Looking for any pros or cons between two four post lifts.

[Power Sedan]

So after servers years of debating to move, or stay, I've gone ahead and made plans raise the ceiling in a specific location, add the extension door rails, install the Master Lift side mount, and install a four post lift. The entire floor over the span of the lift will have roughly a 2" pitch. I'm debating between two lifts... Bend Pak 9W, or the Direct Lift Pro Park 8S. Both will meet my needs, both achieve the width I'd like to have between the post, for my vehicle underneath. Looking for any experience with either, or just suggestions. I do plan on anchoring the for post lift to the floor. I'm leaning toward the Direct Lift Pro Park 8S, only because the post all width of roughly 6" less, and will allow my truck a little better entry and exit room next to the lift. I wish 17 years ago I installed a 18' wide garage door, when we built our home.

Thank you in advance

 

[BajaScout]

Pros: Less posts with a two post lift.

Cons: More posts with a four post lift.

Note: This would change if you happen to like posts.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Power Sedan]

Pros: 4 post ideal for storage.

Cons: 2 post not so ideal.

Note: Why I mentioned four post lifts, ILO two post lifts.

 

[NitroShark]

Looking for any experience with either, or just suggestions.

I would remove the existing 4 post and install a double wide 4 post.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Pros: Less posts with a two post lift.

Cons: More posts with a four post lift.

Pros: 4 post ideal for storage.

Cons: 2 post not so ideal.

He's looking at two different 4 post lifts, not comparing a 2 post with a 4 post.

 

[SeisMec]

I'm debating between two lifts... Bend Pak 9W, or the Direct Lift Pro Park 8S.
...
I'm leaning toward the Direct Lift Pro Park 8S, only because the post all width of roughly 6" less, and will allow my truck a little better entry and exit room next to the lift.

Not sure that it matters, but looking at the specs for the Bend Pak and Direct Lift — (because of how the motor faces on the post) the Direct Lift's overall width (with motor) is 115". While the Bend Pack's overall width is 110.25".

Motor facing outward on front post of Direct Lift.

Motor facing front to back on rear post of Bend Pack.

 

[[email protected]]

Why bolt it to the ground? It’s not necessary in the first place. Secondly why hamstring yourself by bolting it down. You may have to move it for what ever reason.

 

[pbon]

He is in a 2 inch slope. Mine is not bolted but my floor might slope 1/4 inch. I though a lot about where I wanted it and have not found any need to move it in the 9 months since I assembled it. I bought the caster kit but have not used it.

 

[brownbagg]

if you are old, two post *****

 

[onsail]

They both have their merits. If it's primarily for parking, go the 4 post route. Much easier on and off. If you are going to go up and down, pull wheels etc work underneath, the 2 post is the winner. Also what @brownbag said.
Coincidently, I logged in tonight to see if anyone had any experience with the 4 post double wide. Couldn't find anything on them.

 

[flyt100]

Not sure that it matters, but looking at the specs for the Bend Pak and Direct Lift — (because of how the motor faces on the post) the Direct Lift's overall width (with motor) is 115". While the Bend Pack's overall width is 110.25".



Motor facing outward on front post of Direct Lift.



Motor facing front to back on rear post of Bend Pack.

DirectLift has a 90 degree mounting plate available to change that (I have one).

 

[dagofast]

I think almost everyone agonizes over making their lift decision. I know I certainly did. With it all in rearview mirror now, what I can tell you now is that ANY lift beats the absolute hell out of having no lift.

I originally thought I wanted a 2 post lift. Two things made me change my mind. The first is that I realized that I wanted a lift in the first place because the majority of parts in my 60 year old body no longer like being in close contact with concrete. With a 2 post, you will still be getting down on the floor to position the lifting arms at least twice and probably more. With a 4 post lift you drive right on, get out, chock a tire and push the up button. Brake, wheel & suspension work are not quite as convenient as a 2 post, but they are easily doable on a 4 post if you add a rolling jack.

The second thing that made me change my mind was a 4 post allows me to more safely store a vehicle up out of the way and opens up all the space underneath to move about the shop freely. Finally, my shop is built on a post tension slab and the drilling required for a 2 post would have been doable but problematic from a warranty standpoint.

I looked at the Pro Park 8S and a Bendpak model, both were very nice lifts however I ended up going with an Advantage 9000XLT, which I love. I like the 6x6 post design, the slider blocks will be a piece of cake to change should I ever wear them out and the stability is rock solid. The company (Tony) was great to deal with and the 5 year warranty is a nice clincher. The Advantage lift can mount the motor/pump on either the drivers front or passenger rear post and simply rotating the bracket you can chose to mount it beside the post or in front/back of.

 

[dagofast]

They both have their merits. If it's primarily for parking, go the 4 post route. Much easier on and off. If you are going to go up and down, pull wheels etc work underneath, the 2 post is the winner. Also what @brownbag said.
Coincidently, I logged in tonight to see if anyone had any experience with the 4 post double wide. Couldn't find anything on them.

We're in the QC as well! I do know Advantage also makes a double wide lift. I think there are now 4 Advantage lifts in the neighborhood, no double wides to my knowledge though. If you have any questions about their single lifts, ask away.

 

[Power Sedan]

Not sure that it matters, but looking at the specs for the Bend Pak and Direct Lift — (because of how the motor faces on the post) the Direct Lift's overall width (with motor) is 115". While the Bend Pack's overall width is 110.25".

Motor facing outward on front post of Direct Lift.

Motor facing front to back on rear post of Bend Pack.

Fortunately with the motor, either will be good since the garage is built wider on one side, it's the door entry that has the tighter tolerance for clearance. Good observation though !

 

[Power Sedan]

Why bolt it to the ground? It’s not necessary in the first place. Secondly why hamstring yourself by bolting it down. You may have to move it for what ever reason.

As mentioned, I do have a slope that exceeds 1/8" per foot, which most suggest bolting down. The other reason being the lift will be located on one side, where the ceiling has a cathedral engineered trusses, to allow 11+ feet, where as the other 2/3 of the garage are 9'5". Thus lift will be mostly for storage, and open up my work space, ILO a vehicle parked there.

 

[albaran]

Also, double check the working height you may have under the lift. My friend has a lift that doesn't go as high as mine and he sees that as an inconvenience especially if you might have to park a taller vehicle under it like a truck.

 

[Power Sedan]

Also, double check the working height you may have under the lift. My friend has a lift that doesn't go as high as mine and he sees that as an inconvenience especially if you might have to park a taller vehicle under it like a truck.

Valid point, which I have considered as well, plus extra width.

 

[Power Sedan]

I think almost everyone agonizes over making their lift decision. I know I certainly did. With it all in rearview mirror now, what I can tell you now is that ANY lift beats the absolute hell out of having no lift.

I originally thought I wanted a 2 post lift. Two things made me change my mind. The first is that I realized that I wanted a lift in the first place because the majority of parts in my 60 year old body no longer like being in close contact with concrete. With a 2 post, you will still be getting down on the floor to position the lifting arms at least twice and probably more. With a 4 post lift you drive right on, get out, chock a tire and push the up button. Brake, wheel & suspension work are not quite as convenient as a 2 post, but they are easily doable on a 4 post if you add a rolling jack.

The second thing that made me change my mind was a 4 post allows me to more safely store a vehicle up out of the way and opens up all the space underneath to move about the shop freely. Finally, my shop is built on a post tension slab and the drilling required for a 2 post would have been doable but problematic from a warranty standpoint.

I looked at the Pro Park 8S and a Bendpak model, both were very nice lifts however I ended up going with an Advantage 9000XLT, which I love. I like the 6x6 post design, the slider blocks will be a piece of cake to change should I ever wear them out and the stability is rock solid. The company (Tony) was great to deal with and the 5 year warranty is a nice clincher. The Advantage lift can mount the motor/pump on either the drivers front or passenger rear post and simply rotating the bracket you can chose to mount it beside the post or in front/back of.

Great feedback, I've never considered or looked into Advantage lifts. I'm still in the early stages, haven't fully committed to one particular model, still doing the prep work with the garage. When you mentioned sliders, does this mean it's adjustable to be level on a slotted surface? That's one of the reasons I looked into DL Pro Park models.

 

[SeisMec]

Good observation though !

I usually see such things after making a purchase.

 

[LuvAZ]

To the OP,
Which type of lift to buy can be better answered once you've identified what you're looking to do w/it.
Having owned 3 different types of lifts- a 4 post, a mid rise scissor lift, and now a 2 post, I can tell you there's pluses & minuses w/each.

So, the 4 post may be a better choice if you are looking to store a vehicle (I stored a classic car during the winter when I lived in NH. It let me turn a 2 car garage into a 3 car. During the 3 other seasons, it was a service lift & was great for oil changes. Doing brakes & rotating tires (probably the 2nd biggest service use next to oil & filter changes) was another story. You need a sliding bridge jack and even then you're lifting either the front or back, not both (unless you get 2 bridge jack set ups $$)!

I'll move on to the 2 post now as you didn't ask about the mid rise scissor lift.
First off, I no longer need to have any winter storage as i moved back to Scottsdale.
Knowing that my top 3 uses are oil changes, tire rotation, and brake jobs; I opted for the 2 post. This type of lift provides the easiest access to my 'top 3'.
No bridge jack like on the 4 post, so front to back tire rotations are much quicker & easier on the 2 post.

Hopefully that helps you make an educated decision between 2 or 4 post.
As far as brand goes, I've seen a lot of guys here go for brands such as Mohawk, Rotary and Bendpak.
I bought my 4 post Direct lift ProPark 7 and my 2 post Atlas BP8000 from Greg Smith Equipment.
I installed them myself, not too tough. Spent the better part of a day on the installation.

 

[Power Sedan]

To the OP,
Which type of lift to buy can be better answered once you've identified what you're looking to do w/it.
Having owned 3 different types of lifts- a 4 post, a mid rise scissor lift, and now a 2 post, I can tell you there's pluses & minuses w/each.

So, the 4 post may be a better choice if you are looking to store a vehicle (I stored a classic car during the winter when I lived in NH. It let me turn a 2 car garage into a 3 car. During the 3 other seasons, it was a service lift & was great for oil changes. Doing brakes & rotating tires (probably the 2nd biggest service use next to oil & filter changes) was another story. You need a sliding bridge jack and even then you're lifting either the front or back, not both (unless you get 2 bridge jack set ups $$)!

I'll move on to the 2 post now as you didn't ask about the mid rise scissor lift.
First off, I no longer need to have any winter storage as i moved back to Scottsdale.
Knowing that my top 3 uses are oil changes, tire rotation, and brake jobs; I opted for the 2 post. This type of lift provides the easiest access to my 'top 3'.
No bridge jack like on the 4 post, so front to back tire rotations are much quicker & easier on the 2 post.

Hopefully that helps you make an educated decision between 2 or 4 post.
As far as brand goes, I've seen a lot of guys here go for brands such as Mohawk, Rotary and Bendpak.
I bought my 4 post Direct lift ProPark 7 and my 2 post Atlas BP8000 from Greg Smith Equipment.
I installed them myself, not too tough. Spent the better part of a day on the installation.

I'm pretty much set in stone with having a 4 post lift, to be utilized for storage, and general maintenance, since I'll have the availability with it. My title seems to be misleading, but I'm trying to decide between the Bend Pak or Direct Lift four post. I'm looking more at the Pro Park 8 model, with the wider dimensions, for larger vehicles to fit underneath. Since you owned a Direct Lift, how has been your experience with the DL Pro Park 7? Anything you like or dislike about the unit in general. I like the fact it's adjustable to be level with the resting positions. Did you have it fixed to the ground, or left it moveable with the casters. I'm curious how rigid it is not anchored to the ground. I have a little over a 2" slope with my garage floor. The vehicle I'll be storing there full-time weighs in at 3,100 lbs, if this helps. I appreciate all the feedback.

 

[dagofast]

Great feedback, I've never considered or looked into Advantage lifts. I'm still in the early stages, haven't fully committed to one particular model, still doing the prep work with the garage. When you mentioned sliders, does this mean it's adjustable to be level on a slotted surface? That's one of the reasons I looked into DL Pro Park models.

The sliders I mentioned are the nylon/polypropolene guide blocks that are used in almost all lifts so it isn't metal on metal as they go up & down. On a "C" channel lift like the Pro Park, those guide blocks or sliders would require quite a bit of work to change out as they are one of the first items to go in during the assembly of the lift. On the Advantage 4 post lifts, those guide block/sliders are one of the last things to be installed and they can be easily changed by removing one screw on each of the 2 retainer plates, pulling out the 4 pieces, sliding 4 new ones in and re-installing the 2 retainer plates with one screw in each. Pretty simple.

The Advantage lift does NOT have an internal leveling plate in each post like the ProPark lift does. Initially I had the same concerns that you have about that, but in talking to other lift owners my fears were put to rest on that issue. Only one Advantage owner I spoke with had bothered to shim his rear posts to level out his lift. He used ¾" plywood cut to the plate size of 12"x12". I'll also mention that with the included dolly's, shimming the posts is very easy to do.

Think of it like this: Basically, all garages have some slope on the floor for drainage. If you can park a car on your floor with no fear of it rolling away, then shouldn't the same apply when it is on a lift that hasn't been leveled and follows that same slope? Regardless, it isn't hard to level the lift. But if, like me, you should you decide not to, Advantage lifts come with 2 included rubber wheel chocks and 4 aluminum endplates that drop in all four ends of the ramps. This, along with always parking the vehicle in park or 1st gear along with setting the parking brake should make any car secure. Simply by following those simple common sense safety procedures, the chance of a car rolling off should be virtually zero.

I'd encourage you to visit the Advantage website. They have some excellent videos showing the installation of the lift that should better illustrate what I have probably poorly explained.