (and a host of others) lack of service partners in our area, we regularly to service, warranty, and installation on many of the brands of lifts I see have been discussed here.

I must say that it sickens me a bit to see Rotarys lack of responses to many of the questions that had been asked about the Revolution.....that is not like them at all. I suspect some one was having a bad day, although its not an excuse.

There are a number of reasons for the weight, and price differences between the Rotary, Bend-paks, and others. Yes...the easy sales answer is that the Revolution is built with heavier steel, larger cables, bigger power units, etc......which they are. Does that necessarily mean much for people that are using this for light service or storage?...yes and no.

What I generally like to do is talk with people, and try to find out what their intentions are for a lift so that we can sell them what they actually need....not what they "think" they need based on researching a few sites.

Obviously this discussion could go on and on... For anyone that is looking to discuss any lift comparisons, issues, etc....I can be reached at 920-312-3550 M-F 7am - 5pm CST. Or you can look at our site anytime at www.oilequipment.com

We guarantee the lowest Rotary prices in the county.....period!

Thanks,

Ben Lom
Oil Equipment Company

 

[revlover]

Obviously Im finding this post WAY after the fact.

Ill preface this by saying we are a Rotary Distributor, and have been selling the Revolution product since its inception quite a few years ago.

Due to Bend-pak's (and a host of others) lack of service partners in our area, we regularly to service, warranty, and installation on many of the brands of lifts I see have been discussed here.

I must say that it sickens me a bit to see Rotarys lack of responses to many of the questions that had been asked about the Revolution.....that is not like them at all. I suspect some one was having a bad day, although its not an excuse.

There are a number of reasons for the weight, and price differences between the Rotary, Bend-paks, and others. Yes...the easy sales answer is that the Revolution is built with heavier steel, larger cables, bigger power units, etc......which they are. Does that necessarily mean much for people that are using this for light service or storage?...yes and no.

What I generally like to do is talk with people, and try to find out what their intentions are for a lift so that we can sell them what they actually need....not what they "think" they need based on researching a few sites.

Obviously this discussion could go on and on... For anyone that is looking to discuss any lift comparisons, issues, etc....I can be reached at 920-312-3550 M-F 7am - 5pm CST. Or you can look at our site anytime at www.oilequipment.com

We guarantee the lowest Rotary prices in the county.....period!

Thanks,

Ben Lom
Oil Equipment Company

Ughhhhh... this doesn't help. Garage Journal is a place for people to get non-biased advice from people about anything. Sure people will have their opinions about certain products, but at least they get a taste for different sides. I've been known to recommend BendPak and MaxJax for lift choices because of my past experiences with them, but I don't sell their product.

I don't know... maybe I'm wrong, but I just think that's the last people need is another salesman telling them their product is superior... well of course you'd say that!

 

[jsulin]

any idea the height of your GTO roof to the floor? I have similar vehicles but only 12 ft ceilings and was considering the the same lift. Thx

 

[bazzateer]

Work gets in the way.

Nasty four-letter word that one! A necessary evil though as it tends to pay for our toys!

I would like to instal a lift in my planned garage but don't have room for a 4 post or even a 2 post. I'll probably go for a floor mounted scissor lift. Weight is less of an issue for me as the heaviest vehicle I have is well under 4,000 lbs.

Very interesting to read this thread though.

 

[krooser]

Ughhhhh... this doesn't help. Garage Journal is a place for people to get non-biased advice from people about anything. Sure people will have their opinions about certain products, but at least they get a taste for different sides. I've been known to recommend BendPak and MaxJax for lift choices because of my past experiences with them, but I don't sell their product.

I don't know... maybe I'm wrong, but I just think that's the last people need is another salesman telling them their product is superior... well of course you'd say that!

I'll bet you'd have an easier time getting a repair guy out from Oil Equipment than MaxJack... guys that buy on price alone forget that service is important, maybe more important, than a low price. If it doesn't work it isn't much good.

 

[Junkman]

I'll bet you'd have an easier time getting a repair guy out from Oil Equipment than MaxJack... guys that buy on price alone forget that service is important, maybe more important, than a low price. If it doesn't work it isn't much good.

You can't beat the type of consumer friendly service that you will receive from Bendpak or Max Jack. Those guys will bend over backward to make sure that the customer is satisfied. Buick's old saying was "When better cars are built, Buick will build them.".... you can substitute the word Buick with Bendpak, and a truer words will never be spoken. They are not the Cadillac of the lift world, they are the Rolls Royce of lifts.

 

[e-tek]

I will totally concur with JUNK's take on BendPak's customer service and helpfullness - and it's been tested and shown in many ways, by many posters here over the years.

Also, although I may have missed it, I didn't see a couple bits of info in this thread: jacks came with rollers years ago, but BP (for one) has switched to sliders. I was told they are more reliable in the long run as rollers can break down. Not sure about the others tho.

I would not want 2 jacks. They take up about 18inches each and two wouldn't leave a lot of working room.

Width of the ramps should be a major concern. Another of my reasons for going with BP was ramp width, because on the widest setting, it was just wide enough for my 67 Galaxie, 46 Merc M1 (truck) and therefore anything larger. Some of the others I looked at would have had the tires right at - or over - the max ramp settings.

One other thing that kept coming up in this thread: if a lift is not designed for a jack, I wouldn't try to put one on! The rails way be only designed to handle the weight of drip trays, not a vehicle!

While I don't sell lifts, I, like anyone, will recommend things that have worked well for me over time. The BP XD9-XTW has performed flawlessly, is quick up and down (220V), has the 2 ramp width settings and is backed up by great customer service. My 4600 pound Galaxie is parked on it all winter with no ramp deflection. I also like the sand grain surface, vs. checker plate. It is NEVER slippery. As well, the BP sliding jack is also HEAVY DUTY and has worked well for me.

Hope that doesn't muddy the waters even more!

 

[e-tek]

any idea the height of your GTO roof to the floor? I have similar vehicles but only 12 ft ceilings and was considering the the same lift. Thx

My ceilings are 11'3" and is just enough for a truck and a car. Your 12' should be enough for 2 trucks!

 

[Rotary Lift Guy]

I would only recommend a Rotary Lift... Think for one minute what the cost of injury and risk of getting under a car safe is worth... is it worth saving a few hundred dollars? If you go to any dealer or quality service shop in the USA or world you will see only one brand of lift ROTARY!
For the home garage enthusiast I recommend the Rotary RPF9 4-post lift, here is a link http://www.liftandlube.com/Rotary_Revolution_RFP9_p/rot rfp9.htm
We have tried to sell other brands, (the one whose initials are BP and GB) and ones made in china, pistons that pop or leak new and lifts that shake are what you will deal with the whole time! We no longer sell them they cost more money in repairs down the line and the whole time you are scared to go under them. Buy Rotary Buy once! Be confident and safe always!

 

[NitroPress]

Old thread brought to life by a reseller post, but I'll chime in here. I considered Rotary and Revolution; I won't question their quality but they didn't have the model I needed, just two standard-footprint 4-posts vs a dozen models from Bend-Pak. I compared Revolution's quality as well and didn't find any downcheck on BP's units. I'd consider them of at least equal quality, and so did my very experienced installer.

As for Garage Buddy, Ranger and the other homeowner-only brands, I don't think I'd use them for garage shelves when BP is available at the same or only slightly more cost (or the Revolution, if they have a model that suits you.)

Now about that build location... I can't find a word about where the Revolution lifts are built - the Revolution site talks a good game but never once says "made in USA," which I know the Rotary-brand ones are. So if the RPF9 and its home/light shop kin aren't made in China, where are they made? Good of you to trash-talk the Chinese-built lifts and then try to sell one...

 

[ket-tek]

I would only recommend a Rotary Lift... Think for one minute what the cost of injury and risk of getting under a car safe is worth... is it worth saving a few hundred dollars? If you go to any dealer or quality service shop in the USA or world you will see only one brand of lift ROTARY!
For the home garage enthusiast I recommend the Rotary RPF9 4-post lift, here is a link http://www.liftandlube.com/Rotary_Revolution_RFP9_p/rot rfp9.htm
We have tried to sell other brands, (the one whose initials are BP and GB) and ones made in china, pistons that pop or leak new and lifts that shake are what you will deal with the whole time! We no longer sell them they cost more money in repairs down the line and the whole time you are scared to go under them. Buy Rotary Buy once! Be confident and safe always!

Are you serious? You really just joined here to search old revolution posts and then copy and paste the exact same response in different threads?

 

[HIRISC]

Agree. Fail.

Mr Troll, you won't find much support for your Bendpak bashing here.

 

[gsport]

Agree. Fail.

Mr Troll, you won't find much support for your Bendpak bashing here.

a little off topic here, but, since i see you here... HIRISC, how's the project car coming along, you should be about finished i would think

 

[HIRISC]

a little off topic here, but, since i see you here... HIRISC, how's the project car coming along, you should be about finished i would think

She's been go karted, but progress ground to a hault when my son was born in late June... I'll get back to building once the snow flies. Looks like she'll be in gel coat next driving season.

Pics on this thread:
http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62541&page=17

/hijack

 

[Yellowmann]

Im in the same boat here with Bendpak and Rotary Revolution RFP9. Has any one bought the Revolution? I got a local price of about $4k to have it installed which is not much more then the Bendpak. Regarding the rolling jack vs. tray (which jack is use with tray) Also the rolling Jack seem expensive and take up space. Have anyone use Air Jack with tray? Also if I install myself which would save about $650, is it easy and would it be warranty? Please help me decide....

Thanks

 

[ket-tek]

Regarding the rolling jack vs. tray (which jack is use with tray) Also the rolling Jack seem expensive and take up space. Have anyone use Air Jack with tray? Also if I install myself which would save about $650, is it easy and would it be warranty? Please help me decide....

Thanks

The RJ-45 POWERED scissor jack is expensive, yes. I had a hard time with the cost, that is until I made the purchase and began using them. I have not thought about the money one time since then. It makes all the difference if your going to use the four post for work and not just storage. The hand pump scissor jacks offered by other companies for still close to a grand is what is a rip off.

Have not been able to find any bottle jacks to use on my solid jack plates because they are all too tall unless I am working on a truck. I did buy an air bag jack and have used that a few times on the solid plate and on the runways. It works well, but it can't lift near as high as the RJ-45, and you need to (or should) set up jack stands with it everytime with the bag, but the RJ-45 has a locking safety holder so no jack stands needed.

Save the money and don't pay for the installation, and put it into the RJ-45. As far as the warranty, it has been shown here that BP provides service, parts, and support to use that have installed the lifts ourselves. It is not hard by any means, just bulky. Just get a couple buddies and a couple 4 wheel dollies and it's no big deal.

 

[AndysMBgarage]

^^^+1^^^

Thre Bendpak RJ-45 is an excellent piece of equipment.

 

[santagary]

You might want to double check the Pro Park dimensions. I believe there is an error in the published width of the runways.

The total distance from the outside edge of one runway to the other should be equal to the total width of the two runways plus the measurement for the distance between them. With 21.5 inch runways as published, this should be 82.25 as shown above. But the spec and drawings actually show the total width to be 79.25. This means the runways are actually 18.5 inches. This would make more sense and be consistent with the way everyone else builds them. Both Gregg Smith and Derek Weaver have this same error. It is also shown on the Pro Park 8 the same way.

The drive through dimension listed on the specs doesn't relate to the total width edge to edge on the runways. It is the width between the angled metal on the cross members. The explanation that I got from Gregg Smith is that this dimension is shown to indicate how wide the tread of the tires can be assuming that you are willing to drive on and let the edges of the tires extend beyond the runways.

I have decided on a BendPak HD-9 for just this reason. I have a truck with wide tires and wheels. I don't want to have to maneuver as carefully as you would have to with the Pro Park 8S and the overall width of the 9 at the posts is just too much for the small gain you are making in the total width at the runways. The BendPak provides considerably more width along with the ability to adjust the one runway and expand or reduce the gap as needed..

When first using these drive on lifts, how can you be sure where you are on the ramps...does everyone use a spotter or is there some other method of getting on there safe and square?

 

[ket-tek]

When first using these drive on lifts, how can you be sure where you are on the ramps...does everyone use a spotter or is there some other method of getting on there safe and square?

It only takes a few times to get used to. I had put a mirror sideways down low in front. That way you can see yourself pulling on and watch to see if your centered.

With my own cars I can pull right on 1 shot without looking anymore. It's not bad at all, sometimes I look down out the driver window so you can see the tires on the driver side and make sure your parallel on the runway, if you hug it close on the edge on the drivers side, then you will be good one the passenger side.

 

[Yellowmann]

The RJ-45 POWERED scissor jack is expensive, yes. I had a hard time with the cost, that is until I made the purchase and began using them. I have not thought about the money one time since then. It makes all the difference if your going to use the four post for work and not just storage. The hand pump scissor jacks offered by other companies for still close to a grand is what is a rip off.

Have not been able to find any bottle jacks to use on my solid jack plates because they are all too tall unless I am working on a truck. I did buy an air bag jack and have used that a few times on the solid plate and on the runways. It works well, but it can't lift near as high as the RJ-45, and you need to (or should) set up jack stands with it everytime with the bag, but the RJ-45 has a locking safety holder so no jack stands needed.

Save the money and don't pay for the installation, and put it into the RJ-45. As far as the warranty, it has been shown here that BP provides service, parts, and support to use that have installed the lifts ourselves. It is not hard by any means, just bulky. Just get a couple buddies and a couple 4 wheel dollies and it's no big deal.

Thanks for the info... Im still trying to finish up my garage first. Then I really have to decide on which lift to get.