Looking at Lifts... brand recommendations?

[Brad54]

I'm starting to research lifts.
What are your recommendations for brand names/manufacturers, and are there any to avoid?

Looking at two and four posts.

Thanks,

-Brad

 

[Danglerb]

Dozens of threads here once you narrow down what you need a little.

Home or shop?
Budget, only the finest?
Storage, repair?
Any limits on ceiling height?
2000 lb race car or 9000 lb SUV?

I use a mid rise scissor with about a 50" max lift. Its a best choice for tire, suspension, and body work, but limited access to the middle of the car (not much of an issue for front wheel drive or transaxle cars).

 

[Brad54]

Dozens of threads here once you narrow down what you need a little.

Home or shop?
Budget, only the finest?
Storage, repair?
Any limits on ceiling height?
2000 lb race car or 9000 lb SUV?

All of the above.

Part of it is research for an article, part of it is research for my own shop. For the article, I'd like to cover everything from small lifts for a standard 2-car garage, to 2- and 4-post lifts for a shop with 12-foot ceilings.

Mainly looking for brands to avoid, or companies with bad reputations.

-Brad

 

[Monte]

www.bendpak.com
www.autop.de
www.maha.de
www.consul-gmbh.com
www.nussbaum-lifts.de
www.longus.net
www.hywema.de
www.oma-garagequipment.it
www.slift.de
www.stenhoj.dk
www.werther.com
www.zippolifts.de
www.omcn.it
www.ravaglioli.com

 

[I can fix anything]

Bend-pak Bend-pak Bend-pak I would not have anything else.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Brad, start by compiling a list of lift manufacturers, Rotary, Mohawk, Challenger, etc. Some of the names you encounter will be just that, names placed on generic Chinese lifts, so then comes the task of categorizing the names into manufacturers who actually make lifts, and those who have them made for them, US made, European made, Asian made, etc. After you build a data base of them, then you can start accumulating data on each company, how long in biz, how many different models they make, etc.

Charles

 

[wafrederick]

Look at an older Bend Pak,the new models are cheaply made in China.There are in the ground lifts and are enviromentally safe,use a plastic liner.Snap On is to avoid too,no head room and you will know about it.Had a Snap On lift,no head room and did get rid of it.

 

[Monte]

"Made in USA" lifts: www.maha-usa.com

 

[wheats71]

Rotary

 

[tooth]

Nussbaum 8000lb is what I have

Made in Germany. Great lift.

 

[Busted Bolts]

look at PTEN (professional tool equipment news) April 2011 issue starting on pg56 on digital vew, this should help you get started. A lot of things you need cleared up before pricing. Good luck

 

[Gbart14]

After much research, just bought a new Mohawk A-7. Will be installed next week. Difference in price vs having one shipped used from the East Coast (only place where I could find one) plus the unknowns of a 15+ year old lift pushed me (at my age) to reduce risk and go with at new one. The people here in Fresno are great to work with and he does it all including offload and install for a very reasonable price. I could spend countless hours getting the best deal, etc. on a used one, organizing shipping, organizing offloading, organizing installation but my time is better spent on my business and when I have time, on my race car. Of course, I will post the before and after photos.
Good luck,
Gary.

 

[tooth]

Sweet. My buddy got a 10000lb Mohawk and that thing is beefy. What's that cost approx in Cali? The Mohawk was over 10k installed here in the Midwest. My German nussbaum was 4500 installed by comparison.

 

[Gbart14]

I am getting a brand new a7 installed (totally installed: guts, feathers, and all) for under $6100 here in Fresno, CA. I do understand that they have just had a minor price increase. I think 5%.
Gary

 

[SteveU]

Sweet. My buddy got a 10000lb Mohawk and that thing is beefy. What's that cost approx in Cali? The Mohawk was over 10k installed here in the Midwest. My German nussbaum was 4500 installed by comparison.

I had a Mohawk 10K installed 3 yrs ago for 5200, check around I wouldn't think they went up that much

 

[overdriv]

Bend-pak Bend-pak Bend-pak I would not have anything else.

What model of Bendpak lift do you have?

 

[D9H 90V]

Rotary! this ones rated a 16,500lbs I have never seen a lift so solid

 

[BHR4CE1]

Bend-pak Bend-pak Bend-pak I would not have anything else.

SAME HERE!!!

Mine gets installed this Friday. WOOO HOOO!

 

[bassman]

I have a 10k rotary 2post and love it best tool I ever bought

 

[country83]

We've had a Mohawk 10K capacity twin post at my parent's for the last couple of years, and it's been SOLID. Used a Mohawk 15K capacity where I used to work, and that was nice, too.

 

[hayfarmer]

Mohawk or Rotary. You cant go wrong.