Best/Highest Quality

[GGirman04]

I am by no means a rich man, but since forever I wanted a premium quality lift for my home. I have looked at alot of brands, including Bendapk, mohawk etc.
I was planning on buying one last year. After doing a ton of research, I decided on the all american lift. Then, I found out due to the economy, they were forced to close before I was able to buy.

What I am looking for is:
1) lift for extra storage room
2) be able to do work on my cars
3) all american made(generally better quality)
4) highest quality materials.(safety a big conern)

Can someone please provide me with some advice and guidance?
Thanks
George

 

[c39er]

You could buy a Real Commercial grade Mohawk or Rotary lift. Not the Revolution Rotary. Be ready to spend up to $5000.00 or more depending on type of lift! Have it professionally installed if you are concerned about your abilities on the install. Buy what the big auto repair shops buy!

 

[sberry]

I got a Mohawk but I am a rigger from hell, if I was to do it for a common home/hobby garage, even light commercial use I would be looking at something that cost half as much and does the same basic job. Professional installation isn't always what its cracked up to be. Lots of them make the same mistakes over and over again. I would bet most don't have any formal training.

 

[c39er]

Yea, Guess I gotta agree on the professional install issue. I always do all my own assembly of equipment. But them I am pretty capable of most anything

 

[Jack Olsen]

What type of lift are you looking to get?

 

[camarotoolman]

Back Yard Buddy lifts are made in warren, Ohio. with local made steel, by Oh & PA people.

 

[GGirman04]

I am looking for a lift to accomplish two things:
store a 2 cars when not in use,
and do basic service repairs on my car.

I want to make sure that when I am under the car in any capacity, that I am safe.

 

[floyd]

I'm guessing a 4-post then?

 

[GGirman04]

Yes
4 post would be the best option for me

 

[tdkkart]

Back Yard Buddy lifts are made in warren, Ohio. with local made steel, by Oh & PA people.

I have real reservations about companies that will not openly advertise their prices.

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Besides Rotary, take a long look at Challenger Lifts. Made in KY and stout as hell. Once my garage is done, there will be a Challenger 10,000 pound 2 post installed and as soon as funds permit, a 12,000 pound 4 post.

There are a lot of garages around here running their lifts and I have very seldom (if ever) heard of a problem with them even after years of hard service. They are not as expensive as Rotary but they are certainly not considered "cheap" either.

 

[GGirman04]

Thanks for the recommendations.
Any other to look at?

 

[sberry]

If I really wanted to work on cars it would be a 2 post, so much of the work is wheel related, being able to walk under it from any direction, even sub frame,,, r&r.etc. Considering the cost of building space, another 4 post wouldn't scare me if storage was an issue.
You can store a car on a Challenger 10K too, all depends on what a guy wants to do, you want to recover the cost servicing a fleet of family cars or in small biz, brake work, tire rotations,, I know a few guys swear by a 4 post but I am a fan of a 2 for common service work.

 

[sberry]

Everything about mine is designed for speed and convenience. I have some permanent wiring I am going to install this winter, there is a 25 ft air hose drops from ceiling on each side. Just right, can hang conveniently without it hitting the floor. A bracket keeps the hose away from the post so one can walk around without snag. Can actually do 4 wheels with one hose, I have lights on roller stands essentially at 4 corners, plug ins, and a 240 on the hoist for mig machine.

 

[NitroPress]

Besides cost, the downside of the commercial-brand lifts like Rotary and Mohawk is that they start big and only get bigger. Unless you're willing to give up a lot of garage space, you need to look at the lighter-duty lifts. Not many of the commercial 4-posters have very high lift, either, so you're limited in what you can park under them.

As always, I suggest BendPak as the optimum between cost, quality, and offerings that make sense for the home/DIY user. Hard to beat their combination.

 

[GGirman04]

Thanks for the replies. I do not want to give up that much in regards to space, so maybe a commercial lift is out of the question.
Also, I would like to use the lift for storage as well, so a 4 post is needed.
Is Bendpak's quality as good as the better lifts?

As I mentioned in the original post, I was ready to buy an All American Lift until I found out they were forced to close due to the economy.

 

[sberry]

I find my 2 post really doesnt take up room.
atn first, before install it seems like an issue, after its a different story.

 

[GGirman04]

Thanks for the responses. Has anyone looked at AC Lifts?
They claim to be made in America.

Also, are all lifts using the same materials when the vehicle is in the lock position? Basically, do some use locks that are better made thus increasing the safety factor?

 

[SSAAHemiFan]

I have real reservations about companies that will not openly advertise their prices.

Materials prices fluctuate constantly. If you are serious about a lift you will make a simple call.

I picked mine up at the factory and saw them being made right here in Ohio.

 

[NitroPress]

Materials prices fluctuate constantly. If you are serious about a lift you will make a simple call.

I seriously doubt that BYB's prices fluctuate with the spot price of steel. It's possible to get a fixed price on almost any other light industrial product; this is not an adequate excuse for shell-gaming the would-be buyer.

 

[pattenp]

The concern I have is that it appears that most if not all of the steel is coming out of China. I know the lifts that are certified have passed the test requirements but I hear too much about poor quality steel coming out of China.

 

[Joetomass]

if you want the best Mohawk , 2 post build to last forever i have a 12k best lift in my shop, for now looking for a mohawk 4 post 19k If you want a 4 post mohawk best if you have the room the smallest 4 post they have is 20ft and the most $$$$ next 4 post i would say challenger, rotary, hunter,

 

[KermitFrog]

We have a Forward CR14. Great, stout lift.

 

[ket-tek]

Back Yard Buddy lifts are made in warren, Ohio. with local made steel, by Oh & PA people.

They are a quality built lift, but it is not made with local steel, don't let the american flag sticker through you off. They use "North American" steel, and they openly admit this. The term north american would not be used if the steel came from the USA, this term is used because the steel comes from canada or mexico.