In ground lifts
- Thread starter Chuckie63
- Start date
Jagmandave
Well-known member
One of the major brands has a slick one that comes in a cassette, you prep the hole, drop the cassette in , grout it back and once it's cured your good to go. The cool part is that the hydraulic fluid is not oil, it's a water soluble solution, that if it leaks won't have the epa on your ***.
Don't remember the brand, but if you google around a bit I'm sure it will come up.
If I were building from new I would definitely want one.
they're more expensive than a regular 2-post lift, and they have other limitations such as you have to drive over the support which can be an issue with really low cars.
We have both types at school and depending on the vehicle, they both have their advantages.
Don't remember the brand, but if you google around a bit I'm sure it will come up.
If I were building from new I would definitely want one.
they're more expensive than a regular 2-post lift, and they have other limitations such as you have to drive over the support which can be an issue with really low cars.
We have both types at school and depending on the vehicle, they both have their advantages.
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JakeKohl
Well-known member
Sureshot
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I have an old one I cemented in. Just recently resealed it. SVI gave great service and they sell complete units. Again I got top of the line service and advice which seems rare these days.
http://www.sviinternational.com
http://www.sviinternational.com
ABADWILLYS
Well-known member
Our shop(where i work) is switching over to the "cassette" type in-ground lifts, i cannot give you the brand because well, im not really sure, they are not done installing,(the concrete is curing) but i watched and took some pics, i will post up later, it was a pretty simple deal ..cut out the concrete, drop in the lift, re-concrete around it, voila!! i also understand they operate on a 12 volt system, so far they only installed 2 in-grounds and three 15k Rotary 2-posters, but rumor has it that the rest of the lifts..15 more of them.. will be the "cassette" type in-grounds. i actually think they are going to work out good..
<btw> in my own old shop(see sig) i have a in-ground hydraulic with a remote resivoir, i want to say thats a Globe lift, its been going for gotta be more than 40 years!!
its still working to this day, everyday!!
<btw> in my own old shop(see sig) i have a in-ground hydraulic with a remote resivoir, i want to say thats a Globe lift, its been going for gotta be more than 40 years!!
its still working to this day, everyday!!
Diesel Dan
Well-known member
If I had the extra money it would be one of the new in ground units.
48windsor
Well-known member
I read this thread with interest , half expecting it to not say much good about in ground lifts . Thought they were kind of archaic . Always willing to learn though.
One good thing I can think of about the in ground is there isnt as much obstruction . Just the arms that do the lifting.
One good thing I can think of about the in ground is there isnt as much obstruction . Just the arms that do the lifting.
ConCretin
Well-known member
I installed a Smartlift Trio;
http://www.rotarylift.com/light_inground_smart.aspx
The garage is still under construction so the lift isn't in service yet.
It was about twice as expensive as a post type lift.
http://www.rotarylift.com/light_inground_smart.aspx
The garage is still under construction so the lift isn't in service yet.
It was about twice as expensive as a post type lift.
I installed many in ground lifts back in the day, haven't installed one in 25 years though. We used to hang them off the floor or from some rolling scaffolding, concrete under them and around bottom of casing. pipe them up and then repair floor. I'm assuming the newer ones have better rust protection, the last ones we did sat in fiberglass cases. I'd cathodically protect one if I was installing it today.
In ground lifts rule compared to above ground. I prefer a 2 post in either orientation, side by side or front and back.
Bet you are looking at twice the money as above ground
Spudland_Dave
Well-known member
Being as how my preference is to work on heavy equipment, having a lift wasn't a make or break thing to me, although I would have liked one...having posts "in the way" all the time in the garage was not appealing to me, so I never even gave it much consideration...although my concrete is thick enough to place one anywhere I want in the shop. Had I been on GJ and this post come up 2 years ago I might have put in an in-ground...I thought they had long been out of production.
ABADWILLYS
Well-known member
I clicked on that, thats the lifts they are installing at our shop, im going to love them for doin interior work, since nothing for the doors to hit when open, the shop is going to look bigger than it already is too.. well i snapped a few pics last week when they were doin this.. they have it covered in plastic keepin the concrete wet before i can post some finished pics,
basically cut the concrete, attached an anchor, lifted the concrete out, dug the hole, set em in, re-concrete in, 2 of these lifts are going in that corner from where i took this pic in these pics can also see the above ground rotarys installed
ddawg16
Well-known member
Go look at Jack Olson's garage....
Well, mine is at the low, low end of the spectrum for an in-ground lift. And any lift (2-post, 4-post, scissors, pillar) is going to have some trade-off in terms of access obstruction. But in terms of ground clearance, I don't see why you couldn't countersink the portion for the swing arms at or just below surface level.
Mine only goes up 37", but I have low ceilings. It is completely flush with the floor -- it's even tiled on the top to match the surrounding tile. For my particular car (which only has sheet metal where it meets with the lift surface), it was a great -- and cheap -- solution. I use it MUCH more than I ever expected to.
I apologize in advance for posting this cheesy video. But it shows how great it is to have even a low-budget solution for getting the car up in the air.
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Cyberbear
Well-known member
As it happens, I found an in-ground lift supplier who had just recently removed about 15 new lifts from a business that went belly up 6 months after their installation. This supplier was selling these almost new lifts for $1,000.00 installed. It pays to shop around and see what kind of deals are out there. I had mine installed so it would not be seen when not in use, and still leave me with a clear floor and nothing to trip over.
bazzateer
Well-known member
I think that qualifies for a "YOU ****!"
Diesel Dan
Well-known member
$1K installed?!
That doesn't even sound like it will cover the cost of labor,
That doesn't even sound like it will cover the cost of labor,
Sureshot
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Good job. I bought mine for $500 a few years ago. It had been pulled out and the work bay was made into an office several years prior and it just sat in a warehouse.
ConCretin
Well-known member
It won't.