Lifts, Complete Hydraulic good or bad

[will02]

With such an important purchase, and all hydraulic items, I always consider that I'll be needing repair parts in the future, so spending more now is always better than throwing the whole thing away in the future due to lack of manufacturer support.

I paid extra about 6 years ago for a US made, certified etc etc 4 post lift from Autolifters, bankrupt 3 months later. So much for a lifetime warranty. Bought a SL100000oh Complete Hydraulics 2 post a couple of years ago. Twice the unit my Autolifters one is as far as quality of welds and engineering. I would by another Complete Hydraulics lift in a flash, in fact I have two more friends that have them now. Their customer service was incredible.

 

[Ezzie]

I have had the SL10000OH in use for about a year now. Lifts a GMC dually no problem. The metal work is Korean made (by Powerexx) and is of very impressive quality - thickness of steel and welds. One word of caution though, all of the electrical wiring (except the hydraulic unit) is also of Korean origin and as such has no CSA or UL approvals. If an electrical inspector sees it, he might ask you to replace it all (as happened to me).

 

[Dave Heacock]

Yes, unfortunately the inspectors are now just looking for approval tags instead of actually looking at and inspecting the equipment. If you are going to apply for an installation permit, I would strongly suggest getting a lift that is ETL (electrical testing laboratory) approved in addition to having ALI (automotive lift institute) approval. This ETL approval is for the whole lift as an assemble and not just for a component of the lift. Depending upon where you live seismic anchoring can also be a big issue. The new international seismic codes, which have recently been adopted, have made all most all existing slabs inadequate for attachment. It is very easy to exceed the price of the lift in trying to comply with these seismic codes and calculations.

 

[krooser]

THIS is how strong a lift should be built...

Leaf chains... no cables.

1/2" and 3/4" thick structural steel...

I've said it before... some guys will spend ten of thousands of dollars on fancy paint, big tires/wheels, fancy epoxy floors, drive $100,000 exotic cars and then buy the cheapest lift they can find... pretty amazing to me.

I match my old Weaver against any "bargain" lift you can find...

 

[Dave Heacock]

Ah an old Weaver Lift! When I first starting selling lifts back in 1986 we were the Weaver distributor for Southern California. The fact that many of these lifts are still operational decades later is a tribute to their engineering and constuction. Although Weaver has been out of business for some time, you can still get most of the parts for your lift from the aftermarket company, SVI.

 

[TAMPAGT07]

I think that if I had a Lamborgini, I would not park it under the Dodge Durango, like in the picture.

 

[mechamunch]

Thanks for all the comments guys. Everone talks about the ALI certifications and what not, but don't these types of products have to be certified by someone? I find it hard to believe that a product designed to suspend 9000lbs over someones head is not regulated by anyone.

Tom

Funny fun fact: ALI is the only recognized national certification. OSHA kinda seems to have their hand in the soup as far as enforcing penalties when something goes wrong, but only ALI offers preventative measures.

I think ALI exists, in part, so that the lift manufacturing industry can police itself rather than the US government stepping in. And so far it's working as no government agency has tried to step in and control automotive lift manufacturing standards. Which, generally, is better for business so it's in their best interest to have high standards. Which is good for the consumer.

Free markets working? Whaaaaaa?

 

[Brennan]

I own a lift from this company, couldn't be happier, great product.

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

From the picture it looks like the corner is cracked where it bolts to the floor....

 

[mx5.7]

I think it is funny that some trust chains more than cables. They have obviously never worked around lattice boom cranes. Roller chains are for driving a sprocket. Cables are for lifting or in this case eqaulizing.

 

[UPSHIFT]

I think it is funny that some trust chains more than cables. They have obviously never worked around lattice boom cranes. Roller chains are for driving a sprocket. Cables are for lifting or in this case eqaulizing.

Great Point.. The newer 2 Post lifts are Direct Drive and they do not use Chain or Cable for lifting, The lift Models that still use chain for lifting are lower in overall height as you get double the lifting height by using the Chain over pulley design, with a Direct Drive and 70" of lifting height the cylinder will be 140" tall at full height. The cables on a two post are to keep the two sides in sync (even). For you Mohawk fans they use "Hydraulic Equalization to keep the load in sync and have not adapted the Direct Drive into their line to keep the overall height down. If you do not have a height issue you should always purchase a Direct Drive Lift to be sure the chains do not let you down. It is very hard to see a defective chain with the naked eye and a defective cable is very obvious.