only thing a 4 post is good for is oil changes and storage.
those friggin ramps are alway in your way.
Like I said, takes up a substantial foot print in your shop, most standard home garages' clearly are not big enough for the lift itself, let alone anything else. If you tight on space, probably a bad choice.
Dawg, I'm guessing the rack you used didn't have rack jacks to get the car off the ramps ? If that is the case, I will agree that oil changes are the most common use for that setup. On the other hand, a four post without rack jacks, is like gun without bullets, not much need for one without the other.
What is interesting, when I bought my first 4 post, my shop had a Mohawk 2 post (bought new, maybe 2 years old), and as soon as the 4 post went up, that 2 post sat idle period. I had 4 guys working for me at the time, they fought over the 4 post, even when the 2 post was empty. Granted, we where doing allot of fleet work, mostly one ton vans, and Ford step vans, not Saturn's and little cars. So it may have been an subliminal survival instinct as to why my guys didn't like the 2 post, or it may be the advantages I pointed out. I dunno ? I'm just stating the obvious.
One other thing Ive not seen anyone mention on this forum, is how easy it is to screw up lifting a car on a two post ? Which is really rather difficult to do on a 4 post, unless you just drive off the thing. My guys dropped my 72 Centurion Convertible on my 2 post, I wasn't present to see how they screwed up placing the arms, but they dropped it sideways on the passenger door/fender/quarter panel, it slid from left to right, once again, something you cant do on a 4 post.
And then there is stability, if you working on 3k cars all the time, I suppose the 2 post is pretty safe, if you working on something heavy, I personally don't like being under a 2 post.
Like I said in an early post, wanna sell yourself on a 4 post, take that crew cab dually and put it up on a 9k, grab the back corner of the bumper and pull down on it, if it doesn't make you nervous, your survival instincts are not working. Vehicles do fall of 2 post lifts.
I will admit, in my next shop, I will have a 2 post, but it will sit idle most of the time, while I wear out the 4 post. I will only buy it for the specific work I cant do on the 4 post, so maybe a 4 post is a luxury. Clearly if you doing front wheel drive work-engines, transmissions, K-frames, suspension, not the lift for you. I have 2 front wheel drives, but as far as work goes I dont do any transmission work on FWD's, I personally loath front wheel drives, but Im lucky in that I can really pick and choose my work (mostly 4WDs, Full Size SUVs and small tractors, skid loaders)
Just food for thought, some guys can save themselves the needless process of buying a 2 post only to wind up with a 4 post. Just like allot of other tools, for some they are the bomb, others, not so much. Depends on what your doing. Ive seen guy progress from 2 post too 4 post, but never the other way around?
Thanks for the info! I'm sure it'll help a lot of folks trying to solve their own internal 4-post vs. 2-post debate.