How portable is a portable lift?

[AldeanFan]

So I'm thinking about trying to talk my Dad in to going partners on a lift.

My Dad's place has an attached garage single and a detached double garage with a concrete driveway between them.

I have my own garage at my house, about 10-15 minutes away. I also have an enclosed car trailer with a winch.

The 2 lifts I'm looking at are the MaxJax or the Cadet 6000.

I'd prefer the maxjax since it is a 2 post and would be easier to move around but we'd have to install the floor anchors in one or both of my Dad's garages and in my garage and I'm not confident in the strength of any of our floors.

The Cadet would be great to move between the 3 bay's in my father's garages and we wouldn't have to worry about the floor strenght.

I'm wondering if it would be practical/possible to pull the lift in to my trailer to move it between our houses. This wouldn't be a regular thing, we spent the summer working on my Dad's '63 F100 in his garage, I'll be spending the winter working on my '54 wagon in my own garage while my parents are in Florida. We'd probably move the lift to my house in the fall and back to my parents in the spring, so 2 moves per year.

Any thoughts?

I don't have room for a permanent 2 post install in my 20x22 and I definitely don't have money for multiple hoists

 

[firworks]

Is there a reason you wouldn't look at the fully portable scissor type lifts? Something like the MD-6XP. That one can lift 6000lbs and that's plenty for a 63 F100. I'm not sure what length you can put on that thing though or how the balance would play out but I've half seriously looked at those scissor lifts a few times.

Edit: Doh. The Cadet is a scissor type. I saw the MaxxJaxx and you mentioning installing anchors and figured you were only looking at post type.

As for the portability I've seen YouTube videos of people taking the scissor types out of storage, sliding them under the car, hooking up the lines and operating it. It looked pretty easily portable and I'm sure you could just put it in a trailer / bed of a truck and drive it around.

 

[Scottwi]

I have the quickjack and love it. It has a clear path down the middle and you can work under the car on a creeper.

Not sure it will lift the weight you need but check it out.

Here is thread on it.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=239561

 

[atthebeach]

A scissor lift, like the Cadet 6000, has small diameter wheels at one end and requires a tow handle to lift the other end to move across a floor that is relatively level. However, winching it up a ramp into a trailer would require dragging it up the ramp. The lift will bottom out at the top of the ramp as it enters the trailer. Beside scrapping all the paint off the bottom of the lift you may also sustain some damage to your trailer. Then unloading will be difficult unless you have a forklift. Your best option might be to temporarily attach some larger diameter wheels under both ends of the lift to facilitate rolling up and off of your trailer.

 

[turbodave]

I have a 5x8 tilt deck trailer I use to move my 6k Scissor lift with (it's a Forward, but looks just like the Cadet). I use a come-along to pull the lift onto the trailer and my lawn tractor to pull it off. Not the easiest thing to move, but not un-reasonable if your only doing it once or twice a year. They are heavy, around 1,000 lbs.

I also use a pair of harbor freight furniture dollies to move the lift around in the garage, gives much more mobility than casters that are on it. Just raise it up, roll the dollies under the middle and lower it back down. When the pivot point hits the dollies it will raise the legs up and the whole thing balances on them, now you can move it sideways or turn it around in a much tighter area.

 

[turbodave]

A scissor lift, like the Cadet 6000, has small diameter wheels at one end and requires a tow handle to lift the other end to move across a floor that is relatively level. However, winching it up a ramp into a trailer would require dragging it up the ramp. The lift will bottom out at the top of the ramp as it enters the trailer. Beside scrapping all the paint off the bottom of the lift you may also sustain some damage to your trailer. Then unloading will be difficult unless you have a forklift. Your best option might be to temporarily attach some larger diameter wheels under both ends of the lift to facilitate rolling up and off of your trailer.

You can raise the lift up a few inches and that will give more clearance for getting it in and out of the trailer. I do this to keep it from dragging on the apron of my garage.

On the enclosed trailer it should go in fine, just may need a piece of steel plate to transition over the gap at the door.

 

[AldeanFan]

Thanks everyone, sounds like my idea is doable!

I don't need a lift often but it would be nice some of the time. Last winter I was getting my 54 on the road and a hoist would have been great for the front end work, this winter will be mostly wood working so I don't need a hoist for that. Sounds like the Midrise is a good idea for me.

 

[GTUnit]

If you can drop in anchors with little worry (Slab must be thick and strong enough to support them) then get the MaxJax.
I have a Cadet 6000XL and it is very cumbersome to move around.
The system used to move the lift is horribly designed making the process not only difficult but opens the user up to injury.
The lift frame is over 800lbs.
Getting in winched up on a trailer was easier then moving it around the garage.

 

[Jvvmusme]

You could move the maxjax from one to the other easily
QUOTE=AldeanFan;5198471]So I'm thinking about trying to talk my Dad in to gyou could move the maxjax from one house to the other easilyoing partners on a lift.

My Dad's place has an attached garage single and a detached double garage with a concrete driveway between them.

I have my own garage at my house, about 10-15 minutes away. I also have an enclosed car trailer with a winch.

The 2 lifts I'm looking at are the MaxJax or the Cadet 6000.

I'd prefer the maxjax since it is a 2 post and would be easier to move around but we'd have to install the floor anchors in one or both of my Dad's garages and in my garage and I'm not confident in the strength of any of our floors.

The Cadet would be great to move between the 3 bay's in my father's garages and we wouldn't have to worry about the floor strenght.

I'm wondering if it would be practical/possible to pull the lift in to my trailer to move it between our houses. This wouldn't be a regular thing, we spent the summer working on my Dad's '63 F100 in his garage, I'll be spending the winter working on my '54 wagon in my own garage while my parents are in Florida. We'd probably move the lift to my house in the fall and back to my parents in the spring, so 2 moves per year.

Any thoughts?

I don't have room for a permanent 2 post install in my 20x22 and I definitely don't have money for multiple hoists[/QUOTE]

 

[Jvvmusme]

You could move the maxjax from house to the other easily