Lifting experience

[budl]

Drove up to Austin today and visited Greg Smith Equipment. This outlet had several different styles (operable) of lifts on display. I am mainly interested in 2 post but also checked out a drive-on 4 post. Though the 4 post would be nice for convienience and portability, I much prefer the working room provided by the 2 post. Art the sales rep told me the Atlas lifts they sell are actually made by 2 different companies, niether of which I recognized or can pronounce, one Chinese and the other Italian. Surprise surprise! Didn't see a lot of differences between the floor plate lifts on display. Slightly different fl mounting plate designs, power unit mounting (front vs side of column). The 9KBP had larger diameter cable sheaves than the BP9000 even though the KBP is a lower priced unit. Different manufacturer. I'm not an engineer but all the lifts I looked at would probably be adequate for me, even the BP8000 unless I decide to hot rod a hearse. One point of interest is that 2 of the Atlas lifts I looked at have slightly greater wall thickness on the columns than the other 2. Do the comparison view on their web site. Would I pay 30% more for an American made lift if I believed there was a 1% chance the foreign made one was going to break bad enough to drop a car on my head and a 0% chance the American made one would? HELL YEAH! Do I think those are reasonable probabilities? Nah!

Bud

 

[Hondarider]

I bought a 4 post from Greg Smith Equipment and have been very happy with it. I think it's a 9000lb extra tall model. I found the build quality to be very robust and it has functioned flawlessly for the past couple years.

 

[V-10 Killer]

I bought a Greg Smith Equipment XL9 2-post lift a few years back and have been very happy with it. I had originally planned on the Atlas 9 but over the course of a year or so waiting for funds, they went up like $300. The one I got has a 2 point lock release system, but it doesn't bother me any. It's been a great lift and has yet to give me any trouble at all.

 

[riskyvt]

Bud-

I have a pair of four-post lifts, the newer one an Atlas Garage Pro 8000 EXT purchased from Greg Smith last year. While I fully understand that the COO are China and Italy, the lift is the same design as many others on the market. Uprights, cross-bars, lock ladders, hydraulic pulling ram & aircraft-grade cables make up this package and it works as designed. I lift big block Chevrolet Chevelles and an El Camino effortlessly. I would buy another lift from Greg Smith, although I doubt I'll need a third lift any time soon.

My first lift, made by Autolifters of America, which went bankrupt and then re-opened by employees that bought out the assets of the founder and rebranded as All American Lifts (they went out of business some time later as well) was a better design. Much like the Backyard Buddy lifts, there are no lock ladders that flap around and are held in place with a threaded shaft sticking thru the column caps. The Autolifters locking system incorporate the square lock positions actually milled into the 1/4" thick 4x4 square upright tubing. Lock pins are spring loaded and when they rise to the point of a locking position in the upright, snap into the pocket. When lowered onto the locks, the lock pin is wedged tightly and cannot possibly come out. This design is far superior to lock ladder styles, but I was going for price on my 2nd lift.

 

[aka Larry]

I have a 2-post Atlas 9KOH from GSE. Works great, and the build quality was good according to my installer. I'm very pleased with it so far.

 

[MOPAULY]

I have 3 GS lifts - 2 4 posters and the 7k scissor. Happy with them all.

 

[koditten]

I'm in the process of installing an Alas 90HSC SS as we speak. I have been very happy with the quaility of the construction of this lift. Being a fab man, I think I'm qualified to judge the welds. The paint is so so, but paint doesnt lift a car so I'm good with that.

The only thing I have to complain about was the pictures in the instructions, they just ****! Fortunately I enjoy a good puzzle.

I have some pictures in my profile if you are curious.

Later

KO