Lift decisions are agonizing.

[NXGTS]

First I know this has been hashed, rehashed, and beat to death. I've been going through all, or most, of the searches on lifts and you would think that would make up my mind. Well, I guess I'm just really hard headed or too tight to make the right decision.

I've been looking at the Atlas Pro 8K XLT and the Bend Pak HD-9XW. It probably is insulting to BP to compare this lift with their product. If money were no object I would buy the BP and never give it a thought. As with most people though money is always an issue. It's not really the price of the lift itself it's the accessory prices being added on that take it a little over the top. So thinking out loud here are what I see as pros and cons.

Atlas:
Cons : Not certified
I don't like how the cables are mounted on the columns
It's black

Pros: obviously price
It comes with most of the extras I want
Most of the extras, like jacks, are also less expensive
GSE is local and I can go pick it up with no shipping

Bend Pak:
Cons: Price
It has to be shipped and special arrangements made for pick up
The accessories add a lot to the overall cost

Pros: It's certified
I like the design better(columns)
It's blue
It has a little higher capacity. Though I probably will not really need that.


After the amount of money I've spent raising the garage this spring money is tight because of cost overruns. The $1000 difference in price would go a long way for epoxy coating for the floor. The budget was supposed to be with a lift included but I ended up using some of that on the garage itself. So, I know to some this is a no brainer but I'm having a really difficult time with it. Any suggestions from all of you on what you would do given the situation? I would like to get one before winter and specifically designed the building to accommodate a lift. Suggestions?

 

[NitroPress]

My vote is obvious, but let me add that I think a lift is the LAST thing you should compromise or cut corners on. The BP is not that much more expensive, and you'd never have to give a second thought to quality, safety, support, parts, service etc.

Save money on or postpone something else and get this element right.

What accessories are you thinking of?

 

[Boiler]

Put off the epoxy for a year or two and do it right once.

 

[CrashTestDummy]

Our shop has been up three years, and STILL doesn't have the lift. That was supposed to be part of our 'kit', too. Cost overruns ate into the budget (mostly the obscene price for concrete and copper). We've done a lot of the after-build stuff as DIY projects, while we save up for the big stuff like overhead lighting installs and the lift. I can wait. The shop is not completely useless without it.

Save up for the lift, and don't buy on price alone, but that's MHO.

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

 

[NXGTS]

What accessories are you thinking of?

Caster kit, jack tray, and drip pans. If my math is right that's an extra $455. Possibly a jack down the road.

 

[NitroPress]

Caster kit, jack tray, and drip pans. If my math is right that's an extra $455. Possibly a jack down the road.

The plastic drip pans are grossly overpriced - VERY flimsy, about the weight of a milk carton. Nicely designed but I don't expect them to have a very long lifespan before they crack or something. They feel disposable. Save that $55 and fab your own from standard garage trays or other sheet material at half the cost.

Can't comment on casters but my installer said freestanding lifts and epoxy floors don't go together well - the lift will slide on the slick surface. I intended to anchor mine in any case but would have had to with the combination. Consider the safety and cost savings of just anchoring the lift in one location...

I looked at the jack tray and passed. I wouldn't use a pair of bottle jacks to lift anything even on the ground. The whole approach strikes me as Rube Goldberg and unsafe - see recent jack/stand thread. I had some margin and so splurged on the air jack. Between the project Mustang and swapping snows/summers, it was worth it.

Just because some makers include this stuff in the lift price doesn't make it worth it... or worth wherever they're taking the money from.

 

[ket-tek]

Keep in mind future possibilities as well. BP is the only company in the price range that makes a POWERED Scissor Jack. And you may not think you want or need it now, but trust me it is absolutely the best thing if you are going to do any actual work on the lift and it's not purely for storage.

The adjustable ladder design allows the lift to lay flat on unlevel residential garage floors, yet when lifted the runways can rest on the lock points level.

 

[c39er]

Yes air powered scissor jacks-are awesome and a necessity if you do a lot of work on a 4 post. I have 2 on mine and use them all the time. Short runway lifts make it tough to use 2 jacks-mine is 20' long-love the 2 jacks!

 

[browntown]

I can only dream of having this dilemma any time soon, but I have seen some lifts go on the used market for reasonable prices. I'm not in the know on the subject, but you might find a bp locally used for a much better price.

 

[Steves32]

I'd rather have the BendPak than the epoxy floor & cheap lift.

 

[ixlr8]

I understand your delema, I was trying to decide between the Direct Lift (Atlas cousin) that GSE sells and a BP. I went to GSE and looked at the DL, after about 30 seconds... I decided on waiting to save up my money to get the BP... that was 2 years ago and I am still saving. The DL had smaller columns, guide brackets were not very tall and allowed the posts to get skewed at an angle... on the showroom floor. Just didn't have a good 'feeling' about the DL lift, even though it was certified.

 

[darkk]

We ended up buying the BendPak HD 9XW lift with the casters and the hydraulic 4500lb scissor jack. The castors are a waste of money. The jack is heavy and with the casters it is a bear to move around especially with a vehicle on it. The plastic drip pans are cheap, you could make something bwetter, the jack...now that's a nice piece of equipment, pricey but very nice. The air/electric station is nice also. They also make a lowered top bar for the rolling jack kit for lowered cars that is really nice. Don't get cheap on a lift...This is ours and it's not even all the way up!

 

[CrashTestDummy]

Hmm, not sure I'd want to move a lift with a car on it, no matter how low it is to the ground. But that's just me.

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

 

[ket-tek]

Hmm, not sure I'd want to move a lift with a car on it, no matter how low it is to the ground. But that's just me.

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

It's really not a big deal like it may sound, I've moved my hd9-xw with a truck on it over to an adjacent bay, and it was not really bad at all. At no point was I scared or uncomfortable, it's not easy to move alone which I was when I pushed it over, but it's no problem with two people when I pushed it back a few weeks later with a buddy.

 

[Will67]

If money is no object, I would go with Mohawk over BP.

 

[NitroPress]

If money is no object, I would go with Mohawk over BP.

Mohawk and Rotary are a definite step up, but they don't make much that's in the garage-user spectrum. Their smallest units are about the equivalent of the HD-9s and it's up-up-up from there. I don't recall their being big on high-lift, either, just about 70-72 inches for their tallest and most heavier lifts being much lower.

Also VERY pricey - arguably worth it, but BP is more than most home users need already.

 

[buzz4041]

I know how you feel about this decision. I went through this about 3 years ago. I was down to the BP and Direct lift. I went with the direct lift after a lot of consideration. I picked up a couple of the rolling scissor jacks with it also. I have had no problems at all with it and I feel safe when it is in use. As with any tool it should be checked regular to ensure all is in good safe working order. If you do wait for the BP you will be happy as they are premier lifts.

 

[Matt M PA]

I too bought a HD9 and couldn't be more pleased. I did get the longer approach ramps and a pair of the sliding jack trays.

Mine is hardwired, so castors would of no use to me. I think the castors are a clever idea...but I think in practive they would be of little use. IMHO.

When I decided to consider a sliding jack after the fact...I thought the cost was a bit much. I got a mid-rise lift for the other bay instead.

 

[wjhpc]

I have 3 BP HD-9s at my house and they operate without a hitch. Got that sliding jack support - it is just a hunk of steel that i never used. I would suspect that the supplier you are buying the lift from will cut price down to virtually nothing for it. The plastic trays?? The vendor told me his cost was $1 per 3 pack so tell the vendor to throw them in and get over it! Finally, as to the castors, i doubt if you will ever need/want to use those, but you can always get them later. Got the scissor jack from BP on a deal ($500?) and it is great. I would definitely go with the BP quality rather than cut corners on this.

 

[TheIceMan]

Save your $$ up for the BP lift and skip the epoxy floor. If I had my shop to do over again... I'd probably not do the epoxy floor. Just my $.02

 

[mad57]

I have 4, 4 post lifts :1 back yard buddy...love it 2 bendpaks love them and a direct lift which im not very fond of compared to the above this lift just seems cheap and very unfinished looking coverd in black paint, does it work ..yes do i work under it not really just storage.

 

[wawa1]

if you are going to stand under the hoist invest the money in one that is certified. im shopping for a 12000 pound hoist and will not get one that isn't certified. i use a hoist everyday at work (16000 pound two post). it is most definately ali certified.

 

[NitroPress]

if you are going to stand under the hoist invest the money in one that is certified. im shopping for a 12000 pound hoist and will not get one that isn't certified. i use a hoist everyday at work (16000 pound two post). it is most definately ali certified.

Well, sure, if you're going to put six-eight tons up there, you want certified. We're just putting a ton-and-a-half, two tons up there, so no problem... right?

 

[scott67chevelle]

Caster kit, jack tray, and drip pans. If my math is right that's an extra $455. Possibly a jack down the road.

I just ordered a HD-9XW with the caster kit, rj-45 rolling jack and drip trays, from asedeals. I got the drip trays for free and a multiple purchase discount. I ordered it on a Tuesday at noon and received it the following Tuesday. So, I would suggest to call and see what the total really would be. PM me if you want to know what I paid. Scott